In This Report Dear friends,

As we continue relief missions in Burma we also are monitoring the situation as regards to the different stages of ceasefire negotiations and the situation the ground. This update is sent from northern Karen State and includes information sent from other FBR teams in different areas of Burma. In some areas such as Arakan State, western Burma, where there are no ceasefire negotiations, the Burma army continues it operations. In other areas such as Kachin State, although there are negotiations, the Burma army is continuing operations with over 100 infantry battalions. In Karen State, there has been a significant reduction of fighting, but the movement of supplies and Burma army troop movement into Karen State continues. In the Karen State no ceasefire has yet been signed but both the Karen National Union (Karen ethnic pro-democracy resistance) and the Government of Burma have ordered their troops not to shoot at each other. The following are the incidents of hostilities as well as one incident of a friendly encounter from January 16 to present, 1 February 2012.

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16-23 January, Burma Army soldier shoots villager, Burma army force villagers support their resupply activates. From 16/1/2012 to 23/1/2012 SPDC IB 61, IB 62, LIB591 and LIB343 advanced and secured the road in the Anankwin and Thaphuzaya areas. They resupplied food and supplies. When they arrived at Anankwin village, they told villagers to make baskets for their loads. Four baskets from Htee Kler Ni, 10 from Htee LerHsaw, tenfrom Lu Shah and ten from Mae Klu villages, Win Ye Township, Dooplaya District, South- central Karen State.

Burma Army supply convoy at Muthey advancing into Karen State 22 January 2012

Burma Army troop communicates as resupply advances to Play Hsa Lo camp 22 Januray 2012

18 January, a soldier from SPDC LIB562 (battalion commander Kyaw Soe Naing) under control of MOC 5, shot a villager, Saw Pa Dah, 35 years old from Ta Pho Poh Hta village, Noh Ta Kaw township, Dooplaya District. Saw Pa Dah was wounded in the leg.

22 January. Burma Army and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)- forces fight between Lay Day Burma Army camp and Play Hsa Lo camp at 1200 hrs. Burma Army had one killed and one wounded, the KNLA no casualties. Burma army troops and KNLA troops fought on the mule trail between Lay Day Burma Army camp and Play Hsa Lo (They Pu), Burma Army camp as the Burma Army was sending supplies to Play Hsa Lo camp. Play Hsa Lo, Tantabin Township, Toungoo District, Northern Karen State.

Burma Army troops and convoy in Muthey in advance into Karen State 22 January 2012

Burma Army troops enter Play Hsa Lo village 22 January 2012

24 January, Burma Army mortars and shoots machine guns into IDP and village areas. Ler Doh (KyaukKyi township) Nyaunglebin District, Western Karen State. At 17:20 hrs on 24 January, Burma Army troops of the Southern Command, (Battalion 351 and Battalion 60 identified. One commander identified from Battalion 351- one Company Commander named They Ko) advanced on the KyaukKyi-Muthey- Hsaw Hta road, shooting mortars and machineguns into the surrounding area. Some of the mortar rounds were directed at the villagers of Khe Der village tract and in Khe der village itself the people are on alert. As the Burma Army moved they fired mortars, machineguns and small arms. Over 150 horses and mules are being used for their resupply operation now and we have a report of 60 trucks of ammunition, food and supplies but can confirm the 41 trucks we saw and videoed. We have not yet heard of any casualties however. The shelling was from Wa Me Kwee and Kler Soe camps.

24 January, Burma Army troops shoot at villagers in Kay Pu area, Luthaw Township, Muthraw (Papun) district, Northern Karen State. At 0845 hrs on 24 January, Burma army troops from MOC 9 shot at villagers near the old Kay Pu village site. The Burma Army has a camp above the old village that was abandoned when the Burma army attacked here in major offensive in 2006. The villagers were animists on the way to religious ceremony. The Burma army was patrolling down into the IDP areas near the Plo lo Klo river ( south of the junction with the Yunzalin river). When the Burma Army saw the villagers, they opened fire. The villagers ran and no one was hurt.

Burma Army troops on road before handshake with Karen soldiers 28 January 2012

28 January, Burma Army troops and KNLA troops shake hands at a road crossing. Ler Mu Plaw, Luthaw, Muthraw district, Northern Karen State. At 1145 hrs on 28 January, Burma Army troops on the Saw Mu Plaw-Baw Ga li Gyi road between Saw Mu Plaw and Ler Mu Plaw, met Karen KNLA troops on the road. The Burma Army called out, “Don’t shoot, we will not shoot you”. The Karen soldiers responded, “We will not shoot you”. The Karen troops moved out onto the road and talked briefly with the Burma Army troops. The Burma army troops said, “You can go back to your farms and villages now.” The Karen troops responded, ” We cannot go back to our homes until you leave your camps and this area.” The troops smiled and laughed together, shook hands and the Burma army troops continued down the road.

Karen and Burma Army troops shake hands on a road in Northern Karen State. 28 Jan 2012

Good Life Club Program with IDPs

Karen FBR medics treat a burn victim

Relief supplies and FBR on the move to help IDPS

Shan FBR medics treat Karen pateint

Karen mother using early warning radio network before movement

Included here is a report we sent out during this time.

Standing for Freedom in the Midst of Change – a Report from the Field.

(For the security of the people we met in the forced relocation sites, we have not included pictures from the plains) Here in Burma there are some good changes, yet oppression continues and in some areas such as Karen and Kachin States, shooting by the Burma Army continues.

The sun is coming up after a night movement from the mountains down to the plains of Burma. It is here that the Burma Army has feudal rule with tight control over people’s lives and camps surrounding the forced relocation sites. Up in the mountains the Burma army shoots to kill, but there is room to get away and the resistance is strong enough to slow and sometimes stop Burma Army attacks. Two days ago in the mountains, we could hear the Burma Army shelling towards Karen villages as they advanced to supply their camps. In Kachin state our team is helping over 40,000 IDPs displaced in ongoing attacks.

Down in the plains the Burma Army has almost complete control. But, it is impossible to fully control people who have the conviction that all people are equal in the sight of God and that this is their home. . Here in Burma we still face giants, but we do not face them alone. We moved like mice in between the Burma Army camps and patrols to meet the people in the relocation sites. We met them in the bushes and trees that separated the miles and miles of rice fields. “The church is the greatest source of unity here”, the local underground resistance leader told us. “Oppression, imprisonment and death has caused fear to grow in us and between us, breaking down our trust and unity.” As we prayed about our meetings with the people here, our medic, Eliya, shared these words from Psalm 100: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing, know that the Lord, He is God, it is He who has made us and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him and bless His name, for the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.” We did not make ourselves, God made us and we are His and we also belong to each other. We can live with joy and boldly, knowing we are God’s children. From this relationship with God and each other, come the convictions that we live and act on.

We met Karen Christians, Burmese Buddhists and Karen Buddhists and felt close to all. Into our little hide site came a man we met on the last mission to the plains, the father of one of our team members and the leader of the underground here. He was beaming and under his thin windbreaker showed us the FBR t-shirt he dared to wear. He smiled proudly and then grabbed my arms and we began to wrestle like we did when we met last year. He was testing my strength, courage and sense of humor, and to see if we were still brothers. I call him “Big bear” as he is a very stout and strong man, built like a Mongolian warrior, with a bull neck, broad chest, powerful arms, and tree stump like legs. His smile is clear and the love of life shines through him.

