These two photos were taken in December 2023, at C--- clinic, Naw Hkwee village tract, Ta Kreh (Paingkyon) Township, Hpa-an District. The photo on the left shows a 32-year-old pregnant woman, Ma B--- from Kawkareik Town (F--- section), Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District, while she was hospitalised. She sustained an injury on her back caused by shrapnel from an SAC air strike conducted on December 2nd 2024, at 8 am, onto Kawkareik Town. The photo on the right shows, an 11-year-old child named Saw A---, from Kawkareik Town (E--- section), Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District, while receiving treatment in the clinic. He was injured by shrapnel on his right calf, after the SAC conducted an air strike on November 4th 2023 at around 10 am onto Kawkareik Town. [Photos: KHRG]
Part 1 – Incident Details
Type of Incident |
Type of Incident |
Air strike |
Air strike |
Type of Incident |
Date of Incident(s) |
Air strike |
November 4th 2023 and December 2nd 2023 |
Type of Incident |
Incident Location (Village, Township and District) |
Air strike |
E--- section and F--- section, in Kawkareik Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. |
Type of Incident |
Air strike |
Date of Incident(s) |
November 4th 2023 and December 2nd 2023 |
Incident Location (Village, Township and District) |
E--- section and F--- section, in Kawkareik Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. |
Victim Information |
Victim Information |
Victim Information |
Name |
Saw[2] A--- | |
Ma[3] B--- |
Victim Information |
Age |
11 years old | |
32 years old |
Victim Information |
Gender |
Man | |
Woman |
Victim Information |
Ethnicity |
Karen | |
Muslim[4] |
Victim Information |
Marital Status |
- | |
Married |
Victim Information |
Occupation |
Student | |
Daily labourer |
Victim Information |
Religion |
Buddhist | |
Muslim |
Victim Information |
Position |
Villager | |
Villager |
Victim Information |
Village |
Kawkareik Town (E--- section), Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District | |
Kawkareik Town (F--- section), Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District |
Victim Information |
||
Name |
Saw[2] A--- |
Ma[3] B--- |
Age |
11 years old |
32 years old |
Gender |
Man |
Woman |
Ethnicity |
Karen |
Muslim[4] |
Marital Status |
- |
Married |
Occupation |
Student |
Daily labourer |
Religion |
Buddhist |
Muslim |
Position |
Villager |
Villager |
Village |
Kawkareik Town (E--- section), Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District |
Kawkareik Town (F--- section), Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District |
Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Name(s) |
Rank | |
Unit | |
Base | |
Commander’s Name |
Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
Unknown |
Unknown | |
Unknown | |
Unknown | |
Unknown |
Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors) |
||||
Name(s) |
Rank |
Unit |
Base |
Commander’s Name |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Part 2 - Information Quality
1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
[The field researcher first heard about this incident from a health worker in C--- clinic, located in Naw Kwaw village tract,[5] Ta Kreh (Paingkyon) Township, Hpa-an District.] On December 3rd 2023, [a KHRG field researcher] went to the area [clinic where the victims were receiving treatment] and conducted interviews with the victims [Saw A---’s mother and Ma B---] to receive detailed information. |
1. Explain in detail how this information was collected. |
[The field researcher first heard about this incident from a health worker in C--- clinic, located in Naw Kwaw village tract,[5] Ta Kreh (Paingkyon) Township, Hpa-an District.] On December 3rd 2023, [a KHRG field researcher] went to the area [clinic where the victims were receiving treatment] and conducted interviews with the victims [Saw A---’s mother and Ma B---] to receive detailed information. |
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 KHRG researcher] interviewed Saw A---’s mother about her son’s incident. [The KHRG researcher] interviewed Ma B--- about the incident. |
2. Explain how the source verified this information. |
[The KHRG researcher] interviewed Saw A---’s mother about her son’s incident. [The KHRG researcher] interviewed Ma B--- about the incident. |
Part 3 – Complete Description of the Incident
Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
On November 4th 2023 [in the morning], fighting broke out between State Administration Council (SAC)[6] soldiers [unknown battalion] against combined forces from People’s Defence Force (PDF)[7] and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[8] in Kawkareik Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. At around 10 am, the SAC conducted an air strike [and one bomb landed] inside E--- section, Kawkareik Town. [At the time,] Saw A--- (11 years old), a Grade-3 [primary school] boy, was with his grandmother [in their house in E--- section], and went outside of the house to urinate. While he was urinating, he was hit by shrapnel [from a bomb] on the right calf. His grandmother heard him being wounded by the shrapnel and immediately called his parents, who sent him [by car] to a hospital in Hpa-an Town, Hpa-an District [located one hour away] to receive treatment. When he reached the hospital, he had very low blood pressure [due to blood loss], thus it could not be predicted whether he would live or not. Saw A--- received treatment on time and was saved. [His parents paid for the treatment themselves, and did not receive assistance from any organisations]. By November 30th 2023, his wound was not fully healed, so he received further treatment at C--- clinic, in Naw Kwaw village tract, Ta Kreh (Paingkyon) Township, Hpa-an District. [C--- clinic is under the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW)[9], so treatment was free of charge.] Regarding the incident, his mother expressed: “In this political situation, it is not convenient to work. Our financial situation is becoming more difficult. It’s really sad to witness my son experience it [the attack].”
