Type of Incident

UXO explosion resulting in injuries

Date of Incident(s)

September 9th 2020

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A peanut plantation near K--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District

Victim Information

Name

E---

Age

40

Sex

Male

Nationality

Shan

Family   

Single

Occupation

Hill farmer

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Villager

Village

Y--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District

Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors)

Name(s)           

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Kyaw May Htun

Captain

LIB #405

Koo Sait Tatmadaw Camp

Hlaing Htun, Battalion Commander

Htet Myo Lay

Captain

LIB #405

Koo Sait Tatmadaw Camp

Hlaing Htun, Battalion Commander

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

On September 9th 2020, a villager phoned me and informed me about this incident. Later that day, I met with the victim at the Hpapun hospital.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The very first person who informed me of this incident sent the victim to the hospital. The victim experienced this incident first hand.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

As a consequence of the Tatmadaw[2] destroying the Karen National Union’s [KNU][3] COVID-19 screening checkpoints,[4] on May 7th 2020, Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[5] soldiers fired at the [Koo Sait] Tatmadaw camp using ‘Hsuh Bler’ [Sniper fire]. The Tatmadaw soldiers from Koo Sait [Tatmadaw camp situated in Ma Htaw village tract, Dwe Lo Township, Mu Traw District] returned fire with M79 weapons [grenade launchers] and grenades fell on the villagers’ farms. Not all of them exploded so it created fear among the villagers. Villagers knew that the KNLA only used small arms in the periodic skirmishes [with the Tatmadaw soldiers].

When the fighting broke out, the Tatmadaw soldiers from Koo Sait were led by Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[6] #405 Captain Kyaw May Htun, who is subordinate to Military Operations Command (MOC)[7] #8. There are three captains working together in the Koo Sait Tatmadaw camp. Kyaw May Htun stays in the camp, Htet Myo Lay assists Kyaw May Htun, and Pyo Kyaw guards the road.

On September 9th 2020 at 1:30 PM, E---, a villager from Y--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District went to clear his hill field to plant peanut plants. He is 40 years old and has no family [wife and children]. He went there with his brother. His peanut field is located next to K--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township. It is situated east of Pweh Loh Kloh and there is a Tatmadaw army camp in Koo Sait to the west.

While E--- was cutting the grass, his grass cutting machine [a roto-tiller] hit a grenade fired by LIB # 405, MOC #8. The grenade exploded and he was injured by the explosion. He was sent to the hospital by car right after the incident. He was admitted to the Hpapun hospital later that day. It took him about 10 minutes to get there by car.

There was nobody and no organisation to help him in the hospital, but the Social Relief Society [a Myanmar NGO] and the Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP)[8] gave him 50,000 kyats [USD 38.92][9] each [total 100,000 kyats, USD 77.84]. Only his siblings took care of him while he was in the hospital. He had to pay for the medical expenses, but some villagers [from Y--- village] helped him with 5,000 kyats [USD 3.89], and [he also received] 10,000 kyats [USD 7.78] from other villagers. He had to stay in the hospital for 10 days.  

E--- never attended a Mine Risk Awareness training. After he was injured by the grenade explosion, he said that several peanut fields were empty [had not been planted] in 2020. Because of the unexploded grenades, villagers are too scared to work on their fields. Travel restrictions are also imposed on the villagers whenever something [tension between the Tatmadaw and KNLA] happens. Therefore, E--- and villagers from K--- village said that villagers are too afraid to go and work on their farms. Villagers [from Koo Sait] are also afraid of the Tatmadaw’s indiscriminate small arms fire and big weapons [mortar] shelling in retaliation for KNLA attacks.

E--- was discharged from the hospital on September 19th 2020. However, he has not fully recovered yet and has to undergo follow-up medical checks once a week. Each visit costs him 15,000 kyats [USD 11.68] in medication. He lost two fingers from his right hand in the explosion. He also sustained injuries to his hands, legs and side. The victim will not be able to work for two or three months after his discharge. He asked local village tract authorities to report this incident in order to demine or clear UXOs in the villagers’ farms, but the request still remains at the village tract level without further report to the township and district.[10]  

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

The victim allowed KHRG to use this information.