Later that night we met other church leaders and for the next four days and nights moved and met many leaders from different relocation sites. We prayed together and shared experiences and listened to their thoughts, needs and convictions. An elder told us, “I had to watch every step to come here. No matter what is said about changes, the Burma Army can still kill you anytime. We are glad you came and we pray for the end of restrictions we live under.” Another man from this village told us of two farmers who were shot by Burma troops two months ago, one a father of four, killed, and another one wounded.

One pastor told us, “We have been praying for the leaders to change and thank God we do see some changes. But still there is oppression, so it seems the change is only of the mind. We need a change of heart too. We pray now that God will grab Senior General Than Shwey’s heart! Last week the Burma army told us, ‘Now there is change in Burma, if you contact the Karen National Union (Karen pro-democracy resistance), you will be severely punished’.” Another church leader said, “We have been forced to move three times. The Burma army just told some of us that we could go back home, but when we asked about proof in writing, there was none. Is it a trap? Going back to our original homes can be true vision if we pray. I know God’s plans are above ours, and dreams like this can come true.” A woman’s group leader told us, “We need to be free. We want unity and we also need help with our schools, churches and Early Child Care Development programs.”

One man had just been released from prison after serving 5 years after being accused of helping the KNU. “I was beaten badly when I was arrested and then taken to Toungoo prison. There I was fed rice and salt water. I was watched all the time and only allowed to pray in Burmese and not in my Karen language. I spent much time in solitary. I knew the Karen lady medic who was captured and saw her in prison too.”

Another man in his 60’s told us, “Last year, I was captured by the Burma army on the trail and had four of my teeth knocked out by the soldiers. I was beaten with sticks and clubbed with a rifle to my entire body. After six days of torture my friends were able to pay 300,000 kyats to the army and I was released.”

A pastor told us, “Things have gotten a little better and we are stopped at check points less than before. After 60 years of war, hearts need to change. My message to Aug San Suu Kyi is, ‘Please remember the ethnic people of Burma.’ All of us should be united, and for me the church is the central pillar of unity. We want all churches to be free. We do not want to have to apply for permission as we do now. Now we have to apply for permission to hold special church events, for building projects, and for any traveling we want to do. I do want to thank you all for the gifts you gave us last time and for the bibles and hymnals. We used the gift to make a wooden library to safely store all of our bibles, hymnals and books. Now we need more bibles and hymnals. Thank you so much and may God bless all of you. ” We committed to helping each community and church as much as we could and are grateful for the help of Partners and others. As we talked, I told them about the German theologian Dietrich Bonheoffer stood for the Jews and other oppressed people in WWII. Bonheoffer gave up his life to stand against Hitler’s Nazi oppression. Bonheoffer died in a concentration camp just before the war ended and freedom came. Even the end of WWII did not mean freedom for all. For many in Eastern Europe, China and other places, oppression under another name continued.

Last year the former Czech President Vaclav Havel died. He was one of many who stood for freedom until Eastern Europe too was free. He was a friend of FBR and here in Burma we paid tribute to him with a memorial service, prayer and song. Here in Burma, like Havel and Bonheoffer, we are directed by the conviction that God wants us to stand with and help His people be free. God’s power of love brings change in each of us and helps us to move forward together to be part of His freedom, mercy and grace everywhere.

Thank you and God bless you,
Dave, family and FBR teams.
Karen State, Burma.

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

In This Report

• Villager shot and beaten to death on Christmas Eve as Burma Army continues to oppress people in northern Karen State
• Multi-ethnic team conducts relief mission in Toungoo District
• Burma Army and Border Guard Force shoot villagers and demand forced labor in Butho Township, Mutraw District
• Nyaunglebin District teams complete relief mission
• Teams complete relief mission in Luthaw Township, Mutraw District

Map showing area of report

Burma Army patrols kill man and demand forced labor in Toungoo District

On 24 December 2011, at 4:30pm, troops from Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 380, based at Naw Soe Camp, shot and wounded and then beat to death Saw Koh Mya, age 31, from Ku Ler Der Village, while on patrol. They then looted his body and left him half buried by the side of the trail.

On 29 December 2011, a column from LIB 375, patrolling in the Play Hsa Loh area, forced villagers to transport their food to Htee Mu Hta Camp. They used 60 oxcarts owned by villagers from Ye Shan, Sha Zee Bo, See Phyu Kone, Taw Kone and Pyin Kan villages.

On 30 December 2011, at 12pm, a Burma Army bulldozer travelling with a security column left Kler La heading toward Ler Hsa Day, which is between Klay Soh Hkee and Kler La. They forced one villager to use his truck to carry food to Naw Soe Camp.

On 7 December, LIB 378 fired 10 mortar rounds at Ko Way Village. Five of the 10 landed in the village and destroyed some houses. This was a response to a Karen pro-democracy resistance, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), attack on the battalion earlier that day. There were no KNLA troops in the village when the mortar fire occurred.

Burma Army soldiers in Kler La Camp, Toungoo District

Father of FBR team member loses leg to landmine

Overview of Burma Army Troops in Toungoo District

Military Operations Command (MOC) 9 and Southern Command are operating in the area. There are 20 battalions between them. LIBs 380 and 374 have both sustained losses due to attacks from the KNLA and have combined to make the size of one full battalion. LIB 378, commanded by Lin Htaing Oo, is in the Thandaung area. LIB 375 is above Pa Lay Wa. LIB 379 is responsible for road and bulldozer security. The primary activity of the Burma Army here is road construction and moving supplies. There is one Burma Army bulldozer at Naw Soe Camp and one at Busakee Camp. These are hidden under camouflage to protect them from resistance attacks. Because of the effectiveness of these attacks, different Burma Army battalions are not sharing their bulldozers with each other out of fear they will be destroyed.

Multi-ethnic Team Conducts Relief Mission in Mutraw and Toungoo Districts

OVERVIEW: During the month of December, ten Free Burma Ranger teams, including team members from Arakan, Karen, Karenni, Lahu, Mon, Naga, and Pa-Oh areas of Burma, conducted a relief mission in Luthaw Township of Mutraw District, and Daw Pa Ko Township in Toungoo District. The teams visited eight villages and Internally Displaced Person (IDP) sites. They conducted Good Life Club (GLC) programs for children in each site, interviewed teachers and local village leaders, gathered information on Burma Army activity in these areas, and put on clinics for all villages in the area of each site. Altogether, the teams helped over 1,600 children, from 32 different schools, by providing clothing and school supplies; they also treated over 1,350 patients.

Arakan and Mon rangers sing for a program in northern Karen State

Children laugh with GLC team leader at program

EDUCATION: While every village has some form of school, in Toungoo District there are no high schools outside of Burma Army-controlled villages. Approximately 20% of school-aged children from villages represented at the programs cannot go to school either because their families are too poor and they must stay home to help, or because of the lack of opportunity in their village, and an inability to travel to a boarding school or refugee camp for further education. Many teachers say their greatest needs are basic supplies like text books and sports equipment. Many of these schools must go to nearby Burma Army-controlled villages to buy their own supplies.

