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These three photos were taken on December 11th 2023 in C--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. On November 19th 2023, SAC soldiers from IB #39 army camp, based in Lay Maing village, entered C--- village and burned down some of the villagers’ houses. These photos show villagers’ houses that the SAC burned down. [Photos: KHRG]
Shelling, air strikes and house burning by the SAC
On November 16th 2023, State Administration Council (SAC)[2] soldiers from Infantry Battalion (IB)[3] #39 army camp, based in Lay Maing village, and another [unknown] battalion, based in Kon Nit Maing village, fired mortar shells into many places in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract[4], Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. Lay Maing and Kon Nit Maing army camps are located in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, close to one another. One of the mortars landed and exploded near two cows in A--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, owned by a villager, named B---. Many pieces of the mortar shrapnel hit the two cows, killing them.
On November 17th 2023, at around 8 am, the SAC conducted an air strike in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. Later that day, at around 7 pm, the SAC conducted another air strike on Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. There were no casualties from these two air strikes.
Abuse by PDF soldiers and SAC shelling
On November 18th 2023, three soldiers from the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[5], under the command of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[6] Battalion #5 from Brigade #2, encountered six villagers just outside C--- village. These PDF soldiers, from Thandaung Town, Daw Hpa Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District, were drunk at the time, and instructed these villagers, including Saw[7] D--- from C--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, to accompany them as navigators to the SAC prison department in [neighbouring] Lay Maing village, Htaw Ta Htoo Township. However, these six villagers were afraid to go with the soldiers to the prison department so they refused to do what the soldiers asked. Due to this refusal, one of the soldiers beat the villagers with wooden sticks. After this, the six villagers were forced to accompany the soldiers. When they reached the church in [the same] C--- village, one of the soldiers told the villagers: “If you are afraid to accompany us there, you can go wherever you want to go now”. Then, the six villagers returned home [in C--- village] and the three soldiers continued their journey.
When the PDF soldiers arrived in front of Saw E---’s house in C--- village, one of them fired an M79 grenade launcher three times into the SAC Infantry Battalion (IB) #39 army camp, which is based in neighbouring Lay Maing village, then they ran away. When the SAC soldiers heard the sound of the M79 grenade launcher, they fired rounds of mortar into C--- village. Due to this shelling, almost all villagers from C--- village immediately fled for their safety. They fled to nearby religious buildings, plantations, farms, the forest, as well as their relatives’ houses. As of January 2024, the villagers remained displaced; some villagers have only been able to return temporarily to collect essential supplies, at great risk to their lives.
SAC burning of houses and shelling in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract
On November 19th 2023, many SAC soldiers from IB #39 entered C--- village and burned down villagers’ houses. The owners of the houses burned by the SAC are Saw F---, Saw G---, Saw H---, Saw I---, Naw[8] J---, Saw K---, Naw L---, Saw M--- and N---.
On the morning of November 20th 2023, SAC combined forces, including IB #39, entered C--- village again. The soldiers dug a bunker in the village as their temporary base. After 20 days, on December 9th 2023, the SAC combined forces retreated from the village and returned to their army camp. On December 11th 2023, at around 6 pm, the SAC soldiers from IB #39 army camp entered C--- village again and they burned down a house owned by a local villager, Saw O---, then returned to their army camp.
On November 20th 2023, SAC soldiers from IB #39 army camp in Lay Maing village and [an unknown] battalion, based in an army camp in Kon Nit Maing (7 Miles) village, [also] fired rounds of mortar into C--- village and surrounding villages. Some mortar shells landed and exploded in villagers’ houses in C--- village. The owners of the houses which were hit by mortar shells are Saw P---, Saw Q---, Saw R--- and Saw S---.
On December 1st 2023, SAC soldiers from the army camp in Kon Nit Maing village fired rounds of mortar into villages in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. At 3 pm, they fired a round of mortar which hit a tree near Saw T---’s house, in C--- village, and it exploded. At 3:02 pm, they again fired rounds of mortar. This time it hit a pigsty and it exploded. The mortar shrapnel also hit two bamboo trees and the kitchen roof of Saw T---’s house.
Between November 27th 2023 and December 4th 2023, Police Attack Battalion[9] #11, SAC soldiers from IB #39 based in Lay Maing army camp, and soldiers based in Kon Nit Maing army camp and an army camp in Shel Tho Maing Town fired rounds of mortar into villages in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. These villages are U--- village, V--- village, W--- village, X--- village, Y--- village, Z--- village, Aa--- village, Ab--- village, Ac--- village, Ad--- village and C--- village. In total, the SAC fired 32 rounds of mortar in this incident. No casualties were reported.
On December 10th 2023, between 7:04 pm and 9:27 pm, SAC soldiers from Kon Nit Maing army camp fired 13 rounds of mortar into villages in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. The mortars landed and exploded in Z--- village, Aa--- village, Ab--- village, Ae--- village, Ad--- village, C--- village and other neighbouring villages. There were no casualties reported.
