Type of Incident

Date of Incident(s)

April 13th 2016

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

C--- village, Noh Hkwee village tract, Ta Kreh [Paingkyon] Township, Hpa-an District

Victim Information

Name

Saw[3] A---

Age

65

Sex

Male

Ethnicity 

Karen

Family   

Yes

Occupation

Farmer

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Villager

Village

B---

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)              

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Dee Ter Ler also known as Bo[4] Kyaw Hein[5]

BGF Company Commander

[Battalion] #1015[6]

Beside Ya Tah village

Hpah[7] T’Kaw (also known as Kya Aye)[8]

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

On April 20th 2016 I travelled in Ta Kreh Township and went to B--- village. [I] met with a villager from Noh Hkwee village tract. [I asked him] whether there have been any incidents that have happened here. He told me that the BGF [Border Guard Force][9] fined a villager in B--- village, Noh Hkwee village tract. They accused the villager of burning down the rubber plantation [which belonged to the BGF]. [After] I talked to him and noted down the information, I went to another place.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The information was provided by a villager from Noh Hkwee village tract.  [Censored for security] and knows all the information [about this incident]. The rubber trees were set on fire in the afternoon [of April 13th 2016] at 1:00 pm. No one knows exactly who set fire to the rubber plantation. Later the BGF commander accused the B--- villager of burning down the rubber trees.

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.

The rubber plantation was set on fire on April 13th 2016. The owner is Officer [Company Commander] Dee Ter Ler from the BGF. He is 50 years old. His rubber plantation was situated between C--- village and B--- village, Noh Hkwee  village tract. The villager was accused of burning down the rubber plantation. He [Dee Ter Ler] later fined the B--- villager, named Saw A---, who is 65 years old and from Noh Hkwee  village tract, Ta Kreh Township.

He [Saw A---] had gone to find vegetables with one of his grandchildren at 10:00 am and went through the farm [the rubber plantation]. They came back [from the rubber plantation] at noon but the rubber plantation was set on fire at [about] 1:00 pm. [Therefore] It was not possible [for him to have set fire to the rubber plantation].

If the owner had sold the rubber plantation he would only have been able to sell it for four million kyat (US $3,372.04)[10] but he [Saw A---] was fined five million kyat (US $4,215.05). The villagers attempted to appeal to him [the company commander] and he finally reduced it to four million kyat (US $3,372.04). He forced him [Saw A---] to pay [four million kyat (US $3,372.04)] within a month. That uncle [Saw A--] is not rich [and so] he faced difficulties [to pay the fine]. I currently do not know how that uncle is looking for the money. I will wait and see how the villager will pay the fine and I will report it later.

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

The victim wants us to publish this information in order to make some change and so that this sort of issue will no longer happen in the future.