FBR medic doing dental work at a GLC program

HEALTH: In Toungoo District, there is one clinic that serves IDPs and villages outside of Burma Army-controlled areas. This clinic is run by the Karen National Union (KNU — pro-democracy resistance). Most villagers interviewed are at least a full day’s walk from this clinic, which has no electricity. FBR teams traveling between the villages of Thay Mu Der and See Plaw were stopped by villagers and asked to come see a pregnant woman in her third trimester who had been unconscious for five hours. FBR medics worked with her for the rest of the day and through the night, and were able to stabilize her but could not provide all the help she needed (she was later diagnosed with eclampsia). The medics decided the best option was to carry her by hammock stretcher to the nearest clinic in a Burma Army-controlled village. While villagers do visit these brown-zone villages, it is dangerous and they are frequently arrested, interrogated, fined and otherwise harassed by Burma Army soldiers with impunity. The KNU worked with the underground resistance to find a way and the FBR medics carried her part of the distance, where they were met by other villagers who took her the rest of the way.

Another case FBR teams met on the mission is that of Saw See Blu Ywa. See Blu Ywa (”Thank God” in Karen language) was badly burned when he was two days old and rolled into the fire. His mother says he can still see out of both eyes but one is damaged. He has no use of his right hand but can use his arm with limited range of motion, as well as some limitations on the range of motion in his neck. FBR has committed to helping him with reconstructive surgery with the help of many others this year.

Saw Blu Ywa, burned as an infant, with GLC bracelet

POST-ELECTION: Villagers and local leaders, when asked about any changes since Burma’s elections one year ago, almost uniformly responded that there have been no significant changes. However, as detailed above, there has been some decrease in Burma Army activity, partly due to fighting in other areas of Burma and partly due to KNLA activity.

Children from 11 schools came to this GLC program, northern Karen State

Burma Army and BGF shoot villagers and demand forced labor in Butho Township, Mutraw District

Burma Army and Border Guard Force (The BGF are ethnic proxy forces that work with the Burma Army) troops have been shooting villagers, demanding forced labor, and taking money and supplies from people in Butho Township, Mutraw District, Karen State.

On 27 December 2011, villagers from Pra Day Mu Village fled to hiding places because Burma Army and BGF troops demanded forced labor. There are more than 50 houses in this village. On 28 December, Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 218, commanded by Htun Htun Naing, captured 14 people — seven from Htee Gay Lo Village and seven from Mae Nyaw Village — and forced them to serve as guides and carry wounded troops. At 5pm, also on 28 December, Burma Army troops shot and wounded one villager.

As of 3 January 2012, the Burma Army and BGF activity in Mae Nyaw and Pra Day Mu is ongoing and villagers have not been able to return to their villages. The BGF told the villagers not to go back to Pra Day Mu Village yet because of landmines they had laid in the village.

BGF Battalion 1014, led by Bo Maw Htin, have been active in Lay Wah and Saw Hpa village tracts. They have now combined with the Burma Army to form a joint camp in K’Ter Hti. As they returned with wounded troops, they burned down the villagers’ rubber plantation, saying it was because the village supported the KNLA.

In Ta Ku Der Village Tract the Burma Army is trying to build up its camp. As part of this, LIB 345 has been monitoring villager activity more carefully. In the villages of Ta Ku Der, Plaw Day, Lay Pu Kha, To Kee Lo and Ler Bo they have been forcing villagers to check in with them twice a week. On 5 January 2012, at midnight, LIB 341 also forced villagers to clean their village because they said their leaders were coming.

Burma Army troops called the Mae Moi Hta Village headman to a meeting at Hpa Loe Village. They gave him a digital camera and told him to take photos of people coming and going in the village.

Troops from BGF Battalion 2013 commanded by Saw Kyaw Than forced villagers from Nya Gay Lo to cut 500 bamboo poles and send them to K’Ter Hti BGF Camp. In Mae Lah Village, people have not been able to harvest their rice because BGF and Burma Army troops are in the village. Five people from the village went to buy food but BGF troops confiscated it as they returned to the village.

On 11 November 2011, BGF troops commanded by Saw Maw Wee demanded 150,000 kyat from each of four villages: Htee Taw Kee, Mae Bree Kee, Mae Bree Pa Doh and Htee Baw Kho.

Burma Army and BGF troops continue to demand supplies, money and forced labor from villagers. LIB 434 has replaced IB 19 in the Dah Point area. They are using six trucks to resupply their camp at Papun.

Free Burma Ranger relief teams are providing relief supplies and medical treatment for people in the area.

Nyaunglebin District teams complete relief mission

Nyaunglebin District teams completed a relief mission in the areas of Mae Ka Tee, Htee Wa Bway Kee, Kauka, Blaw Ko and other places in Hsaw Hti Township, Nyaunglebin District, northwestern Karen State. The teams did Good Life Club programs, medical treatment, interviews, prayed and encouraged the people. Children from 11 schools attended the programs and over 580 patients were treated.

Health education during Good Life Club program

In this area, LIB 598 is based at Taung Chi Yein Camp (N 17 40 50.9 E 96 59 25.0), LIB 589 is based at Ler Tau Tho Camp. They are not currently patrolling. IB 2, IB 10, IB 96, LIB 207 and artillery battalions are also in the area. Most of these are under Division 44 based at Kyet Ton. There is also a Burma Army camp at the Kyeit Htee Yo Pagoda area. There have been no offensives in the area since 2010, but troops have been searching for KNLA soldiers and sending food and resupplies to their camps. This area is a mix of brown zones where there is mixed Burma Army and KNU control, and black zones controlled by the KNU where the Burma Army has a free-fire policy including civilians.

LIB 207 security tower, Nyaunglebin District

One village in the area, near the junction of Nyaunglebin, Mutraw and Thaton districts has been forced to porter by the Burma Army monthly over the past year. However, forced labor has decreased in the past year because Division 44 demands forced labor less often than Division 101, which was previously in the area. Overall, people in this area have been in a better situation than in the previous year and there have been no new displaced people.

The teams treated 581 people with health problems including common cold, anemia, worms, malaria, ARI, UTI and other problems. They also did dental treatment and gave out eye glasses. In parts of this area there are no clinics.

Most of the villages in the area have primary schools, while a few villages have middle schools. About 10 to 20% of school-age children do not attend school, often because they need to look after their younger siblings or their parents cannot afford to continue their education.

Most of the people in the area earned a living with mountain rice farming, while a few have small shops and some are day laborers.

Teams complete relief mission in Luthaw Township, Mutraw District

FBR teams have completed a mission in Luthaw Township, Mutraw District, Karen State. The teams conducted Good Life Club programs for over 500 children from six schools in eight villages. Burma Army Division 101 is in the area, patrolling along the car road and resupplying their camps with food. Wa Klai Tu, Kaw Thway Kyo and Paw Kay Ko Burma Army camps are in the area.

Wa Klai Tu Burma Army Camp, Luthaw Township

Thanks to all of you who help us do these missions.
May God bless you,

The Free Burma Rangers

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

• Here in Burma there are some good changes, yet oppression continues and in some areas such as Karen and Kachin States, shooting by the Burma Army continues.

The sun is coming up after a night movement from the mountains down to the plains of Burma. It is here that the Burma Army has feudal rule with tight control over people’s lives and camps surrounding the forced relocation sites. Up in the mountains the Burma army shoots to kill, but there is room to get away and the resistance is strong enough to slow and sometimes stop Burma Army attacks. Two days ago in the mountains, we could hear the Burma Army shelling towards Karen villages as they advanced to supply their camps. In Kachin state our team is helping over 40,000 IDPs displaced in ongoing attacks.

