Displacement Monitoring: Regular updates on protection concerns for villagers in Dooplaya District and Tak Province

Civilians in Dooplaya District continue to be impacted by conflict between the Tatmadaw and armed Karen groups, who have increased fighting since November 7th 2010. The situation remains highly unstable and civilians report a variety of human rights and security concerns related to ongoing conflict and conflict-related abuse. In order to provide as current information as possible on the fighting and related protection concerns, KHRG has developed this page as a 'Displacement Monitoring' section of the KHRG website. Immediate situation updates, news bulletins, field reports, maps and photo galleries regarding the situation for civilians in Dooplaya are accessible through links in the table at the bottom of this page.

Background

Civilians in Dooplaya District continue to be impacted by increased conflict since November 7th 2010, involving Burma's state army, the Tatmadaw, and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), as well as other armed Karen groups. Since larger battles occurred in Myawaddy and Three Pagodas Pass towns on November 8th and 9th, the conflict has been characterised by frequent skirmishes, shelling and guerrilla style attacks throughout areas opposite Tak and Kanchanaburi provinces, Thailand.

Civilians living in areas affected by fighting, including villages in which fighting is expected but has yet to occur, have described a range of physical security and livelihoods threats including: death, injury, or destruction of property as a result of skirmishes between armed groups and functionally indiscriminate use of weapons by soldiers in civilian areas;[1] looting of property by soldiers or other villagers;[2] arrest, detention or execution by soldiers that suspect civilians of supporting an adverse party to the conflict;[3] sexual violence;[4] arrest and forced portering;[5] movement restrictions impeding livelihoods activities and villagers' ability to escape fighting;[6] and the fear that prolonged fighting and associated abuses will disrupt the harvesting of corn and bean crops into which many villagers in the area have invested significant labour and financial resources.[7]

Most of these threats are markedly different from the human rights and security concerns associated with the low-intensity conflict that communities in eastern Dooplaya have confronted over the past decade. Villagers have told KHRG that they do not feel safe amid the unstable and increasingly dangerous military context created by the upheaval of military relationships and the re-emergence of open conflict;[8] many have opted to flee with their families temporarily to more secure locations from which they can monitor the security situation and check on their homes, property and crops.[9] Villagers attempting to access such temporary refuge in Thailand, however, have faced a number of obstacles that have caused incoming refugees to hide in dispersed, discreet locations or else cross back and forth between temporary sites established just across the border in Burma whenever fighting occurs.[10] Several sources, including within the DKBA, have told KHRG that they expect the fighting to continue, which suggests that the protection threats to villagers in eastern Dooplaya will remain urgent.[11]

