vol 4 issue21 committee for internally displaced karen people

8/14/2019 Vol 4 Issue21 Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People

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Volume 4 Issue 2 June 2009

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMITTEE FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED KAREN PEOPLE (CIDKP)

They bombed

our home...


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P.O Box 22Maesot 63110Tak, Thailand

Central

Phone:(66) 055 531330Fax: (66) 055531330

Email:[email protected]@yahoo.com

[email protected]

Northern

Phone:(66) 053681854Fax: (66) 053 681854Email:[email protected]

Southern

P.O. Box 11Kanchanaburi 71000

Thailand

Phone:(66) 034517213Fax: (66) 034 517213Email:[email protected]

Writing, editing and photos; BLEEDIN' HEART

MEDIA and CIDKPReporters.

Design:Timothy,

Blacktown, Eray

Cover Photo:A Karen mother and her sick baby take refuge in

a temporary clinic in

Thailand

uD >fyl RyS RvD >ftd .furS H tupD .f

CIDKP

If you want to find out how you can help internally dis-placed Karen people: email [email protected] ,[email protected] or write to CIDKP, POBox 22, Mae Sot, Tak 63110, Thailand.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Editorial

The Burmese regime earned the wrath of the international communitywhen it arrested Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in May 2009 in what manysee as a blatant attempt to remove her from the internal politicalprocess. Meanwhile, as the media track her trial, and miles away fromthe glare of the television cameras, the regime has stepped up itsattacks on Karen villagers. As many as 3,556 Karen civilians havetaken refuge in Thailand after DKBA and Burmese army soldiers shelledtheir villages and destroyed their homes.The Burmese army also fired mortars into Thailand villages in whatmany see as another example of the arrogance of the regime. Theregime has tried to portray the attacks on Karen people as between

warring Karen factions. But the facts contradict that lie. Two Karenwomen, Naw Pay, 18 and eight months pregnant and Naw Wah Lah,

17, were both raped and murdered by Burmese army soldiers. Thesoldiers responsible were from Light Infantry Brigade 205, led byLieutenant Colonel Than Hteh and Captain Kyi Nyo Thant.The Burmese regime is attempting to wipe out any resistance to itsplanned national elections to be held in 2010. The regime has foolednobody with its bogus Road Map to Democracy and elections, dubbedby international observers as the road map to nowhere. The regimeplans to use the elections to install a civilian party to be its proxy.The regime forced through a national referendum during the aftermathof Cyclone Nargis while millions of Burmese people were destituteand in desperate need of help.Human Rights Watch (New York) said the regime respond to the cycloneas a national security threat instead of as a national disaster.This callous regime is a disaster for the people of Burma. It hasturned the country into an economic basket case, corruption is rife,its a health disaster, organized crime is on the increase, trafficking of people and it is one of the biggest ilicit producers of narcotics.The UN and the international community have issued strong wordsover Suu Kyis arrest, as they have done so for the last 19 years, butso far no action.This regime is willing to play word games for as long as the

international community wants, but meanwhile Suu Kyi rots in jailand the Karen people are, burnt from their homes and forced to takerefuge in neighboring countries.

Road map to nowhere
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:Email:[email protected]:Email:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:Email:[email protected]:Email:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Local Thai authorities estimate asmany as 1300 Burmese soldierswere involved in the attacks.Villagers had to cross the flood-swollen River Moei in boats to getto safety in Thailand. Burmesetroops continued to fire mortarsafter the fleeing villagers, some

shells falling on Thai villages,forcing Thai authorities toevacuate them.Saw Pa Lu, Htee Baw Dais villageheadmen said many villagers hadto cross the river by row boat. Hesaid his people are taking refugeein Krei Hta, a Thai village, on the

border.It not our home, but we are safehere.Saw Pa Lu says their home acrossthe border in Karen State was adisplaced village. The people livingin Htee Baw Dai had beendisplaced by the Burmese army

from their traditional village and plantations. Saw Pa Lu sayswithout their farms, villagers reliedon small slash and burn hillsidegardens.

Displacement means our childrenare not getting a proper education

because there isnt a school in our village nor can we farm our

property.Saw Pa Lu says villagers wereafraid of being taken for forcedlabor or abused by soldiers.We run when we know thearmies are close to our village.

Burmese and DKBA soldiers attacked unarmed villagers in the Htee Baw Dai area in early June

2009. The attacks forced 3556 villagers across the border into Thailand. Inside News journalist, Eray, reports from the conflict zone.

Caught in a hard place

It's not our home,but we are safehere.

Sometime we stay in the jungle for a week and dont have food for two or three days. We avoid theDKBA or SPDC armies as muchas possible.To get from Htee Baw Dai villageto the Thai border is a round tripof three hours.

