FBR REPORT: Relief Team Finds Bodies of Murdered IDPs

Tyler Bradley
Apr 18, 2006
9 min read

Karen State, Burma

19 April, 2006

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Report Summary: Relief team arrive at the bodies of Saw Maw Keh, the father, and the 80 Year old Grandmother of Naw Eh Ywah Paw, the 9 year old girl shot by the Burma Army on March 27, 2006. The team was also led to another body of a man tortured and killed by the Burma Army in a separate incident. Note: Earlier, on 9 April, the team had met some of the survivors of this attack and treated Naw Eh Ywah Paw, the girl who was shot. It was her father and grandmother who's bodies we found on 19 April 2006.

Photos

Sister and daughter of two villagers shot in March at their funeral service. April 19, 2006.Saw Maw Keh. Killed March 27, 2006.

Villager tortured and killed early April. April 19, 2006.

Naw Eh Ywah Paw (flower who loves God) after treatment for a gun shot wound. It was her father and grandmother who's bodies we found on 19 April 2006. Photo: April 10, 2006.

Report from a relief team now in the field

Today, April 19, 2006, our relief team went to find the bodies of Saw MawKeh and his 80 year old mother, who were shot and killed while fleeing BurmaArmy attacks near their village of Ka Ba Hta, in Mon Township, Western KarenState. We were accompanied to the site by a small group of displaced peoplewho were still hiding in the area as well as some Karen resistancevolunteers. This group included Saw Maw Keh's sister. She came out of thedisplaced persons hiding place with her son and a family friend. We foundthe bodies lying 10 feet apart in a small gully on the side of a ridge. Twoof us, a villager and some of the resistance who led us here, climbed up tothe top of the ridge above the gully. The distance is only about 30-35yards. There is jungle from the gully up for about 15 yards, and then thelast 15 yards is cleared to the top of the ridge. There is a small field house on top of theridge. This field house had been ransacked, the stored rice scattered,utensils destroyed and bamboo salt containers broken opened and the contentsspilled on the bamboo floor. On the top of the ridge and behind some logs wefound many spent rifle shells. They were 5.56 of the type used in Burma Armyassault rifles. One of the villagers who was with us was also among thosefleeing and told us what happened that day (27 March). From where we were wecould see how it happened. The people had fled the attacking Burma Army whowere sweeping the entire area. The villagers had been hiding in the gully.Thinking that it would be safer to climb higher,they had begun to leave the gully and climb to the top of the ridge. Theydid not know the Burma Army was waiting for them. Saw Maw Keh was carryinghis mother up the steep slope and he was in the lead of the group. Behindhim was his family including his 9-year-old daughter, Naw Eh Ywa Paw (pleasesee earlier report of shot girl, 10 April). From where the Burma Army waswaiting there is a clearing (it is the villagers' own rice field) that isabout 40 yards wide and 15 yards deep down to the edge of the jungle abovethe gully. The Burma soldiers were waiting at the top of the ridge andlooking down into this clearing towards the gully. Saw Maw Keh carried his mother up the ridge out of the gully and into theclearing. The Burma Army soldiers waited until the Saw Maw Keh and hismother were in the cleared area, about 10-15 yards away from their positionbehind the logs, and then opened fire. The shock of having a line of troopsopen fire at point blank range must have been tremendous. Saw Maw Kehdropped his mother (we are not sure if she was shot off his back or fell).She cried out to him and as he turned to help her they both were shot dead.His daughter, 9-year-old Naw Eh Ywa Paw was shot though the back as she ranwith the rest of the people.

She and the others managed to get away (see earlier report below and April 10 report on web site). Because the presence of Burma Army patrols and the ongoing operation in this area, it was only now that we could get to the bodies.

We talked with Saw Maw Keh's sister who had come with us. She told us, "Thank you for helping me arrive here. I could not come alone. The enemy is always near, now I have seen it, thank you." We asked her how she felt and she replied," I cannot do anything, I feel so sad, that is my mother. If I could, I would burn the whole world up. What can I do? I am so sad, I am so angry."

We told her we would do anything she wanted. She said she was a Christian and that she wanted to give her mother and brother a service and asked us to help and to burn the bodies. We piled wood up over the remains and then cremated them. While the wood was burning we prayed for the two who were killed and all of us sang a hymn together. She cried and then said,"Thank you, it is a help to me, I am sad but it is now a little better, God bless you".

As we prepared to leave the team talked together." The Burma Army waited in a prepared position to kill villagers. They waited until they were only 10 yards away and opened fire on a man carrying his mother and as well as the families and children behind him. What kind of people, what kind of system can do this? A depraved one."

Another member of the team summarized it like this, "The Burma Army soldiers shot at the families who were slowly climbing up toward them. It was when we saw the place where the bodies lay that the reality of what took place finally became clear. This was not a case of startled soldiers shooting wildly at people by mistake. This was not a case of soldiers shooting at a large group of people from hundreds of yards away. Burma Army soldiers shot at a father, carrying his sick grandmother and walking with his 9-year-old daughter, from point blank range. And they continued to fire at the other people as they ran away."

Later that day, we were led to a third body in a different area. This man was found dead on the side of a trail. He was not part of the group described above and had died more recently. He been tortured with one of his eyes pulled out and his nose cut off. No one knows who he is. He may be one of the men captured and missing from another village in a different valley. We are trying to find out.

This is a tragic situation and is tragic not only for the people involved here but for all of Burma. We thank all of you who care and for how you stand in different ways with and for the oppressed of Burma. God bless you, A FBR relief team. 19 April 2006.

