Conditions in Eastern Burma

From: Free Burma Rangers (www.freeburmarangers.org)

Nice place for a holiday...

Subject: Update on Burma Army Attacks against civilians in Karenni and
Karen States (January 1-December 10, 2004)
Source: FBR
Date Line: 10 December, 2004. Naugnlybin District, Karen State, Burma.

4,781 Karen people are in hiding in Western Karen State after attacks by the
Burma Army. Their villages, barns and rice stocks have been burned and they
are living in fear deep in the jungle and mountains. Along with burning of
their homes , barns and 19,425 baskets of rice, the villagers have also lost
their possessions and livestock through looting by the Burma Army. They can
only cook at night in hidden places so that Burma Army patrols can not find
them. Most of them fled the attacks with only what they had on their backs
and are now suffering from cold and exposure during the night. These attacks
started on 14 November with four Burma Army battalions burning and looting
villages and chasing the people up into the jungle and mountains. There are
now six Burma Army battalions involved in this operation.

The people in hiding are now beginning to suffer from dysentery and
respiratory infections due to their being crowded into small hiding places
with limited water supplies. This also makes the people weaker and more
susceptible to other diseases such as GI/UT tract infections and malaria.
The most at risk are babies and small children and many of them are already
sick.

The people are in immediate need of security, food, medicine, shelter,
blankets and clothes.

Note: It seems that the purpose of the Burma Army attacks against civilians
here (and elsewhere) is to crush the people's will. By terrorizing the
population and starving them the SPDC believes they can get the civilian
population to submit completely to SPDC rule. Another stated purpose is to
force the Karen people to have no contact with the democratic Karen
resistance- Karen National Union (KNU). Whatever their other motives these
attacks continue. They continue not only in this part of Western Karen State
but in the Northern Karen State where over 3,000 people have fled attacks
that began on 28 November and continue through December 2004. The Burma
Army also continues its operations against civilians in Karenni State,
attacking IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), their hiding places, and
placing land mines around abandoned villages. There are over 1 million IDPs
in Burma due to the attacks of the Burma Army. Most of the people in these
recent attacks in Karen and Karenni State had already been displaced
numerous times. In the case of the Karens in Naunglybin District, Western
Karen State, they said that they believed cease fire negotiations would hold
between the SPDC and KNU. So they had planted more rice than usual and had
built better homes in the villages they used to live in. They had been
chased out these villages most recently in 2000 when the Burma Army attacked
and burned them. Now they are in hiding again.

The following is an outline of Burma Army attacks against villagers and
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Karen and Karenni States this
year. It does not include attacks in the Central areas of Karen State,
Northern Karenni State, Shan State or other ethnic areas.

================================================== =========================
December 10th 2004.

- 4,781 IDPs have fled attacks and 19,425 baskets of rice burned by 6
attacking battalions of the Burma Army in Naunglybin District, Western Karen
State. Attacks began 14 November.

December 1st

- 3,000 IDPs in Toungoo District, Northwestern Karen State. The Burma
Army attacks 10 villages starting 28 November and continuing through 1
December. This is an ongoing attack as of this report. *See summary below.

November 14th: (The beginning of the attacks in Naunglybin District)

- 800 IDPs due to Burma Army attacks in Naunglybin District, Western
Karen State.

November 1-30th:

- Karenni area under continued attacks by the Burma Army.

- The Burma Army lays many landmines near villages and IDP hiding
sites.

- Now over 2000 IDPs (these are the same people who were displaced
in the January 10 Battalion offensive by the Burma Army. They have now had
to flee again.)

- Karenni IDPs south of the Mawchi car road.

October:

- No large scale attacks against villagers or IDPs but systematic
forced labor in Naunglybin District, Western Karen State.

September:

- Mergui-Tavoy District, Southern Karen State. The Burma Army
attacks an IDP site killing 3 civilians including one woman. They also kill
one KNU medic. The Burma Army burns homes, rice barns, a clinic and a
school. 242 IDPs flee into the jungle where they are still (as of Dec '04)
in hiding.

- Karenni: 500 villagers and IDPs flee attacks of the Burma Army.
These are the same people who fled the January 2004 attacks.

