Tatmadaw (Burma Army)

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Description: "Myanmar junta troops sustained heavy losses this week in fighting in Lay Kay Kaw in Karen State’s Myawaddy, where they encountered a combined force of troops from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and People’s Defense Force (PDF) civilian resistance groups from Wednesday. As of Thursday, 18 junta soldiers had died and eight others had been captured during the fighting, the National Unity Government (NUG) said. The Karen National Union (KNU), the political wing of the KNLA, condemned the regime’s attack as a “violation of human rights” and “destroying peace” in a statement on Thursday, adding that four junta troops—a captain and three sergeants—were killed during the clashes on Wednesday and it was still verifying Thursday’s causalities. On Friday, the KNU released pictures of eight soldiers arrested during the fighting. Among them, two were members of the Karen Border Guard Force, which is backed by the military and joined forces with the junta soldiers. Military tensions rose this week when some 200 junta soldiers raided the area on Tuesday, alleging that democracy activists and members of People’s Defense Force (PDF) civilian resistance groups were hiding there. Two MPs-elect from the National League for Democracy (NLD), U Wai Lin Aung and Dr. Pyae Phyo, were among around 90 people detained by the junta on that day. The raids and clashes followed the junta’s accusation that the KNU, Myanmar’s oldest revolutionary force, was supporting and sheltering striking civil servants and anti-regime armed resistance groups. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, the vice chairman of the Karen National Union, told The Irrawaddy that the group “will respond with all-out defense to stop the junta’s incursion.” The military tensions began due to the junta troops’ incursions into territory in which the KNU/KNLA operates, said the vice chairman. He explained that various groups control different parts of Lay Kay Kaw, and permission is required to pass through certain areas. Following the military engagement in Lay Kay Kaw, clashes were also reported in nearby areas in Myawaddy, Kawkareik and Kyar Inn Seik Gyi townships. The junta claimed that brigades 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the KNLA offered training and gave shelter to those evading arrest by the regime and supplied arms to groups engaged in urban guerrilla warfare in a number of cities and towns in the country. This month, fighting has been frequent in areas in Mon and Karen states, and Tanintharyi Region, which host KNU brigades 1, 5, 6 and 4. In the Brigade 5 area alone, the KNU’s Mutraw (Papun district) news outlet said on Thursday that 54 junta soldiers were killed and 39 injured during 111 clashes with KNLA troops between Dec. 1 and 16, in Papun, Karen State. The military retaliated with artillery and more than 100 shells struck civilian residences. The KNLA said it lost one soldier and six were injured. Meanwhile, more than 2,500 locals are now seeking shelter in Thailand and about one third of them are children. Some 1,000 residents of Lay Kay Kaw are still internally displaced, according to relief workers. Regarding the refugee situation, the NUG appealed to the Thai government “to allow the IDPs fleeing Lay Kay Kaw and seeking refuge to cross the border safely as soon as possible.” The shadow government also urged the international community to provide urgent humanitarian and emergency assistance to the IDPs affected. It also urged the international community “to strongly call for a de-escalation of violence.”..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2021-12-17
Date of entry/update: 2021-12-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "1. Indiscriminate shelling by SAC forces in Bilin Township:On April 4th 2021, Border Guard Force (BGF)[2] [and State Administration Council - SAC] soldiers[3] [from Lay Kay SAC army camp] indiscriminately fired mortar rounds at Lay Kay village, Lay Kay village, P’Ya Raw village tract,[4] Bilin Township, destroying one farm hut belonging to a local villager. Fortunately, the owner was not inside the hut on the night of the incident. [Another civilian building was also damaged.].....2. Fighting breaks out during a protest in support of the NUG in Thaton Township: On April 23rd 2021, at around 8 am, fighting broke out between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[5] and an unknown SAC unit from Thaton army camp. The incident happened on the highway between Thaton town and Yangon town, beside Kaung Kyet shop, Thaton Town, Thaton Township. On that day, local civilians were holding a protest in support of the National Unity Government (NUG)[6] under the protection of KNLA soldiers. However, fighting broke out after SAC soldiers arrived at the protest location.....3. Indiscriminate shelling by SAC forces in Bilin Township: On April 23rd 2021, the SAC Artillery Unit #314 based in Htee Hpoe Nya Lee Hkee army camp, near Kyaw T’Raw village, Shway Yaw Pya village tract, Bilin Township indiscriminately fired mortar rounds at nearby villages such as Ma Yan Gone, Mi Chyaung Aaing and Htee Nya Paw, among others. Since April 23rd 2021, Artillery Unit #314 has been regularly firing artillery rounds at local communities, especially those located in areas controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU).