Skirmish and house burning in A--- village, Htee Day area

On February 10th 2024, at around 3 pm, a skirmish occurred between State Administration Council (SAC)[2] Infantry Battalion (IB)[3] #49 combined with other [unknown] SAC battalions, against forces of the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[4] [unknown battalions] combined with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[5] Brigade #2, Battalion #4, near A--- village, Htee Day area, Daw Hpa Hkoh (Thandaunggyi) Township, Taw Oo (Toungoo) District. The fighting lasted three hours. These SAC troops [IB #49 and other SAC unknown battalions] are from Naypyidaw Union Territory [an administrative division under direct control of the SAC]. Before the skirmish, the PDF had set up a temporary base near the village, where they stayed for a few days. When the skirmish happened, some soldiers from KNLA Brigade #2 Battalion #4 were also staying at the temporary PDF base. During the fighting, two cows owned by villagers were hit by bullets and killed, and some local villagers fled from A--- village for their safety to nearby farms, plantations, and the mountain. Villagers could not bring anything with them when they fled.

After the fighting ended at around 6 pm, the SAC troops entered the village and burned down 64 houses owned by villagers, causing some villagers to flee to nearby safer areas again. There are more than 100 houses in the village. Before they burned the villagers’ houses, they looted what they wanted from them. They also looted two cars and three motorbikes. One of the cars’ owners is named U[6] B---. The names of the motorbike owners and a second looted car owner are unknown. The SAC demanded that the cars’ owners pay four million kyats [USD 1,905.68][7] for each car if they wanted to get them back. U B--- attempted to redeem his car but was detained by the SAC. [It is unknown to KHRG if U B--- has been released.] Villagers were also threatened by the SAC troops that if any further fighting occurred [between the SAC troops and the PDF/KNLA] the entire village would be burned down.

Most of the villagers have returned to their village at present. Some villagers have not yet returned because they cannot afford to rebuild their houses, so they are staying at their friends or relatives’ houses in other villages. Some villagers whose houses were burned down remained in A--- village and simply built temporary bamboo houses after the burning, with bamboo and trees provided by the KNLA. The Yay Tar Shay Social Service Organisation [from Yay Tar Shay Town in Bago Division, near Daw Hpa Hkoh Township] provided some food support for villagers consisting of one month’s worth of rice and oil. After that, villagers did not receive any other support. No [other] humanitarian organisations provided food assistance or support for rebuilding their houses. Villagers reported they still need assistance to rebuild their homes and restart their lives.

Currently [as of July 2024], there are no PDF temporary bases near A--- village. Instead, the SAC set up a temporary base of their own in its place, which is still active.

UXO explosion in A--- village, Htee Day area

On March 21st 2024, two boys named Wai Yan Lin (5 years old) and Kaung Khet Lwin (8 years old) from A--- village found an unexploded ordnance (UXO) [in A--- village]. [Villagers believe the UXO was a mortar round fired by the SAC during a skirmish between SAC troops and PDF/KNLA forces, likely on February 10th 2024.] Wai Yan Lin and Kaung Khet Lwin started playing with it, and the UXO exploded. The explosion caused extensive injuries to Wai Yan Lin’s head, left arm, left leg, chest and abdomen, killing him instantly. Kaung Khet Lwin was seriously injured; his entire left leg was lacerated, and he sustained injuries to his left arm, hand and chest. Villagers attempted to transport Kaung Khet Lwin to the hospital in Swar Town, in Naypyidaw Union Territory, [located approximately two hours away by motorbike,] but he died right after leaving the village, while being transported to the hospital.

Villagers helped Wai Yan Lin’s and Kaung Khet Lwin’s families with the funeral’s arrangements. No one provided any support to the two children’s family members in the first two weeks after the incident. It is not known whether the families received any other assistance after this date.

Further background reading on the situation on fighting, house burning, looting and UXOs in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

• “Taw Oo District Short Update: Shelling, air strikes and house burning by SAC troops, and use of forced navigators by PDF soldiers in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (November to December 2023)”, April 2024;
• “Taw Oo District Short Update: House burning, indiscriminate shelling and air strikes by the SAC in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (September to November 2023)”, March 2024;
• “Taw Oo District Situation Update: Fighting, shelling, and house burning in Thandaung Town, and air strikes in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (January to July 2023)”, January 2024;
• “Taw Oo District Incident Report: Killings, property destruction, and indiscriminate shelling by the SAC in Daw Hpa Hkoh Township (July 2023)”, November 2023.