June - July:

- Karenni: The Burma Army attacks IDP hide sites with two battalions
displacing 1000 Karenni. These are the same people who were displaced in
January.

- January: The Burma Attacks with 10 battalions into southern
Karenni and the border areas of Northern and Northwestern Karen State. These
attacks displace over 5000 Karen and Karenni people. (Karen-3000 people,
Karenni-2000 people)

(Below are summaries of the Burma Army attacks in Toungoo, Naunglybin
Districts Karen State and Southern Karenni State.)

*SUMMARIES of IDP Situation

10 December, 2004. Naunglybin District, Western Karen State, Burma.

19,425 baskets of paddy rice were burned by the Burma Army in Shwygyn/Hsaw
Htee area of Naunglybin District Karen State. 4,781 Karen people were
displaced. The Burma Army is continuing its attacks in this area and there
are now 6 Burma Army battalions in this operation.
LIB20 Commanded by Kyaw Kyaw, is located at N 18 03 00 E 097 01 00 and is
continuing its burning of farms,homes and barns.
LIB 264 Commanded by Tin Maung Shwey is located at N 18 00 03 E 097 01
01 and is patrolling the area searching for any remaining rice or homes to
destroy.
IB 57 is located at N 18 02 10 E 097 02 7.2 and is in support of the two
main attacking battalions.
LIB 350 is also in a supporting position for these attacks (in the
immediate area, but exact location unknown).
LIB 28 is moving supplies for the attacking battalions and LIB 589 is the
reserve battalion for this operation.
4,781 Karen IDPs are still in hiding in the jungle in this area and can not
move during the day time. Their homes, barns, crops and 19,425 baskets of
paddy rice have been destroyed.
Paddy Rice Destroyed:
*19,425 baskets is 388,000 kilos of paddy rice or 853,600 pounds of paddy
rice. Each basket of paddy rice is 20 kilos, equal to two tins of paddy
rice, each tin
holding 10 kilos of paddy rice.( Note:1 tin of Paddy rice can be between 8-
11
kilos. 10 kilos is used for this report. 10 kilos x 2 = 20 kilos per
basket).
The rice that was burned was paddy rice. Paddy rice is rice that has been
cut, harvested, winnowed and gathered in the rice fields or into barns. It
is still in its husk. It is then put into baskets and carried to a barn to
be pounded in order to separate the rice grain from the husk. Paddy rice is
pounded and the grain separated from the husk by a hand pounder, foot
pounder or taken to a mill and milled by machine. In the area attacked, the
rice is be milled by each family, by hand and by foot pounder.
(Milled rice is 16.6 kilos to a tin and thus 33.2 kilos or 70 lbs to a
basket. There are three tins of milled rice per sack. A sack of milled rice
is 50 kilos or about 100 lbs. When converted from paddy rice to milled rice,
the amount burned would be between 144,000 kilos and 200,000 kilos of milled
rice, or between 2880 and 4,000 sacks (each in 50 kilo sacks).
The immediate needs of the IDPs a security, rice, blankets, cooking pots
and medicine.
The affected village tracts a Bla Ko, Mae Ya Kee.
Mae K'Tee, Saw Per Kee and Htee Blu (Bleh). The general area is east of
Shwygyin city, vicinity E097 00 to E097 08 and N 17 55 to N 18 05.
This update of 10 December follows the reports of 4 December and the earlier
reports of November. The Burma Army attacks are ongoing, thus the increasing
numbers of IDPs and rice burned.

December 1st, 2004: The Burma Army is now attacking IDPs in Toungoo District
and has displaced 3,000 people. 1 December 2004

On 30 November 2004, in Toungoo District, Northern Karen State, Burma, two
Burma Army Battalions have attacked ten villages and displaced approximately
3,000 people. (Exact numbers are not yet possible to get as the Burma Army
is continuing its attacks and people are scattered in the jungle. The
villages in this area are large, numbering 300-500 people per village.)