We dont have money to buythings, if we need salt, MSG or rice we have to exchange our vegetables and betel leaf to payfor them.The June attacks on Htee Baw Daihas placed an additional burdenon villagers as it is the time theyshould be planting their crops.Saw Pa Lu says the fighting has

been getting worse in recent years.We dont want to leave our village, but if we dont, we will facemore trouble. We have no other choice.Htee Baw Dai village is close tothe conflict zone and villagers, inThailand, can hear the sound of gunfire and mortars.Villagers are scared when theyhear the sound of gun and mortar.Some women are in shock and thechildren cry out. In the hurry toleave we couldnt take all of our

belongings or any food.The villagers hope they can go

back when the Burmese army andDKBA soldiers leave.It wont be easy to go back andset up our village. The Burmesearmy will landmine the village

before they leave. If they destroyour food and possessions wewont be able to feed ourselves.

Villagers take refuge in Thailand

Displacement


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A direct result of Burmese armyand DKB attack on Karen villagesin Dooplaya district has resultedin severe food shortages, massdisplacement, destruction of homes and propert ies and other human right violations. Inside

News reporters visited villages inthe area to find out how villagersare coping.Thousands of villagers inKawkriek and Myawaddytownships have been affected bythe consequences of the 2008military offensives. Villagers saythe situation got worse in early2009 when DKBA and SPDCtroops started their intensiveattacks on Karen National Union(KNU) controlled areas such asWale Khi, a long time stronghold

Army makes it hardof KNLA Battalion 201 andSpecial Battalion 103.The fighting force of villagers fromthe area Wale Khi village. Manytook refuge in neighboringThailand, others hid in the jungle.Villagers blame the fighting and

regid control of the region by theDKBA and Burmese armysoldiers troops for ruining their work prospects.Tee Taw Thoo 39, a villager fromBlah Toeh village in Myawaddytownship said that soldiersdestroyed everything he ownedduring their military attacks in Aprilthis year.The DKBA burned down myhouse and all our belongings in thehouse, including rice, householdutilitieseverything was

destroyed.Saw Yan Shin, CIDKP Dooplayadistrict coordinator who is closelymonitoring the IDPs situation inthe area, says villagers are alwayshaving to keep moving.Some villagers flee only once ayear, but for those close to theconflict areas, they have to run upto three times a year.The hostilities during April lastedfor 15 days, forcing villages toleave to avoid getting caught inthe crossfire or being taken asforced laborers by the DKBA andSPDC troops.Saw Yan Shin said that theBurmese troops operating in thearea also attacked people living onthe Thai side of the border.

to earn a living

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Photo:KHRG

Dooplaya district


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Troops from DKBA 333, 999,907 and SPDC soldiers from IB404, 283 and 284, on 26 April,attacked Thai soldiers in Wale Khivillage [on the Thai side] andwounded two Thai soldiers andtwo villagers.Saw Yan Shin says it has createda unstable environment where it isimpossible for villagers to live anormal life.They cant prepare their farmslands or harvest their crops ontime.Saw Yan Shin says every year villagers have been losing their

properties, belongings andlivestock to DKBA soldiers andthe Burmese army.Whilst on the run, villagers hadto abandon their farms. Their cornfields are landmined by the

soldiers and they cannot go back to harvest their crops. To survive,villagers sneak back and forth

from hiding sites to get whats leftfrom their destroyed homes.Saw Yan Shin explains that duringthe last harvesting season, manyvillagers couldnt harvest their crop because of the conflict. The

price of corn this year has droppedand the excessive taxes imposed

by DKBA had caused hardshipfor villagers.As a result of the fighting Thaifarm contractors have stoppedinvesting in crops on the Burmaside of the border. Yan Shin saysvillagers will face food shortagesthis year.Villagers in this area have beenruning from the DKBA and SPDCtroops for the last two years andhavent been able to work their land. This year, the offensivesforced them to abandon their

homes, farms and other belonging.They now have nothing. This year will be hard for them, they will not

be able to get enough food to seeout the coming year.

"...Their cornfields are

landmined bysoldiers andthey can't go

back..."

Dooplaya district


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Villagers in Dooplaya district are having a hard timeworking their farms. The villagers cant work

because Burmese army soldiers and DKBA militiaare force the villagers from their land. In April 2009,a combined Burmese army and the DKBA attackedKaren National Liberation Army positions in thearea.Villagers from Paw Bu La Hta are unable to work

because of the fighting and Thai-based investorshave been scared away by it. Villages close to the

DKBA camp are worst affected because soldiersextort a tax on their crops and use villagers as forcelabor.

Naw Ah Sa says she doesnt have enough time towork her fields.At the beginning of 2008 we had more trouble

because DKBA and the Burmese army, forced usto work and made us pay them money. Inside Newsreporter asked villagers why?

Paw Bu La Hta is not the only Karen to suffer. Since2006 the Burmese army have deployed a third of their army in Eastern Burma. The Thai Burma Border Consortium estimates that at least 76,000 villagerswere made homeless from 2006 to 2007.The Karen Human Rights Group report that Burmesearmy patrols have routinely abused villagers andstopped them from working.Some villagers tried to find [other] locations for

planting hill fields near their hiding sites, but the soil

in the areas was unsuitable for cultivation and didnot produce much food. As a consequence, since2008 area residents have suffered from foodshortages at their hiding sites.Paw Bu La Hta village has 50 houses, a monasteryand primary school. Villagers earn their living bycultivating vegetables.

