Type of Incident

Use of human shields

Date of Incident(s)

October 8th 2023

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- village, T’Hka Kloh village tract[2], Noh T’Kaw Township, Dooplaya District.

Victims Information

Name

S---

T---

U---

Age

60

59

Unknown

Gender

Man

Man

Man

Ethnicity

Karen

Karen

Karen

Marital Status   

Married

Married

Unmarried

Occupation

Herder

Gardener

Gardener

Religion

Christian

Christian

Christian

Position

-

-

-

Village

A--- village

A--- village

A--- village

Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors)

Name(s)           

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Unknown

Unknown

Light Infantry Division (LID)[3] #44, local Infantry Battalions (IB)[4] #284 and #32

Temporary operation

Unknown

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

A KHRG researcher first heard about this incident from local villagers. The KHRG researcher talked to the village authority and later conducted an interview with one of the victims.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

KHRG researcher conducted an interview with one victim to make sure this information is accurate.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On October 8th 2023, the State Administration Council (SAC)[5] Light Infantry Division (LID) #44 and local Infantry Battalions (IB) #284 and #32 conducted an operation in Noh T’Kaw Township, Dooplaya District, and arrested some villagers they encountered in A--- village, T’Hka Kloh village tract, in order to use them as human shields. A villager named S--- was arrested when he was looking after the cattle, and two other villagers [named T--- and U---] were arrested while working on their farms. One of the arrested villagers, U---, has a mental disability and is also mute. SAC soldiers usually ask [force] villagers to travel with them in order to deter attacks from resistance armed groups.

One of the victims, S---, explained: “At first, I thought that people were doing something [on his pasture land outside A--- village], so I went there to have a look. When I reached there, there were SAC soldiers. The soldiers came towards me. I told them I was a herder. [Then,] the SAC soldiers said: ‘We request you to accompany us for a while’. I [had] tied my cattle with rope so the calves were scattered [grazing around]. I told the soldiers that I would release my cattle [first so they could all graze in the pasture land], but the SAC soldiers did not allow me to do so. The SAC soldiers asked [to] me which village the way goes. I told them the road was not going anywhere [not connecting any village]; the track was only for cattle. The SAC soldiers asked me to accompany them and direct the way for them.”

One of the arrested villagers was forced to carry a backpack estimated to weigh five viss [8.16 kg/18 Ibs]. The arrested villagers were provided only three packs of MAMA [Instant noodles] for each person for three days. The SAC soldiers gave a pack of rice to Saw[6] S---, but Saw S--- dared not to eat it because [he believed] it smelled like some kind of drug.

The arrested villagers were released on October 10th 2023. The SAC soldiers thanked them and gave them 10,000 kyat [4.76 USD][7]. Saw S--- explained [to KHRG that] it is not right to ask villagers to do that job [walk in front of soldiers as human shields], although they are given money [afterwards]. Currently, Saw S--- dared not look after the cattle far from the village.

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

The interviewed victim gave KHRG permission to use this information.