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Print:This Photo Set shows Tatmadaw Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #310 conducting heavy weapons target training and its consequences, including the destruction of villagers’ crops and rubber plantations in Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District in January 2015. Villagers report that the Tatmadaw have carried out heavy weapons target training in the area before, but this time is different as there are more soldiers and this is the first time they have conducted night time target practice.
Photo Set | Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District (January 2015)
The following photos were taken by a community member in Dooplaya District who has been trained by KHRG to monitor local human rights conditions. They are presented below, censored where necessary for security purposes.[1] The eight photos below were received along with other information from Dooplaya District, including 374 other photos, six video clips, one situation update, and one incident report.[2]
The above photos were taken on January 19th 2015 in Z--- Kyay Ywa Gon[3] village, Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District. The first photo shows Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[4] #310 engaging in heavy weapons target training. The second photo shows night time target training conducted by the same battalion. The photo shows the light emitted from the rocket after it was fired. They fired the heavy artillery behind a monastery in a farm and did not inform the villagers that they would conduct target training during the night. One villager stated, “They have never done night time target training before.” The third photo shows an unexploded rocket that was carelessly left after the exercise. The community member saw in total seven rockets, some of which were fired, some of which were not. The fourth photo shows a fired rocket buried deep in the ground in the centre of the photo. [Photos: KHRG]
The above photos were taken on January 20th 2014, Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District. The first photo shows the deed to land bought by U S---, U A--- and Naw D---. U S--- is an ethnic Mon villager and he lives in Z--- village in Than Phuy Z’Yet Town. His friends have stated that he is the one whose lands and crops are burnt most frequently during military target practice. The second photo shows Z--- villager Saw K---’s land use grant.[5] He applied to the Burma/Myanmar government’s new farmland utilisation system for a new land document which would be legal under the 2012 Farm Land Law[6] and sent in his current land document. His application was denied[7] and his original land document was returned to him. [Photos: KHRG]
The first three photos were taken on January 19th 2015 in Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District. The first photo shows the area where the Burma/Myanmar government military, the Tatmadaw, set up their weapons. The photo is taken from the top of the mountain on the outskirts of Y--- village and it shows U T---’s rubber plantation. The second photo shows U T---’s durian and betel net trees which were hit by shrapnel from previous heavy weapons target practice in 2014 by LIB #310. The third photo shows the shells in their packaging which were left by LIB #310 near U M---’s farm. A villager said that it is not the first time that they have left shells in their packaging. They have conducted heavy weapons target practice in the past, but this time it is more serious due to an increase in the number of soldiers and damage caused. The last photo was taken on January 21st 2015. It shows the area where the heavy weapons target training was conducted. This area is fenced with bamboo. The sign in the photograph states that the area is prohibited as is the planting of any kind of tree. [Photos: KHRG]
Footnotes:
[1] KHRG trains villagers in eastern 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, villagers 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] This Photo Set was compiled by KHRG office staff and is based on information from a community member from Dooplaya District who has been trained by KHRG to monitor local human rights conditions. In order to increase the transparency of KHRG methodology and more directly communicate the experiences and perspectives of villagers in 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 redesigned Website.
[3] ‘Kyay Ywa Gon’ means ‘village hill’ in Karen.
[4] Light Infantry Battalion (Tatmadaw) comprised of 500 soldiers. However, most Light Infantry Battalions in the Tatmadaw are under-strength with less than 200 soldiers. Primarily for offensive operations but sometimes used for garrison duties.
[5] A land use grant is a legal form which gives the holder permission to use and work on the land, however the land is ultimately owned by the Burma/Myanmar government.
[6] The 2012 Farmland Law, Chapter 2(3), states that anyone over the age of 18 years, in order to work on their land, must acquire ‘Form Number One’ from the village administration office. They must fill this out and send it to Farmland Village Tract Administration Department. The form will then go to the township administration and a decision will be made. In this case, Saw K--- was unsuccessful and his current land use grant was not legalised under the new system.
[7] Usually the township administrator does not give a reason for accepting the application or not. At the time of publication KHRG did not have any information regarding why his application was denied.