Down in the plains the Burma Army has almost complete control. But, it is impossible to fully control people who have the conviction that all people are equal in the sight of God and that this is their home. . Here in Burma we still face giants, but we do not face them alone.

We moved like mice in between the Burma Army camps and patrols to meet the people in the relocation sites. We met them in the bushes and trees that separated the miles and miles of rice fields. “The church is the greatest source of unity here”, the local underground resistance leader told us. “Oppression, imprisonment and death has caused fear to grow in us and between us, breaking down our trust and unity.” As we prayed about our meetings with the people here, our medic, Eliya, shared these words from Psalm 100: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing, know that the Lord, He is God, it is He who has made us and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him and bless His name, for the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.”

We did not make ourselves, God made us and we are His and we also belong to each other. We can live with joy and boldly, knowing we are God’s children. From this relationship with God and each other, come the convictions that we live and act on.

We met Karen Christians, Burmese Buddhists and Karen Buddhists and felt close to all. Into our little hide site came a man we met on the last mission to the plains, the father of one of our team members and the leader of the underground here. He was beaming and under his thin windbreaker showed us the FBR t-shirt he dared to wear. He smiled proudly and then grabbed my arms and we began to wrestle like we did when we met last year. He was testing my strength, courage and sense of humor, and to see if we were still brothers. I call him “Big bear” as he is a very stout and strong man, built like a Mongolian warrior, with a bull neck, broad chest, powerful arms, and tree stump like legs. His smile is clear and the love of life shines through him.

Later that night we met other church leaders and for the next four days and nights moved and met many leaders from different relocation sites. We prayed together and shared experiences and listened to their thoughts, needs and convictions. An elder told us, “I had to watch every step to come here. No matter what is said about changes, the Burma Army can still kill you anytime. We are glad you came and we pray for the end of restrictions we live under.” Another man from this village told us of two farmers who were shot by Burma troops two months ago, one a father of four, killed, and another one wounded.

One pastor told us, “We have been praying for the leaders to change and thank God we do see some changes. But still there is oppression, so it seems the change is only of the mind. We need a change of heart too. We pray now that God will grab Senior General Than Shwey’s heart! Last week the Burma army told us, ‘Now there is change in Burma, if you contact the Karen National Union (Karen pro-democracy resistance), you will be severely punished’.” Another church leader said, “We have been forced to move three times. The Burma army just told some of us that we could go back home, but when we asked about proof in writing, there was none. Is it a trap? Going back to our original homes can be true vision if we pray. I know God’s plans are above ours, and dreams like this can come true.”

A woman’s group leader told us, “We need to be free. We want unity and we also need help with our schools, churches and Early Child Care Development programs.”

One man had just been released from prison after serving 5 years after being accused of helping the KNU. “I was beaten badly when I was arrested and then taken to Toungoo prison. There I was fed rice and salt water. I was watched all the time and only allowed to pray in Burmese and not in my Karen language. I spent much time in solitary. I knew the Karen lady medic who was captured and saw her in prison too.”

Another man in his 60’s told us, “Last year, I was captured by the Burma army on the trail and had four of my teeth knocked out by the soldiers. I was beaten with sticks and clubbed with a rifle to my entire body. After six days of torture my friends were able to pay 300,000 kyats to the army and I was released.”

A pastor told us, “Things have gotten a little better and we are stopped at check points less than before. After 60 years of war, hearts need to change. My message to Aug San Suu Kyi is, ‘Please remember the ethnic people of Burma.’ All of us should be united, and for me the church is the central pillar of unity. We want all churches to be free. We do not want to have to apply for permission as we do now. Now we have to apply for permission to hold special church events, for building projects, and for any traveling we want to do. I do want to thank you all for the gifts you gave us last time and for the bibles and hymnals. We used the gift to make a wooden library to safely store all of our bibles, hymnals and books. Now we need more bibles and hymnals. Thank you so much and may God bless all of you.”

We committed to helping each community and church as much as we could and are grateful for the help of Partners and others. As we talked, I told them about the German theologian Dietrich Bonheoffer stood for the Jews and other oppressed people in WWII. Bonheoffer gave up his life to stand against Hitler’s Nazi oppression. Bonheoffer died in a concentration camp just before the war ended and freedom came. Even the end of WWII did not mean freedom for all. For many in Eastern Europe, China and other places, oppression under another name continued.

Last year the former Czech President Vaclav Havel died. He was one of many who stood for freedom until Eastern Europe too was free. He was a friend of FBR and here in Burma we paid tribute to him with a memorial service, prayer and song. Here in Burma, like Havel and Bonheoffer, we are directed by the conviction that God wants us to stand with and help His people be free.

God’s power of love brings change in each of us and helps us to move forward together to be part of His freedom, mercy and grace everywhere.

Thank you and God bless you,

Dave, family and FBR teams.

Karen State, Burma.

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• The Burma Army is currently attacking within six miles of Mai Ja Yang, a city in Kachin State that is a refuge for over 1,000 displaced people
• The Burma Army is firing an average of 100 mortar rounds per day into this area and is receiving reinforcements.
• Over 40,000 Kachin people now displaced by attacks and more are preparing to run.

WARNING: This report contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some readers.

Attack on Mai Ja Yang city and IDP site

The Burma Army is currently attacking within six miles of Mai Ja Yang, a city and a refuge for over 1,000 displaced people who fled from other areas since fighting started in June 2011. Everyone in the town has their bags packed and are ready to flee. On 13 January 2012, 60 elderly people who are unable to walk were taken by car to a new Internally Displaced Person (IDP) site. The Burma Army is firing an average of 100 mortar rounds per day and is receiving reinforcements.
Burma Army Division 88 and LIB 321, under the control of the Southern Division, have two camps close to Mai Ja Yang: Yaw Yawng and Kawng Lawt Camps. In Mai Ja Yang there are two IDP camps: Ung Lung and Gat Pa, which have accommodated displaced people since July 2011 and now house over 1,000 IDPs in total.
In the same area, on 12 January 2012, Division 88 and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 321 shot a villager named Mi San, age 40 and a father of three, from Kawng Nan Village, Lwe Je Township. He was returning from his farm when he met the Burma Army troops. They arrested him, tied his hands, and made him walk in front of the soldiers to show the way. After one Burma Army soldier stepped on a landmine, the soldiers became angry and shot Mi San. The bullet went through his mouth and out the back. The KIA (Kachin Independence Army; pro-democracy ethnic resistance) found his body and started to burn the body, but Burma Army soldiers began shooting, forcing the KIA to leave the site. The Burma Army is telling local villagers that KIA killed Mi San.

Because of ongoing fighting in the area, 4,000 people from around Lwe Je have fled to Laying IDP Camp on the international border. This camp now contains 8,000 displaced people. Major needs are not enough toilets or plastic sheeting for roofs.

Fighting and IDPs near Mai Ja Yang

Villager Mi San shot by Burma Army

Two women killed and two men injured by Burma Army in KIA 2nd Brigade area

Burma Army Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 389 and 390 shot and killed two women between Nam Ya and Seng Hpra Villages in the KIA’s 2nd Brigade area on 11 January 2012. Their names were Lgwi Ying Yawm, 17 years old, and Gawlu Lu Seng, aged 18.