Ongoing monitoring by KHRG

	Title	Type	Tag(s)	Location(s)	Uploaded Date
45	Thai Army sends 65 villagers back to Burma from temporary site at Mu Yoo Hta on Christmas Day	Photo update	Displacement; obstacles to refuge; forced portering	Mu Yoo Hta, Mae Sariang District	January 7th 2011
44	Palu villagers hiding in Thailand respond to interruptions in schooling	Photo update	Displacement;	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	January 6th 2011
43	Tatmadaw officers urge villagers seeking refuge in Thailand to return to Palu village as 400 additional Tatmadaw troops deployed to the area	Update	Displacement;	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	January 6th 2011
42	Arbitrary arrest, detention and confiscation of property in the Waw Lay village area	Update	Arrest/detention;	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	January 6th 2011
41	Palu villagers celebrate Christmas in H--- village due to ongoing conflict and human rights concerns	Photo update	Fighting; displacement	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	January 1st 2011
40	KHRG Photos document examples of damage to property caused by shelling in Waw Lay village	Photo update	Fighting; displacement; livelihoods; landmines/unexploded ordnances; threats against civilians	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	January 1st 2011
39	Body of unidentified naked woman found near Waw Lay village	Photo update	sexual violence; civilian deaths	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	January 1st 2011
38	KHRG photos document strategic displacement of villagers during Palu's harvest season	Photo update	Fighting; displacement	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	January 1st 2011
37	More shelling in Palu as villagers make plans to hold Christmas celebrations elsewhere	Photo update	Fighting; displacement	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	December 31st 2010
36	Arbitrary arrest in Waw Lay village and execution in Meh K'Ner village	Update	arbitrary arrest/detention; execution	Waw Lay; Meh K'Ner villages, Kawkareik Township	December 23rd 2010
35	Long-term consequences for villagers' livelihoods as conflict and displacement in the Palu area continue	Interview transcript	Fighting; shelling; displacement; livelihoods; forced portering	Palu Poe village, Kawkareik Township	December 22nd 2010
34	Fighting, displacement and human rights concerns in Pa'an District	Interview transcript	Fighting; shelling; displacement; land mines	Hlaing Bweh Township, Pa'an District	December 22nd 2010
33	Shelling and fears of portering prolong displacement, disrupt the harvest in Palu village	Update	Fighting; shelling; displacement; livelihoods; forced portering	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	December 20th 2010
32	Night time shelling and displacement in Maw Poe Gkloh village	Update	Fighting; shelling; displacement	Maw Poe Gkloh, Kawkareik Township	December 20th 2010
31	Shelling in Palu continues to displace villagers	Update	Fighting; displacement; shelling	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	December 19th 2010
30	Updated map of affected areas of Dooplaya district	Map		Dooplaya district	December 17th 2010
29	Forced portering in Min Let Bpaing village	Update	Forced portering	Min Let Bpaing village, Kawkareik Township	December 17th 2010
28	Shelling in Palu displaces villagers, disrupts agriculture	Update	Fighting; displacement; shelling; livelihoods	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	December 17th 2010
27	Providing education amidst conflict and displacement in Thay Baw Boh	interview transcript	Fighting; displacement; school closures	Thay Baw Boh village, Kawkareik Township	December 17th 2010
26	Villagers at risk from landmines, shelling and portering in Gk'Neh Lay village	Update	Fighting; shelling; displacement; forced portering; landmines/unexploded ordnance	Gk'Neh Lay village, Kawkareik Township	December 16th 2010
25	Threats and displacement continue to disrupt the harvest in Waw Lay	Update	Fighting; displacement; livelihoods	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	December 16th 2010
24	More fighting reported in Waw Lay area	Update	Fighting; displacement; shelling; livelihoods	Waw Lay; Mae Klaw Kee; Htee Ther Leh villages, Kawkareik Township	December 14th 2010
23	Fighting and displacement in the Waw Lay and Palu areas	Update	Fighting; displacement; shelling; livelihoods	Palu; Waw Lay; Oo Kreh Htah; Oo Hoo Htah; Kyo G'Lee villages, Kawkareik Township	December 14th 2010
22	School closure in Thay Baw Boh continues	Update	Displacement; school closures	Thay Baw Boh village, Kawkareik Township	December 13th 2010
21	Fears of portering prolong displacement, disrupt harvest in Palu village	Update	Displacement; forced portering; livelihoods	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	December 10th 2010
20	Repeated flight and obstacles to refuge in Waw Lay village	Update	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	December 9th 2010
19	Repeated flight and obstacles to refuge in Palu village	Update and interviews	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge; livelihoods; forced portering	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	December 9th 2010
18	Tatmadaw soldiers obstruct returning refugees	Update	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	December 9th 2010
17	Night time shelling and displacement in Waw Lay	Update	Shelling; displacement	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	December 9th 2010
16	School Closures in Thay Baw Boh village	Update	Displacement; school closure	Thay Baw Boh village, Kawkareik Township	December 8th 2010
15	Shelling reported in Kyaw Keh village	Update	Fighting; displacement	Kyaw Keh and Palu villages, Kawkareik Township	December 8th 2010
14	Daily forced labour in G'Neh Lay	Update	Forced labour; displacement	Gk'Neh Lay village, Kawkareik township	December 6th 2010
13	Fighting and threats in Waw Lay	Update	Fighting; displacement; threats against civilians	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik township	December 6th 2010
12	House burning in Waw Lay	Update	Fighting	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik township	December 6th 2010
11	Portering and landmine concerns in Waw Lay	Update	Forced portering; landmines/unexploded ordnance	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik township	December 5th 2010
10	Early morning displacement in Palu	Update	Fighting; displacement	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik township	December 4th 2010
9	Villagers flee to avoid fighting and portering: Conflict continues to impact civilians in Dooplaya District	News bulletin	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge; forced portering;	Palu; Mae Gk'La Kee; T'Naw Hta; Maw Gk'Noe Kee; Kyo G'lee; Kwee Ta'Ho; G'Neh Thay Hta; and Bpaw Baw Hta villages, Kawkareik township	December 4th 2010
8	Night time displacement in Waw Lay	Update	Fighting; displacement	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik township	December 3rd 2010
7	More arrests and movement restrictions: Conflict continues to impact civilians in Dooplaya District	News bulletin	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge; movement restrictions; arrest/detention	Palu; Waw Lay; Kyo G'Lee villages, Kawkareik township	Nov 30th 2010
6	Threats to human rights, obstacles to protection: Conditions for civilians seeking refuge in Phop Phra District, Thailand	Field report; interview transcripts	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge; livelihoods	Myawaddy Town; Palu and Waw Lay villages, Kawkareik township.	Nov 30th 2010
5	Villager injured, community flees: Conflict continues to impact civilians in Dooplaya District	News bulletin	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge; civilian injuries	Palu village, Kawkareik Township	November 28th 2010
4	Arrest, looting and flight: Conflict continues to impact civilians in Dooplaya District	News bulletin	Fighting; displacement; obstacles to refuge; forced labour; looting; movement restrictions; arrest/detention	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik Township	November 25th 2010
3	School closures and movement restrictions: conflict continues to impact civilians in Dooplaya District	News bulletin	Fighting; movement restrictions; livelihoods	Myawaddy Town; Waw Lay village, Kakareik Township	November 19th 2010
2	Protection concerns expressed by civilians amidst conflict in Dooplaya and Pa'an districts	Field report; interview transcripts	Fighting; displacement; civilian injuries; civilian deaths; looting; arrest/detention; sexual violence; livelihoods; forced portering; livelihoods	Myawaddy Town; T'Ka Kee; Noh T'Gkaw; Waw Lay villages, Kawkareik township; Three Pagodas Pass Town, Kya In township	November 17th 2010
1	Civilians at risk from continued SPDC-DKBA conflict in Dooplaya District	News bulletin	Fighting; displacement; injury to civilian; obstacles to refuge	Waw Lay village, Kawkareik township	November 14th 2010