Type of Incident

Villager’s buffaloes hit by BGF landmine

Date of Incident(s)

April 13th 2015

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- village, Htee Tha Daw Hta village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw [Hpapun] District

Victim Information

Name

Saw B---

Age

Unknown

Sex

Male

Nationality

Karen

Family   

Yes

Occupation

Farmer

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Villager

Village

C---, also known as A---.

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)              

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Hpah K’Doh

Company Commander

[Tatmadaw Border Guard Force][3] Battalion #1013[4]

K’Ter Htee

Battalion Commander La Kyel, Battalion Deputy Commander Kyaw Win

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

The incident happened like this: the BGF Company Commander Hpah K’Doh, [and his superiors] Htee Theh Htoo, and Kyaw Beh built a [temporary] camp beside a monk’s rubber plantation (known as the D--- plantation). They planted landmines outside their camp so that the KNLA [Karen National Liberation Army] would not be able to attack them.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The people who gave me the information are the E--- village head and some villagers who live close to Saw B---. The incident occurred on April 13th 2015, in the evening. We [the villagers] got to know about the event on April 14th 2015. We heard that a landmine explosion had hit three of Saw B---’s buffaloes, leaving one dead and two injured. On the same day, they [the BGF soldiers] also launched one or two M79 [grenades].    

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

The landmine exploded on April 13th 2015, at 09:00 pm in A---[village] beside the rubber plantation of the monk F--- (also known as  Maung G---), in Htee Tha Daw Hta village tract. One of Saw B---’s buffaloes stepped on a landmine; the buffalo died immediately and two other buffaloes were injured. This information was provided by the villagers. The people who had planted the landmine are soldiers from BGF Battalion #1013. The soldiers who are based in this area are led by Kyaw Beh, Htee Theh and Hpah K’Doh. These three people are in charge of the soldiers in that area. Their battalion commander is Maung La Kyel and the battalion deputy commander is Kyaw Win.

Company #2 of BGF Battalion #1013 is based beside the monk Maung G---’s rubber plantation. The company expressed that [they were worried that] the KNLA would attack them at night. Therefore, they planted landmines [outside their base] in order to protect them from an attack if the KNLA would be present in the area. The KNLA does not have any reason to attack them. [The place where they are based is] a place where cows, buffaloes and other animals go to graze. The BGF soldiers who are based there did not inform the villagers when they planted the landmines. If the landmine had not exploded, none of villagers would have known [that they had planted landmines outside their base].

The villager, whose buffalo stepped on the landmine, has four or five buffaloes and three of his buffaloes were involved in the incident. It has caused problems for him because he uses them when he ploughs the field. Moreover, he had to treat the wounds on the buffaloes but no one knows whether they will survive or not. If the buffalo had not been killed by the landmine, he could have sold it and he would have been able to get some income and buy food, clothes, and medicine for his family. Because of this incident, he had to give the buffalo to the BGF [battalion] for free. We do not know whether the BGF [battalion] will arrange some compensation for him or not. As of April 30th 2015, they had not paid him [any compensation]. After the incident occurred, the villager [Saw B---] did not dare to report it to the battalion [commanders].

Since the incident happened, the villager has been in trouble [struggled with his livelihood]. If the BGF gives him compensation he will take it, but if they do not, he has to work on hill farms and plantations [as a day labourer to earn his living]. This incident has pushed the villager [Saw B---] towards a state of poverty and made him worry about his future.

Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided.

The victim permitted us to use the information freely.