Print:This Incident Report describes events occurring in Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo (Nyaunglebin) District, in July 2024. On July 1st 2024, State Administration Council (SAC) soldiers from Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs) #590 and #599 shelled two mortar rounds into A--- village, Mone village tract, Moo Township. One of the mortar shells landed on a villager’s house and killed a husband and wife. In addition, the mortar shells injured their three children: a 16-year-old girl, an 8-year-old girl, and a 2-year-old boy. After the incident, the children were transported to Taw Oo (Toungoo) District for treatment. Due to the mortar shelling, local villagers are building huts outside the village to stay there instead, and they are all feeling anxious.[1]
Part 1 – Incident Details
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Type of Incident |
Type of Incident |
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Shelling [by the SAC] causing death and injury |
Shelling [by the SAC] causing death and injury |
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Type of Incident |
Date of Incident(s) |
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Shelling [by the SAC] causing death and injury |
July 1st 2024 |
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Type of Incident |
Incident Location (Village, Township and District) |
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Shelling [by the SAC] causing death and injury |
A--- village, Mone village tract[2], Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District |
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Type of Incident |
Shelling [by the SAC] causing death and injury |
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Date of Incident(s) |
July 1st 2024 |
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Incident Location (Village, Township and District) |
A--- village, Mone village tract[2], Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District |
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Victims Information |
Victims Information |
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Victims Information |
Name |
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U[3] C--- | |
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Daw[4] D--- | |
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Ma[5] E--- | |
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Ma G--- | |
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Maung[6] I--- |
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Victims Information |
Age |
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40 years old | |
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35 years old | |
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16 years old | |
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8 years old | |
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2 years old |
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Victims Information |
Gender |
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Man | |
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Woman | |
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Girl | |
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Girl | |
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Boy |
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Victims Information |
Ethnicity |
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Bamar[7] | |
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Bamar | |
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Bamar | |
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Bamar | |
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Bamar |
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Victims Information |
Marital Status |
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Married | |
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Married | |
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- | |
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- | |
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- |
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Victims Information |
Occupation |
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Daily worker | |
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Daily worker | |
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Daily worker | |
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- | |
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- |
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Victims Information |
Religion |
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Buddhist | |
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Buddhist | |
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- | |
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- | |
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- |
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Victims Information |
Position |
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Unknown | |
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Unknown | |
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- | |
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- | |
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- |
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Victims Information |
Village |
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A--- village, Mone village tract. | |
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A--- village, Mone village tract. | |
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A--- village, Mone village tract. | |
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A--- village, Mone village tract. | |
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A--- village, Mone village tract. |
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Victims Information |
|||||
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Name |
U[3] C--- |
Daw[4] D--- |
Ma[5] E--- |
Ma G--- |
Maung[6] I--- |
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Age |
40 years old |
35 years old |
16 years old |
8 years old |
2 years old |
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Gender |
Man |
Woman |
Girl |
Girl |
Boy |
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Ethnicity |
Bamar[7] |
Bamar |
Bamar |
Bamar |
Bamar |
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Marital Status |
Married |
Married |
- |
- |
- |
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Occupation |
Daily worker |
Daily worker |
Daily worker |
- |
- |
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Religion |
Buddhist |
Buddhist |
- |
- |
- |
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Position |
Unknown |
Unknown |
- |
- |
- |
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Village |
A--- village, Mone village tract. |
A--- village, Mone village tract. |
A--- village, Mone village tract. |