Naw Ah Sa explains to Inside News how shesurvives.Since 2007, we have grown and sold corn. It has

been enough to give us food for a year with someleftover so we can repay our loan.But since 2008 the DKBA has forced us to work for them. This has restricted our work. If we dontdo what they tell us we have trouble.For years the Thai investors loaned us money for working in our cornfield. But this year, because of the fighting, they worried, we would not be able to

pay them back.KNLA 201 Battalion commander Saw Htee Ku,says the DKBA fine each villager 600 baht.If a Thai investor loans money to villagers they alsohave to pay 10,000 baht to meet the demands of the DKBA.Paw Bu La Hta villagers say being close to theDKBA camp stops them having access to healthcare provide by Karen medical teams.

Naw Ah Sa says, We are scared if the DKBA findout we have been helped. They DKBA dont wantus to get any medical aid from across the border.

Naw Ah Sa says the DKBA threaten villagers and

find new ways to extort money from them.We cant use alcohol or keep it at home. If theysee we have alcohol they fine us 500 baht a bottle.

DKBA scare away Thai investors

Business


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The DKBA, a militia armed and sponsored by the Burmeseregime, attacked and robbed

people in Khaw Poe Keevillage. Inside News reporter,Saw Kaw Lah spoke to a victim.In November 2008, the DKBAtroops went to Khaw Poe Kheevillage to destroy the hospital built

by money donated by ahumanitarian group. Fearing for their safety, the hospital staff took refuge in neighboring Thailand.The DKBA dismantled the hospitaland sold the timber.U Kyaw, a villager speaking to

Inside News in the Thai village of To Per Pu said having a hospitalin the village was important.When our families were sick itwas easier and cheaper for me andother villagers to access than going

to Thailand.U Kyaw says to get to a clinic onthe Thai side villagers have to hirea truck.Sometimes we have to pay over 100 baht a trip. We only earn 80-100 baht a day. Now our clinic isgone we have to travel to getcare.At least five villagers a day crossto the clinic in To Per Pu.Many villagers suffer from malariaand other fevers. U Kyaw say ittakes most of the day for villagersto get treatment.We need a clinic and medics inour village. We are ashamed thatwe have to depend on Thailandfor health care.The Karen Human Rights Grouphas documented abuses by theDKBA in Paan and Dooplayadistricts. These abuses includeforced labor, forced relocation,

Militia robs the people

extortion, attacks on villages and burning and destroying property.U Kyaw says villagers in DKBAcontrol areas have no freedom.Whenever they call we have todo something for them. They useus as forced laborers to carry their supplies or build their camp or roadways.In April 2009 the DKBAattacked U Kyaws neighbors inWale Khi village.The DKBA, fighting the Karen

National Liberation Army, orderedvillagers to carry their ammunitionsand food supplies to the frontline.U Kyaw was forced to be their

porter.Sometimes they took us for a

week or two or three days. Wehad to follow them to the conflictarea and cook for the DKBAsoldiers.DKBA has also forced villagersin the area to relocate. U Kyawsays he has been ordered tomove.The DKBA ordered 500 house-holds to relocate. We have beenwarned to start looking for a placeto build a house and garden.U Kyaw worries about the affectof the relocation on his family.If the situation continues like thisthe life for our future generationswill not be any better. Our childrenwill have little education and our health will be worse.

Heavily armed DKBA militia

Extortion


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The Democratic Karen BuddhistArmy, a militia, armed by theBurmese military regime isaccused by human rights groupsof persecuting villagers suspectedof being sympathic to the Karen

National Union. Inside News investigates thenumerous reports of villagers

being tortured, fined andthreatened by DKBA soldiers inareas they control.Saw Maung Soe from Mae Plaevillage says.One evening there was a fighting

between DKBA and KNLAtroops near the village temple.

Next morning DKBA troopscame my house, dragged me outand tied my hands with rope. Oneof them kicked me and pushed hisgun into my chest.