The two Burma Army Battalions, IB 52 (2 columns under command of Battalion
Commander Aung Kyaw Nyint and Bn 2IC Nay Myo Win), and IB 60 (Under command
of Battalion Commander Sai Win Tin and 2IC Maung Mya Sa), are operating in
eastern Tantabin Township area of Toungoo District, Northern Karen State.
3,000 villagers have displaced from the following villages; Bway Baw Der,
Saw Mu Der, Saw Day Der, Per Law, Law Bee Law, Maw They Der, Gwa Htoo Cho,
Pwe Buh Der, Wa Mee Per and Klaw Mu Der. These villages are situated along
the Yaw Law River valley.

These have been three clashes between the Burma Army battalions and the KNLA
in this area from 28-30 November. The KNLA suffered no casualties, but the
Burma Army had three wounded (1Sergeant Major,1 Section leader, and 1
Private).
As of this report all the affected villagers have managed to flee but their
medical, food, shelter and security situation is not good.
The two Burma Army Battalions are now in Per Law and Klaw Mu Der villages
and are continuing the offensive.

November 14th, 2004: Burma Army attacks and displaces over 800 villagers in
Northern Karen State, Burma. Nov 27th, 2004 *-This is the initial report
ant the begining of the attacks.

The Burma Army is now attacking Karen civilians in Western Karen State,
Burma. These attacks have displaced over 800 villagers (IDPs*), who have
fled into the jungle with very little food or clothing. The Burma Army is
burning homes, rice barns and has destroyed over 2,000 baskets of paddy
rice. These attacks are occurring in Naunglybin District, Western Karen
State, from November 14, 2004 and continuing through 27 November 2004.

* All of the villagers in this area are Internally Displaced Persons- IDPs,
and had recently moved back into this area to reestablish the homes and
fields that they had lost in 2000. They are now in hiding again.

Burma Army Attack:
At midnight, 14 November 2004, four Burma Army Battalions (LIB 589, LIB 350,
IB 57, LIB20 and one troop from LIB 264) launched attacks against villagers
(IDPs) in Hsaw Htee Township, Naunglybin District, Karen State, Burma. The
four battalions divided into two forces and launched simultaneous attacks in
the Ya Aung area and the Htee Blu area. They have burned over 30 homes,
destroyed over 2,000 baskets of rice, looted homes and livestock, and have
driven over 800 people into the jungle. Most of the people had only a
one-hour warning that the Burma Army was coming and fled in the middle of
the night with few possessions or food. Many were sleeping in their fields
during this harvest time and could not return to their homes at all. The
food situation is the most critical now and the IDPs have used up all the
food they were able to flee with. Disease will begin to be a problem as
these people are crowded into two hide sites in the jungle with limited
space and water.

The Burma Army is now occupying the high ground near the abandoned villages
and continues to burn rice barns and homes as well as to eat the livestock
the villagers had to abandon when the Burma Army attacked.

Possible attacks to the North:
In addition to these attacks there are unconfirmed reports that the Burma
Army is planning a similar attack against Karen civilians in Ler Doh (Kyauk
Kyi) township, Naunglybin District- north of the current attacks in Hsaw
Htee township.

Ler Doh Township- There has been a troop buildup and the Burma Army is
possibly going to attack in this area. Eight porters who were forced to work
for the Burma Army escaped from this area and provided this information.

A joint KHRG and FBR team made the following report:

14 November 2004-Ya Aung area, Hsaw Htee Township, Naunglybin District,
Karen State, Burma. Four full battalions from LIB 589 commanded by Saw Awe,
serial number 20198, LIB 350 commanded by Tha Nine, serial number 18971, IB
57 commanded by Aung Ko Lak, serial number 27151 and LIB 20 and one troop
from LIB 264. All troops started their actions on 14 November 2004 from
Shweygyin.

A message was received on 14 November at midnight that the Burma Army troops
were headed their way and at 1 am the villagers were alerted and started to
move.

15 November 2004- Many IDPs, including women and children, had to flee. All
of the IDPs are worried about staying alive, because all of the food they
could not take with them was burned by Burma Army troops. They expressed
that they don't know how or where to get medicine, blankets and clothing or
how to treat the IDPs who are sick. They have to cook between 6pm and 4am
because they are worried that the Burma Army troops will see the smoke of
their fires during the day and find their hiding place.