[7] These rounds are bigger and have a longer range than 120mm mortar rounds. The platform they are fired from must be moved by truck. The SAC artillery rounds landed in villages such as T’Rer Hkee, T’Rer Wah, Yo Poe and Htee Poo Wah [among others], T’Rer Hkee village tract. As a result of the SAC indiscriminate shelling, one Ma Yan Gone villager, Saw[8] T---, sustained a shrapnel injury to his leg. Many plantations local villagers rely on for their livelihoods have also been damaged, and no compensation was provided to their owners. Moreover, about 3,000 villagers from the areas affected have been fleeing their villages since April 27th. The only villagers who still remain in the area [hiding in the forest near their villages] are the villagers who do not have relatives in towns or in other places.....4. Villager killed in crossfire after being forced to transport SAC soldiers: On April 23rd 2021, an unidentified villager from Myaink Teh Su section, Kyeik Kaw Thein Seik town, died during a skirmish between the KNLA and SAC Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[9] #406, Military Operations Command (MOC)[10] #8 [under the authority of Battalion Commander Kyaw Yaw Hla] beside the vehicle road near Chaw Bee Na and Kaw Ler villages, Kaw Ler village tract, Thaton Township. Before the incident, the victim was delivering bricks to Noh Htoe Day village, Maw Lay village tract. He encountered SAC LIB #406 soldiers from T’La Aww Poe Klah army camp on his way back from Noh Htoe Day village. The soldiers forced him to stop and to take them on his truck to an unknown location, so he could not refuse this order. Unfortunately, [the truck was ambushed by] KNLA [soldiers] along the way. The driver was killed during the ensuing skirmish. Some SAC soldiers were also killed, and others got injured. Local villagers think that these LIB #406 soldiers were on their way to help the SAC troops involved in the fighting in Thaton town [see Section 2].....5. BGF activities in Bilin Township: Most of the SAC military operations between Ta Paw army camp, Ta Paw village tract and Lay Kay army camps, P’Ya Raw village tract, Bilin Township are conducted by the BGF. [According to information received by KHRG, BGF soldiers make up around 90% of the SAC forces in the area.] Between April 27th and May 3rd 2021, BGF Battalion #1014 led by Bo[11] Tin Way and Battalion Commander Bo Maung Chit sent about 200 soldiers to Doo Tha Htoo District. Local villagers do not know where these soldiers are from and they claim that they were sent to relieve the troops based in Ta Paw and Lay Kay army camps. On April 29th 2021, fighting between the KNLA and BGF broke out when these BGF soldiers arrived at Baw Ta Pro village. The soldiers then crossed the Baw Naw Kloe River at Ha Ta Reh Place[12] and headed towards Ta Paw army camp, Ta Paw village tract, Bilin Township. They reached the camp on May 1st 2021. While staying at the camp, the BGF indiscriminately fired mortar rounds at nearby villages, destroying one farm hut belonging to a Ta Paw villager on May 1st 2021. The BGF troops spent the night at the camp before continuing their journey towards Lay Kay army camp on May 2nd. They always fired mortar rounds indiscriminately when arriving and leaving their camps to clear the road [and surrounding areas of KNLA soldiers]. On May 3rd and 4th 2021, the BGF in Lay Kay army camp fired mortar rounds at nearby villages. At least five of these rounds did not explode. One house was damaged and one villager sustained injuries as a result of the shelling. In addition, Saw Z---, a Lay Kay villager, also sustained a shrapnel injury on May 3rd and his car’s windows were damaged. In the afternoon of May 3rd 2021, BGF soldiers ordered Lay Kay villagers to provide four trucks for their soldiers’ return to Ta Paw army camp, but the villagers could only provide three trucks. [The truck owners had to drive the BGF soldiers back to Ta Paw army camp.] KHRG does not know whether these villagers received payment. Even though the truck owners were afraid and did not feel safe, they had to take the soldiers back to