press x to close
Militarisation and arbitrary checking and questioning of villagers:
On January 5th 2024, 20 soldiers from State Administration Council (SAC)[2] Infantry Battalion (IB)[3] #559 and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[4] #560, based in C--- village, Sa Tein village tract[5], Ler K'Saw Township, Mergui-Tavoy District, headed to H--- village, Sa Tein village tract. As reported by local villagers, before the SAC soldiers reached H--- village, while travelling from C--- [village], they called [stopped] villagers and checked and interrogated them beside the road at Section #9 nearby H--- village, at around 8:30 am. As explained by a local villager from H--- village, Sa Tein village tract, named Saw[6] P---: “On January 5th 2024, SAC were patrolling from their army camp in C--- village to H--- village, then they set up a temporary checkpoint on the road […]. Regarding this [questioning by armed actors], it does not only happen when Burma Army patrolled into our village. Karen armed actors [KNLA[7]] and PDF [People Defence Force[8]] and ‘Pa Ka Hpa’ [a local PDF group] also patrolled into the village […] everyday within a month and they set up their checkpoint just next to our village as well. In addition, they come into our village to buy food so we, as villagers, need to live our lives worrying every hour and every day and night.” Reportedly, the SAC conducted shelling whenever they received the information that Karen armed groups were patrolling in the village [so villagers remain in constant fear]. Villagers do not know who sent the information to the SAC [about the presence of Karen soldiers in the area].
After [the SAC questioning on January 5th 2024], at 9 am, they [SAC] patrolled from Section #9 [near H--- village] to L--- area [located about 20 minutes away by motorbike]. Before they [SAC] reached not far from the village, they encountered combined forces of the Kaw Thoo Lei Army (KTLA)[9] and People Defence Force (PDF)[10] and then fighting broke out. The time when fighting broke out was around 9 am, and it lasted until 10 am. After one hour of fighting, Karen [KTLA] and PDF combined forces retreated from the fighting, [presumably] worrying that this fighting would impact the villagers. Regarding this fighting [occurring suddenly], villagers did not have time to prepare [to flee]. No villagers were injured. However, betel nut trees were damaged [in villagers’ plantations]. As reported by the local villager, Saw P---: “Since January 5th 2024 to this September 2nd 2024, we need to live our lives with anxiety and fear every day and night. We need to flee through the darkness. And it [the situation] is worse if there is fighting happening when they [all armed actors] are patrolling into the village. Sometimes we got wet while fleeing and we had to sleep on the ground.”
Displacement challenges:
[Usually,] the SAC does not come out [from their army camps to patrol into the village] during the day. They [SAC] mostly come out at nighttime. So, when villagers hear [receive] the information [from other villagers, about SAC soldiers’ presence], it is already dark so they face difficulties to flee. This is an experience that villagers are facing frequently. Due to Burma Army soldiers entering into the village at night-time and not during daytime, villagers do not have time prepare their packages [with essential items] to flee and sometimes villagers do not even have time to pick up a torchlight when they hear that Burma Army soldiers entering the village.
Villagers are also facing problems to flee during daytime if fighting happens close to the village, hence blocking the road. Villagers also reported on the livelihood struggles during displacement. Saw P--- explained: “As we [villagers] do not have money [saved up] to prepare ourselves for displacement, it is the challenge for people like us, as we are daily workers. So, it will be better, if there is no fighting [war]. Even if the fighting occurred again, I request [armed actors] to do it [fight] far from the village. There is no way for us to run [flee], if it [fighting] happens in a similar manner as today [as of January 2024], near the village. This is the reason why I would like to request for fighting to take place far from our village.”
Currently, villagers keep wondering when the fighting will occur again, and they need to observe the situation [staying alert, ready to flee].
Further background reading on the situation on fighting and displacement in Mergui-Tavoy District (Southeast Burma/Myanmar) can be found in the following KHRG reports: