News Flash -- 24 April 2006

FBR REPORT: News Flash -- 24 April 2006

11,000 People Displaced as Attacks Continue

Karen State, Burma

24 April, 2006

(Report From FBR Teams Now in the Field)

Map of area affected in latest attacks

 11,000 people displaced as Burma Army expands its operations: There are now over 11,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs), who are in hiding from or fleeing Burma Army attacks in Nyaunglebin and Toungoo Districts, Karen State. These attacks started in February, intensified in March and keep building up now in April. The major Burma Army units nowconducting these attacks are as follows:

1) Military Operations Command #16 is operating in Mon Township, NyaunglebinDistrict from two camps- One- Muthey Camp in the southeast part of Mon township (on the Kyauk Kyi-Hsaw Hta Road. Hsaw Hta is on Salween River. ). And two, operating out of MaladawCamp. Maladaw is a new camp established in 2004 in North Western MonTownship. MOC 16: A new force of over 850 Burma Army troops just started a new operation yesterday (23 April), and are moving south into IDP areas fromthe Muthey Burma Army Camp. They are divided into three columns: One column of600 men is now heading South West, the second column of 250 men are movingSouth and a third column (strength and direction unknown at this time) arepart of this force as well.Three battalions of  MOC 16 are also operating up into southern ToungooDistrict this week, shelling villages and chasing IDPS This is also the areaof new forced relocations. On 23 April a new group of 100  Burma Armysoldiers arrived at Maladaw. They could not speak Burmese or Karen and somepeople in the area speculated that they are Wa, Chin or Naga troops workingunder the Burma Army. Total: 4,000+ IDPS in Mon Township, Nyaunglebin District.

2) Military Operations Command # 21 is operating in Ler Doh (Kyauk Kyi) andHsaw Hti (Shweygyin) Townships in central and southern NyaunglebinDistrict. The greatest activity is in the far south of  Hsaw Hti (Shweygyin)township-operations occurring southeast of the town of Shweygyin- wherethere are now over 2,948 newly displaced people as of 24 April 2006.Including the over 1,400 people in hiding in Ler Doh and Northern Hsaw HtiTownships, the total for these two townships is over 4,000 people.

3) Military Operations Command  #10 is operating out of Pwa Gwa and Ler MuPlaw Camps into Muthraw District. No new IDPS.

4) Division 66 (regular garrison force) is conducting sustained operationsagainst civilians in the area of Thanduang and Baw Ga Li Gyi. On 23 Marchthey forcibly relocated the village of Tha Yae Yu and then burned thevillage down. Toungoo District: 2,000+ IDPS. * In addition to these 2,000people in hiding, over 1,100 people have already fled to the Salween Riverfrom Toungoo District. Over 3,100 IDPs.

5) Division 44 (regular garrison force) is conducting limited operations inMuthraw Township: 2 civilians killed 1 wounded, 500 people temporarilydisplaced, now returned home. No new IDPs.

Total New IDPS: 11,000+11,000 newly displaced people in Nyauglebin and Toungoo Districts from 1March thru 24 April:  Of these 11,000, over 1,100 have already fled to the

Salween River.

ENDS