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Karen Human Rights Group

Hpapun Incident Report: Violent abuse in Bu Tho Township, April 2014

Incident Report | Bu Tho Township, Hpapun District (April 2014)

The following Incident Report was written by a community member who has been trained by KHRG to monitor local human rights conditions in Bu Tho Township. It is presented below translated exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security.[1] This report was received in July 2014 along with other information from Hpapun District, including, one incident report, 13 interviews, 146 photographs[2].

Part 1 – Incident Details

Type of Incident

Type of Incident

Violent abuse

Violent abuse

Type of Incident

Date of Incident(s)

Violent abuse

March 2nd 2014

Type of Incident

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

Violent abuse

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

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

Victim Information

Victim Information

Name

Saw E---

 

 

 

Victim Information

Age

58

 

 

 

Victim Information

Sex

Male

 

 

 

Victim Information

Nationality

Karen

 

 

 

Victim Information

Family   

Married

 

 

 

Victim Information

Occupation

Farming

 

 

 

Victim Information

Religion

Buddhist

 

 

 

Victim Information

Position

Village head

 

 

 

Victim Information

Village

A---

 

 

 

Victim Information

Name

Saw E---

 

 

 

Age

58

 

 

 

Sex

Male

 

 

 

Nationality

Karen

 

 

 

Family   

Married

 

 

 

Occupation

Farming

 

 

 

Religion

Buddhist

 

 

 

Position

Village head

 

 

 

Village

A---

 

 

 

 

Perpetrator Information

Perpetrator Information

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)              

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Perpetrator Information

[Officer] Tha Beh[3]

2nd Lieutenant

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

Ta Law Thaw

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

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]

Part 2 - Information Quality

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

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.”

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.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

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

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

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

Part 3 – Complete Description of the Incident

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.

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.

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.   

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.   

Part 4 - Permission for Using the Details

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

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

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.

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.