Hpapun Incident Report: Home guard killed by Tatmadaw landmine in Lu Thaw Township, January 2014

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These photos were taken on January 24th 2014 by Saw C---, a home guard. He took the photo of Saw Shway Thay, another member of the home guard, while Saw Shway Thay was receiving medical treatment for a landmine injury. He stepped on the mine near the Tatmadaw’s Htaw Muh Pleh Meh army camp, and according to the home guard villagers who live in the area, the mine had been planted by the Tatmadaw. The landmine blew a hole in Saw Shway Thay’s throat, he lost most of his right ankle and died an hour later. Shway Thay, who was 52 years old, is survived by his wife, Naw K---, who is 50 years old and used to live in A--- village before being displaced. She now lives in E--- internal displacement site. According to Saw C---, Saw Shway Thay was injected with three bottles of saline (pictured above), but he passed away because of the injury to his throat. As is traditional, people held a funeral feast for him. [Photos: KHRG]

Incident Report | Lu Thaw Township, Hpapun District (January 2014)

The following Incident Report was written by a community member who has been trained by KHRG to monitor human rights abuses. It is presented below translated exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security.[1] This report was received in March 2014 along with other information from Hpapun District, including five other incident reports, four interviews, one situation update, 86 photographs and three video clips.[2]

 

Part 1 – Incident Details

Type of Incident

Type of Incident

A home guard[3] was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine
 
A home guard[3] was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine
 

Type of Incident

Date of Incident(s)

A home guard[3] was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine
 

January 24th 2014

Type of Incident

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A home guard[3] was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine
 

A--- village, Ler Muh Plaw village tract, Lu Thaw Township, Mu Traw [Hpapun] District

Type of Incident

 A home guard[3] was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine
 

Date of Incident(s)

January 24th 2014

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- village, Ler Muh Plaw village tract, Lu Thaw Township, Mu Traw [Hpapun] District

 

Victim Information

Victim Information

Victim Information

Name

Saw Shway Thay

Victim Information

Age

52

Victim Information

Sex

Male

Victim Information

Nationality

Karen

Victim Information

Family   

Married

Victim Information

Occupation

Hill farming

Victim Information

Religion

Animist

Victim Information

Position

Home guard

Victim Information

Village

A---

Victim Information

Name

Saw Shway Thay

Age

52

Sex

Male

Nationality

Karen

Family   

Married

Occupation

Hill farming

Religion

Animist

Position

Home guard

Village

A---

 

Perpetrator Information

Perpetrator Information

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)               

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Perpetrator Information

N/A

N/A

N/A

Htaw Muh Pleh Meh [Tatmadaw army camp]

N/A

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)               

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

N/A

N/A

N/A

Htaw Muh Pleh Meh [Tatmadaw army camp]

N/A

 

Part 2 - Information Quality

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

On January 31st 2014, I [KHRG community member] met with a home guard called Saw C---, 26 years old, who lived in A--- [village], [but was] displaced [from there and now lives] in E--- [internal displacement site]. He is from Ler Muh Plaw village tract.

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

On January 31st 2014, I [KHRG community member] met with a home guard called Saw C---, 26 years old, who lived in A--- [village], [but was] displaced [from there and now lives] in E--- [internal displacement site]. He is from Ler Muh Plaw village tract.

 

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

Saw C--- is a home guard and he was travelling with Saw Shway Thay when Saw Shway Thay was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine on T’Ray Ler hill, nearby Htaw Muh Pleh Meh army camp.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

Saw C--- is a home guard and he was travelling with Saw Shway Thay when Saw Shway Thay was killed by a Tatmadaw landmine on T’Ray Ler hill, nearby Htaw Muh Pleh Meh army camp.

 

Part 3 – Incident Details

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

On January 31st 2014, I [KHRG community member] met with a home guard named Saw C--- and asked him about a home guard who was killed [by a landmine].

Saw C--- said that he went back [with Saw Shway Thay] and visited his old village, A---, and made a trap to capture birds. Both of them [Saw C--- and Saw Shway Thay] went back with guns [home made muskets] to check the trap, which is close to a Tatmadaw area. [He added that,] “At that time, my friend Shway Thay was hit by [stepped on a] landmine, and I was worried that the Tatmadaw might come, so I put him on my back and carried both his gun and mine. I ran until [I reached] a little distance [from where the landmine exploded] and I put him down. My whole body was covered with his blood. When we arrived at a place, which is one hour’s walk away from where the landmine exploded, I met a woman and I asked her to look after the patient [Saw Shway Thay]. Then, I came back [to E--- internal displacement site] to pick up the medic and people to carry the patient. He was hit by the landmine on T’Ray Ler hill on January 24th 2014 at 10:40 am. His neck was blown open and he lost most of his right ankle. He had been serving as a home guard for seven years and his wife’s name is Naw K---, [she is] 50 years old. They lived in A--- village, Ler Muh Plaw village tract [before they were displaced] and they don’t have any children. His wife was left alone.”

According to Saw C---, the person who was hit by landmine is called Saw Shway Thay; [he was] 52 years old and he passed away an hour after he was hit by the landmine.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

On January 31st 2014, I [KHRG community member] met with a home guard named Saw C--- and asked him about a home guard who was killed [by a landmine].

Saw C--- said that he went back [with Saw Shway Thay] and visited his old village, A---, and made a trap to capture birds. Both of them [Saw C--- and Saw Shway Thay] went back with guns [home made muskets] to check the trap, which is close to a Tatmadaw area. [He added that,] “At that time, my friend Shway Thay was hit by [stepped on a] landmine, and I was worried that the Tatmadaw might come, so I put him on my back and carried both his gun and mine. I ran until [I reached] a little distance [from where the landmine exploded] and I put him down. My whole body was covered with his blood. When we arrived at a place, which is one hour’s walk away from where the landmine exploded, I met a woman and I asked her to look after the patient [Saw Shway Thay]. Then, I came back [to E--- internal displacement site] to pick up the medic and people to carry the patient. He was hit by the landmine on T’Ray Ler hill on January 24th 2014 at 10:40 am. His neck was blown open and he lost most of his right ankle. He had been serving as a home guard for seven years and his wife’s name is Naw K---, [she is] 50 years old. They lived in A--- village, Ler Muh Plaw village tract [before they were displaced] and they don’t have any children. His wife was left alone.”

According to Saw C---, the person who was hit by landmine is called Saw Shway Thay; [he was] 52 years old and he passed away an hour after he was hit by the landmine.

 

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 [the person who reported this information, Saw C---] gave us permission to use this information so that the leaders will know [about the incident] and people from foreign counties will also know about the situation of the people in our area.

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

The victim [the person who reported this information, Saw C---] gave us permission to use this information so that the leaders will know [about the incident] and people from foreign counties will also know about the situation of the people in our area.