UXO contamination as a result of Tatmadaw activities in Ler Mu Lah Township 

In 2001, the Tatmadaw Higher Military Training School (Ta Ta Ka) #12, led by General Oo Aung Thein Oo, confiscated more than 600 acres of lands belonging to 49 villagers in P’So Oo village, P’Law village tract, Ler Mu Lah Township to build a training camp. Over the reporting period, Tatmadaw soldiers fired guns and mortars in the area for training purposes. They left unexploded grenades on villagers’ plantations. When the local people found these grenades, they reported the incident to the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC). However, a member of the JMC responded that these were KNLA hand grenades, to which the villagers responded: “If these are KNLA hand grenades, why did we not see them when we first cleared the land and planted betel nut trees?” Therefore, the villagers reported this case to the local Myanmar government authorities. On January 25th 2019, Tatmadaw soldiers came back and destroyed the unexploded hand grenades.

Tensions between ethnic groups in Ler Doh Soe Township 

There are three ethnic groups living in the Dawei Hkee area, Ler Doh Soe Township: Karen, Bamar and Mon. On January 21st 2019, Karen village leaders and villagers from M--- village reported that they do not know if they should obey the Myanmar government, the Karen National Union or the New Mon State Party. Ten years ago, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) settled in Dawei Hkee. They sold the virgin lands belonging to local Karen people to rich Mon villagers. There are now eight Mon villages in the area. The Mon also formed their own district in the Dawei Hkee area and named it Mon Pyi Thit (New Mon State).

The local Karen villagers dare not go to their plantations because they are close to the Mon areas. They reported the case to the KNU Township leaders, who responded that they could go and work on their plantations. But when they did, one villager stepped on a landmine and lost his leg. The incident happened in 2018, but the local villagers do not remember the exact date. The person who lost his leg did not receive compensation or help from any armed actor.

The presence of the Mon National Liberation Army causes security concerns among the local Karen population. One villager from M--- told KHRG: “We allow Mon villagers to stay here but we do not want the Mon army to stay here anymore. We want them to go back to their own state.”

Physical abuse by a KNLA soldier in Ler Doh Soe Township

The KNLA Battalion #10, Company #2 is now based in M--- village, Dawei Hkee area, Ler Doh Soe Township to look after the security of the local Karen villagers after their lands were confiscated by the MNLA. Over the reporting period, a KNLA soldier accused a young man of using drugs and beat him. The mother of the victim said: “I never saw my son using drugs. I cannot accept what this soldier said.” The victim had to go to the hospital because his nose was bleeding. The local villagers do not remember the exact date of the incident.  

Logging activities in Ler Mu Lah Township 

Villagers reported that logging activities are continuing in the P’Law area, Ler Mu Lah Township. They resulted in environmental damage, such as flooding, landslides, shortages of water during the summer and water pollution. All these created problems for the local population. The logging activities are conducted by four individual businessmen, two Bamar (U San Yut and U Hla Aung) and two Karen (Saw Pah Kheh and his son), in collaboration with local Karen National Union officials. Therefore, the villagers reported the case to the KNU Township authorities. The people who carry out logging activities said that they are doing it for the development of the local area.

People living in a reserved forest facing livelihood difficulties in Ler Mu Lah Township

Most people in Mergui-Tavoy District are doing plantations, farming and raising domestic animals for their livelihood. They now face problems such as businessmen or companies confiscating their lands, and the Myanmar government allocating lands as reserved forest in their area without consulting with the local population. Seven villages in the P’Law area, Ler Mu Lah Township are located inside a reserved forest, and the local villagers were not given recommendation letters to be able to continue working on their plantations [it is technically forbidden to use lands allocated as reserved forest for agricultural or animal husbandry purposes]. It therefore became difficult for the local people to work and raise their animals, which caused concern and livelihood difficulties for them.

Extortion from a local Myanmar government official in K'ser Doh Township

Sayar Thaw Thi, a village tract administrator for the Myanmar government, is supposed to help and support the villagers in Kleh Mu Htee village tract, K’Ser Doh Township. A villager from T--- village wanted to renew his household registration document, so he asked the village tract administrator to assist him. Later, Sayar Thaw Thi asked 170,000 kyats (USD 111.27 as of 12/09/2019) from that villager. Similarly, another villager in T--- village had to change her ID card so she asked Sayar Thaw Thi to go with her. The latter asked her to give him 25,000 kyats (USD 16.36 as of 12/09/2019). Both these cases happened in 2018, but KHRG was not able to find out the exact dates. The two villagers gave Sayar Thaw Thi the money he requested, even though these services should be free of charge. There is a lot of corruption among local authorities, but the local villagers dare not report it as they fear that they will be punished and hurt by the authorities.

Karen villagers unable to obtain ID cards in K'ser Doh Township

The requirements to obtain an ID card at the Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population office (La Wa Ka) in K’Ser Doh Township create difficulties for local villagers. Some were asked to bring school certificates, school recommendation letters, police recommendation letters and recommendation letters from their village tract administrator. Since some villagers never went to school, they could not bring these documents, which prevented them from obtaining an ID card. This can have negative effects on their children’s ability to access education, as children of parents who do not have an ID card cannot go to school