FBR REPORT: Burma Army activities in Toungoo District, Western Karen State
Shan State, Burma
25 May, 2006

 
 
In This Report:
 

 

 
  Images  


Inside one of the abandoned houses. May 23, 2006


IDP family from Toungoo District in hide site. May 23, 2006


Burned houses in Kway Kee Village. May 20, 2006


After Church Service in hiding place. May 21, 2006

 

 
  Summary:  

In Toungoo District, northwestern Karen State, the Burma Army continues to commit human rights abuses against civilians.

There were a total of 7 villagers killed by Burma Army troops during their sweeps against IDP hiding places from 5 February to 26 May 2006*. Burma Army troops also burned 54 houses, shot at least 45 mortars at villages to terrorize civilians, forced villagers to move to relocation sites, forced villagers to be porters, imposed travel restrictions and stole and destroyed villagers’ property.

350 villagers have been ordered to carry military supplies for the Burma Army for three days from Kaw They Der to Naw Soe Burma Army Camp. On 22 May 2006, the supplies for the Burma Army were stored under the primary school in Kaw They Der and the villagers were forced to build a floor and walls for the supplies. According to local Karen leaders, this is an unusual rainy season re-supply for the Burma Army because the Burma Army already has its supplies for the rainy season and these are in addition to those supplies.

*Descriptions of two killings are not included in this report but the details are available.

Also included in this report are detailed accounts of -Burma Army Locations and Movement -Human Rights Abuses by the Burma Army; Killing, Burned Houses, Relocation, Travel Restrictions

 

 
  BURMA ARMY LOCATIONS and MOVEMENT ^ top  

Note on Burma Army organization: Division= 10 battalions MOC= Military Operations Command (7 battalions, 2 TOC. 3 Battalions per TOC and 1 HQ battalion). TOC= Tactical Operations Command (3 battalions) IB= Infantry Battalion LIB= Light Infantry Battalion

1) Now TOC 663 is at Naw Soe, with LIB 1 near Maun Thaun Gyi, LIB 108 near Khu Law and LIB 5 in Yeh Tho Gyi, Yeh Tho Lay and Meh Kyaw.

2) Burma Army IB 80 is in Busakee and Plaw Mu Der. LIB 11 is in Kun Dai.

3) 5 February ’06: Burma Army DIV 66: Came and replaced TOC 1 southern command in Kler Lah. DIV 66 operated in Toungoo District area. DIV 66, TOC 1 stays in Daw Pa Ko Township, Thandaung area at Kyo Da Da Camp.

4) Burma Army TOC 3 stays in Taw Ta Tu Township, Mo Nay Bwa area, Play Has Lo camp.

5) Burma Army DIV 66 – Division commander Khin Zaw Oo led TOC 2 into Taw Ta Tu and Daw Pa Ko Townships. 1. LIB 10 Btn. Cmdr. Soe Myint, Dep. Cmdr. Win Zaw Oo 2. IB 80 Btn. Cmdr. Kyaw Du Ra, Dep. Cmdr. Lin Zaw Tun 3. LIB 6 Btn. Cmdr. Aung Soe Win, Dep. Cmdr. Aye Lwin 4. LIB 108 Btn. Cmdr. Aung Kyaw Oo, Dep. Cmdr. Nay Myo Aung 5. IB 35 Btn. Cmdr. Myo Tun, Dep. Cmdr. Saw Nay Myo 6. IB 14 Btn. Cmdr. Nay Myo Aung, Dep. Cmdr. Yeh Min Thu 7. LIB 4 Btn. Cmdr. Htu Lein, Dep. Cmdr. Min Zaw Zaw 8. IB 5 Btn. Cmdr. Zaw Win, Dep. Cmdr. Ko Ko Aung 9. IB 11 Btn. Cmdr. Han Mo Aung, Dep. Cmdr. Aung Than Htwe 10. IB 1 Btn. Cmdr. Khin Zaw, Dep. Cmdr. Aung Min DIV 66 patrolled in Toungoo District with these ten battalions.

6) DIV 66 Commander Khin Zaw Oo stays in Kler Lah Camp. He has 135 soldiers with him.