*Coordinates of the site where the father and grandmother were killed: Latitude/Longitude: N 18 36 44.6 E 096 47 52.2 Vicinity of Ka Ba Hta, Mon Township, Nyaunglebin District, Western Karen State, Burma. *Coordinates of the site, where the tortured man's body was found: Latitude/Longitude: N 18 37 44.9 E 096 47 44.8 Mon Township, Nyaunglebin District, Western Karen State, Burma.

Interviews with Survivors

Below are interviews conducted 9 April, with some survivors of this attack. For more information please see the April 10 report with photographs at www.freeburma rangers.org

I) Interview of Naw Bee Kho (Her husband and 80 year old mother-in-law were killed in this attack on 27 March 2006, and her 9 year old daughter wounded; shot in the back) Note 1: First Husband was a Karen soldier (KNU/KNLA) and killed by Burma Army. Her first three children are from this marriage. Her second husband (killed March 27th 2006) was a farmer and the younger brother of her first husband.

Note 2: Same Incident is recorded in the interview that follows this one; Interview with Maw Kwa Kwa, 9 April 2006

Name: Naw Bee Kho
Age: 28 years old mother of four.
Husband's Name (killed 27 March 2006): Maw Keh.
Age: 34 years
Occupation: Farmer.
Childrens' Names from 1st Husband- killed earlier by the Burma Army:
- Naw Eh Ywa Paw (shot in the back) Girl, age 9
- Naw Paw Ka Pru Wah Girl, age 7
- Naw Paw Gay Wah Girl Age: 4
Children's Name from 2nd Husband- killed two weeks ago 27 March 2006.
- Saw Htoo Ka Paw Doh: Boy, age 8 months old
Village: Ka Ba Hta, Mon Township, Nyaunglebin District, Western Karen State
Religion: Christian
Occupation: Farmer
Education: None
Birthplace: Awe Bala

"My family and I were hiding in an area near Ta Kweh Wah Hta. Many other families were there as well. When we had to move to another place, no one knew where the next hiding place was. My mother in law (80 years old), at this time was sick and could not walk. My husband carried his mother on his back. My husband, his mother and my 9 year old daughter went ahead of our main group. When we were walking up a ridgeline, Burma Army soldiers began to shoot at us. My husband's mother fell off his back in the shooting. His mother called him and he went back to help her. The Burma Army then shot my mother in law in the neck and my husband in the chest. Both fell down and all of our group scattered. My 9 year old daughter ran to me and I saw that she was shot. At first she was able to walk on her own, but later she was not able to. I asked a friend that was with us to help me. My friend had two sick children that she and her husband were carrying. But my friend's husband still helped and carried my daughter while my friend carried her children. We arrived at Thet Baw Der and asked for help. They sent us to Ka Hsaw Kaw and a nurse treated my daughter there. The nurse was worried about security because we were on the front line. If something happened it would be difficult for us to help each other. So the nurse advised us to move to a higher place. My brother in law came and treated the bullet wound to my daughter's stomach. We then started moving again and have arrived where we are now. -End of interview-

Interview of Maw Kwa Kwa (Brother in law and mother in law killed, 9 year old niece shot in stomach.) 9 April 2006 Note: This is the same incident that is recorded in the interview above with Naw Bee Kho, 9 April 2006.

Name: Maw Kwa Kwa Age: 34 years old
Wife's Name: Naw O Moo Age: 39 years old
Child's Name: Naw Wah Sti Nah Age: 3 years old
Village: Ka Ba Hta, , Mon Township, Nyaunglebin District, Western KarenState.
Religion: Christian
Occupation: Farmer
Education: None
Birthplace: Thay Thoo Ke

Situation in Mon Township last year (2005): " The Burma Army activity was as usual, patrolling, attacking and land mining villages." Situation in Mon Township this year (2006): " The Burma Army has increased its activities". What is Burma Army doing? "They are patrolling around Ka Ba Hta area burning and destroying rice supplies." In Nya Mu Ke village area (20-30 houses) they have burned 20 rice storage barns. In Lo Lo village in Kwae Ee Doh area they have burned 3 houses.

They destroyed 100 tins of rice that belonged to Ka Ba Hta village. They stole 60 tins of milled rice from a KNLA rice storage barn. How long have you been hiding? "2 weeks". How long have you been walking? "3 days". Where will you go? "We will stay here and if the situation gets better in our area we will return." What do you need? "What you see is what we have. We came without food and what we are wearing are our only clothes." What happened? "In March 2006, 3 columns of Burma Army troops from Ma La Daw, Mu Thay and Myaw Oo Army camps, came to our area. When we learned that the Burma Army was at Gwe Doh Kah village, we moved to Htee Neh Eh Lo village (1/2 hour from Ka Ba Hta village). We stayed at Htee Neh Eh Lo for two weeks. We learned that the Burma Army was increasing its activities, and were heading to our hiding place so we moved to Law Pla Ke village. On 27 March we began to move and the Burma Army started shooting at us from a ridgeline above us, while we were in an open area. My brother in law was carrying his sick mother who was 80 years old. When the Burma Army started shooting my brother in law dropped his mother. His mother called out saying "I've been shot, come back!" My brother in law went back for his mother. When he got to her both of them were shot and killed. The rest of the villagers and family scattered. After a while my niece who is 9 years old came back holding her stomach and told me she was shot but was able to keep walking. When she was no longer able to walk she asked her mother if she could be carried. But her mother was already carrying two of her younger children. We asked a friend to carry her. We were able to get to the Mon Township clinic and get treatment (dress her wounds) but they did not have enough medicine to give her. So we have now walked 3 days to get to another clinic to receive treatment and medicine. -End of Interview-

ENDS