Type of Incident

Killing [and torture] case

Date of Incident(s)

March 15th 2024  

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- village, B--- village tract[2], Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District

Victim Information

Name

U[3] C---

Age

68 years old

Gender

Man

Ethnicity

Bamar[4]

Marital Status  

Married

Occupation

Farmer

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Villager

Village

A--- village, B--- village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District

Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors)

Name(s)           

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

-

State Administration Council (SAC)[5] soldiers

Infantry Battalion (IB)[6] #73

Zayet Gyi Town, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District

-

1. Explain in detail how this information was collected.

A village head from A--- village informed [a KHRG researcher] about this incident. Then, [the KHRG researcher] went to the victim’s house and conducted an interview with the victim’s daughter, named D--- (32 years old).

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

This information was verified by U E---, a village head from A--- village who documents and monitors the human rights situation in his area [, and by the victim’s daughter, who retrieved the body of the victim].

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On the afternoon of March 15th 2024, a skirmish happened between State Administration Council (SAC) Infantry Battalion (IB) #73 and combined forces of the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[7] and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[8] near A--- village, B--- village tract [Hper Htee area], Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. During the skirmish, everyone in the village fled [to a nearby forest]. After the skirmish, [about 20] SAC soldiers from IB #73 entered A--- village. On the evening [of the same day], a displaced villager named U C--- (68 years old) returned to his house in the village in order to feed his animals. They [SAC soldiers] found U C---, as he was feeding his pigs, and arrested him and they tied his hands and legs with a rope. They cut his throat. They poured gasoline on his body and they burned his head. [Even though the villagers did not witness this event, the evidence of these actions was found on the body, next to the villager’s house, including the bucket of gasoline left nearby. Villagers also found pig food left in the pigsty, but they did not find the pig, so assumed the SAC killed the animal for food]. After the incident, the SAC soldiers went back to their army camp in Zayet Gyi Town, Htaw Ta Htoo Township.

U C---’s family members had also fled to a [nearby] forest during the skirmish. After eight days, U C---’s daughter, named D---, and some other villagers returned to the village [to check their properties] and they found a dead (and burned) body of a villager. His body had already started rotting and decomposing. D--- realised that the villager was her father because she recognised her father’s clothes. She went to inform her mother and family members in the forest. Then, they returned to the village and buried U C--- in the village cemetery. U C---’s family members and villagers do not know why U C--- was killed.

There are seven people in U C---’s family. U C---’s family members felt very sad about what happened to him. Currently [as of November 2024], U C---’s family members and other villagers are displaced in the forest as they are afraid to stay in the village. They do not receive any support from any humanitarian organisation. Only a few villagers returned to the village.

As of June 1st 2024, some of U C---’s family members have returned to the village [temporarily] because they need to take care of their properties. However, they do not feel secure in their village. Many displaced villagers are still staying in the nearby forest due to fear of shelling from SAC IB #73 and fighting with armed groups.

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

The victim’s daughter gave KHRG permission to use this information for publication.