7) TOC 1: TOC commander Soe Htway stays in Kyo Da Da Camp and has 48 soldiers.

8) TOC 3: TOC commander Tin Aung stays in Play Hsa Loh Camp and has 47 soldiers.

9) LIB 10 was replaced by IB 5 on 7 March 2006 at Palaewa Camp, Maw Pa Der, Blay Soe Kee and Kaw Thay Der. LIB 10 has 123 soldiers. IB 10 returned to their battalion headquarters.

10) IB 80 was replaced by IB 11 on 7 March 2006 at Lay Pya Late, Ko Tai, Nan Chain Gwin. IB 80 has 100 soldiers and returned to their battalion headquarters.

11) LIB 6 stays at Pa Wae Der Ka, Htee Tha Saw, Kyo Da Da with 123 soldiers. They have not been replaced by other troops yet.

12) LIB 4 was replaced by IB 80 on 20 April 2006 at Tha Aye Hta, Gkhu Mu Der, Sho Hser Ler Hto Day, Bee Mu Ko. LIB 4 has 122 soldiers and they returned to their battalion headquarters.

13) IB 35 stays at Play Hsa Loh and Klaw Mee Der and patrolled in those areas with 125 soldiers.

14) LIB 108 was replaced by IB 1 on 5 March 2006 at Play Hsa Loh Burma Army camp. LIB 108 has 125 soldiers. LIB 108 returned to their battalion headquarters.

15) IB 14 was replaced by IB 80 on 1 May 2006 at Naw Soe, Si Khey Der, Plaw Mu Der and Busakee. IB 14 has 128 soldiers. IB 14 returned to their battalion headquarters.

16) DIV 66, TOC 3, TOC commander Tin Aung went to stay at Play Hsa Loh Village on 8 February 2006 with the following battalions: 1) LIB 108 (125 soldiers) 2) IB 35 (125 soldiers) 3) IB 14 (128 soldiers) 4) TOC 3 (47 soldiers). These three battalions and the TOC soldiers were operating in the following areas; Play Sah Loh, Yer Loh, Blaw Ba Der, Da Ba Kee, Hkaw Po Lo, Mwee Loh, Hkeh Der, Hu Mu Der, Ler Klah Der, up to Wah Mee Ber Ko and Ko Lu areas.

17) On 6 April 2006: MOC 16, TOC 2, with TOC commander Ko Ko Kyi led the following three battalions; 1) LIB 522, 2) LIB 568, 3) LIB 567. Those three battalions have a total of 450 soldiers. They went into Play Hsa Loh and replaced DIV 66, TOC 3, under TOC commander Tin Aung. TOC 3 controls IB 1 and IB 35. DIV 66, TOC 3 with those two battalions patrolled and then went back to Naw Soe, Kaw They Der, Ku Ler Der, and Hsaw Wah Der area.

18) MOC 16, TOC 2 under TOC commander Ko Ko Kyi controls LIB 568 and IB 240(who came from Maladaw to combine with his troops). They combined at Ka Mu Loh on 3 May 2006. They patrolled in Taw Ta Tu Township; Ger Mu Kee, Hsee Daw Ko, Bwey Baw Der, Haw La Ko, and Naw La Baw.

19) DIV 66, TOC 1, IB 11, LIB 10, LIB 6 patrolled in Daw Pa Ko Township. Under TOC 1 is IB 11, LIB 10, LIB 6, all operating in the Thandaung area.

20) DIV 66, TOC 3 patrolled in Taw Ta Tu Township. TOC 3 commands IB 1, IB 80, IB 5, LIB 108 in the Kler Lah area to the Busakee car road and Mawchi car road.

21) MOC 16, TOC 2 patrolled in Taw Ta Tu Township, in Play Hsa Loh and Maw Nee Bwa area. LIB 522, LIB 568, LIB 323 and IB 240 are now in Play Hsa Loh Camp.

