State Administration Council (SAC)[2] indiscriminate mortar shelling

On February 17th 2022, SAC Infantry Battalion (IB)[3] #19 indiscriminately fired 68 mm and 81 mm mortars into Ma Ka Heh [in Section 2 of Hpapun Town, Bu Tho Township]. The [fragment of a] mortar shell hit and killed Ma[4] C---, a 14-year-old female student in Standard [Grade] 8. [Details of where she was hit by the mortar shell cannot be confirmed.] She is the daughter of U[5] D--- (40 years old) and Daw[6] P--- (36 years old).

On April 13th 2022, SAC soldiers from SAC Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[7] #407 launched 120 mm and 81 mm mortars into E--- village, Meh Nyoo village tract[8], Bu Tho Township. As a result of this shelling, 55-year-old Naw[9] F--- was hit on her left arm, 36-year-old Saw[10] G--- was hit by a fragment of mortar on his waist, 12-year-old Naw H--- was injured on her right arm, and another villager, Naw I---, was injured on her left arm and both of her legs. Naw I--- had to receive treatment at Mae Tao Clinic [in Thailand]. [KHRG cannot confirm whether the other villagers received treatment.] Naw H--- is a fourth-grade [Standard 4] student and Naw I--- is a third-grade [Standard 3] student.

Also, on the evening of April 13th 2022, SAC soldiers from LIB #407 launched 81 mm mortars into K--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, killing eight cows in total. One of the owners of [some of] the cows that were killed is named Saw L---, who is 46 years old.

A villager attacked by an SAC soldier

On April 18th 2022, a 50-year-old man, Saw M--- from A--- village, A--- village tract, Dwe Lo Township, was attacked by a soldier from [SAC] LIB #407, led by Battalion Commander Zaw Min Htaik. At around 2:00 am on April 18th 2022, Corporal Min Zaw from [SAC] LIB #407 entered Saw M---’s house secretly while he was sleeping and hit him on the back of his neck with an iron rod. Because of this, Saw M--- became dizzy. Before he recovered from his dizziness, Corporal [Min Zaw] tried to attack him with a sharp knife that he had brought with him. Although Corporal Min Zaw was trying to stab the parts of Saw M---’s body that could easily lead to death, he failed to do so because Saw M--- was trying to fight back. However, since Corporal Min Zaw repeatedly used his knife to stab Saw M---, Saw M---’s left ear was hit three times and his left hand was hit twice.

Saw M--- was not able to travel anywhere else to receive treatment, so he went to receive treatment at the [SAC] LIB #407 army camp. After attacking Saw M---, villagers saw that Corporal Min Zaw hurriedly returned to the [SAC #407] army camp and therefore, A---’s village head, Saw N---, went to report this incident to the operations commander [from that army camp]. The operations commander refused to admit that Min Zaw was from their army camp.

People’s Defence Force (PDF)[11] activity

Members of the PDF have been fighting in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups against the SAC, who seized power from the publicly [democratically]-elected government, the National League for Democracy (NLD)[12], on February 1st 2021.

[Within the reporting period, ending on] April 27th 2022, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[13] together with the PDF in Mu Traw District have been able to control the road between Kamarmaung [K’Ma Moh] and Hpapun towns. SAC troops were not permitted to come up on [use] the road, and SAC soldiers from Hpapun and Kamarmaung towns have been afraid to leave their camp.

Landmine incident

On April 18th 2022, a 42-year-old woman, Naw O---, from B--- village, Meh Klaw village tract, Bu Tho Township, stepped on a landmine planted by KNLA soldiers. The upper part of her body, including her chest and her breasts were injured. Naw O--- was admitted to Wah Hka Der clinic in Dwe Lo Township and she is currently receiving treatment there. Although Naw O--- did not lose any limbs, pieces of shrapnel in her chest have not yet been removed [as of April 27th 2022]. 

Further background reading on the security situation and human rights violations in Mu Traw District in Southeast Burma can be found in the following KHRG reports:

• “Mu Traw District Situation Update: SAC shelling, displacement of villagers, livelihood challenges, healthcare and education situation, and landmine incidents, April to May 2022”, July 2022.
• “Mu Traw District Situation Update: Arrests, threats and physical assault of villagers, mortar shelling, air strikes and a landmine incident in Bu Tho and Dwe Lo townships, December 2021 to March 2022”, July 2022.
• “Mu Traw District Situation Update: SAC air strikes and indiscriminate shelling into villages in Dwe Lo Township kill three and injure at least 14 civilians, January to February 2022”, July 2022.
• “Mu Traw District Short Update: SAC troops fired mortars into a village, killing seven villagers and injuring four, March 2022”, March 2022.