Further background reading on the situation of house burning, shelling and air strikes in Taw Oo District can be found in the following KHRG reports:
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These four photos were taken on December 11th 2023 in C--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. They show some villagers’ houses in C--- village damaged by SAC shelling during November 2023. [Photos: KHRG]
Shelling, air strikes and house burning by the SAC
On November 16th 2023, State Administration Council (SAC)[2] soldiers from Infantry Battalion (IB)[3] #39 army camp, based in Lay Maing village, and another [unknown] battalion, based in Kon Nit Maing village, fired mortar shells into many places in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract[4], Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. Lay Maing and Kon Nit Maing army camps are located in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, close to one another. One of the mortars landed and exploded near two cows in A--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, owned by a villager, named B---. Many pieces of the mortar shrapnel hit the two cows, killing them.
On November 17th 2023, at around 8 am, the SAC conducted an air strike in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. Later that day, at around 7 pm, the SAC conducted another air strike on Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. There were no casualties from these two air strikes.
Abuse by PDF soldiers and SAC shelling
On November 18th 2023, three soldiers from the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[5], under the command of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[6] Battalion #5 from Brigade #2, encountered six villagers just outside C--- village. These PDF soldiers, from Thandaung Town, Daw Hpa Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District, were drunk at the time, and instructed these villagers, including Saw[7] D--- from C--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu village tract, to accompany them as navigators to the SAC prison department in [neighbouring] Lay Maing village, Htaw Ta Htoo Township. However, these six villagers were afraid to go with the soldiers to the prison department so they refused to do what the soldiers asked. Due to this refusal, one of the soldiers beat the villagers with wooden sticks. After this, the six villagers were forced to accompany the soldiers. When they reached the church in [the same] C--- village, one of the soldiers told the villagers: “If you are afraid to accompany us there, you can go wherever you want to go now”. Then, the six villagers returned home [in C--- village] and the three soldiers continued their journey.
When the PDF soldiers arrived in front of Saw E---’s house in C--- village, one of them fired an M79 grenade launcher three times into the SAC Infantry Battalion (IB) #39 army camp, which is based in neighbouring Lay Maing village, then they ran away. When the SAC soldiers heard the sound of the M79 grenade launcher, they fired rounds of mortar into C--- village. Due to this shelling, almost all villagers from C--- village immediately fled for their safety. They fled to nearby religious buildings, plantations, farms, the forest, as well as their relatives’ houses. As of January 2024, the villagers remained displaced; some villagers have only been able to return temporarily to collect essential supplies, at great risk to their lives.
SAC burning of houses and shelling in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract
On November 19th 2023, many SAC soldiers from IB #39 entered C--- village and burned down villagers’ houses. The owners of the houses burned by the SAC are Saw F---, Saw G---, Saw H---, Saw I---, Naw[8] J---, Saw K---, Naw L---, Saw M--- and N---.
On the morning of November 20th 2023, SAC combined forces, including IB #39, entered C--- village again. The soldiers dug a bunker in the village as their temporary base. After 20 days, on December 9th 2023, the SAC combined forces retreated from the village and returned to their army camp. On December 11th 2023, at around 6 pm, the SAC soldiers from IB #39 army camp entered C--- village again and they burned down a house owned by a local villager, Saw O---, then returned to their army camp.
On November 20th 2023, SAC soldiers from IB #39 army camp in Lay Maing village and [an unknown] battalion, based in an army camp in Kon Nit Maing (7 Miles) village, [also] fired rounds of mortar into C--- village and surrounding villages. Some mortar shells landed and exploded in villagers’ houses in C--- village. The owners of the houses which were hit by mortar shells are Saw P---, Saw Q---, Saw R--- and Saw S---.
On December 1st 2023, SAC soldiers from the army camp in Kon Nit Maing village fired rounds of mortar into villages in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. At 3 pm, they fired a round of mortar which hit a tree near Saw T---’s house, in C--- village, and it exploded. At 3:02 pm, they again fired rounds of mortar. This time it hit a pigsty and it exploded. The mortar shrapnel also hit two bamboo trees and the kitchen roof of Saw T---’s house.
Between November 27th 2023 and December 4th 2023, Police Attack Battalion[9] #11, SAC soldiers from IB #39 based in Lay Maing army camp, and soldiers based in Kon Nit Maing army camp and an army camp in Shel Tho Maing Town fired rounds of mortar into villages in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. These villages are U--- village, V--- village, W--- village, X--- village, Y--- village, Z--- village, Aa--- village, Ab--- village, Ac--- village, Ad--- village and C--- village. In total, the SAC fired 32 rounds of mortar in this incident. No casualties were reported.
On December 10th 2023, between 7:04 pm and 9:27 pm, SAC soldiers from Kon Nit Maing army camp fired 13 rounds of mortar into villages in Day Loh Mu Nu village tract. The mortars landed and exploded in Z--- village, Aa--- village, Ab--- village, Ae--- village, Ad--- village, C--- village and other neighbouring villages. There were no casualties reported.
Further background reading on the situation of house burning, shelling and air strikes in Taw Oo District can be found in the following KHRG reports: