English
ကညီကျိာ်
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Print:This report is based on information submitted to KHRG in May 2012 by a community member[1] describing events occurring in Papun District, in May 2012, involving soldiers from Border Guard Battalion #1014, which is based out of K'Ter Tee and Hpaw Htee Hku villages. Commander Nyunt Thein and his Battalion Commander Maung Chit from the Battalion #1014 were identified, by name, as the ones who committed the abuses. Villagers were forced to build a camp for the Battalion #1014, which was also reported to have looted items from the villagers and forced them to do the camp's work, all of which is uncompensated.
During May 2012, the Company Commander Nyunt Thein from the Border Guard Battalion #1014,[2] which is commanded by the Maung Chit, demanded six villagers from three villages in Meh Pree village tract, Bu Tho Township, Papun District. He demanded the villagers to go and do the camp's work, and forced them to porter the soldiers' things when they travel. These villagers have served them since the 18th of May, and it had not ended as of May 24th, when these reports were submitted. Additionally, Commander Nyunt Thein has been looting items from these same three villagers. On May 14th and May 17th, Nyu Thein demanded that villagers provide durians and chickens. Villagers were afraid of the consequences for noncompliance, so they delivered these items to Nyu Thein at his camp.
Testimony from villagers referenced in this report can be read as they were received in the following reports:
- "Incident Report: Looting in Papun District #1, May 2012," KHRG, March 2013
- "Incident Report: Looting in Papun District #2, May 2012," KHRG, March 2013
- "Incident Report: Forced Labour in Papun District #1, May 2012" KHRG, March 2013
Footnotes:
[1] The community member had travelled to the area previously, and shared KHRG information gathering methodology with villagers, in order to prepare notes of events in their area as local records for general reporting. The Incident Reports that this News Bulletin covers, are based on the villagers' notes that were shared with the community member.
[2] KHRG received reports on the activities of Border Guard Force (BGF) Battalion #1014, which has been active along the border of Papun and Thaton Districts. Battalion #1014 is commanded by Major Maung Chit, which is also sometimes spelled Maw Hsee, whom is allegedly to be a part of an advisory committee that oversaw the 2010 transformation of the DKBA into the BGF, and assumed responsibility for business activities for the group. See "The Situation In Karen State After the Elections," EBO (Euro-Burma Office) Analysis Paper No. 1/2011, April 2011. More recently, on August 5th 2012, the KNLA and BGF #1014 engaged in a firefight in Mae Seik village, Papun Township, despite the terms of the ceasefire. KNLA and Government's Militia Fight – Four Soldiers Killed Karen News, August 7th 2012. For additional articles discussing abuses perpetrated by BGF #1014, see these KHRG reports: "Torture and killing in Thaton District," KHRG, October 2012; "Papun Situation Update: Bu Tho Township, received April 2012," KHRG, June 2012; "Papun Interview: Saw T---, August 2011," January 2012; "Thaton Situation Update: June to October 2011," KHRG November 2011; All the Information I've Given You, I faced it myself, KHRG December 2011, page 14.