 

 
  KILLING, FORCED RELOCATION, FORCED LABOR ^ top  

(in date order from most recent offenses on 8 May until 5 Feb 2006)

1) 24 May 2006. On 25 April 2006, TOC 661, LIB 6 at Thow Ya Ka, ordered that villagers move from Yetagun to Palaewa. As of 24 May, 50 households had moved and 60 households were unaccounted for. Burma Army troops are checking on where the missing households are and need to account for all of them and have them all relocated by the end of May. The local Burma Army commander is reportedly sending false reports to his commanders, saying that the missing villagers are coming back a few people at a time and they are slowly accounting for all of them.

2) On 23 May 2006, the Burma Army forced villagers to cut 30 pieces of 1-1/2 meters of wood. They were ordered to finish it in one week. The four villages are Sha Zi Bo, Yay Sha, Zibyugo and Daw Go. They also blocked all travel by bullock carts from gathering wood. The four villages have to send one person from one village for one week to the Burma Army camp and then have the villagers rotate.

3) 10 May 2006, DIV 66, TOC 663, LIB 1 and LIB 108 went to Saw Wah Der Village and destroyed 5 houses, burned 3 farm huts, burned 30 zinc pieces of roofing, ate one goat and one chicken, stole 20 machetes, 25 viss of betelnut, 7 baskets of rice (14 tins), 12 viss of fish paste, 10 viss of salt, 12 pots, 3 cooking pot stands, burned 120 baskets of rice paddy, 1 pack of tea leaves, 9 plastic buckets, 1 cassette player, 2 muskets, 1 airgun, 3 flashlights, 6 “D” Batteries, 5 pairs of rubber boots, 1 axe, 4 large woven baskets, 3 large woven mats, clothing worth 100,000 Kyat, medicine worth 50,000 Kyat, 29 plates, 6 spoons, and 2 tea kettles.

4) On 8 May 2006, DIV 66, IB 1, under battalion commander Khin Zaw and Deputy Commander Aung Min and LIB 108 battalion commander Aung Kyaw Oo and Deputy Commander Nay Myo Aung killed the village headman Saw Dee Po (80 years old) and took over 400,000 Kyat from him. His father’s name is Saw Maw Nu.

5) On 8 May 2006, at 11 o’clock, DIV 66, IB 1 burned 5 houses in Saw Wah Der Village (same commanders as above).

6) On 3 May 2006, DIV 66, IB 1, under commander Khin Zaw and Deputy Commander Aung Min, killed Saw Wah Der villager Saw Bu Ler Taw (20 years old). His father’s name is Saw Htoo Kaw. The troops took three baskets of rice and 200,000 Kyat from him and then killed him. On the same day they killed a pig in Saw Wah Der Village belonging to Saw Geh Po (his pig was worth 70,000 Kyat).

7) On 2 May 2006, MOC 16, TOC 2, under commander Ko Ko Kyi asked villagers to guide them on a patrol. One villager was forced to go from each of the following villages: Play Hsa Loh, Baw Pa, Lay Kwo Loh, Blaw Baw Der and Dah Bah Kee. These people guided the troops and the commander to Ger Mu Kee, Bwey Baw Der, Naw La Baw Lu, Hkwaw Lah Ko and Hsee Daw Ko. The villagers were forced to walk in front of the Burma Army troops and the trip lasted 10 days.

8) On 28 April 2006 at 3p.m., DIV 66, LIB 108, under Battalion Commander Aung Kyaw Oo and Deputy Commander Nay Myo Aung, shot Kaw They Der villager Saw Mya Ler in a betelnut grove. He was 35 years old. His father’s name was Saw Lay Pah. They shot him in the arm and broke it.

9) On 27 April 2006, MOC 16, TOC 2, under commander Ko Ko Kyi, control LIB 522, LIB 567 and LIB 323. They went into Po Mu Der (also called Ko Lu) and then went back to Hkey Kee and burned seven houses on 28 April 2006. On that day they also took the following from Yer Lo villagers: Maw Thin Shwe (1 basket of rice), Saw Htoo Heh (1 basket of rice), Saw Maw Tay Kyaw (1 basket of rice) and Saw Maw Haw (1 basket of rice).

10) On 26 April 2006 the Burma Army forced 8 car owners from Kler Lah and Kaw They Der to take rice in their cars from Kler Lah to Busakee.

