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Karen Human Rights Group

Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: A landmine explosion severely injured a 14-year-old girl in Moo Township, May 2024

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These photos were taken by a KHRG researcher in May 2024, in a KNU-administered hospital in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The photos show a 14-year-old girl, Ma E---, who was injured by a landmine explosion. The landmine had been planted by SAC troops in February 2024. Her right leg was blown off by the landmine explosion and her left leg also sustained injuries. [Photo: KHRG]

These photos were taken by a KHRG researcher in May 2024, in a KNU-administered hospital in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The photos show a 14-year-old girl, Ma E---, who was injured by a landmine explosion. The landmine had been planted by SAC troops in February 2024. Her right leg was blown off by the landmine explosion and her left leg also sustained injuries. [Photo: KHRG]

These photos were taken by a KHRG researcher in May 2024, in a KNU-administered hospital in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. The photos show a 14-year-old girl, Ma E---, who was injured by a landmine explosion. The landmine had been planted by SAC troops in February 2024. Her right leg was blown off by the landmine explosion and her left leg also sustained injuries. [Photo: KHRG]

 

Part 1 – Incident Details

Type of Incident

Type of Incident

Landmine explosion causing injury [to a 14-year-old girl]

Landmine explosion causing injury [to a 14-year-old girl]

Type of Incident

Date of Incident(s)

Landmine explosion causing injury [to a 14-year-old girl]

May 29th 2024

Type of Incident

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

Landmine explosion causing injury [to a 14-year-old girl]

H--- village, Nat Than Kwin village tract[2], Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District

Type of Incident

Landmine explosion causing injury [to a 14-year-old girl]

Date of Incident(s)

May 29th 2024

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

H--- village, Nat Than Kwin village tract[2], Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District

Victim Information

Victim Information

Victim Information

Name

Ma[3] E---

Victim Information

Age

14 years old

Victim Information

Gender

Woman

Victim Information

Ethnicity

Bamar[4]

Victim Information

Marital Status  

-

Victim Information

Occupation

Student

Victim Information

Religion

Buddhist

Victim Information

Position

Villager

Victim Information

Village

H--- village, Nat Than Kwin village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District

Victim Information

Name

Ma[3] E---

Age

14 years old

Gender

Woman

Ethnicity

Bamar[4]

Marital Status  

-

Occupation

Student

Religion

Buddhist

Position

Villager

Village

H--- village, Nat Than Kwin village tract, Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo 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

Combined troops from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[5] #439, LIB #307 and [unknown battalion(s) under] Light Infantry Division (LID)[6] #77

Ka Nyut Kwin army camp [LIB #439]; Shway Wa army camp [LIB #307]; Nat Than Kwin Town [unknown battalion(s) under LID #77]

Unknown

Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors)

Name(s)           

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Unknown

Unknown

Combined troops from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[5] #439, LIB #307 and [unknown battalion(s) under] Light Infantry Division (LID)[6] #77

Ka Nyut Kwin army camp [LIB #439]; Shway Wa army camp [LIB #307]; Nat Than Kwin Town [unknown battalion(s) under LID #77]

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.

A local leader of the Karen Department of Healthcare and Welfare (KDHW)[7] in Moo Township, named P’Doh[8] Saw B---, informed the KHRG researcher about the incident. On May 30th 2024, [the KHRG researcher] went to meet the victim [at a Karen National Union (KNU)[9]-administered hospital in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township], to take photos [of the victim’s injuries] and conduct an interview with the victim’s uncle, named U[10] C---.

1. Explain in detail how this information was collected.

A local leader of the Karen Department of Healthcare and Welfare (KDHW)[7] in Moo Township, named P’Doh[8] Saw B---, informed the KHRG researcher about the incident. On May 30th 2024, [the KHRG researcher] went to meet the victim [at a Karen National Union (KNU)[9]-administered hospital in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township], to take photos [of the victim’s injuries] and conduct an interview with the victim’s uncle, named U[10] C---.

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 person [U C---] who provided this information is a family member of the victim and was present in the village during the incident. He also sent the victim to the hospital.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The person [U C---] who provided this information is a family member of the victim and was present in the village during the incident. He also sent the victim to the hospital.

 

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.

 

During February 2024, combined troops from the State Administration Council (SAC)[11] Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #439, based in Ka Nyut Kwin army camp; LIB #307, based in Shway Wa army camp; and unknown battalion(s) under Light Infantry Division (LID) #77 from Nat Than Kwin Town, entered some areas and villages in Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. Then, they burned down houses, fired mortar rounds, and planted landmines [in those Moo Township areas], thus making many villagers afraid and [forcing them to] flee. When the villagers returned to their houses after the SAC retreated, many cases of villagers being injured by landmines occurred, as the SAC had planted landmines in the villages [and surrounding areas].