Saw Maung Soe says the DKBAsoldier was from battalion 907,and was led by Kyaw Thet andPa Htaw.The Mon Human RightsFoundation says the Burmeseregime is worried villagers willgive support to the KNU.Both DKBA and SPDC troopswant to keep tight security in theseKNU influenced areas. Theydont want KNU soldiersreceiving any support from thevillagers. So they instruct their informants or spies to watch

people closely. When they getinformation about suspectedvillagers believed to be KNUsupporters, the soldiers arrestthem, tie them up, torture them andinterrogate them about the rebelsactivities. In some cases the

DKBA find that the arrestedvillagers are not linked with anyarmed groups but they stilldemand money for their release.Saw Maung Soe, 30, says he wasaccused of hiding guns for theKNLA.DKBA soldier threatened meand asked me to find the gun. Itold him that I am just an ordinaryvillager. They tied my hands andtook me to the place where thefighting broke out.Saw Maung Soe continues,They took me there several timesand then took me to another villageand tied me to a pole and kickedme. They accused me of explodinga landmine. They tied me up for one day and one night and finedme 600,000 kyats before they letme go.Saw Maung Soe says he did nothave the money to pay the fine.The village headman came andtalked to them about my case and

I have to pay 500,000 kyats. I hadto borrow the money. I just hadto find the money to pay for myfreedom.Saw Hai was also beaten by theDKBA.On 6 April troops caught me inthe village and they hit me with astick. One soldier hit me on theneck with his gun and another one

pointed his pistol at me andaccused me of hiding guns for theKNLA.Soldiers interrogated Saw Hai,asking him if he was ready to die. I answered, I am not ready todie yet. They continue questioningme along the same lines. They toldme to give them the guns. I toldthem I am a villager not a soldier and asked them to let me go. Oncethey had the money they releasedme.

DKBA tortured villagers

Human Rights


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p h o t o : K H R G

Regime soldiers from theBurmese aligned, DemocraticKaren Buddhist Army threatenedto forcibly recruit villagers fromKler Ka to be soldiers or forcedlabor. To avoid the forceconscription the villagers took refuge across the River Moei inThailand.Villagers explained to Inside

News reporter Eray why theytook refuge in Thailand.Kler Ka village is close to theDKBA militia camp and their

patrols pass through the village.Saw Pa Nu, 60, has five daughtersand two sons. He says he is veryold, but that did not stop theDKBA using him as a porter.In 2007 I was forced to work

by DKBA and the Burmesearmies. I carried their supplies to

their new camp. They forced usto carry very heavy baskets. In

2009, they forced villagers to become DKBA soldiers. Wecome here to Khri Hta, on Thaiside, to escape from them.Saw Maw Kwei, 41, theHlangbwe Township secretarysaid the DKBA not only attackedKaren soliders, but they alsoattack ordinary villagers.Because of their attacksthousands of people becomedisplaced or refugees.Villagers used to think it would besafer to stay under the control of the DKBA than under the Burmesearmy, but years of abuse and therecent events have proved themwrong.Saw Ter Hei from Kler Ka villagetells of his experience getting to theThai side of the border.For three days and three nights

we didnt get food. The DKBA patrolled the mountain and we had

no water to cook. The Burmeseforced me to porter for them.Karen National Liberation Army,201 battalion commander, SawHtee Ku said.DKBA 307 battalion, led by Bla

Na arrested Maw Khee villageheadman Saw Kyaw Mun andMae Poe Klo headman, Po YuGaw, because they refused to givevillagers to the DKBA army. Allthe young men fled to Thailand,they didnt want to be forced to

join the DKBA.Saw Ter Hei says. They forcedme to porter. They didnt give meany food. They order us to go infront of them and if landminesexplode we will get injured first.This year we know they want tomake a big army so they will comeand recruit villagers and they will

force us to attack our Karensoldiers. I dont want to join.

I dont want to fight for themDisplacement


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uD >fyl RyS RvD >ftd .furS H tupD .fOverview

Karen struggle kept busy assisting displaced communities

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A report by the Thailand BurmaBorder Consortium (TBBC)estimated that 66,000 peoplewere forced to leave their homeas a result of, or in order to avoid,the effects of armed conflict andhuman rights abuses during the

past year.At the time of writingdisplacement as a result of conflictand human right violations is stillongoing in Eastern Burma,especially in ethnic areas. Theongoing attacks by Burmese armyand DKBA troops in Karen Statehas forced as many as 4,000villagers in Pa An district alone toseek refuge.As the situation in Rangoon is

getting worse with pro-democracyleader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

being sent to prison, the Burmese

Army and their militia allies arelaunching fresh attacks in Northernand Southern Karen state causingdisplacement to thousands of villagers.Karen Internally Displaced People(IDP) are facing huge difficultiesin every aspect of their survival,theres no food, health care is

poor, theres a lack of educationopportunities, and theres littleaccess to humanitarian assistance.A report by the Karen HumanRight Group (KHRG) on the foodcrisis found that the systematiccivilian exploitation and regular human right abuses, combinedwith the absence of state socialservices or welfare provisions, has

served to severely undermine thehumanitarian situation of ruralcommunities in Karen state.