11) On 23 April 2006, DIV 66, TOC 1, LIB 10 under commander Soe Myint and deputy commander Win Zaw Oo, went into Daw Pa Ko Township and burned 17 houses in Maw Mee Ko Village.

12) On 22 April 2006, DIV 66, TOC 1, LIB 10 burned 30 houses in Da Yeh Yu Village.

13) On 16 April 2006, MOC 16, TOC 2, LIB 522, LIB 567, LIB 568 went to Blaw Baw Der and took the following belongings from villagers: 1. Ma Shwe Thin- 2 baskets of rice, 1 duck 2. Maw Heh Bweh- 4 baskets of rice, 1 duck 3. Thay Gay Lay- 2 baskets of rice, killed one pig worth 35,000 Kyat to eat 4. Geh Leh- 8 viss of oil 5. Mahn U Sein- 1/2 viss of tobacco, 1/2 tin of rice, 2 pots, 2 blankets 6. Naw Shur Paw- 3 chickens 7. Naw Mat Du- 4 viss of dried fish 8. Maw Klay Paw- 30 baskets of paddy rice burned. 9. On the same day, they also took all of the materials from the Da Pa Kee school, including: 1) 4 bowls 2) 7 plates 3) 1 frying pan 4) 2 big pots 5) 2 blankets 10. Saw Nay Hser Mo- 1 chicken 11. Maw Kweh Tho- 10 viss of fish paste 12. Maw Shwe Bo- 2 chickens, 1 pot 13. Naw La Paw- 3 chickens

14) On 5 April 2006, DIV 66, TOC 3, under commander Tin Aung, called a meeting with villagers from Lay Gwo Loh, Baw Pa, Yer Loh, Blaw Baw Der, Ta Ba Kee and Mwee Loh and ordered them to start moving on 6 April 2006 to Play Hsa Loh .

On 6 April 2006, MOC 16, TOC 2, under commander Ko Ko Kyi, replaced DIV 66, TOC 3, under commander Tin Aung, at Play Hsa Loh. By 20 April 2006, all the villagers were told to be finished moving to Play Hsa Loh.

15) On 3 April 2006, the Burma Army forced villagers from Ger Mu Loh to be their porters. Saw Htee Moo(35 years old), Saw Khu Heh (30 years old) were from Yu Loh; Saw Hee Paw (30 years old), Saw Thu (12 years old) were from Lay Gwo Loh; Saw Maw Plo Gaw (16 years old) from Play Sah Loh; Saw Tha Way (50 years old) and Saw Kyaw Soe (17 years old). They had to go to Hti Lo, pick up rice and take it back to Play Hsa Loh camp.

16) On 27 March 2006, the same troops (see #13) forced 5 villagers from Yu Loh, 1 from Play Hsa Loh, 1 from Yer Loh, 1 from Baw Pa and 1 from Lay Ho Lo to go to Hti Loh to pick up cooking oil and take it back to Play Hsa Loh.

17) On 22 March 2006, the Burma Army forced one person from each family in each of the following villages- Kler Lah, Kaw They Der, Klay Soe Kee, Wah Tho Ko, Baw Soe Ko, Ler Ko, Gka Mu Der, Der Doh, Maw Ko Der, Beh Kaw Der, Ku Plaw Der and Ma Pah Der- to clean the car road from Muday to Bee Mu Ko (near the Karenni State border).

18) On 15 March 2006, the Burma Army forced 11 car owners from Kler Lah and Kaw They Der to take rice in their cars from Kler Lah to Busakee.

19) On 12 March 2006, the same troops (see #11), forced 60 men and 18 women from Klaw Mee Der and 17 men and 11 women from Gkeh Der and 17 men and 10 women from Hu Mu Der and 25 cattle to go to Palaewa, pick up rice and take it back to Klaw Mee Der.

20) On 12 March 2006, DIV 66, TOC 3, under commander Tin Aung, forced 7 villagers from Plaw Baw Der and 10 from Yer Loh, to go to Hti Loh and take rice back to Play Hsa Loh. On the same day, 10 villagers from each of the following villages- Play Sah Loh, Yu Loh and Ger Mu Lo- to get rice from Hti Loh and take it back to Play Hsa Loh.