their camp nonetheless. Local civilians do not know where the BGF troops went after that. Some BGF soldiers who used to be based in Lay Kay army camp remained there after the new troops arrived, so villagers assume that the BGF sent reinforcements instead of just relieving their troops this time. According to a KHRG researcher, several skirmishes broke out while the BGF was sending more soldiers to relieve its troops based in the area because local villagers could hear gunfire every day. However, the KHRG researcher and local villagers could not tell whether it was the sound of fighting or indiscriminate shelling. The fighting paused after the BGF troops [that were relieved] returned to their area of origin in early May 2021. However, fighting is still on-going along the border between District 5 [Mu Traw] and District 1 [Doo Tha Htoo]. Moreover, from April 27th to May 18th 2021, SAC helicopters also conducted a couple of reconnaissance missions over Bilin and Thaton townships..."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group
2021-6-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Dear friends, Thank you for all your love, prayers and help. Here in northern Karen State, there are over 40,000 people displaced by attacks of the Burma Army with daily mortar and machine-gun attacks; villagers’ farms and homes are hit and villagers continue to be hit. Saw Kit Mae, 32 years old, is one of the villagers wounded and he is now being treated at our clinic. Update: Lu Thaw township, Papun District On May 16 at 1530hrs, the Burma Army shelled from their base camp near Taw Mu Pler Mae into the Saw Mu Plaw area. The Burma Army unit Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 20 shot 15 rounds of mortars into the villagers’ fields, wounding Saw Ki Mae and forcing the villagers to stop their planting of rice and flee. On May 17, the Burma Army LIB 20, in Ler Mu Plaw, shot into Taw Mu Pler Mae Village area at 2215hrs and also into Ler Mu Plaw villagers’ rice fields. Seven rounds were fired at 2215hrs and at 2230hrs they shot one more mortar. On May 18 at 0800hrs the Burma Army shot mortars into Kaw Kyo Village as villagers fled. On May 19 at 1732hrs the Burma Army shot more mortars into the Ler Mu Plaw area. On May 22 at 0940hrs local time, the Burma Army shot eight mortar rounds down into Kaw Ter Der area at the civilians who were working their fields. Four landed in Ta Ner Shee Daw Ko Village area and four landed in Ker Ser Pa Village area. On May 23 at 1933hrs local time, Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 19 fired seven 60mm mortars from their long barreled mortar from their base to Ko Ka Paw Village. The rounds landed close to civilian homes and a rubber garden. Six exploded and one did not. On May 24 at 1430hrs local time, 393 civilians left their homes because the Burma Army base in Ko Kaw Day fired mortars to Wah Kaw Hta Village area..... Update: Dwe Lo Township, Papun District: On May 18 at 1400hrs the Burma Army Military Operations Command (MOC) 8, LIB 407, occupied Ma Taw They and shot mortars into Thwa Ko Lo Village. Villagers who fled told us, “Because the Burma Army comes to stay in our village and more and more and shoot the mortars, it is more and more also difficult for us villagers to travel and to work on our farms. Now it is not easy for us. Now is the time to do the farm and plough the fields. We are now afraid we will not be able to plant rice.” On May 20, at 1500hrs local time, Burma forces and their proxies, the Border Guard Force (BGF), burned down three house from Ta Thoo Kee Village. The three houses belonged to (1) Saw La Ba, family of 8 people, 4 F, 4 M, (2) Naw Dah, family of 6 people, 4 F, 2 M, (3) Mae Way Day Mo, family of 2 people, 1 F, 1 M..... Update: Thaton District, Karen State: The Burma Air Force flies jets and helicopters regularly over the district and ground troops shell villages and fields. Ground attacks by the Burma Army continue as the Burma Army attempts to resupply and build up their camps. But there have been no airstrikes for over a week. There are weekly flights of jets and attack helicopters especially south of Papun in Thaton District. So far we and others have been able to get rice to families in need and are distributing tarps for shelter. Thank you and God bless you, The Free Burma Rangers..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers
2021-05-31
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Fighting between Myanmar's military and armed ethnic groups is moving so close to the border it can be seen from Thailand. While a leader from the Karen National Liberation Army says their small victories against the junta can help the country-wide push for democracy, it comes at a cost to people living near the border..."