Theres no foodSevere food shortages are a major

problem for displacedcommunities. This is due to longterm displacement and because of security issues IDP communitiesare repeatedly on the move

because of Burma Armysoperations. Under thesecircumstances it is impossible for villagers to settle and grow enoughfood.The clinics three days walk Health problems such as malaria,dengue, diarrhea, fevers,respiratory diseases and skindiseases are common in displacedcommunities as they have limitedaccess to health care. In some

regions, people have to walk upto three days to get to a clinic and


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uD >fyl RyS RvD >ftd .furS H tupD .f Overview

the only transportation available tothem is by foot.The KHRG report also pointedout that villagers have aninadequate supply of food and a

severe lack of diversity in their diets means many villagers havingto survive for long periods of timeon meals of consisting of rice andsalt this also underminesvillagers resistance to infectiousdiseases.We want educationSchools in displaced communitiesare unable to keep open, as

children have to run when Burmesesoldiers attack. The TBBC reportfound that only one out of tenhouseholds in hiding areas hadunrestricted access to primaryschool for the whole year.The International DisplacedMonitor Centre (IDMC) alsoreported in 2008 that IDP childrenin hiding areas have few learningresources, and open-air classeshave often been disrupted by armyoffensives.A large percentage of children in

areas of conflict have to leaveschool after primary level, and inareas under the Burmesegovernment control they have been

prevented from studying their own

culture or languages, havinginstead to study Burmese.We need helpIt is difficult for humanitarianagents to reach displacedcommunities because of therestrictions of cross border aiddelivery and having to navigatetheir way through conflict zones.The Burmese army also blocks

IDP communities from trading,getting access to food andcommunication.A Human Right Watch (HRW)report confirms that Burmese armyoffensives have increasedisplacement in Karen state.One result of the Tatmadaws[Burmese Army] brutal behavior has been the creation of largenumbers of internally displaced

persons (IDPs) and refugeesamong Burmas ethnic minoritycommunities.

We need helpAn human rights analyst based inMae Sot spoke to Inside Newson the condition of guaranteeinghis anonymity says the Burmese

army is strategically creating largenumbers of displaced peoplewhile blocking international aidagencies efforts to deliver assistance.The regime is keeping the Karen

busy. That means Karencommunities have to look after theIDPs by themselves. They willhave to put all their resources,

financial and human, into trying tohelp communities in need. Thisleave the Karen with no time or resources to fight or maintain thelevel of their for political struggleThe root cause of displacement is

political instability. As long as themilitary regime is in power andcontinues it systematic efforts todisplace Karen people with littlehope of political change, it isunlikely that displacement inEastern Burma will end.


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p h o t o : M i z z i m a

The scorched earth offensive

launched in 2006 against Karenvillagers forced as many as76,000 from their homes accord-ing to research by the Thai BurmaBorder Consortium. A field officer working in the region explained to

Inside News about the impact of the offensive on villagers.Villagers in Taungoo district in

Northern Karen State and EasternPegu division suffered the mostabuses during the recent Burmesearmy attacks.By late 2008, the Burmese armyreduced the number of its troopsin Taungoo district, but continuedattacks on villagers into 2009.The patrolling troops shelled

displaced villagers hiding in jungles

and destroyed their farms. Duringthe dry season the soldiers burntthe jungles to destroy villagershideouts, plantations and farms.Displaced villagers rely on sellingtheir fruit and other plantation

products for money to buyessentials such as cooking oil, saltand rice.After the 2006 Burmese armyoffensive, 80 per cent of

plantations or income earningagricultural resources weredestroyed by troops shelling,

burning, building army camps, and building roads in farming areas.Patrolling troops blocked tradingroutes with landmines and their

shoot-on-sight policy.

Saw Eh Wah, a Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People(CIDKP) relief team member andTaungoo district coordinator explained to Inside News aboutthe difficulty people had in gettingenough food, health care andeducation for their children.Eh Wah said getting food todisplaced people is difficult

because of access to their hiding places and risks of landmines andrunning into Burmese armysoldiers.Bringing food supplies to highlandareas, because theres notransport makes it difficulty. If

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Regime policies are destructive

Photo:KHRG

Toungoo district

Burmese army destroy village

rice stores


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Burmese army patrols see us theyconfiscate the supplies. We alsohave to avoid their tax gates,landmines and being shot onsight.Eh Wah said that the price of ricehad been forced up by the attackson the villagers.The price for a tin of rice hasincreased by as many as five times.Villagers cant afford to buyenough food with the small amountof money they earn.Saw Eh Wah says not onlyvillagers in hiding are having

problems getting enough food, but

villagers in government controlledforced relocation sites are alsosuffering. These villagers are beingforced to work for the Burmesearmy and their movements areseverely restricted.Everyday villagers in Play HsaLo relocation site are forced towork as laborers for the army. TheBurmese army restricted the

movement of people by fencingvillages and closely controllingtheir travel. Whenever villagers goto work, they have to get a writtentraveling permission, which costsup to 1,000 Kyat (nearly half adays pay), from the army.Saw Eh Wah concludes thisundermines the livelihood of thevillagers in the area and says whilegetting enough food is the biggest

problem, it is not the only one. Hecites a lack of health care as alsocritical.Eh Wah says people have littleaccess to health care andmedicine, which are also

prohibited by the Burmese army.Most people treat diseases withherbs or by traditional methods.Common diseases people suffer are malnutrition, gastro, malaria,diarrhea, fever and dizziness, skininfections and respiratory

