Tue, 27 Jun 2023
Kler Lwee Htoo District Situation Update: Arbitrary arrest, shelling, air strikes and displacement, November 2022

This Situation Update describes events occurring in Hsaw Htee and Ler Doh townships, Kler Lwee Htoo District, in November 2022, including fighting, shelling, air strikes, arbitrary arrest and movement restrictions. Thousands of local villagers were displaced by the constant fighting and shelling. Moreover, the SAC arbitrarily arrested four villagers and restricted movement following the skirmishes.[1]

 

 

Displacement of villagers

This report covers the challenges that villagers had to face when fighting occurred between the joint forced of Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[2] battalions #7, #8 and the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[3] against the State Administration Council (SAC)[4], in Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The fighting happened after the combined forces of KNLA soldiers and PDF attacked the SAC army camp located in Than Zein village, Than Zein village tract, Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District.

On November 12th 2022, at 3:00 am, the KNLA and PDF combined forces attacked the SAC army camp known as Baw K’Hta army camp located near Baw K’Hta village, P’Deh Kaw village tract,[5] Ler Doh Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. After they [combined forces of KNLA and PDF] attacked Baw K’Hta army camp, they also attacked Toh Thay Poo [Ton T’Da] army camp which was located in Toh Thay Poo village, P’Deh Kaw village tract. On the same day, at 7:00 am, KNLA battalion #7 and #9 and PDF combined forces attacked the SAC army camp in Than Zein village, Than Zein village tract, Hsaw Htee Township, where SAC Infantry Battalion (IB)[6] #350, #57 and #349; Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[7] #20; and Light Infantry Division (LID)[8] #77 were based.

Due to the fighting [that erupted after this latter attack on the SAC army camp], villagers from 17 villages in four village tracts in Hsaw Htee Township, and some other villages in Ler Doh Township, fled the area in fear. Displaced villagers sought refuge in 11 monasteries nearby A--- Town [skirmishes are less likely to occur in towns than in rural areas], whereas some villagers sought refuge in the nearby villages where their siblings and relatives live.

On the day that the fighting happened, three SAC military jets conducted eight rounds of air strikes in the area. The SAC military jets dropped bombs and fired machine guns when they conducted air strikes. There were no [civilian] casualties from the fighting and air strikes but some villagers’ houses and plantations were damaged and destroyed. In particular, three houses, one monastery, one warehouse in Than Zein village, and one clinic in Meh Saw village, were damaged or destroyed by the SAC air strikes and shelling.

Number of displaced villagers and their villages from Hsaw Htee Township

Date

Village tract

Name of the village

Number of (displaced) households

Number of (displaced) villagers

12/11/2022

 

Than Zein village tract

Than Zein

315

1,502

Than Zein Ywa Ma

220

953

Than Zein/Min Lan

61

258

Meh Saw

126

560

Kan Nee

193

1,218

Pah Aay

168

688

Aay K’Nee village tract

Ainy K’Nee

 

753

 

3,504

Kyauk Tan

 

Aaw P’Lah village tract

Aaw P’Lah

238

1,296

Koh Kah (Chaung Kyo)

43

230

Meh Th’Daw Hkaw (Pu Zwun Aaing)

37

187

 

Th’Yeh Chaung village tract

Th’Yeh Chaung

149

801

Kyauk Poh Seik

79

382

K’Say Pay (K’Zin Pin)

33

161

Than T’Dah

11

63

Nun Aaing

8

36

Yone Taing

175

821

Total

4 village tracts

17 villages

2,609

12,660

Destruction of villagers’ buildings and plantations

Date

Owner

Village

Destruction

Causes

12/11/2022

Maung[9] Than Chaung

Meh Zaung

House

Shelling

Ma[10] Tin Tin Aay

Meh Zaung

House

Shelling/Airstrike

Than Naing

Meh Zaung

House

Shelling/Airstrike

Din Lu

Meh Zaung

House

Shelling/Airstrike

 

Than Zein

Monastery

Shelling/Airstrike

 

Than Zein

Monastery prayer room

 

Shelling/Airstrike

Ma Thin Thin Ma

Shwegyin

Rubber plantation (10 acres)

Shelling/Airstrike

 

Meh Zaung

Clinic

N/A

 

For the following several days the situation did not ameliorate. Due to the constant fighting, villagers from villages in [nearby] Pyay Yay village tract also had to flee. There are four villages in Pyay Yay village tract and Pyay Yay village tract is in Hsaw Htee Township. Some of the villagers [from Pyay Yay village tract] also sought refuge in A--- Town while others sought refuge in their relatives’ villages.

As of November 2022, there were no specific non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing support such as food and other necessary items to these displaced villagers. These displaced villagers have to support and help each other during displacement. In Aaw P’Lah village tract, there is a social group [community initiative] that takes the lead in arranging and distributing humanitarian aid to villagers whenever villagers are in a difficult situation. They prepared basic food [for displaced villagers in the area], including rice.

