Displacement of villagers

This report covers the challenges that villagers had to face when fighting occurred between the joint forced of Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[2] battalions #7, #8 and the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[3] against the State Administration Council (SAC)[4], in Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The fighting happened after the combined forces of KNLA soldiers and PDF attacked the SAC army camp located in Than Zein village, Than Zein village tract, Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District.

On November 12th 2022, at 3:00 am, the KNLA and PDF combined forces attacked the SAC army camp known as Baw K’Hta army camp located near Baw K’Hta village, P’Deh Kaw village tract,[5] Ler Doh Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. After they [combined forces of KNLA and PDF] attacked Baw K’Hta army camp, they also attacked Toh Thay Poo [Ton T’Da] army camp which was located in Toh Thay Poo village, P’Deh Kaw village tract. On the same day, at 7:00 am, KNLA battalion #7 and #9 and PDF combined forces attacked the SAC army camp in Than Zein village, Than Zein village tract, Hsaw Htee Township, where SAC Infantry Battalion (IB)[6] #350, #57 and #349; Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[7] #20; and Light Infantry Division (LID)[8] #77 were based.

Due to the fighting [that erupted after this latter attack on the SAC army camp], villagers from 17 villages in four village tracts in Hsaw Htee Township, and some other villages in Ler Doh Township, fled the area in fear. Displaced villagers sought refuge in 11 monasteries nearby A--- Town [skirmishes are less likely to occur in towns than in rural areas], whereas some villagers sought refuge in the nearby villages where their siblings and relatives live.

On the day that the fighting happened, three SAC military jets conducted eight rounds of air strikes in the area. The SAC military jets dropped bombs and fired machine guns when they conducted air strikes. There were no [civilian] casualties from the fighting and air strikes but some villagers’ houses and plantations were damaged and destroyed. In particular, three houses, one monastery, one warehouse in Than Zein village, and one clinic in Meh Saw village, were damaged or destroyed by the SAC air strikes and shelling.

Number of displaced villagers and their villages from Hsaw Htee Township

Destruction of villagers’ buildings and plantations

For the following several days the situation did not ameliorate. Due to the constant fighting, villagers from villages in [nearby] Pyay Yay village tract also had to flee. There are four villages in Pyay Yay village tract and Pyay Yay village tract is in Hsaw Htee Township. Some of the villagers [from Pyay Yay village tract] also sought refuge in A--- Town while others sought refuge in their relatives’ villages.

As of November 2022, there were no specific non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing support such as food and other necessary items to these displaced villagers. These displaced villagers have to support and help each other during displacement. In Aaw P’Lah village tract, there is a social group [community initiative] that takes the lead in arranging and distributing humanitarian aid to villagers whenever villagers are in a difficult situation. They prepared basic food [for displaced villagers in the area], including rice.

Number of villagers from four villages in Pyay Yay village tract

Arbitrary arrest of villagers

On November 15th 2022, SAC soldiers arbitrarily arrested four villagers [as they mistakenly thought that these villagers were affiliated with armed resistance groups] from Chay Taw Ya village, Shan Ywa village tract, Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The four villagers who were arrested are Ko[11] B--- (55 years old), C--- (28 years old), D--- (26 years old), and E--- (27 years old). The SAC soldiers who arrested these villagers are from Infantry Battalion (IB) #350 and these arrested villagers were kept in the army camp where IB #350 is based [in Than Zein village, Than Zein village tract, Hsaw Htee Township]. [As explained by the arrested villagers], the SAC soldiers also checked these villagers’ phones. These villagers were released on November 19th 2022, at 2:00 pm.

Movement restrictions and overall situation

After the three SAC army camps were attacked on November 12th 2022, the SAC set up their checkpoints in the area, restricted villagers’ movement, and increased their checking [of villagers travelling through the checkpoints]. A few days after the fighting, some villagers returned to their village, whereas some did not [some remained displaced and waited for the situation to get better]. However, the villagers who had already returned to their village had to flee again when they heard that fighting happened [small fighting continued to happen in the area during the next days].

The situation of constant skirmishes and insecurity in the area continued until the end of November 2022. Due to the fighting, shelling, and air strikes, 3,463 households from 31 villages in five village tracts [Than Zein village tract, Aay K’Nee village tract, Aaw P’Lah village tract, Th’Yeh Chaung village tract, and Pyay Yay village tract] had to flee. A total of 16,694 villagers were displaced. All the villages are located in Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. [KHRG was not able to document the total number of displaced villagers in Ler Doh township].

Further background reading on the security and human rights situation in Kler Lwee Htoo District in Southeast Burma can be found in the following KHRG reports:

• “Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: SAC arbitrarily killing of a villager near his farm hut, Moo Township, September 2022”, February 2023.
• “Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: SAC soldiers shot dead a female villager in Moo Township, November 2022”, February 2023.
• “Kler Lwee Htoo District Short Update: Fighting and displacement, air strikes and SAC indiscriminate shelling, July to September 2022”, February 2023.
• “Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: Disappearance of villagers after being arrested by SAC soldiers, August 2022”, February 2023.