Burned Villages, Forced Relocations and Burma Army Camp

FBR REPORT: Burned Villages, Forced Relocations and Burma Army Camp

Karen State, Burma

22 May, 2006

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Burma Army Soldier at Play Hsa Lo, May 20, 2006.

Mother returns to forced relocation site at Play Hsa Lo.

Displaced family from Play Hsa Lo, May 20, 2006.

Relocation regulations by Burma Army.

Village of KwayKee, burned by Burma Army, April 27, 2006

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Relief team nurse treats ToungooIDPs, May 22, 2006.

19-year-old Saw Maw Poh Say, shot by Burma Army.

These photographs were taken by a relief team in Toungoo District from 20-22May 2006. The photographs of the Burma Army camp were taken in an ongoingattempt to put a light on the activities of the Burma Army as the teamsprovide medical care and relief to the displaced people. It is from thiscamp and other camps in the Karen State that the Burma Army has beenattacking civilians during their four-month offensive. This offensive hasdisplaced over 16,000 people in Toungoo, Nyaunglebin and Muthraw districts of the Karen State.

The Burma Army launched a series of attacks from this camp, Play Hsa Lo Camp. From here they have attacked the surrounding area, burning villages,killing civilians and displacing over 3,000 people. Some villages have been

forced to relocate down into the plains and some have been forced to moveclose to the camp in a village named Tay Pu. These people are allowed to goto their villages and fields for 5 days at a time but only after securingpermission from the Burma Army and carrying with them apermission slip. The camp was established during the beginning of thisoffensive starting in late February. The purpose of the camp is to expandcontrol over the local population and to serve as a base for attacks deeper into Karen State.

The camp is located on a mountain southwest of Toungoo at  N 18 45  00   E096  44  30 and is seven miles east of Shazibo Camp in the plains.  MOC 16 is based out of this camp and has three battalions located here now.  The other three battalions are located at Maladaw camp (vicinity N 18 37 30   E 096  44 00 ) to the south.  The burned village of Kway Kee (pictured)  is located at  N 18 47 49   E 096 45 38. The villagers of  Kway Kee were attacked and their village burned on 28 April. They were then forced to go to the relocation site at Tay Pu.

Yae Lo Village (picture of relocation orders), that can only be accessedwith a 5 day pass, is located at: N 18 46 47  E 096 44 51.To see these villagers hurrying back to Tay Pu to beat the curfew aftertheir 5 days are up is unsettling. The looks of fear and desperation ontheir faces made us sad and angry. They are being treated like animals.

Tay Pu village and forced relocation site is located on the same mountain asthe Play Hsa Lo camp at  N 18  45  30     E 096 45 00.Since March, villagers from 6 villages have been forced to move here by theBurma Army. When the Burma Army threatened to burn down this village because theysuspected the people of  being sympathetic to the resistance, the headman ofthe village said, "Why don't you burn down Rangoon first, there are manymore people there who do not like the Burma Army"?

At this time the situation has stabilized as all the Military OperationsCommand (MOC) commanders have been recalled to the capitol of Pyinmana formeetings. It is not clear what the meeting is about or its duration but allmajor operations in Papun, Nyaunglebin and Toungoo District have nowstopped. However, the Burma Army continues to patrol the roads that connecttheir camps and have fired machine guns and mortars at suspected IDP hidingplaces, killing two civilians and wounding the villager pictured during thesepast two weeks.

ENDS