Thu, 29 Mar 2018
Dooplaya Situation Update: Kyainseikgyi and Kyonedoe townships, November 2017 to January 2018

This Situation Update describes events occurring in Kyainseikgyi and Kyonedoe townships, Dooplaya District during the period between November 2017 to January 2018, including development projects, education, healthcare and Tatmadaw activity.

  • The process of road and bridge construction by Burma/Myanmar government was ongoing from November 2017 to January 2018. 
  • Both Karen National Union (KNU) and Burma/Myanmar government take responsibility in building healthcare facilities and offered vaccines to the villagers in both Kyainseikgyi and Kyonedoe townships.
  • One Tatmadaw Battalion based in H--- village, Kyainseikgyi Township ordered an H--- villager to arrange for transportation for them to Kyainseikgyi Town.

Situation Update | Kyainseikgyi and Kyonedoe townships, Dooplaya District (November 2017 to January 2018)

The following Situation Update was received by KHRG in January 2018. It was written by a community member in Dooplaya District who has been trained by KHRG to monitor human rights conditions. It is presented below translated exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security.[1] This report was received along with other information from Dooplaya District, including five interviews, 68 photographs and 2 video clips.[2] 

Introduction 

This is the situation update for Noh T’Kaw [Kyainseikgyi] and Kyonedoe townships, Dooplaya District for November, December 2017 and January 2018. The following information highlights about development projects, education, healthcare and Tatmadaw activity.

Development projects

In every Township of Dooplaya District [especially Noh T’Kaw and Kyonedoe townships], the development projects being carried out include road and bridge construction in November 2017 for better transportation and traveling [in the local areas]. The construction workers on the roads and bridges [hired by Burma/Myanmar government] are highly committed in their work in order to finish quickly. They [workers] stay [set up temporary shelters] beside the road and work day and night. [As of January 2018] the construction of the roads continues. Hence, some roads are still muddy and not easy to travel on yet. However, the traveling situation has improved compared to the past. 

Education

Regarding progress in education, the situation is improving in the local area as the children have more learning opportunities and also receive support [materials/financial] to study. The Karen Education Department [KED] built a middle school in Noh Hpaw Wah village, Kyainseikgyi Township [constructed in early 2017 and opened on June 15th 2017].[3] The classes are from Kindergarten to Standard[4] Seven [using a KED curriculum].  During this time, they [KED] also announced that they plan to enhance the school to a higher Standard in the coming year.                                 

In addition, in some villages in Noh T’Kaw and Kyonedoe townships, Burma/Myanmar government teachers started teaching the new reading style of Myanmar language. In fact, some students face challenges with the new reading style. Likewise, the parents also do not know how to teach their children to read at home [using the new reading style].

Healthcare concerns

Regarding the situation of healthcare, there is improvement in Noh T’Kaw Township, Dooplaya District. For instance, in Ler Thaw Maw village, Noh Ta Khaw village tract, a healthcare facility started to be built by Burma/Myanmar government on December 13th 2017. The constructors are trying to finish as fast as possible in order to save the villagers from going to the distant hospital [when they need treatment].

Similarly, there is also improvement in the healthcare situation in Kyonedoe Township, Dooplaya District. Healthcare facilities were built not only by Burma/Myanmar government but also Karen National Union [KNU]’s health department, Karen Department of Health and Welfare [KDHW]. In November and December 2017 and January 2018, the health workers from Burma/Myanmar government offered Japanese encephalitis vaccines to the children in the villages in Kyonedoe Township areas. Similarly, [prior to the reporting period] a KNU clinic was also built in Wa Ka village, Wa Ka village tract in Kyonedoe Township by KDHW which was built at the end of 2016 and opened in March 2017.[5]

Tatmadaw activity

The Tatmadaw are still active in Noh T’Kaw Township, Dooplaya District. The Tatmadaw which settled in H--- village for one month [in December] now ordered a [H---] villager to take them by car to Kyainseikgyi Town [on January 11th 2018]. There were many Tatmadaw soldiers and therefore the car was full.

Conclusion

In the information presented above, the human rights issues covered are education, health, development and military [Tatmadaw] movement, as documented and researched in Noh T’Kaw and Kyonedoe townships, Dooplaya District.

Thu, 29 Mar 2018

Footnotes: 

[1] KHRG trains community members in southeast Burma/Myanmar to document individual human rights abuses using a standardised reporting format; conduct interviews with other villagers; and write general updates on the situation in areas with which they are familiar.  When writing situation updates, community members are encouraged to summarise recent events, raise issues that they consider to be important, and present their opinions or perspective on abuse and other local dynamics in their area.

[2] In order to increase the transparency of KHRG methodology and more directly communicate the experiences and perspectives of villagers in south eastern Burma/Myanmar, KHRG aims to make all field information received available on the KHRG website once it has been processed and translated, subject only to security considerations. For additional reports categorised by Type, Issue, Location and Year, please see the Related Readings component following each report on KHRG’s website.

[3] Although the building of the school is outside the Situation Update’s reporting period, the KHRG community member has deemed this relevant to include as the school is now in use.

[4] A standard refers to a school year in the education system of Burma/Myanmar. The basic education system has a 5-4-2 structure. Primary school runs from Standard 1 to Standard 5, lower secondary school is Standard 6 to Standard 9, and upper secondary school is Standard 10 to Standard 11. 

[5] Although the building of the clinic is outside the Situation Update’s reporting period, the KHRG community member has deemed this relevant to include as the facility is now in use.

Download Links

Related Readings