A--- village, Mone village tract. |
A--- village, Mone village tract. |
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Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
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Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Name(s) |
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Rank | |
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Unit | |
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Base | |
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Commander’s Name |
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Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Unknown |
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State Administration Council (SAC)[8] soldiers | |
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Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs)[9] #590 and #599 | |
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Tha Sei village, Taung Laing village tract, Moo (Kyauk Kyi) Township. | |
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Unknown |
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Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
||||
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Name(s) |
Rank |
Unit |
Base |
Commander’s Name |
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Unknown |
State Administration Council (SAC)[8] soldiers |
Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs)[9] #590 and #599 |
Tha Sei village, Taung Laing village tract, Moo (Kyauk Kyi) Township. |
Unknown |
Part 2 - Information Quality
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1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
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1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
After the incident occurred, a local authority named P’Doh[10] K---, from L--- village, Kwee Duh Hkaw village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, told me [the KHRG researcher] about the mortar shelling incident that hit villagers. P’Doh K--- asked local [Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[11]] soldiers to accompany me [the researcher, on the way to the incident place as a security precaution]. Then, I [the KHRG researcher] went [alone] to get the photos, conducted the interviews [with a witness named U M--- and a family member of the victims named Ma H---,] and documented the information. |
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1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
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After the incident occurred, a local authority named P’Doh[10] K---, from L--- village, Kwee Duh Hkaw village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, told me [the KHRG researcher] about the mortar shelling incident that hit villagers. P’Doh K--- asked local [Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[11]] soldiers to accompany me [the researcher, on the way to the incident place as a security precaution]. Then, I [the KHRG researcher] went [alone] to get the photos, conducted the interviews [with a witness named U M--- and a family member of the victims named Ma H---,] and documented the information. |
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2. Explain how the source verified this information. |
2. Explain how the source verified this information. |
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2. Explain how the source verified this information. |
A villager from A--- village [named U M---] provided this information to me [the KHRG researcher]. He [U M---] was at his home [located nearby] when the incident occurred and witnessed it firsthand. He also helped the injured villagers by transporting them to the hospital. [Information was also provided by Ma H---, the sister of the victim named U C---, to another KHRG researcher.] |
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2. Explain how the source verified this information. |
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A villager from A--- village [named U M---] provided this information to me [the KHRG researcher]. He [U M---] was at his home [located nearby] when the incident occurred and witnessed it firsthand. He also helped the injured villagers by transporting them to the hospital. [Information was also provided by Ma H---, the sister of the victim named U C---, to another KHRG researcher.] |
Part 3 – Complete Description of the Incident
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Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
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Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
On July 1st 2024, in the afternoon at around 2:30 pm, State Administration Council (SAC) soldiers from Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs) #590 and #599 (based in Tha Sei village, Taung Laing village tract, Moo Township) heard [were reportedly informed by people] that villagers in A--- village, Mone village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, were celebrating thanksgiving at the monastery [near the village], so they [SAC] shelled two mortar rounds onto A--- village. [Local villagers believe that the shells were aimed at the monastery, where people were gathering.] One of the mortars landed in the village, but did not cause any injury.
The second mortar shell landed on the house of an A--- villager, named U C---. He [U C---] and his family were inside the house when the mortar shell impacted the house, so all of them were injured by the mortar shell explosion. U C--- died instantly after being injured by the mortar shell explosion. Daw D--- was seriously injured by the explosion [and died shortly after]. Their three children, named Ma E--- (16 years old), Ma G--- (8 years old), and Maung I--- (2 years old), were also injured by this mortar shell explosion. U C---’s sister, Ma H---, explained: “I was nearby when the mortar landed. […] I heard the sound, and I ran toward it [them]. My brother was already killed. My sister-in-law fell on the ground. […] It was while people were running from panic while I was asking for help. It was so delayed. My sister-in-law was killed, although she shouldn’t have died.”
Ma E--- [the 16-year-old daughter] received treatment at N--- clinic [which is located in Taw Oo (Toungoo) District and is a self-funded clinic run by a doctor taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)[12]]. Ma G--- [the 8-year-old daughter] and Maung I--- [the 2-year-old son] received treatment in [SAC-administered] Taw Oo (Toungoo) Hospital. Ma G--- had not been discharged yet [as of the end of July 2024]. Maung I--- was discharged from the hospital on July 13th [2024] after he recovered. The healthcare workers requested medical follow-ups [with Maung I--- at the hospital], but the transportation was extremely difficult [due to long distances and travel restrictions to get to Taw Oo District, so the boy could not be taken for medical follow-ups.].