diseases. Saw Eh Wah says the ban on modern medicine is causingmany treatable illnesses todevelop into chronic conditions.Modern oral or injectionmedicines are banned asforbidden goods and villagersdare not carry, transport or usethem. If villagers were caught withthis kind of medicine, they would

be punished up to the death penalty or be accused of carryingmedicine for rebel groups.Free Burma Rangers, Back Pack medics and Karen Healthdepartment workers try to reachthe area to give treatment andcollect information about healthrelated issues.According to Eh Wah, the

offensive in 2006 had causeddestruction to one high school,three middle schools and as manyas 80 primary schools in Taungoodistrict.Thousands of children in Taungoodistrict cant go to school becauseof the attacks. This meansgenerations of uneducatedchildren. In the future this will havecreated huge social issues for thecommunity. Eh Wah says unless there is regimechange in Burma and a change of the regimes scorched earth

policy, communities and villages inthe country will continue to beundeveloped and people willcontinue to die needlessly.

Toungoo district


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destroy farms steal anim als and villagers propertyBurmese army act like bandits:

The Burmese army has set upmore military camps and intensifiedtheir operation in Keh Der andKwee Lah villages. In a series of systematic operations the armyhas destroyed more than a hundredslash and burn farms in the area.Saw Ber Htoo , the CIDKP

Nyaunglebin district coordinator,

has documented the destructionand spoke to Inside News aboutwhat he witnessed.Saw Ber Htoo says that in earlyApril, 2009, the Burmese armyLight Infantry Battalion (LIB) 115,501 and 502 set up three newcamps in Nyaunglebin district inKaren State.The patrolling troops destroyed,stole and looted villagers

belongings. They trashed farms,took food supplies, livestock,money and other valuable things.

Thay left the villagers withnothing.Saw Ber Htoo says the Burmesearmy has also shot at villagersworking in the fields, causing themto abandon their farms.When the Burmese armylaunched their offensive in thearea, villagers fled and hid in the

jungle.Saw Ber Htoo says the attackscould not have come at a worsetime for the villagers. April is whenthey prepare their slash and burnfarms, but this year villagers hadto abandon their plots of land.

Now the wet season has startedit will be impossible to prepare.Ber Htoo says this placesadditional hardship on thevillagers.If villagers cannot grow rice thisseason they will face food

shortages in the coming year andthey will not have enough rice for their families.Ber Htoo explains that as villagerslivestock and other possessionswere destroyed and stolen by theBurmese army soldiers, peoplewill have nothing to trade for food.Ber Htoo lists the stolen goods.

Burmese soldiers from LIB 501led by Battalion commander Col.Mya Moe Oo stole nine pigs, 96chickens, six goats and threecattle. They destroyed three foodstores containing 38 tins of rice,126 tins of paddy, 50 viss of salt,45 viss of fish paste, 20 viss of tobacco, 65 viss of betel nut andother household goods in Keh Der village alone.Ber Htoo says that similar destruction and looting also

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A slash and burn farm destroyed by Burmese army

Photo:KHRG

Nyaunglebin district


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The Burmese regime continues toforce villagers to join their pyithusit the so-called PeoplesMilitia.KHRG reports that on February23 2009, administrative sectionsfor Papun Town were ordered tosend villagers for a15-day militiatraining. Villagers were not paid

but were fed. The recruited menwere unable to provide income for their families.

The Karen Human RightsGroup reported that in Bu ThoTownship, in early 2009,Light Infantry Division (LID)11, forced villagers to fill

potholes, transport dirt andstones, cut trees and performother maintenance activities.The report says villagers werealso forced to be human mine

sweepers by Burmese army patrols. The army alsodestroyed land belonging tofarmers.

They steal our landsBurmese army battalions

based near Papun Town took more than 50 acres of paddyfields from farmers in MehTRoh village, Meh Gklawvillage tract. No landownerswere compensated for their losses. KHRG named thearmy units responsible as;Infantry Battalion (IB) #19,

Light Infantry Battalions(LIBs) #642, 340, 341, 434and a Tactical OperationCommand unit.

Forced

recruitment

Burmese Army camp built on confiscated land in

Thay Wah Gkyo village, Lu Thaw Township

Photo:KHRG

happened to Mu Khi, Ta KawDer and Thaw Nge Der villagesand villages in Kwee Lah tract inKyauk Gyi Township.

Ber Htoo said the soldiers actedlike bandits and stole what theywanted and destroyed everythingelse.The Burmese soldiers took

valuables and items that were easyto carry. Heavy goods like rice,fish-paste, and salt they just

poured on the ground anddestroyed them.Ber Htoo says the destruction isstill going on. A recently releasedreport by Karen Human RightGroup (KHRG) confirms Ber Htoos eyewitness accounts.KHRG say that on 15 th of May,2009 Burmese Army patrols have

posed a tangible threat to localcommunities in the hills of

Nyaunglebin District. KHRGreport that the soldiers shoot-on-sight policy and deployment of landmines in and around civilianareas has made it impossible for

people to live safely in the region.

