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On November 15th 2007, SPDC soldiers from Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs) #218 and 219 shot and killed Saw Ler Gkay [A-75], a 28-year-old Karen villager from K--- village in Gkwee Lah village ward, Kyauk Kyi township, Nyaunglebin District. Although Saw Ler Gkay was a civilian, the SPDC deemed him a legitimate military target because he was in an area that was not firmly under military control. Saw Ler Gkay was married and had three children [A-76] between the ages of three months and six years. Now that he is dead his surviving wife will face increasing difficulties in supporting her children and herself. [Photos: KHRG]

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Residents of Noh Ber Baw and Htaw Gkaw villages in Thaton District doing forced labour. These villagers are constructing a bridge in the area of Noh Ber Baw village on November 15th 2007, as ordered by a camp commander from SPDC Light Infantry Division (LID) #44. For this construction the villagers had to lay down a foundation of braches and logs on top of which they then had to lay a matting of straw. This would then be covered by a more firm base of stone and earth. [Photos: KHRG]

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Shown here on November 15th 2007, residents of Gkroo See village carry out uncompensated forced labour as ordered by local SPDC officials. The villagers are repairing a vehicle road by filling in potholes along the roadway using large stones. They then had to cover the stones with earth and flatten out the road's surface. [Photos: KHRG]

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These two women from Dee Thoo Der village, Papun District return after collecting paddy from their farm fields on November 16th 2007. Rice cultivation remains the central means of livelihood for the vast majority of villagers throughout Karen State. Burma Army troops regularly target and attack rice crops, rice storage facilities and even villagers in the process of planting, tending or harvesting their rice crops. [Photo: KHRG]

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These villagers originally resided in T--- village of Papun District, but fled their homes due to increased Burma Army activity in the area. The area in which they were in hiding in northern Papun District when this photo was taken on November 16th 2007 had become very insecure due to frequent Burma Army patrols. [Photos: KHRG]

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These villager from Bpo Gkweh fled their homes following Burma Army operations in the area. When KHRG field researchers took these photos on November 16th 2007 the villagers were engaged in building news structures at their hiding site. Villagers in Karen State are often repeatedly displaced but are skilled in rapidly constructing new homes and other structures out of locally available materials, especially bamboo, as is shown here. [Photos: KHRG]

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The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)'s rubber plantation at Dtaw Dt'Lay Koh village in Thaton District as photographed in November 2007. The DKBA forces local villagers to plant young rubber trees, clear weeds and other forest growth in the plantation [A-89], and care for rubber saplings [A-90].

In the photo to the right two residents of Dtaw Dt'Lay Koh village in Thaton District, water trees at the DKBA's nearby rubber plantation on November 19th 2007. The plantation is located in an area between Dtaw Dt'Lay Koh and Noh Peh Moh villages in Pa'an township. For more information on recent DKBA forced labour demands in Thaton District see Oppressed twice over: SPDC and DKBA exploitation and violence against villagers in Thaton District, KHRG, March 2008. [Photo: KHRG]

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The SPDC mortar shell and landmines shown here were collected from Burma Army personnel operating in Toungoo District in late 2007. The manufacture date on the mortar shell reads 2002. SPDC forces conducting search and destroy operations in Karen State typically shell villages with high powered mortars such as these before entering on foot. When departing, the soldiers often lay landmines along village paths, in farm fields and plantations and within the village proper to dissuade villagers from returning. [Photos: KHRG]

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During the first week of December 2007, SPDC forces operating under Military Operations Command (MOC) #4 conducted a series of attacks against the hiding sites of displaced villagers in the area of Th'Ay Kee, in southeastern Toungoo District. In photos A-93 and A-94 and video A-97 a displaced hiding site in the Th'Ay Kee area burns on December 4th 2007 following an attack from soldiers of SPDC MOC #4. As well as buildings, the soldiers also destroyed paddy crops, rice, salt, cardamom, betel nut and other supplies belonging to the displaced villagers.

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In photos A-95 and A-96 Th'Ay Kee villagers who fled their hiding site when attacked, take a short rest as they continue to evade SPDC forces in the area during December 2007. To view footage of the flight and displacement of Th'Ay Kee villagers, including children and their parents, see the KHRG video Displaced children in northern Karen State.