As Burma Army LIB 388 passed Mung Maw Village while traveling from Ba Maw to Seng Lum, a tire exploded nearby. Apparently believing it was an attack, the Burma Army troops fired into the village injuring two ethnic Shan men: Min Min, 26, and Nyi Htwi, age 30.

Attack on Prangatung Village

Burma Army Division 88, with about 300 soldiers, entered Prangatung Village on 7 December 2011 after fighting with KIA Battalion 15. They burned three houses; the owners of the houses were Jang Ma Anaw (the village headman), Jang Ma Sharoi and Maru Dau Lum. This is the second time that Jang Ma Anaw’s house was burned by the Burma Army; the first time was in 1993 in Mung Hka Village.

Villagers had originally fled this village in June when fighting first began, then later returned to their homes but fled again on 17 November 2011. There are 67 houses in the village, of which almost all were plundered and household items destroyed. All the farm animals were killed. The village contained approximately 300 villagers who fled to Wa Ra Pa, Je Gau Pa, Seng Mai Pa, Bum Rim Zup, and Mai Ja Yang IDP camps.
After the Burma Army troops left Prangatung Village, they went to reinforce the second group of Division 88 in Maruyinsun Village on 9 December 2011. Burma Army troops withdrew from the village after fighting KIA troops defending the village. Before the Burma Army left they burned one house in Maruyinsun Village. Jang Ma Braung Nan, the house owner, lost 40 sacks of rice he had stored, which were either eaten or burned by the Burma Army.
The Burma Army continued to Den Woi and then on to Lwe Je. Two other groups from Mo Maw reinforced this group at Lwe Je. All these units are now involved in the attack on Mai Ja Yang.

One of three burned homes in Prangatung Village

Home ransacked by Burma Army in Prangatung Village

Jang Ma Braung Nan’s burned home in Maruyinsun Village

Attack on Nam Lim Hpa Village

Note: This attack was previously documented by Partners Relief and Development and included in a previous report. The following is independent documentation from a Free Burma Ranger team that visited the village in early January 2012.

Burma Army IB 276 and Battalion 74, with a combined strength between 180 and 200 soldiers, attacked Nam Lim Hpa Village on 8 October 2011 at 11:30 am. First they shot 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds as well as small arms into the village causing the
villagers to flee. Three of the houses were damaged by mortars and four people were killed in the attack:

1. Palai Nan Naw, a 9-year-old boy, was hit in the chest by mortar shrapnel. He was killed on 8 October 2011 at 11:30 am.

2. Pausa Naw Din, age 17, was killed on 8 October 2011 at 11:00 am. He was shot by the Burma Army as they entered the village.

3. Brang Nan, age 34, was killed on 9 October 2011 at 11:00 pm. He was shot by a Burma Army patrol on the road as he was returning to the village.

4. Wa Je Myuli, age 17, was killed on 9 October 2011 at 11:00 pm; shot by a Burma Army patrol on the road as he was returning to the village.

House damaged from mortar

During the attack, the Burma Army locked 33 village women and 6 babies in the pastor’s house behind the church, and locked 20 men in the church. The women were forced to cook for the Burma Army. Some of the men were beaten in the church. The hostages were freed after 11 days except for 5 men who were taken to Si U Burma Army camp. They were freed after 2 weeks.

The BA burned a house belonging to Lah Pai Sham Lum, age 61, on 8 October 2011. He began building his house again near Hka Hpraw IDP camp along with one of his daughters and one grandson. During the process of building his new house his grandson died of malaria. He buried his grandson near the new house. However the man was so saddened by his grandson’s death that he couldn’t stay at the new location and moved 300 meters to another location in the jungle.

Nam Lim Hpa Burned House

The village headman was not well and before the village was attacked he went to Ba Maw Town to get treatment. After the attack on the village the Burma Army knew the headman was in Ba Maw and went to see him. They told the village headman that the village was attacked because there was 50 KIA soldiers in the village. He was told that the villagers that were hurt and killed were not the fault of the Burma Army; they were just caught in the middle of the fight. Even though the attack happened on 8 October they told the headman that the fighting started on the 9th because that was when the KIA arrived in the village. They made a list of what they claimed had happened and had the headman sign it. They told him to go back to the village and collect the headmaster and other village leaders to make a proper report and then give it to the authorities so the blame wouldn’t be on the Burma Army. The headman returned to the village but did not make the report after the villagers told him what had actually happened.

Before the attack there were 1,800 villagers in 286 houses in Nam Lim Hpa Village. 1,400 villagers fled to Ba Maw Town, but there are still 400 people in the jungle near the village. These 400 villagers have divided into 3 camps. The major sicknesses in the camps are malaria and diarrhea. Two villagers who are medics are caring for the people but only have a little medicine. Villagers are still able to work their farms but then return to sleep in the jungle because they are afraid the Burma Army may return.

Attack on Nam Hpu Village

Battalion 105/47 containing 220 soldiers attacked Nam Hpu Village on 16 July 2011. The villagers fled to Bhamo and IDP
camps. There are a very few families that are living in the jungle near the village. Some of the villagers returned back to the village to check on their houses and belongings. Two or three of the 20 houses had been ransacked.

Burma Army forces Maji Gung villagers to carry loads

Four men from Maji Gung Village were captured by Division 99, which has 156 soldiers. These men were used as porters to carry weapons and ammunition. Their names are:

1. Hpakawn Yaw Han aged 55. Has a family of 7 children.
2. Maran La Sam aged 21.
3. Hpakawn Tang Gun aged 19.
4. Hpauyam Da Wi aged 37.

Men forced to porter for Burma Army

Current Overall Situation of Displaced People

Since the fighting started on 9 June 2011 some 40,485 Kachin villagers have fled to Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps on the international border due to fighting. There is an unknown number of IDPs who have not made it to camps yet and are still in the jungle or have fled to major cities to live with relatives. The IDP camps along the border are as listed below:

• Laiza area:12,104 displaced people
• Laisen area: 1,642 displaced people
• Sadaung area: 5,803 displaced people
• North Division: 1,662 displaced people
• Eastern Division: 16,635 displaced people
• Western Division: 2,328 displaced people
• Southern Division: 311 displaced people

Most of the aid for these villagers comes from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO — pro-democracy ethnic resistance), local Chinese and Kachin businessmen, a Kachin church-based humanitarian group called Wunpawng Ninghtoi, and Partners Relief and Development.

A large number of IDPs have fled to the cities as they are not able to get to the border camps. The Burma Army has set up a camp for these IDPs in the Nam Kham area which is in the 4th Brigade area of the KIA (Kachin Independence Army; defense wing of the KIO). It is not known how many IDPs are in this camp. Burmese President Thein Sein gave the order for these people to all return home because there is no longer any fighting. The IDPs do not believe him and are refusing to return to their villages. However, some IDPs have been taken in by church groups which is a much better situation for them.

There are more displaced people hiding in the jungle in KIA 4th Brigade area, however no one is able to reach them due to Burma Army activity.