These three injured villagers did not receive any support from [humanitarian] organisations, instead, villagers and their relatives helped them pay for the medical treatment [cost]. Ma H--- [U C---’s sister, and aunt of the orphaned children] explained: “I was alone when they were all injured and I asked for help, but people were trying to run away [from the danger], so I had to accompany the injured people to the hospital [in Taw Oo] and asked the [other] family [members] to stay behind [in the village] to transfer money and we paid for the treatment of those who were injured with our own money”.
Due to the SAC shelling mortar rounds, villagers are cautious and they are no longer travelling [as before]. After the incident, they [villagers] prepared themselves by building huts in their plantations nearby the village [to stay there instead and avoid potential harm, as the SAC shelled into their village]. Some of the villagers remaining in the village dug bunkers, but the water was rising [flooding] as it was the rainy season [in July 2024]. Therefore, they prepared sandbags for protection and they live cautiously. |
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Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
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On July 1st 2024, in the afternoon at around 2:30 pm, State Administration Council (SAC) soldiers from Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs) #590 and #599 (based in Tha Sei village, Taung Laing village tract, Moo Township) heard [were reportedly informed by people] that villagers in A--- village, Mone village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, were celebrating thanksgiving at the monastery [near the village], so they [SAC] shelled two mortar rounds onto A--- village. [Local villagers believe that the shells were aimed at the monastery, where people were gathering.] One of the mortars landed in the village, but did not cause any injury.
The second mortar shell landed on the house of an A--- villager, named U C---. He [U C---] and his family were inside the house when the mortar shell impacted the house, so all of them were injured by the mortar shell explosion. U C--- died instantly after being injured by the mortar shell explosion. Daw D--- was seriously injured by the explosion [and died shortly after]. Their three children, named Ma E--- (16 years old), Ma G--- (8 years old), and Maung I--- (2 years old), were also injured by this mortar shell explosion. U C---’s sister, Ma H---, explained: “I was nearby when the mortar landed. […] I heard the sound, and I ran toward it [them]. My brother was already killed. My sister-in-law fell on the ground. […] It was while people were running from panic while I was asking for help. It was so delayed. My sister-in-law was killed, although she shouldn’t have died.”
Ma E--- [the 16-year-old daughter] received treatment at N--- clinic [which is located in Taw Oo (Toungoo) District and is a self-funded clinic run by a doctor taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)[12]]. Ma G--- [the 8-year-old daughter] and Maung I--- [the 2-year-old son] received treatment in [SAC-administered] Taw Oo (Toungoo) Hospital. Ma G--- had not been discharged yet [as of the end of July 2024]. Maung I--- was discharged from the hospital on July 13th [2024] after he recovered. The healthcare workers requested medical follow-ups [with Maung I--- at the hospital], but the transportation was extremely difficult [due to long distances and travel restrictions to get to Taw Oo District, so the boy could not be taken for medical follow-ups.].
These three injured villagers did not receive any support from [humanitarian] organisations, instead, villagers and their relatives helped them pay for the medical treatment [cost]. Ma H--- [U C---’s sister, and aunt of the orphaned children] explained: “I was alone when they were all injured and I asked for help, but people were trying to run away [from the danger], so I had to accompany the injured people to the hospital [in Taw Oo] and asked the [other] family [members] to stay behind [in the village] to transfer money and we paid for the treatment of those who were injured with our own money”.
Due to the SAC shelling mortar rounds, villagers are cautious and they are no longer travelling [as before]. After the incident, they [villagers] prepared themselves by building huts in their plantations nearby the village [to stay there instead and avoid potential harm, as the SAC shelled into their village]. Some of the villagers remaining in the village dug bunkers, but the water was rising [flooding] as it was the rainy season [in July 2024]. Therefore, they prepared sandbags for protection and they live cautiously. |
Part 4 - Permission for Using the Details
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Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided. |
Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided. |
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Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided. |
The villagers who provided the information [including the victims’ family member] allowed KHRG to publish this information for the world to know and to pressure to the SAC [to stop attacking villagers]. |
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Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided. |
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The villagers who provided the information [including the victims’ family member] allowed KHRG to publish this information for the world to know and to pressure to the SAC [to stop attacking villagers]. |
Further background reading on the situation on shelling in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:
- Striking Fear: Impacts of State Administration Council (SAC) shelling on villagers’ lives in Southeast Burma (January to October 2023), December 2023.