There are women who are pregnant and close to giving birth staying in the
IDP hide sites and if they have to stay much longer will give birth in the
jungle. The weather is getting colder and there has been some rain. The IDPs
don't have enough clothing or blankets to stay warm as a result of having to
leave their homes and farms so quickly. They are also under constant
pressure to always be ready to move if the Burma Army troops come near their
hiding place. Food, shelter, health and security are their biggest problems
right now.

19 November 2004--
A man from Nya Lee Pu village in the jungle was looking for his wife, as
they had been separated when the alert went out. He was able to find her a
few days later.

The troops went from the Shweygyin River to Su Mu Hta, and then to Ya Aung
area (three villages in this area are Ya Aung, Ger Hee Day, Nya Lee Pu).

Altogether more than 400 IDPs had to flee from these three villages and are
still hiding in the jungle. Some of the villagers believe in the ceasefire
and so they store their paddy at their farms. Even many storehouses of paddy
in the jungle have been burned down by Burma Army troops.

20 November 2004--
The team met with villagers who carried rice to the IDPs. The team visited
the IDPs from the Ya Aung area. They had no blankets, no clothing, no
plastic sheets, and the villagers said to the team, "We only have five days
of rice remaining. We don't know how to get enough food." The villagers were
suffering from malaria, diarrhea, hepatitis and other illnesses.

21 November 2004--
It rained in the area this night. The children and other IDPs had no plastic
sheeting and insufficient shelter so they got wet.

22 November 2004 Htee Blu Area--
There are close to 500 IDPs in this area. The four Burma Army battalions and
one troop separated and are in both the Ya Aung area and the Htee Blu Area.

On 22 November 2004, Burma Army troops burned paddy farms in this area. The
troops also saved enough paddy near their camp to supply the Burma Army
troops with rice.

On 23 November 2004, the Burma Army troops went to Doo Pa Lay and burned
down paddy and villagers' houses in that area. The troops burned down the
farms and killed the villagers' animals for their food. This area is NW of
Su Mu Law River and so the villagers who had fled (and live across the river
in an area the troops hadn't arrived yet), were able to return to their
farms in the evening, collect their paddy, thresh it and hide it in the
jungle. The IDPs are hiding in the jungle and are afraid.

A crying villager told the team, "I was very happy about my leaders making a
ceasefire and believed in it. I made a large farm and now I have lost
everything."

(A relief member comment- " To compare my people to something would be
comparing them to animals in the jungle. If I compare their lives to a dog
in a town, the food for the dog is more than for the people in the jungle. I
do not want to see them living like that any more." He went on to say, " I
also gathered all of the IDPs and prayed for them. Some of the villagers
lift up their lives to God and depend on God because they can't do anything.
I told them that when we see clouds in the sky, the rain will often come,
but after the rain the sky is clear and the sun will come out again."

Another team member feels very sorry because his people are suffering from
the Burma Army doing bad things and the people have lost all their
belongings. He can't do anything even if he wants to because he has nothing.
The one thing he can do is pray for the IDPs.)

20 October 2004

Current Situation: 2000 Karenni IDPs fleeing attacks of the Burma Army
20/10/04

15 October: 4 Burma Army battalions patrolling south of Mawchi Area of
Karenni State, Burma, in order to clear all IDPs out of area south of Mawchi
to Karen border. The Burma Army has ordered all villagers and those IDPs
still hiding in Southern Karenni State to move to Mawchi forced relocation
sites. There are now 500 IDPs hiding in jungle hide sites south of Mawchi,
600 IDPs more IDPS across the border in Papun District, Northern Karen
State, and over 1000 Karenni IDPs in Toungoo District , Northwestern Karen
State. There is a high prevalence of Dysentery, Malaria, ARI, and skin
infections among these people in hiding.

The Burma Army has made it known that the attacks of January this year
(which displaced over 2,000 Karenni and 3,000 Karen) are only an example of
what will occur this year. Mines have been laid in and outside of villages
and routes to the villages. The Burma Army is also warning all villages on
the Karen/Karenni border that they will attack them if they give any help to
the Karenni.

*For detailed reports concerning any of the above information please see
www.freeburmaranger.org or contact or