Overview of Burma Army Activity

According to KIA records there were 161 battles between the KIA and the Burma Army during December. Since the fighting began on 9 June 2011 there have been 910 recorded battles. The Burma Army continues to reinforce their camps. There are currently 105 Burma Army battalions consisting of 12,075 soldiers in Kachin State. In addition to rifles, the Burma Army is using artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The most severe fighting is currently around Ya Krung, Chying Ling, Di Ma Mahkrai, Hu Mung and Sama Lamshe Villages, all in different parts of Kachin State. The Burma Army is building camps at Pakang, Sampai, Wuhtau, Lahpai, Talawgyi, Sinlum (a major artillery position) and Nam Lek.

God bless you,

Kachin Free Burma Ranger team

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

• Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 105, commanded by Major Moe Kyaw, stabbed and shot three villagers to death, shot a 70-year-old woman and tortured four villagers in Mun Si Township, Kachin State.

31 December 2011 (original report date)

Attack on Hkin Buk Hra Pra Village

On 8 December 2011, over 100 men from IB 105 arrived to Hkin Buk Hka Pra Village. As the unit approached, 37 villagers fled and spent two days in hiding. On 10 December, the soldiers came again, firing into the village with machine guns and at least five mortar rounds. People in the village ran again.

Two women who each had an infant child with them were missing after the attack. On 13 December, villagers found Sum Hka Roi Tawng, age 38, who was killed by a bayonet stabbed into her left armpit that pierced through out of her right side. Her chest was bruised black. The clothes of Labya Tawng Ra, age 25, were found spread around. She remains missing. The two children were both found in the jungle without food or warm clothing, and they are now cared for by relatives in a refugee camp.

Sum Hka Mayam, age 60, is also missing since the attack on 10 December. The day after the attack her son, Wa Gye Kum Htoi, age 40, began looking for her in the area and then continued to look for her in refugee camps along the border. She is now presumed dead. Her son and grandson are now in a refugee camp.

Wa Gye Kum Htoi and his son in a refugee camp, hoping for news of their missing mother and grandmother, Sum Hka Mayam

Sum Hka Kaw, age 70, was hit by the shooting in her hip and left foot. She was afraid and ran away while wounded. After three or four hours, soldiers from the KIA (Kachin Independence Army, pro-democracy ethnic resistance) saw her, treated her injuries and cared for her. Her daughter, currently in a refugee camp, is concerned for family members who have not reached the refugee camp because the Burma Army is blocking the way.

Sum Hka Kaw’s daughter Labye Hkawn, age 49, worries about missing family members not yet at the refugee camp

Pastor and farmers captured and beaten

On 12 December 2011, IB 105 captured four men: Brang Shawng of Hka Pa Village, Aung Pu of Nam San Village, Naw Hpang (age 48) and Brang Ja (age 38) both also from Nam San. Aung Pu is a pastor; the other men are farmers. The soldiers interrogated them in a church building, asking if they are KIA soldiers and where their weapons are hidden. They were beaten then released. According to the captured men, the Burma Army is interrogating and beating all Kachin men they encounter.

Brang Ja, captured and beaten by Burma Army

Naw Hpang, hit on the head by a Burma Army soldier’s rifle

Woman killed in Man Morn Prang Kawng Village

Over 100 troops from IB 105 divided into 3 columns and burned villages. They took local people’s belongings including rice paddy and many other goods. On 16 December 2011 about 18 troops from IB 105 came near Man Morn Prang Kawng Village. Lamung Kaw Seng and her son Mitung Brang Seng, age 12, lived in the village. Lamung Kaw Seng had mental problems. As the soldiers approached, the boy was afraid and ran away to a farm hut to wait for his mother. He waited the whole night but his mother did not come. At 10:30 the next morning he heard gunshots. He believes that the mother’s knees were hit so she could not walk, then the troops shot her dead on the road, then dragged her body into the yard of the house and buried her. The boy went back to the house at 5pm and saw smoothly-leveled dirt in the yard. Her body was brought out of the hole, then on December 18, relatives and members of the church held a funeral service for Lamung Kaw Seng. Her son, Mitung Brang Seng, arrived to a refugee camp on December 20. (An initial report of this incident was previously reported in “Burma Army Kills Woman and Continues Attacks in Ba Maw District, Kachin State“.)

Man Morn Prang Kawng Village, site where Lamung Kaw Seng was shot

Man Morn Prang Kawng Village, site where Lamung Kaw Seng was shot

The body of Lamung Kaw Seng

Man killed in hiding area

On 20 December 2011, 62-year-old farmer Hpalu Hkau Sau Naw, of Hka Shawng Kawng Lat Village, and his brother were in a hiding area in the jungle attempting to make radio contact to get an update on Burma Army activity. The radio signal was weak, so Hpalu Hkau Sau Naw went in search of a better signal. His brother then heard one gunshot at 1pm. He found Hpalu Hkau Sau Naw lying dead in a rice field from a gunshot to his forehead. The unit in the area was IB 105. Hpalu Hkau Sau Naw’s wife and three daughters are now in a refugee camp; his three sons are KIA soldiers who continue to serve in the local area.

Hpalu Hkau Sau Naw’s wife Labya Kaw Lin (front), also age 62, her daughters and grandchildren in a refugee camp after her husband was killed

God bless you,

Kachin Free Burma Rangers

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

Dear friends,

We are relaying this update out from where we are on relief missions in Karen State, Burma. In spite of positive changes in Burma; such as release of many political prisoners, easing of restrictions on the press, and beginning of ceasefire talks with Shan, Chin, and Karen groups, the Burma Army continues its attacks in some ethnic areas and resupplying in all areas.

Here in Karen State there is no ceasefire yet in spite of talks between the Burma Army and the pro-democracy Karen resistance- Karen National Union (KNU). In Northern Burma over 40,000 Kachin villagers have been displaced by ongoing attacks in an offensive by over 100 Burma Army battalions. Tonight, Karen, Karenni, Mon and Shan team members here all expressed concern that the attacks against the Kachin, while ceasefire talks were being held with other groups, was a continuation of the government’s divide and rule strategy. They asked, “While the army offers talks with us and then attacks the Kachin, how can we believe they are sincere?”

Medics treat Karen burn victim.

Relief team on the move in Karen State

Burma Army Camp Toungoo District Karen State

Burned Kachin village of Nam Lin Hpa

Among the many patients we treated here recently, there were a little boy who was burned and a mother in labor whom we could provide funds for treatment, but could not fully treat in the jungle. But because of the KNU, we were able to send the mother through Burma Amy lines to a hospital and to make arrangements for the boy to be sent out later. The resistance is strong in these areas and is limiting Burma Army attacks on villages. The situation in other ethic areas varies from the ability to hold back the Burma Army and provide services, to just holding on and trying to survive. In all areas, wherever people choose to resist together, there is freedom and this freedom shines as a beacon of hope throughout Burma and to the whole world. Earlier, during Christmas here, I was giving out gifts and I asked if anyone needed anything else. We all stopped still when one of our lady medics, Hsa Kae (Shining Star), said, “I want my father and mother.” When she was 16 years old, on Christmas Day, her parents were shot dead in their home by the Burma Army. I went over to her, held her hand and prayed. I told her I was sorry. She looked at me and said, “It is ok,” and as I looked into her eyes, she smiled. Hsa Kae has chosen in the midst of her sadness to reach out and help others.

Burned boy and GLC bracelet

Kachin family in hiding from Lung Jung village

FBR relief teams with Karen IDPs in Karen State

All of us can reach out and help respond to the current changes with prayer, openness, unity and confidence in the truths we stand on: that people were made to be free, that love is the greatest power of all, that justice must be done and that reconciliation is the only way to real peace. We have sent the letter below to the government of the Union of Myanmar (Burma).