Continue from page (14)

News briefs


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16 IDP NEWS 16


In early June 2009, the Burmesearmy and their militia allies, theDemocratic Karen Buddhist Army(DKBA), launched a series of attacks on Karen National Union(KNU) positions and camps inBrigade area 7. The attacksdisplaced over 3,500 villagers inPa-an district many crossed theMoei River into Thailand to seek refuge.

Inside News reporters spoke todisplaced villagers during thefighting.Kyaw Winn (not his real name)says they left their village becauseof the attacks and forcedrecruitment by the DKBA.The DKBA ordered us to

provide them with 30 villagers inevery area to join their army.People didnt want to join theDKBA and leave their villages.Mae La Ah Kee villager, Kyaw

Im worriedWinn, explains why he made thedecision to leave his village.The DKBA told us there would

be no more fighting in this area.But now without any warning theyattacked. Landmines and mortarsare booming all around us. We arescared, so we left our village.A report by the Karen HumanRight Group says systematicmilitarization and widespreadexploitation of the civilian

population by military forces hascreated poverty, malnutrition anda severe food crisis in Karen state.Kyaw Winn, 41, adds that manyvillagers leave without taking their

belongings.Some villagers leave in the dayand others at night. I got my wifeand five children and just leftquickly. We knew the way andnobody guided or led us here. Wetook only a few clothes and

necessary things on our back andcrossed the river Moei by boatsand took shelter in Oo Thu Htavillage in Tha Song YangTownship, in Thailand.The DKBA special force, 999, led

by Hsan Pyote, and its brigadier Maung Chit Thu, led the attack.Kyaw Winn, says,They [DKBA] came with about300 soldiers and forced adult menfrom the villages to do their

portering.Kyaw Winn says the soldiersmake life hard for villagers.They increase taxes. Villagershave to pay land, machine andelephant taxes. They enter our villages and demand chickens,

pigs and we even have to buy cansof fish for them.Kyaw Winn says the situation fillshim with despair.We would have tried to stay and

pay them if there was no fighting.But because of the heavy weapons

we had to leave our village, I feel poor and my heart is broken. Idont want to think of anything.Kyaw Winn explains that it wont

be safe for villager to return to their homes.It will be not be safe to return toBurma if the fighting is still goingon. The DKBA contacted us andsaid we should go back to our villages. Many landmines have

been planted and they dont promise us that they will removethem. I dont trust them anymore.Kyaw Winn says he does not seeany changes or freedom in Burmain the near future.It will still be more of the sameunless the powerful countries put

pressure on the Burmese govern-ment. I urge them [internationalcommunity] to come and

bring peace to our country.

Displacement

Villagers forced to leave their homes


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18 IDP NEWS 18


w>fb.f ,d .f !wb.f zD .f rh.f yd >f w*hR

etting an education in Karenstate is hard, especially if you are

from a displaced community. Inside News reporter Cecilialooks at the challenges facing afather as he struggles to get hisdaughter to school.Uncle Li Lay is from MoeTownship - at least a two-day busride from the Burma Thai border - but he is determined to get hisdaughter, Naw Wan a decenteducation.Uncle Li Lay says sending NawWan to school in Burma is morethan he can afford, especiallywhen the Burmese army extortsspecial taxes from villagers.We are forced to give a lot of taxes to the SPDC every year. Wemust pay. We have no choice. Thisis money I could be spending onmy daughters education.

Uncle Li Lays story confirms whatother villagers said in interviews for a report by the Karen HumanRight Group. A villager toldKHRG even though thegovernment supplied two teachersthe parents had to find the moneyto pay for another six teachers.The woman said.The students have to buy

materials by themselves,somechildren cant afford their schoolfees. Weve tried to help thechildren who really want to attendthe school, but whose parentscant support them.Villagers living in Karen state faceforced relocation, forced labor,displacement, destruction of schools and homes, burning off crops and massive disruption totheir lives.According to a report by the ThaiBurma Border Consortium

(TBBC) more than 3,200settlements were destroyed,forcibly relocated or otherwiseabandoned in eastern Burma

between 1996 and 2007.Uncle Li Lay has four sons andfour daughters, the older ones areworking and says to get NawWan a better education he was

prepared to send her to Thailand.

I only make 100,000 kyat in ayear, but to send Naw Wan to highschool I needed at least 500,000kyat.Uncle Li Lay was worried hisdaughter would lose her Karenlanguage as it is forbidden to betaught in schools by the militaryregime. The result of this policy hasresulted in millions of Karen

people not being able to speak their own language.While she is in Thailand studying

Naw Wan will be cared for by

staff of the Karen YouthOrganization (KYO). AKYO help Karen youth to get aneducation, especially those indisplaced communities, a KYOspokesperson told Inside News.KHRG also identified a number of factors that caused children todrop out of school. The reportlisted the high cost of education,

parents needing their children towork in the fields and the constantdisruption caused by the Burmesearmy.In spite of all the problems of getting Naw Wan a Kareneducation, Uncle Li Lay is willingto put up with the long trip toThailand and the hardship.If she [Naw Wan] stayed in thevillage I would have to worrymuch more, at least I know I wonthave to worry about her safety.