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The mortar shell shown here in photo A-99 in December 2007, was taken by a convict porter forced to serve under the Burma Army. The convict porter took the mortar when he fled from the military unit under which he was labouring in the Th'Aye Kee area where the Army was conducting attacks against civilian communities. The Burma Army shelled hiding sites in the Th'Ay Kee area, as it regularly does to civilian communities in northern Karen State using both 80 mm and 120 mm mortars as part of their campaign to depopulate rural areas where the Army lacks a firm hold on the population.

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After the displaced Th'Ay Kee villagers learned that the Burma Army troops had moved on, they returned to their abandoned homes, shown in video A-98 and photos A-100, A-101 and A-102 on December 16th 2007, in order to collect items left behind when they fled the initial attack. However, there was little was left to salvage. To watch a short film about the Burma Army attack on Th'Ay Kee and the subsequent situation of the displaced Th'Ay Kee villagers, see Displaced children in hiding, KHRG, April 2008. [Photos and Video: KHRG]

Saw B---, shown here on December 1st 2007, stepped on an SPDC landmine that had been deployed at L--- village, Toungoo District. Following armed attacks on villages in northern Karen State, SPDC forces have been deploying landmines to obstruct efforts by the civilian population to return to reclaim their land and possessions. [Photo: KHRG]

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Due to the ongoing SPDC offensive in northern Karen State, children in Toungoo District face severe challenges to food, health and education. The child on the left in photo A-104, shown here on December 15th 2007, comes from Y--- village and is suffering from malnutrition because his parents ran low on food supplies while living displaced in the forest. For more information on the human rights situation of children in Karen State, see Growing up under militarisation: Abuse and agency of children in Karen State, KHRG, April 2008. [Photo: KHRG]

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Residents of Gkwee T'Ma village in the Meh Cho village tract of the Papun District construct a bamboo raft on December 16th 2007 as a means of sending the bamboo poles down the Buh Loh Gklo River to the Burma Army base at Waw Muh. This labour was ordered by Kyaw Zwa Aung, an officer of Burma Army LIB #216, LID #11. He told the villagers that the bamboo poles were for repairing buildings at Wah Muh army base. [Photos: KHRG]

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Taken on December 23rd 2007, these photos show a Burma Army camp in the Naw Koh area of Toungoo District. In front of the main building a civilian truck [A-110] can be seen. The local SPDC army unit commandeered this truck to transport supplies from Gkaw Thay Der and Kler Lah to the camp at Naw Koh. [Photos: KHRG]

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Villagers in Thaton District are shown here doing forced labour preparing bamboo stakes for use in construction work at the DKBA camp on Meh See mountain. Corporal Maung Aye Lway of DKBA Brigade #333, Battalion #2 ordered the villagers to do this work on January 8th 2008. At the time, Saw M--- [A-112], was ill but was nevertheless forced to comply with the demand. [Photos: KHRG]

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This baby, apparently jaundiced, was quite ill when this photo was taken at its home in Papun District in January 2008. Military-imposed movement restrictions and impoverishment mean that many households cannot access, or afford to access, necessary medical treatment and supplies. [Photos: KHRG]

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The SPDC camp in the Hsaw Wah Der area of southeastern Toungoo District as seen on January 18th 2008. SPDC forces in this area have been conducting sorties into the surrounding hills; shelling the hiding sites of displaced villagers, burning farm fields and food stores and, under a shoot-on-sight policy, firing at anyone spotted in the area. [Photos: KHRG]

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Displaced villagers are shown here while hiding in southern Toungoo District on January 19th 2008. Villagers in the areas who are unwilling to live under restrictive SPDC rule face the constant threat of attack by the Burma Army as well as a host of humanitarian difficulties steming from the Burma Army's obstruction of access to food and medicine. [Photos: KHRG]

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The SPDC Army camp at Dt'Ay Hta, southern Toungoo District is shown here on January 28th 2008. Local SPDC forces established this camp in an area where many displaced villagers remain in hiding, thereby increasing insecurity for civilians in the area. [Photo: KHRG]

A Free Burma Rangers (FBR) mobile medical team delivers medicine and other supplies to displaced villagers in southeastern Toungoo District in January 2008. [Photo: KHRG]