21) On 11 March 2006, TOC 3, IB 35, Column #2, under commander Soe Nay Myo, from Klaw Mee Der Camp, forced villagers from Klaw Mee Der, Ler Klah Der and Gkeh Der, to go to Palaewa and pick up rice and bring it back to Klaw Mee Der.

22) On 9 March 2006, Tin Aung forced 10 villagers from Play Hsa Loh to go to Hti Loh and take rice back to Play Hsa Lo.

23) On 8 March 2006, the Burma Army forced car owners from Kler Lah and Kaw They Der to take rice in their cars to Kler Lah camp. Some cars needed to be fixed in Toungoo and then they were forced to return to Kler Lah and take the rice from Kler Lah to Busakee.

24) On 6 March 2006, the Burma Army forced one villager from each household in each of the following villages-Beh Kwaw Der, Maw Ko Der, Khu Mu Der, Der Doh, Gleh Soe Key, Ler Koh, Gaw Soe Ko, Wah Tho Ko, Ku Plaw Der, Maw Pah Der- to clean the car road from Naw Soe to Busakee.

25) On 3 March 2006, DIV 66, TOC 3, under commander Tin Aung, made 70 bullock carts from Za Ya Gyi take rice from Za Ya Gyi to Hti Loh.

26) On 3 March 2006, the Burma Army forced car owners from Kler Lah to take rice in their cars from Ba Lay Wah to Kler Wah.

27) On 2 March 2006 at 8 p.m., southern commander Ko Ko ordered DIV 66 commander Khin Zaw Oo to order TOC 1, under commander Soe Htwey, and TOC 3, under commander Tin Aung, to mortar nearby villages with 81 and 60 mm mortars. TOC 3 commander Tin Aung mortared Yer Loh Village 7 times and 2 mortars hit the village. They fired mortars 3 times into Blaw Baw Der Village but only hit outside the village.

IB 35 from Klaw Mee Der/Yetagun, with 2nd Column commander Zaw Meh Myo, mortared 5 times into Ler Klah Der and Hu Mu Der. The mortars hit outside the village. DIV 66, TOC 1, under TOC commander Soe Htwe shot mortars into Ku They Der, Der Ga, Ga Law Ga, and other villages near the camp. They shot 20 times but all the mortars hit outside the villages. IB 14 , under commander Nay Myo Aung, mortared Maw They Der, Ku Ler Der, Buh Lo, Saw Wah Der 10 times and hit outside the villages every time. Their purpose is to scare the villagers.

28) On 1 March 2006, DIV 66, under commander Khin Zaw Oo, forced one person from each family in Kaw They Der Village to clean the car road from Kaw They Der to Naw Soe camp.

29) On 24 February 2006. Murder**, DIV 66, TOC 3, under commander Tin Aung, gave the order that Bo Maw Kee, Tha Pa Chaung and Day Yeh Kee Roads were closed to travel by villagers. Villagers were told they were not allowed to travel to the plains area and the villagers from the plains were told not to travel on any of those roads. The Burma Army said they would kill all of the villagers if they did. IB 35 commander Myo Htun, LIB 108 commander Aung Kyaw Oo stayed close to the roads. They started making patrols in the Ga Hser Gweh Htee to Ler Klah Der and Klah Mee Der areas. On 25 February 2006, Ler Klah Der villagers, brothers: 1) Saw Roland (40 years old) 2) Saw Da Nu Nu (43 years old), were carrying rice to their farm. The Burma Army troops caught them on their way in the Klee Loh area. The Burma Army troops hit and killed them, using their bayonets. Their father’s name is Saw Htoo Nee.

30) 5 February 2006. **Murder and torture: DIV 66, TOC 3; LIB 3, IB 14, IB 35 and LIB 108 went into Wah Mee Ber Ko area, at Blah Kee. They forced this villager to guide them: 1) Saw Dta Du Du (41 years old). They cut off his left hand and they killed him in Blah Kee. His father’s name is Saw Da Ba Neh and his mother’s name is Naw Pay.

31) DIV 66 and MOC 16 ordered all travel stopped in Taw Ta Tu Township and Daw Pa Ko Township.

God Bless you, K2 Toungoo FBR team 26 May 2006

ENDS