- “Mu Traw District Incident Report: SAC shelling killed a villager and destroyed plantations (September 2023)”, December 2024.
- “Doo Tha Htoo District Short Update: Indiscriminate shelling causing 11 casualties, destruction, and mass displacement in Tha Htoo Township, May 2024”, November 2024.
- “Dooplaya District Situation Update: SAC shelling, militarisation and air strikes causing casualties, displacement, and education, healthcare and livelihood challenges in Kaw T’Ree Township (January to August 2024)”, December 2024.
These photos were taken in July 2024 in A--- village, Mone village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. On July 1st 2024, SAC LIBs #599 and #590 fired two mortar shells into A--- village. One mortar shell landed on a villager’s house, killing two adults and injuring three children inside. The photo on the left shows a 40-year-old villager named U C--- who was killed by the mortar explosion. The photo on the right shows the bodies of U C--- and his wife, Daw D---, who were killed by the mortar shell. [Photos: KHRG]
The photo on the top left was taken in July 2024. On July 1st 2024, SAC LIBs #599 and #590 fired two mortar shells into A--- village, injuring a family inside their home. The top left photo shows Ma E--- (16 years old) receiving treatment at a CDM clinic after being injured by the mortar explosion. KHRG received the other two photos on July 30th 2024. The photos on the bottom left shows Ma G--- (8 years old) and the photo on the top right shows Maung I--- (2 years old), both receiving treatment at SAC-administered Toungoo Hospital after sustaining injuries from the SAC mortar shelling. All three children received treatment in Taw Oo District. The shelling killed their parents. [Photos: KHRG/Local villager]
Footnotes:
[1] The present document is based on information received in July 2024. It was provided by a community member in Kler Lwee Htoo District and a community member in Taw Oo District who have 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] A village tract is an administrative unit of between five and 20 villages in a local area, often centred on a large village.
[3] ‘U’ is a Burmese title used for elder men, used before their name.
[4] ‘Daw’ is a Burmese female honorific title used before a person’s name.
[5] ‘Ma’ is a Burmese female honorific title used before a person’s name.
[6] ‘Maung’ is a Burmese male honorific title used before a person’s name.
[7] The majority ethnic group in Myanmar, also known as ethnic Burmese or Burman.
[8] The State Administration Council (SAC) is the executive governing body created in the aftermath of the February 1st 2021 military coup. It was established by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on February 2nd 2021, and is composed of eight military officers and eight civilians. The chairperson serves as the de facto head of government of Myanmar and leads the Military Cabinet of Myanmar, the executive branch of the government. Min Aung Hlaing assumed the role of SAC chairperson following the coup.
[9] A Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) comprises 500 soldiers. However, most Light Infantry Battalions in the Tatmadaw are under-strength with less than 200 soldiers. Yet up to date information regarding the size of battalions is hard to come by, particularly following the signing of the NCA. LIBs are primarily used for offensive operations, but they are sometimes used for garrison duties.
[10] P’doh is a title meaning ‘governor’ or ‘minister’ within the government in S’gaw Karen.
[11] The Karen National Liberation Army is the armed wing of the Karen National Union.
[12] On February 2nd 2021, healthcare workers at state-run hospitals and medical facilities across Myanmar spearheaded what is being referred to as a Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) consisting of labour strikes in protest against the February 1st 2021 military coup. The movement quickly spread to include civil servants from all sectors of the government who are walking off their jobs as a way of non-recognition and non-participation in the military regime. Because of the popularity of the movement, and its seminal role in wider protests across the country, some people have begun using it as a catch-all phrase to include other protest forms like boycotts and pot-banging.