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Source/publisher: "CNN" (USA)
2021-05-01
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thousands of ethnic Karen villagers in Myanmar are poised to cross into Thailand if, as expected, fighting intensifies between the Myanmar army and Karen insurgents, joining those who have already escaped the turmoil that followed a Feb. 1 coup. Karen rebels and the Myanmar army have clashed near the Thai border in the weeks since Myanmar's generals ousted an elected government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, displacing villagers on both sides of the border. read more "People say the Burmese will come and shoot us, so we fled here," Chu Wah, a Karen villager who crossed over to Thailand with his family this week from the Ee Thu Hta displacement camp in Myanmar, told Reuters. "I had to flee across the river," Chu Wah said, referring to the Salween river that forms the border in the area. The Karen Peace Support Network says thousands of villagers are taking shelter on the Myanmar side of the Salween and they will flee to Thailand if the fighting escalates. "In coming days, more than 8,000 Karen along the Salween river will have to flee to Thailand. We hope that the Thai army will help them escape the war," the group said in a post on Facebook. Karen fighters on Tuesday overran an Myanmar army unit on the west bank of the Salween in a pre-dawn attack. The Karen said 13 soldiers and three of their fighters were killed. read more The Myanmar military responded with air strikes in several areas near the Thai border. Thai authorities say nearly 200 villagers have crossed into Thailand this week. Thailand has reinforced its forces and restricted access to the border. Hundreds of Thai villagers have also been displaced, moving from their homes close to the border, to deeper into Thai territory for safety. "The situation has escalated so we can't go back," said Warong Tisakul, 33, a Thai villager from Mae Sam Laep, a settlement, now abandoned, opposite the Myanmar army post attacked this week. “Security officials won’t let us, we can’t go back.”..."
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Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Compensation for abuse, Killing, Violent abuse
Topic: Compensation for abuse, Killing, Violent abuse
Description: "The incident happened on April 5th 2019 outside of W--- village, Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District, in a mixed control area. Around 3:30 AM, two Tatmadaw deserters from LIB #339 and LIB #275, Nyein Chan and Myint Wai, reached a local motorbike workshop located 15 minutes away from the village. When the owner refused to give them a motorbike, one of the soldiers shot him with his service rifle. The brother of the owner, who lived nearby, was also shot when he arrived at the scene. Then, the two deserters entered his house and shot a woman and children who were sleeping inside. They also shot the family members who tried to run away. In total, 7 persons were killed and one was injured. All the victims were from two local Muslim families. One of the family members, U F--- managed to escape. He ran to the village and reported the case to the village administrator, U H---, who immediately called the KNPF in Hpah Prah. When the KNPF reached the crime scene at around 3:50 AM, the perpetrators were already gone. They were later arrested by the KNPF, one at a KNLA checkpoint in Lut Shan and the other one outside W--- village, and handed over to the Tatmadaw. The Myanmar police from Three Pagodas Pass first banned the family from burying the dead bodies, presumably for investigation purposes. KNLA Battalion #16 ultimately allowed the family to proceed with the burials, as these should take place as soon as possible according to Islamic belief. The two deserters remain in military custody awaiting trial. Tatmadaw soldiers based in the area told KHRG that they are likely to face death penalty. However, local people do not know how the Tatmadaw is processing the case. Crimes committed by military personnel are handled by Myanmar’s military justice system. Proceedings of military courts are not public, which makes it difficult to obtain reliable information about pending cases.[2] Local people only found out about the killings in the next morning. Some of them were scared because they felt threatened by this incident. U H--- said that Tatmadaw soldiers from Strategic Operations Command’s (SOC) W--- military camp patrol every night around the village, which causes security concerns among civilians. He also said that weak leadership and management in the area contributed to this incident. He recommended to put an end to the mixed control system to fix these shortcomings, and advocated for the demilitarisation of the area: “We are minorities. We should only have one ruling system. The Tatmadaw should not stay next to the village anymore. We cannot predict whether this kind of incident will happen again. If something happens, it will be dangerous for us because the Tatmadaw established their camp close to the students [children have to travel in front of the camp to go to school] and to our religious land. This can cause additional concerns whenever innocent villagers are killed.” Operations Commander Soe Moe Kyaw from W--- SOC offered to give 5,000,000 kyats (USD 3267.17) to the victims’ family members in compensation, but U H--- said that they refused and asked for 10,000,000 kyats (USD 6534.35) per dead victim. As a result, no compensation was provided to the families for their deceased relatives. Daw P---, a woman who was injured during the incident, was admitted to hospital at her own expenses. She has now been discharged. A local interfaith organisation helped her with 1,000,000 kyats (USD 653.44). Commander Soe Moe Kyaw also gave her 1,000,000 kyats in compensation for her injury...."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
2019-06-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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