Dear leaders of the Union of Myanmar, We pray for you and encourage you to reconcile with all the people of Burma and if there is any constructive way we can help you in this please let us know.

Thank you and may God bless you,

Free Burma Rangers.

Our 59 relief teams from 11 different ethnic groups – Karen, Karenni, Kayan, Pa-Oh, Naga, Kachin, Chin, Lahu, Arakan, Mon, and Shan – continue to bring help, hope and love to people under attack, to shine a light on the situation, and to build up young leaders for freedom, justice and reconciliation in Burma. As one of our new Rangers said about the uprising in 1988, “Now I realize that we made a mistake in 1988 by not showing the Burma Army generals love. The students called for punishment and the generals reacted by cracking down until today. The next time, we must show love and forgiveness to the generals. Then we will win.” We have been praying for change in Burma based on this kind of love and are supporting the process of dialogue, understanding, and, we hope, an end to the conflict. But it has not ended and we will keep giving help, hope and love to those in need and doing our best to shine a light.

Thank you and God bless you,

Dave, family and teams

Dental care in Northern Karen State

Karen children enjoy the program

Lahu Good life Club leader with Karen children

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Shelling by Burma Army continues against civilian villages in Karen State, Burma

This report initially submitted on 16 December, 2011.

The following pictures were taken on 15 December 2010, one month after Burma’s controversial democratic elections. On 5 December 2010, the Burma Army mortared civilian villages in Lu Pler Township, Pa’an District. The attack affected nine villages and displaced a total of 773 people. At the time of the attack, there were ten battalions in the area under Military Operation Command (MOC) 19 and Division 22. Infantry Battalion (IB) 106, stationed at Jeh Pya Kone Camp, was responsible for the attack.

A likely reason for the attack was to clear out resistance to a project to repair a road used to transport military supplies. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA, pro-democracy ethnic resistance) was positioned near the road, blocking movement into the area. Driving the villagers out of the area by mortar attacks would prevent those people from aiding the KNLA and weaken the KNLA presence.

These Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are from four villages in the Meh Pru Village tract (Jay Baw Klo, Noh Day, Wah Bway Tu and Meh Pru) and were forced to flee after their villages were mortared by the Burma Army. They fled their homes and left their belongings for a safer area in a nearby border area.

A young Karen girl standing at the river bank looking back in the direction of her now abandoned village.

A group of fleeing children waiting to be picked up by a boat.

A mother and her child waiting for the boat after fleeing their mortared village.

A group of IDPs fleeing to a safer area.

Thank you and God Bless,

FBR Karen Team

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

The Burma Army continues to attack people in three townships of Ba Maw District, Kachin State: Mun Si Township, Shwegu Township and Ba Maw Township. On 16 December 2011, Burma Army soldiers killed a woman from Prang Kawng Village. The woman, 30-year-old Lamung Kaw Seng, suffered from a mental disability. As Burma Army troops approached the village, all the villagers fled except for Lamung Kaw Seng. When the soldiers found her, they killed her and threw her into a toilet pit.

Displaced Kachin children, 15 December 2011

Map showing area of report

Local people have left their homes and moved to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps near the international border because of the fighting, which continues to happen every day in this area. There are 6 IDPs camp along the border:

1. Yang Lu Camp
2. Law Hpai Camp
3. Hka Dawng Pa Camp
4. Nga Nawng Pa Camp
5. Na Kawng Kawng Camp
6. Lung Kawk Camp

Displaced people at Yang Lu IDP Camp, 17 December 2011

Law Hpai IDP Camp, 17 December 2011

Na Kawng Kawng IDP Camp, 16 December 2011

There are 3,998 people in those 6 IDPs camps. They arrived at the border area between 27 and 28 November.

There are 2,442 displaced people in 3 IDPs camps in Mun Si Township of Ba Maw District.

1) La Na Zup Camp

2) Dung Bung Camp

3) Manwing Camp

Displaced family at La Na Zup IDP Camp, 15 December 2011

]

Dung Bung IDP Camp, 16 December 2011

There are 7,058 IDPs from 123 villages that left their homes in Ba Maw, Shwegu and Mun Si Townships. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA, pro-democracy ethnic resistance) and WPN, a local Kachin humanitarian aid group, are taking care of these people by supplying food, medicine, warm clothes, and blankets, though the supplies are not enough to meet the needs. The most common illness for children under 5 years old is the common cold, and diarrhea is the most common illness for children above 5. Adults above 40 years old are especially suffering from high blood pressure. WPN is currently treating them. The children are not able to go to school.

The Burma Army started their offensive in this area by entering from northern Shan State in October with 500 troops from Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 504 and 506 under Division 66. Later on the Burma Army sent reinforcements from Divisions 33, 77 and 99, totaling 2,000 troops at present. Burma Army troops are torturing and killing villagers, burning houses and rice barns, and destroying or stealing villagers’ belongings. The Burma Army has divided into 4 or 5 columns and is attacking the KIA using 60mm, 82mm and 120 mm mortars; M79 guns; 0.5-caliber machine guns and other small arms, and using helicopters for food supplies. Specifically in these townships, the Burma Army is not building new camps, but is occupying the KIA’s Battalion 27 Camp after taking it over. Currently there is not heavy fighting but small clashes continue every day. A total of over 30,000 Kachin people have been displaced.

CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS REPORT: In the recent report “Burma Army Continues Attacks in Kachin State as of 14 December 2011″, the information in the first three paragraphs and the photo of the Burma Army mortar were collected by FBR teams on the ground in Kachin State. All information beginning with “On 8 October 2011,” until the end is courtesy of Partners Relief and Development, compiled first-hand by Partners investigators. In the report only the photos had been credited to Partners.

God bless you,

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

Pa’an District,
Central Karen State

On the morning of 29 October 2011, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 230, Column #1 commanded by Than Thait Soe, left Kler Day Burma Army Camp and arrived in Htee Ma Kyu Village. There they shot into a hut multiple times and killed 36-year-old Saw Pah Kok, with three bullets entering his leg, torso, and head. After killing Saw Pah Kok, soldiers confiscated items from his home including six pairs of earrings, one finger ring and 10,000 Baht. Htee Ma Kyu Village is in Kler Day Village Tract, Lu Pleh Township, Pa’an District.

Saw Pah Kok’s Family; he is survived by a wife and four children.

Saw Pah Kok’s House which was shot multiple times by the Burma Army

After their departure, LIB 230 was ambushed by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA – pro-democracy ethnic resistance) near Klay Mo Kee Village, Wa Mi Klar Village Tract, Ta Kreh Township; two Burma Army soldiers were killed and six wounded. In response to the casualties, LIB 230 shelled Klay Mo Kee Village with two 60 mm mortars. Soldiers then entered the village, beat four women and forced 32 villagers to travel with them to serve as human shields, porters and guides all the way to the Klay Mo Hta Border Guard Force (BGF) camp. They were held for one night before they were released.