Educating Naw WanG

Education


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19 IDP NEWS 19


A report by the Karen HumanRights Group, says Burmese army

control over the Papun District of northern Karen State varies. Inareas like Lu Thaw and some partof Bu Tho township, that are notunder the control of the Burmaarmy, a shoot-on-sight policytargeting villagers is in place.Saw Lah Soe, a CIDKP fieldworker explained how Burmesearmy and Democratic KarenBuddhist Army (DKBA) sodierstreat villagers in different areas.Villagers are targeted as enemyor rebels. They are shot on-sight.In areas close to Papun, villagersare being forced to work for theBurmese and DKBA soldiers.A Free Burma Rangers (FBR)report also confirmed the shoot-on-sight policy. The reportreleased on 23 of July 2009 says.On June 18, DKBA and theBurma Army shot five villagers inBray Day (also known as Paw Ler Loh) village, eastern Karen State,killing one of them. Saw Toe Lo,70, was killed in the attack in thevillage in Bu Tho Township,Naw Wee Shi Paw, 36, NawMa Htit, 60, Saw Eh KNyaw, 7,and Saw Boh Heh, 38, were all

injured.KHRG says thatin controlled townships such as BuTho and Dweh Loh, DKBA andthe Burmese army, demand forcedlabor, steal property and extortfood, money and supplies fromvillagers.Saw Lah Soe says villagers haveto work for the army and givethem food.They work as sentries,messengers, carrying their supplies, fencing and building the

camp. DKBA and Burmesesoldiers demand pigs, goats or

chickens. They also demandmoney for various kinds of 'fees'or 'taxes'.Soldiers from DKBA Brigades#333, 555 and Special Battalion#666, have become more activein Bu Tho and Dweh Lohtownships, KHRG says.much of the SPDC andDKBA activity in Papun Districthas involved abuses againstcivilians rather than military attacksagainst the KNLA. During recentmonths, DKBA soldiers in Papunhave demanded forced labour andissued new movement restrictions

to villagers which have been backed up by threats against non-

compliance.KHRG say villagers have takenrefuge in the jungle to avoid theabuse. However, because of thedifficulties of maintaining their livelihoods and the humanitarianchallenges of living in hiding, someof those who had fled to the forestsubsequently returned to stay inareas under SPDC or DKBAcontrol.Saw Lah Soe says the situation ishard for villagers.Thousands of villagers are goingto face food problems if thesituation continues.

Shoot on sight Human Rights

Enermy of the state - Saw Eh K'Nyaw, age 7

photo:FBR


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Saw Aung Loe Lo and his family were prepared to

lose all their possessions to escape forced labor,extortion and other human right abuses from theDemocratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and theBurmese army. The family thought they had foundsafety in Ler Per Her, a internally displaced persons(IDPs) camp, home to 1,200 people. Ler Per Her sits on the small hills on the Burma side of the MoeiRiver.Saw Aung Loe Lo's peace and safety was short-lived. In June 2009, the Burmese army and its allied

militia, the DKBA, attacked Ler Per Her. Theyforced thousands of villagers to take refuge inneighboring Thailand.By crossing the border river Saw Aung Loe Lo wentfrom IDP to refugee.Aung Loe Lo, 41, is originally from Hti Per village inPa-an District, Karen State. He fled from his villagein 2003. Since then, he and his family have lived atLer Per Her camp. He tells Inside News his story.I thought we would be safe there [in the camp] untilwe could go home. But we had to flee again.Aung Loe Lo, his family and other fellow refugeesare taking shelter at Noh Bo village in Tha Song YangTownship, Tak province, Thailand. He says he has

nothing left to lose.

Ive lost everything. The first time I fled from myvillage, I had to leave behind all my belongings. Onceagain, I had to run and I cant carry anything exceptsome rice, pots and clothes that are necessary for us to live on.Aung Loe Lo recalled the abuses committed byDKBA soldiers that made him leave his first home.He spoke of how the DKBA soldiers set up a campin his village and forced villagers to work on iteveryday.

They [DKBA] ordered us to collect bamboo,wood and other materials to build the camp. Thenthey forced us to dig ditches and make fences aroundtheir camp. They ordered us to make a fence aroundour village and they planted landmines outside thefence and around the village. Our animals oftenstepped on them.The situation was too hard for him so he left andcame to Ler Per Her. Saw Aung Loe Lo says he isnot happy seeking refugee in Thailand.People like to live in their own country in their ownhomes and work their own land. We feel bad leavingour homeland, but we have no choice. It is not safeanymore to live there.

I thought I would be safe

vol 4 issue21 committee for internally displaced karen people

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