Number of villagers from four villages in Pyay Yay village tract

Village name

Households

Female

Male

Total

Pyay Yay village

411

1,071

884

1,955

Waing Kyun

225

538

542

1,080

Theh Tuh Kon

88

189

204

393

Nyaung AEain

130

310

296

606

Total

854

2,108

1,926

4,034

Arbitrary arrest of villagers

On November 15th 2022, SAC soldiers arbitrarily arrested four villagers [as they mistakenly thought that these villagers were affiliated with armed resistance groups] from Chay Taw Ya village, Shan Ywa village tract, Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The four villagers who were arrested are Ko[11] B--- (55 years old), C--- (28 years old), D--- (26 years old), and E--- (27 years old). The SAC soldiers who arrested these villagers are from Infantry Battalion (IB) #350 and these arrested villagers were kept in the army camp where IB #350 is based [in Than Zein village, Than Zein village tract, Hsaw Htee Township]. [As explained by the arrested villagers], the SAC soldiers also checked these villagers’ phones. These villagers were released on November 19th 2022, at 2:00 pm.

Movement restrictions and overall situation

After the three SAC army camps were attacked on November 12th 2022, the SAC set up their checkpoints in the area, restricted villagers’ movement, and increased their checking [of villagers travelling through the checkpoints]. A few days after the fighting, some villagers returned to their village, whereas some did not [some remained displaced and waited for the situation to get better]. However, the villagers who had already returned to their village had to flee again when they heard that fighting happened [small fighting continued to happen in the area during the next days].

The situation of constant skirmishes and insecurity in the area continued until the end of November 2022. Due to the fighting, shelling, and air strikes, 3,463 households from 31 villages in five village tracts [Than Zein village tract, Aay K’Nee village tract, Aaw P’Lah village tract, Th’Yeh Chaung village tract, and Pyay Yay village tract] had to flee. A total of 16,694 villagers were displaced. All the villages are located in Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. [KHRG was not able to document the total number of displaced villagers in Ler Doh township].

                    

 

Further background reading on the security and human rights situation in Kler Lwee Htoo District in Southeast Burma can be found in the following KHRG reports:

 
Tue, 27 Jun 2023

Footnotes: 

[1] The present document is based on information received in November 2022. It was provided by a community member in Kler Lwee Htoo District who has been trained by KHRG to monitor human rights conditions on the ground. The names of the victims, their photos and the exact locations are censored for security reasons. The parts in square brackets are explanations added by KHRG.

[2] The Karen National Liberation Army is the armed wing of the Karen National Union.

[3] The People’s Defence Force (PDF) is an armed resistance established independently as local civilian militias operating across the country. Following the February 1st 2021 military coup and the ongoing brutal violence enacted by the junta, the majority of these groups began working with the National Unity Government (NUG), a body claiming to be the legitimate government of Burma/Myanmar, which then formalized the PDF on May 5th 2021 as a precursor to a federal army.

[4] The State Administration Council (SAC) is the executive governing body created in the aftermath of the February 1st 2021 military coup. It was established by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on February 2nd 2021, and is composed of eight military officers and eight civilians. The chairperson serves as the de facto head of government of Burma/Myanmar and leads the Military Cabinet of Myanmar, the executive branch of the government. Min Aung Hlaing assumed the role of SAC chairperson following the coup.

[5] A village tract is an administrative unit of between five and 20 villages in a local area, often centred on a large village.

[6] An Infantry Battalion (IB) comprises 500 soldiers. However, most Infantry Battalions in the Burma military are under-strength with less than 200 soldiers. Yet up to date information regarding the size of battalions is hard to come by, particularly following the signing of the NCA. They are primarily used for garrison duty but are sometimes used in offensive operations.

[7] A Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) comprises 500 soldiers. Most Light Infantry Battalions in the Tatmadaw are under-strength with less than 200 soldiers, yet up-to-date information regarding the size of battalions is hard to come by, particularly following the signing of the NCA. LIBs are primarily used for offensive operations, but they are sometimes used for garrison duties.

[8] A Light Infantry Division (LID) of the Burma military is commanded by a brigadier general, and consists often light infantry battalions specially trained in counter-insurgency, jungle warfare, search and destroy operations against ethnic insurgents. They were first incorporated into the Burma military in 1966. LIDs are organised under three Tactical Operations Commands, commanded by a colonel, three battalions each and one reserve, one field artillery battalion, one armoured squadron and other support units. Each division is directly under the command of the Chief of Staff (Army).

[9] ‘Maung’ is a Burmese male honorific title used before a person’s name. 

[10] ‘Ma’ is a Burmese female honorific title used before a person’s name.

[11] ‘Ko’ is a Burmese male honorific title used before a person’s name.

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