Type of Incident

SAC shot a villager

Date of Incident(s)

September 2nd 2023

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District

Victim Information

Name

E---

Age

51 years old

Gender

Man

Ethnicity

Shan

Marital Status   

Single

Occupation

Farmer

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Villager

Village

A--- village, Meh Klaw village tract[2], Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)           

Rank

Company/Battalion/Division

Based at

Commander’s Name

Unknown

Soldier

Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) [3] #341

Hpapun

[Strategic commander’s name is] unknown

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

On the evening of September 3rd 2023, a KHRG researcher received information through instant messaging system [in Karen language, Law Plee] from a local leader that a villager named E---, living in A--- village, had been shot by a State Administration Council (SAC)[4] soldier from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #341 in Way San village. On September 26th 2023, the KHRG researcher met with E---’s brother, named O---, and conducted an interview with him.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The source, who is the victim’s brother, was informed about the incident and took his brother to the hospital.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On September 2nd 2023, at around 2:30 pm, SAC soldiers shot E---, a 51-year-old villager from A--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District. He was returning from gathering his cows that were pasturing in a field in [Way San] village when the incident occurred. SAC LIB #341 is based east of the Way San village’s monastery entrance, and another group of soldiers is also stationed at the [village’s] gas station.

On the day of the incident, E--- and his friend were on their way to the field when they had to pass by the SAC soldiers who were guarding the area. Since his friend knows [some of] the [SAC] soldiers, E--- asked him to come along. Upon arriving at the gas station, they [the villagers] asked the soldiers there to inform the other SAC soldiers [stationed further] that they would go and grab the cows. The soldiers responded that they would inform the other group. E--- then went to gather his cows. While returning from getting his cows, the SAC soldiers [located near the monastery entrance] shot a bullet at them with a K-3 [assault rifle] that penetrated E---’s left shoulder. As soon as he was injured by the shot, SAC medics took care of him by tending to his wound.     

After his wound was tended to, he was sent back to the village. From there, E--- was taken by motorcycle to Bhyu Ha Hospital, an SAC-run hospital, by O---’s daughter [E---’s niece]. Since E--- is single, his brother and nieces took care of him while he was hospitalised. He stayed in the hospital for 23 days and was discharged on September 25th 2023. However, he was advised to follow up on [the healing of] his wound once a week at the hospital. 

At first, the SAC soldiers who shot E--- denied that they had shot him, and blamed Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[5] soldiers [for the shooting]. However, the friend who accompanied E--- confirmed that [it was] the SAC soldiers [that] had shot E---. Later, just to hide their actions, the SAC soldiers told their commander that they [E--- and his friend] did not inform them of anything [that they would come to get their cows in the field]. Then, the Strategic Commander [in Burmese language, Bhyu Ha Moo] agreed to take all responsibility for E--- [’s treatment]. Although the commander provided everything [medical costs] that was necessary for the treatment, the family members had to take care of him and send him food.    

At the hospital, there is a separation of areas [based on gender] which means only men are allowed to take care of [and visit] male patients and women to take care of female patients. [Hence,] E---’s brother could visit him at any time at the hospital. E---’s brother explained [to KHRG]: “I cannot say or do anything about it [what has happened]. It happened and we just let it be. I don’t see it to be right. I felt upset. I don’t know what to say. If we talk about it [the incident], we will have to worry for ourselves and [the safety of] other villagers. If not, somehow, the SAC soldiers will put us into trouble [investigation or punishment on villagers].”

The SAC soldiers guarding security on A--- village and Way San Road always keep rotating, so it is hard to know who the commander is. Nowadays, the SAC does not disclose their name and they do not cooperate with village heads. In A--- village, villagers are afraid to work on their farmlands and they cannot work peacefully. [Generally,] When they [SAC soldiers] are being attacked, they [SAC] conduct shelling into villagers’ farmlands. Regarding this situation, O---, the victim’s brother, expressed: “Villagers cannot work on their farmlands or hill fields peacefully as they are afraid of SAC shelling. Even herding is hard because there is no [safe] place for herding. When the KNLA snipers attacked them [SAC], they [SAC] fired mortars into the village. Villagers had to flee. There are a lot of things to worry about and be afraid of.” He added: “After the military coup, we were not able to work peacefully. Most villagers go to K’Mah Moh [Town] to buy food and other things, but it’s difficult to travel [due to travel restrictions]. [The army allows villagers to travel by the water route only once every two months,] so, when travelling by waterways is not possible, the villagers [have to] use the land route [to get to the town to buy food and other things]. We cannot travel like before.”

A--- village has 120 households, and villagers work on farms, hill fields, and plantations. Some villagers raise cows, while others sell food purchased from the town. Villagers have to work in fear of SAC’s attack while they are working to secure their livelihood. Villagers expressed that they want the SAC soldiers to stop patrolling in [locally-defined] Karen State, so that they are able to travel and work with no disturbances.

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

The source and the victim allowed KHRG to use the information.