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A convoy of bullock carts driven by residents of Kwee Lay village are shown here in February 2008 as they deliver thatch shingles to a DKBA camp located in the region of their village. Bo Lweh, commander of DKBA Battalion #3, Brigade #333 was the one who ordered the delivery of thatch. [Photos: KHRG]

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In February 2008, Khaw Poe Bpleh villagers travel on foot to deliver 2,000 thatch shingles to the army camp of DKBA officer Bo Lweh. The order for this delivery was issued by Bo Lweh, commander of DKBA Brigade #333, Battalion #3. [Photos: KHRG]

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On February 25th 2008, residents of P--- village, Papun District conducted a traditional religious ceremony in which they used symbolic weapons of knives, spears, swords and a mortar; all of which were made of bamboo and wood. These items and the related ceremony served to strengthen their determination to resist Burma Army aggression against their community. The verse of an accompanying prayer which the villagers recited included the phrases:

1. May the SPDC strike sword against sword and throw spear against spear, [i.e. fight internally]
2. May it be like a sword which cuts water without leaving a mark, [i.e. be unable to harm the villagers]
3. May they [SPDC forces] go back and stay at their own place.

[Photos: KHRG]

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Taw Bpaw Der villagers in Papun District pan for gold on March 27th 2008. These villagers lack a consistent means of livelihood but usually get some gold which they sell for cash that they use to purchase rice. Due to the changing water levels, this type of artisan panning is only possible around the month of April. If they are successful, the villagers can earn up to 1,000 Thai baht (about US$ 31). [Photos: KHRG]

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Displaced villagers, hiding from the Burma Army, cross a river in Lu Thaw township of northern Papun District on April 3rd 2008. They are carrying their possessions with them as they travel. [Photo: KHRG]

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Shown here [A-133, A-134, A-135 and A-136] are the burned remains of Ghaw Yuh Der village in Kay Bpoo village tract of Papun District, as seen on April 10th 2008. SPDC forces attacked and completely burned Ghaw Yuh Der village and farm fields on March 4th 2008. At this time the villagers were drying out their fields prior to burning off overgrowth in preparation for the rice planting season. Burma Army aggression against the civilian population of Saw Muh Plaw and other areas of Lu Thaw township, northern Papun District has persisted over the past two years. [Photos: KHRG]

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Displaced villagers from Saw Muh Plaw village tract are shown below [A-137 and A-138] on April 4th 2008 setting up new structures at a hiding site in northern Papun District. These villagers fled their homes in Saw Muh Plaw village tract to escape military attacks by Burma Army soldiers. For displaced villagers in hiding, evading Burma Army forces in northern Papun District has become increasingly difficult since the SPDC completed the Papun Section of a north-south roadway which connects Pwah Ghaw military camp and the neighbouring relocation site to Bu Hsa Kee in southern Toungoo District. [Photos: KHRG]

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These two M-14 landmines, shown here on April 10th 2008, were retrieved during de-mining operations in Lu Thaw township of Northern Karen State. One was retrieved from the area of Kay Bpoo village on January 21st 2008 and the other from Tar Nya Lah Hta on February 13th 2008. Burma Army forces have deployed M-14 landmines in civilian areas including along roads, in forests and farm fields; as well as in and around burned out villages to control the movement of those trying to evade military forces. According to one online source, "whilst the blast wound from an M14 is unlikely to be fatal, it usually destroys a significant part of the victim's foot, thereby leading to some form of permanent disability regarding their gait."[1] [Photo: KHRG]

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This broken down structure is what remained on 5th April 2008, when this photo was taken, of a farm hut at Noh T’lay Plaw village, Saw Muh Plaw village tract, Lu Thaw township, northern Papun District which Burma Army forces had burned down in August 2007. [Photo: KHRG]

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Abandoned homes and other building from a cluster of villagers including Htee Me Taw Hta, Htee Moo Hta, Haw Hla Hta, Thaw Bpleh Hta, Dteh Neh of Lu Thaw township, northern Papun District from which villagers fled as they expected further encroachement by the SPDC forces that have been expanding military operations in Lu Thaw township. The villagers dismantled some of the structures in order to take building supplies with them to the displacement site to where they intended to relocate. [Photos: KHRG]

Displaced residents of S--- village in Papun District return to their hiding site in April 2008 after retrieving food supplies from their abandoned village. Earlier, the villagers had fled following the SPDC's establishment of a new camp close to their village. [Photo: KHRG]

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