On December 2nd 2023, at 8 am, the SAC conducted an air strike into F--- section in Kawkareik Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. The shrapnel [from the dropped bomb] injured Ma B---, a woman nine months pregnant, on the left side of her back. At the time, she was gathering things inside her house to flee [as villagers could hear the sound of aircraft approaching them]. Her husband witnessed what happened to his wife, as he was on his motorbike and had just started the engine. He immediately sent his wife to D--- clinic, Meh Pah Leh village tract, Nabu [T’Nay Cha] Township, Hpa-an District. It was hard to perform surgery on a woman who was nine months pregnant, so at 10 am she was referred to C--- clinic, Naw Kwee village tract, [which is better equipped]. Regarding the incident, Ma B--- expressed: “A 500-pound bomb, dropped from the aircraft, injured villagers. And I don’t know how many were killed by it. I don’t want to put the blame on anyone when such things happen. But for certain, I’m very sad and feel bad about the incident.” |
Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. |
On November 4th 2023 [in the morning], fighting broke out between State Administration Council (SAC)[6] soldiers [unknown battalion] against combined forces from People’s Defence Force (PDF)[7] and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[8] in Kawkareik Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. At around 10 am, the SAC conducted an air strike [and one bomb landed] inside E--- section, Kawkareik Town. [At the time,] Saw A--- (11 years old), a Grade-3 [primary school] boy, was with his grandmother [in their house in E--- section], and went outside of the house to urinate. While he was urinating, he was hit by shrapnel [from a bomb] on the right calf. His grandmother heard him being wounded by the shrapnel and immediately called his parents, who sent him [by car] to a hospital in Hpa-an Town, Hpa-an District [located one hour away] to receive treatment. When he reached the hospital, he had very low blood pressure [due to blood loss], thus it could not be predicted whether he would live or not. Saw A--- received treatment on time and was saved. [His parents paid for the treatment themselves, and did not receive assistance from any organisations]. By November 30th 2023, his wound was not fully healed, so he received further treatment at C--- clinic, in Naw Kwaw village tract, Ta Kreh (Paingkyon) Township, Hpa-an District. [C--- clinic is under the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW)[9], so treatment was free of charge.] Regarding the incident, his mother expressed: “In this political situation, it is not convenient to work. Our financial situation is becoming more difficult. It’s really sad to witness my son experience it [the attack].”
On December 2nd 2023, at 8 am, the SAC conducted an air strike into F--- section in Kawkareik Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. The shrapnel [from the dropped bomb] injured Ma B---, a woman nine months pregnant, on the left side of her back. At the time, she was gathering things inside her house to flee [as villagers could hear the sound of aircraft approaching them]. Her husband witnessed what happened to his wife, as he was on his motorbike and had just started the engine. He immediately sent his wife to D--- clinic, Meh Pah Leh village tract, Nabu [T’Nay Cha] Township, Hpa-an District. It was hard to perform surgery on a woman who was nine months pregnant, so at 10 am she was referred to C--- clinic, Naw Kwee village tract, [which is better equipped]. Regarding the incident, Ma B--- expressed: “A 500-pound bomb, dropped from the aircraft, injured villagers. And I don’t know how many were killed by it. I don’t want to put the blame on anyone when such things happen. But for certain, I’m very sad and feel bad about the incident.” |
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. |
Saw A---’s mother and Ma B--- gave permission to KHRG to publish the information regarding the human rights violations caused by the SAC air strikes. |
Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided. |
Saw A---’s mother and Ma B--- gave permission to KHRG to publish the information regarding the human rights violations caused by the SAC air strikes. |
Further background reading on the situation on air strikes in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports: