English
ကညီကျိာ်
မြန်မာ
Print:This Short Update describes events that occurred in Hpa-an Township, Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton) District during the month of July 2022. On July 17th 2022, villagers in B--- village, S--- village, and T--- village, Kyon Ma Thwel village tract, Hpa-an Township, Doo Tha Htoo District, were ordered to collect logs by the Border Guard Force (BGF) Battalion #1014, Company #2. The villagers from these three villages were demanded to cut logs and transport them to Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) BGF camp, located in Boo Prer village tract, Hpa-an Township. Villagers have been forced by BGF soldiers stationed in this camp to deliver logs at least four times since December 2021. The previous incidents occurred on December 6th 2021, February 7th 2022, March 3rd 2022, and July 17th 2022.[1]
Forcible collection of logs
On July 17th 2022, villagers in B--- village, S--- village, and T--- village, Kyon Ma Thwel village tract, Hpa-an Township, Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton) District, were forced to collect logs by Border Guard Force (BGF)[2] Battalion #1014, Company #2. The villagers from these three villages were asked to cut logs and transport them to their camp [Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) BGF camp], located in Boo Prer village tract, Hpa-an Township. The villagers from these three villages were forced to cut the logs by a BGF leader [unknown rank] named Saw Pa Ka Nu. Saw Pa Ka Nu is from Taung Tha Lay Kho village, and he was on duty at Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp at the time. On July 17th 2022, at around 1 pm, Saw Pa Ka Nu called [via phone] the community members who were village heads of B--- village, S--- village, and T--- village at that time [village heads rotate every month] and commanded them to make their villagers bring logs that were longer than two handspans and six cubits[3] [108 inches / 274 cm] long to the [BGF] camp.
On July 18th 2022, the civilians in these three villages rented trucks and took the logs to Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp. There are 113 households (701 villagers) in B--- village, 47 households (336 villagers) in S--- village, and 72 households (527 villagers) in T--- village. In total, there are 232 households in these three villages, and each household was ordered to provide a log [to the Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp].
General Maung Chit is the battalion commander of BGF Battalion #1014 [but he is not based in Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp]. The commander of Company #2 within BGF Battalion #1014, named Saw Tin Win, was on duty at Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp at the time. Saw Pa Ka Nu [the BGF leader who called the village heads] and another soldier [of an unknown rank] named Saw Moe Hin were also on duty at Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp.
Villagers who live near Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp have been forced by Saw Pa Ka Nu and Saw Moe Hin to deliver logs at least four times since December 2021. On December 6th 2021, villagers from O--- and K--- villages, located in Kyon Ka Na village tract, transported logs with two trucks [to Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp]. On February 7th 2022, each household [unknown number] in H--- village was required to provide three logs [larger than two hand spans and 5 or 6 cubits [90 - 108 inches / 229 - 274 cm] long] to the same BGF camp. On March 3rd 2022, each household in H--- village and O--- village had to provide logs [3 handspans big and 5 or 6 cubits long] to the same BGF camp. The BGF soldiers stationed at Hkler Kheh (Nyaung Kone) camp forced villagers to work for them without payment.
Further background reading on the security and human rights situation in Doo Tha Htoo District in Southeast Burma can be found in the following KHRG reports:
- “Doo Tha Htoo District Incident Report: Two villagers were injured as a result of SAC mortar shelling in Bilin Township, June 2022”, March 2023.
- “Doo Tha Htoo District Incident Report: Villagers killed as a result of SAC mortar shelling in Bilin Township, June 2022”, February 2023.
- “Dooplaya District Incident Report: Rape and killing of two adolescent sisters in Waw Ray Township, April 2022”, January 2023.
- “Human, Not for Shield: Attack on civilians in Bilin Township, Doo Tha Htoo District, April 22nd to May 22nd 2022”, December 2022.
Footnotes:
[1] The present document is based on information received in July 2022. It was provided by a community member in Doo Tha Htoo District who has been trained by KHRG to monitor human rights conditions on the ground. The names of the victims, their photos and the exact locations are censored for security reasons. The parts in square brackets are explanations added by KHRG.
[2] Border Guard Force (BGF) battalions of the Tatmadaw were established in 2010, and they are composed mostly of soldiers from former non-state armed groups, such as older constellations of the DKBA, which have formalised ceasefire agreements with the Burma/Myanmar government and agreed to transform into battalions within the Tatmadaw.
[3] A cubit is a standard measurement for the length of bamboo poles, commonly referred to in Karen as the length from one’s fingertips to one’s elbow, about 45.7 cm or 18 in.
