SAC indiscriminate shelling in Daw Hpah Hkoh Township

          First incident: October 7th 2024

On October 7th 2024, at 6:45 pm, State Administration Council (SAC)[2] soldiers from Infantry Battalion (IB)[3] #39 based in A--- village, Thandaunggyi Road, Taw Oo District, fired three rounds of mortar into A--- village, Seik Hpoo Taung village tract[4], Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District. Fighting had not happened before in or near the village but the SAC conducted indiscriminate shelling into the village. One of the mortars landed onto the betel nut[5] trees of a villager named Saw[6] B---, next to a well near his house in the village, and it exploded. Shrapnel from the mortar explosion hit and damaged Saw B---’s betel nut plants, mango trees, motorcycle, house wall, and zinc roof. There were five people staying inside the house, including B--- (47 years old), when the mortar landed and exploded. A shrapnel hit Saw B---’s right eyebrow and lodged on his skin. The other family members of Saw B--- took the shrapnel out from his skin with a nail clipper and provided the treatment at home. Saw B--- got a fever due to the injury and had to stay in bed. [As of January 2025, he has recovered from his fever.]

          Second incident: October 8th 2024

On October 8th 2024, at around 7:47 pm, SAC soldiers, based in Shel Tho Maing Town, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, fired two mortar rounds into P’Saw Loh village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. Fighting did not happen [on October 8th 2024] in the area but the SAC soldiers indiscriminately fired mortar rounds. One of the mortar rounds landed in a place between two houses of two villagers named U[7] C--- and Daw[8] D---, in E--- village, P’Saw Loh village tract, and it exploded. Daw D--- is 25 years old. U C---, her father, is 56 years old.

U C--- and his wife, Daw F---, were staying at home when the mortar landed near their house. Due to the explosion, a piece of mortar shell hit U C---’s right knee and was injured. U C--- received medical treatment in his house [from his family members]. The mortar also damaged the house’s roof, wardrobe, bricks of the house’s wall, planks of wood of the house’s wall, a Buddha shrine shelf, the toilet, the pigsty, the water tower, a water container [used for bathing and washing clothes] and a cooking pot, as well as other household materials.

Four members of Daw D---’s family were staying in her house when the mortar landed near the house. Pieces of the mortar shell grazed D---’s thighs and minorly injured them. Daw D---’s two sons, named G--- (six years old) and H--- (one and a half years old), were also injured by the shrapnel. A piece of the mortar grazed G---’s belly and his belly was injured. A piece of the mortar also grazed the right side of H---’s head and his head was injured. [All three injuries were minor enough that they received treatment at home.] Daw D---’s house was also damaged including the house’s roof, house’s door, a bucket of glue, bricks of the house’s wall, two chicken coops and other household materials.

On the next morning after the incident, Daw D---’s family moved to stay in her relative’s house in another village [I--- village, P’Saw Loh village tract] and they received home medical treatment in the relative’s house. Her father, U C---, and mother, Daw F---, stayed in the village in their own house.

          Third incident: December 12th 2024

On December 12th 2024, at 8:39 am, SAC soldiers from an army camp, based in Shel Chauk Maing (16 Miles) village, also known as Yay Pu San village, Thandaunggyi Road, Taw Oo District, fired two rounds of mortars into I--- village, P’Saw Loh village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. One of the mortars landed on a villager’s house inside the village and exploded. The house owner is U J---. The mortar explosion destroyed U J---’s [family] house and other household materials inside the house including chairs, an electricity fan, cooking pots and an electric motor for the water pump. U J--- and his wife were not hit or injured as they were in front of the house at the time the SAC conducted shelling.

The shrapnel also hit and damaged the glass windows of Ma[9] K---’s house. Ma K--- is the oldest daughter of U J---. In addition, the shrapnel damaged L---’s house wall, the house’s roof and the house’s glass windows. L--- is the youngest daughter of U J---. The 8-year-old son of L---, named M---, [who was near the house] was hit by a small piece of mortar shrapnel and he sustained a minor injury on his right thigh. The injured villager received medical treatment at home from his family and he recovered.

Villagers did not hear the sound of the other mortar explosion, so they did not know where it landed.

SAC indiscriminate shelling killed a villager in Htaw Ta Htoo Township

On October 30th 2024, at around 4 pm, SAC soldiers, based in an army camp near N--- village, Thandaunggyi Road, Taw Oo District, fired three rounds of mortar into N--- village, Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township. Fighting did not happen on that day but the SAC fired rounds of mortars into the village. At the time [of the shelling], a villager named Ma O---, also known as P---, was taking a bath beside a well, a bit far from the [centre of the] village. The well is also near the village monastery. One of the SAC’s mortar rounds landed and exploded in a place which is about five yards [4.5 metres] away from where Ma O--- was taking a bath. The shrapnel hit Ma O---’s neck and her two legs as well as all over her body. As a result, she died on the spot. Ma O--- was 30 years old and a mother of three children [all three are boys under the age of eight]. Her husband had died from an illness [liver disease] 19 days before the incident date. 20 days after her husband died, Ma O--- was killed by the shelling. Other family members of Ma O--- are now taking care of her three children.

The other two mortars landed and exploded in a teak plantation, owned by the Burma government, located a bit far from the village. [The explosion damaged some of the teak trees.] 

Update from January 3rd 2025:

As of January 2025, the SAC had not paid any compensation for the casualties or damage caused by the shelling. They also did not apologise to villagers for what they did. Villagers [from the impacted villages] want justice for these incidents. Villagers have a deep concern for their security due to the SAC shelling. They want KHRG to report this situation and advocate for them in order for the SAC to stop shelling their villages.

Further background reading on the situation on SAC 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.
• “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.
• “Doo Tha Htoo District Short Update: Indiscriminate shelling causing 11 casualties, destruction, and mass displacement in Tha Htoo Township, May 2024”, November 2024.