 

On May 29th 2024, at 8:30 am, a 14-year-old villager named Ma E--- and her mother, [both residents of] H--- village, Nat Than Kwin village tract, Moo Township, were going to a place nearby the school [to dispose of] a tree branch [after cleaning their house]. [On the way], Ma E--- stepped on a M14 mine, which had been planted by the SAC. She sustained serious injuries on both of her legs, losing her right leg [due to the explosion]. At that time, there were Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[12] soldiers in the village and, therefore, with their help and accompaniment, Ma E--- was taken to a KNU-administered hospital [in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township] by her parents and her uncle, named U C---.  Her right leg had to be operated on, but her left leg did not need to be amputated even though she also sustained injuries to it.

 

Regarding the treatment at the hospital, Ma E---’s uncle, U C---, explained: “Now, I don’t know about the treatment cost yet. The medics at the clinic understand us [our financial difficulties] and mostly they will help civilians [treat them for free]. […] They [the victim’s parents] face difficulties, as their family[’s financial] condition is not that stable. I told them [the victim’s parents] not to feel down and told them that the doctors will understand us.” U C--- further explained: “Her [the victim’s] parents are daily wage labourers. […] Now, we can’t work. We can’t travel either, as there is shelling happening, and we also have to be afraid of the landmines underground. It is very difficult to [secure] a livelihood. It is quite difficult for the villagers in the village. For farmers, it is better but for daily wage labourers, they don’t know what to do in this situation”. [It is unknown whether their family received any support for medical costs or livelihood costs from any organisations after the treatment].

 

As the SAC soldiers had planted several landmines [while they were patrolling in H--- village area in February 2024], the villagers have to travel and work in fear, because they do not know where the landmines have been planted. Due to Ma E---’s incident, the villagers feel like there is no safety when they are travelling, and they have to live in fear.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

 

During February 2024, combined troops from the State Administration Council (SAC)[11] Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #439, based in Ka Nyut Kwin army camp; LIB #307, based in Shway Wa army camp; and unknown battalion(s) under Light Infantry Division (LID) #77 from Nat Than Kwin Town, entered some areas and villages in Moo Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. Then, they burned down houses, fired mortar rounds, and planted landmines [in those Moo Township areas], thus making many villagers afraid and [forcing them to] flee. When the villagers returned to their houses after the SAC retreated, many cases of villagers being injured by landmines occurred, as the SAC had planted landmines in the villages [and surrounding areas].

 

On May 29th 2024, at 8:30 am, a 14-year-old villager named Ma E--- and her mother, [both residents of] H--- village, Nat Than Kwin village tract, Moo Township, were going to a place nearby the school [to dispose of] a tree branch [after cleaning their house]. [On the way], Ma E--- stepped on a M14 mine, which had been planted by the SAC. She sustained serious injuries on both of her legs, losing her right leg [due to the explosion]. At that time, there were Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[12] soldiers in the village and, therefore, with their help and accompaniment, Ma E--- was taken to a KNU-administered hospital [in Hplee Hta village tract, Moo Township] by her parents and her uncle, named U C---.  Her right leg had to be operated on, but her left leg did not need to be amputated even though she also sustained injuries to it.

 

Regarding the treatment at the hospital, Ma E---’s uncle, U C---, explained: “Now, I don’t know about the treatment cost yet. The medics at the clinic understand us [our financial difficulties] and mostly they will help civilians [treat them for free]. […] They [the victim’s parents] face difficulties, as their family[’s financial] condition is not that stable. I told them [the victim’s parents] not to feel down and told them that the doctors will understand us.” U C--- further explained: “Her [the victim’s] parents are daily wage labourers. […] Now, we can’t work. We can’t travel either, as there is shelling happening, and we also have to be afraid of the landmines underground. It is very difficult to [secure] a livelihood. It is quite difficult for the villagers in the village. For farmers, it is better but for daily wage labourers, they don’t know what to do in this situation”. [It is unknown whether their family received any support for medical costs or livelihood costs from any organisations after the treatment].

 

As the SAC soldiers had planted several landmines [while they were patrolling in H--- village area in February 2024], the villagers have to travel and work in fear, because they do not know where the landmines have been planted. Due to Ma E---’s incident, the villagers feel like there is no safety when they are travelling, and they have to live in fear.

 

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.

The victim allowed KHRG to use and publish this information to let other people know about this incident. 

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

The victim allowed KHRG to use and publish this information to let other people know about this incident. 

 

 

 

 

                    

Further background reading on the situation on landmines and UXOs in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

  • “Doo Tha Htoo District Situation Update: SAC looting and shelling causing casualties, destruction, and displacement, and landmine contamination in Tha Htoo Township (February to November 2023)”, July 2024;
  • “Taw Oo District Short Update: fighting, SAC looting and burning of villagers’ houses, and two children killed by an UXO explosion, in Daw Hpa Hkoh Township (February and March 2024)”, July 2024;
  • “Mergui-Tavoy District Incident Report: A 19-year-old villager was injured by a landmine explosion in K’Ser Doh Township, October 2023”, May 2024;
  • “Dooplaya District Incident Report: A 21-year-old villager stepped on a landmine in Kaw T’Ree Township, December 2023”, April 2024;
  • “Photo Set: Landmine incidents in Southeast Burma, March 2021 to January 2024”, April 2024.