Type of Incident

Violent abuse

Date of Incident(s)

March 2nd 2014

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- village, Htee Ta Daw Htah village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw [Hpapun] District.

Victim Information

Name

Saw E---

Age

58

Sex

Male

Nationality

Karen

Family   

Married

Occupation

Farming

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Village head

Village

A---

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)              

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

[Officer] Tha Beh[3]

2nd Lieutenant

Border Guard Force (BGF)[4] Battalion #1014

Ta Law Thaw

Maung Chit[5]  [Commander of Battalion #1014]

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

I went and met with the victim and interviewed him about the incident. He said that “On April  1st 2014, Officer Hpah Mwee of the KNU [Karen National Union][6] told me to send a letter to his [former] private who [had defected to the BGF] and is in P--- village. So I asked a sentry [messenger] to send it to him. BGF Officer Tha Beh knew about it [sending the letter] and ordered me to go and meet with him, then he met me on the way and then he punched me.”

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The person who gave me this information suffered the abuse and told me about it.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

On April 1st 2014, Officer Hpah Mwee of the KNU asked the village head of A--- village, Htee Ta Daw Htah village tract, Bu Tho Township, to send a letter to his [former] private, who is in P--- village. The [A---] village head asked a sentry to send the letter. The [former] private of Officer Hpah Mwee came back [to him] as soon as he read the letter that the sentry gave him because his [former superior] officer [Hpah Mwee] told him in the letter to come back. Hpuh Ta Thoo, also called Tha Beh, is a BGF officer. He knew about it [delivery of the letter on behalf of a KNU officer] and ordered the village head [of A--- village] and the sentry to come to him [at his current location]. [Impatient,] he [Officer Tha Beh] met the village head and the sentry [on their way to see him]. He did not say anything [when they met along the road, but] punched the sentry and then punched the village head of A--- village. Then the village head of P--- arrived [also summoned to see Officer Tha Beh]. [Officer Tha Beh] asked them why they [KNU Officer Hpah Mwee] came and took back the [former KNU] private, because he [Officer Tha Beh] was already taking care of him [as a BGF soldier]. When he [Officer Tha Beh] was punching the village head of P---, he [P--- village head] could not bear it [the abuse] anymore and took a machete out to cut Hpuh Ta Thoo [Officer Tha Beh]. At that time, another private of Hpuh Ta Thu [Officer Tha Beh] shot the village head of P--- and it [the bullet] hit his hand and then hit his [superior] officer’s [Tha Beh’s] leg. The village head and villagers could live peacefully after this incident. The villagers had to be afraid of Hpuh Ta Thoo [Officer Tha Beh] before he got the injury. After the incident, he was assigned to operate in another area in Brigade #1 [Thaton District]. Now he is staying with Officer Tin Win, the subordinate of BGF Battalion #1014’s Battalion Commander Maung Chit, at Meh Kyi Htah.   

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

The victim allowed us to use this information in order to eliminate violent abuse.