Before leaving Klay Mo Kee, soldiers forcibly took the following items from villagers:

Naw Mu Pree – 70 years old – 5,000 Baht and 1 large tin of rice.
Naw Pi Eh – 52 years old – 2,000 Baht, 20 cans of sardines, 1 box of Ma Ma noodles, 1 kg dried fish, 30 bottles of lemon juice, 1 flashlight.
Saw Tin Ler – 41 years old – 1 knife, 1 flashlight.
Naw Mu Htoo – 38 years old – 2 blankets.
Ma Khin Shwe – 40 years old – 100 Baht, 1 phone.
Naw Ma Ywa – 38 years old – 200 Baht.
Naw Tu Tu – 40 years old – 2 chickens, 1 bottle of cooking oil, 0.5 kg of chili, 1 kg of onions.
Naw Heh La – 40 years old – 1 Karen bag, 20 small tins of rice.
Saw Htu Heh – 36 years old – 200 Baht, 1 big tin of rice, 1 chicken and eggs.
Pah Noh – 35 years old – 1 large tin of rice, 1 hammock.
Naw Mu Au – 28 years old – 1 blanket, 2 packs of AJINOMOTO,
Naw Paw Ku – 29 years old – 1 blanket, 1 Karen shirt, 1 Karen bag.
Saw Pweh Poe – 40 years old – 1 chicken, 1 bottle of honey.
Naw Mya Paw – 35 years old – 16 small tins of rice.
Naw Mu Ku – 60 years old – 100 Baht.
Pah Dah Poe – 26 years old – 16 small tins of rice.

Toungoo District,
Northern Karen State

Construction of the Toh Boh Dam in Toungoo District, Karen State, has displaced one village and will affect 12 villages by its completion in 2012. Asia World Company began building this hydropower dam in 2004 along the Day Loh River (Burmese: Thauk Yay Ka Chaung) near Toh Boh Village (Burmese: Tun Boh), causing all the people in the village to move away. When the project is completed, flooding will affect people in 12 additional villages: Pa Leh Wa, Lay Mine, Mine Na Seh, Swa Lo, Naw Ka Maw, Ngway Taung, Toe Thaw, Tha Hpan Chaung, Tha Ye Ba, Joh Pin Seit, Kyaute Pa Sar and Theh Pyu. Mine Na She, Swa Lo and Toh Boh will likely flood, and people’s livelihoods in the other ten villages will be heavily affected. In this area people use this river as their primary transportation route. Local community leaders estimate that over 5000 acres of land will be flooded, including lemon, paddy rice, banana and betelnut fields. Three Burma Army camps — Chay Soe, Pa Na Wah Soe and Yaw Mu Kee — surround the dam. Soldiers from Infantry Battalion (IB) 39, under Southern Command, are in each camp.
Asia World Company has also been involved in the construction of the Myitsone Dam in Kachin State, a project that Burmese President Thein Sein declared suspended in September. The company is owned by Steven Law, also known as Tun Myint Naing. Law’s father, Lo Hsing Han, started Asia World Company in 1992, which is involved in construction and energy projects across Burma, as well as alleged drug operations. Both men are under targeted sanctions from the United States Treasury, declaring that says Lo Hsing Han “has been one of the world’s key heroin traffickers dating back to the early 1970s”.

Construction of Toh Boh Dam — 17 June 2011

Close-up of Toh Boh Dam — 17 June 2011

One of three Burma Army camps defending the dam — 16 June 2011

The picture below shows a communication tower at a Burma Army camp outside Kler La (Burmese: Bawgali Gyi) in Htaw Ta Htu Township. This camp is headquarters for Military Operation Command (MOC) 9, Tactical Operation Command (TOC) 1.

Kler La Camp with Signal Tower

Close-up of Signal Tower

On 23 October 2011, the Burma Army sent one new bulldozer to Htaw Ta Htu Township to work on the Bu Hsa Hkee car road. This makes three total bulldozers in the area, including one in Bu Hsa Hkee Camp and one in Naw Soe Camp that remain since last year. Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 374 and LIB 379 under MOC 9 protect the road.
According to local Karen National Union leaders (KNU — pro-democracy ethnic resistance), Burma Army LIB 603 and IB 92 came to Hkaw Thaw Hkaw and Htee Tha Saw Villages, in Daw Pa Koh Township, and burned churches and houses on 12 October 2011.

God bless you,
Free Burma Ranger Karen State Teams

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• The Burma Army continued attacks against the Kachin people and every day there is shelling from attacking Burma Army units. There has been no ceasefire by the Burma Army troops in this area.
• There are over 30,000 displaced Kachin villagers now in hiding.

Report by Kachin FBR team

The Burma Army continued attacks against the Kachin people and every day there is shelling from attacking Burma Army units. There has been no ceasefire by the Burma Army troops in our area and they keep attacking. There are over 30,000 displaced Kachin villagers in hiding now. On 13 December 2011 at 4:20pm, 3 Burma Army helicopters sent food supplies to Burma Army camps at Loi Yain and Mo Bwan in Kachin State. These helicopters came from Momauk Township, Ba Maw District according to the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO — pro-democracy ethnic resistance). As the helicopters flew, Burma Army soldiers from Loi Yain and Zin Lon Ka Ba Camps fired mortars and machine guns toward the surrounding area to provide cover fire for the helicopters, which dropped four large loads. Mo Bwan Camp is located at N 24°° 18′ 42.6″, E 97° 39′ 48.7″ and Zin Lon Ka Ba Camp is at N 24° 16′ 30.1″, E 097° 30′ 40.2″.

There are at least 2000 Burma Army troops in Momauk Township, and they have been attacking, patrolling, burning villages and building new camps. Between 18 November and 27 November, Burma Army Divisions 33 and 88 were building camps at the villages of Hpaw Kawn, Hkrawng Kawng, Man Da, Pang Mu, Law Mon and Kung Pi, and in the Bum Kapaw Bum area between Hpaw Kawn Village and Hkrawng Kawng Village.

In late November, these units were actively patrolling and using 81mm and 120mm mortars every day. One mortar round dropped into Hkrawng Kawng Village destroying one family’s kitchen. People from this village fled to a nearby village. On 25 November 2011, 200 soldiers dropped from helicopters to join in attacks. On 30 November, the Burma Army was shooting from their new camp at Pang Mu toward Zin Lum Village. There are 1600 to 2000 recently displaced people from 18 villages in Momauk Township, Baw Maw District. The displaced people are in need of medicine, plastic tarps, warm clothes, blankets and food.

Remains of a Burma Army Mortar

On 8 October 2011, Burma Army Battalions 601, 74 and 276 totaling approximately 200 soldiers entered and attacked Nam Lim Pa Village, Kachin State. Soldiers fired six mortars and small arm fire forcing 297 households, 1573 people, from their homes. In addition to property destruction, soldiers looted over 250 houses and took ten porters to carry the confiscated property. Five people were killed and seven people were injured in the attack. All those killed were civilians and included two adult men and three children.

Labang Brang Nan, 34 years old, was killed by Burma Army soldiers because he had been providing food for Kachin Independence Army (KIA- pro-democracy ethnic resistance), though was not himself a KIA soldier. He was found half-buried in this shallow grave, wearing a KIA uniform and showing visible signs of torture. His 9-year-old son was found buried beside him; his tongue had been cut out and he had been shot multiple times in the upper body.

Shallow Grave ( © Partners Relief and Development)

The remains of 17-year-old Naw Din were burned here days after he had been shot in the head by Burma Army soldiers.

Burned Grave (© Partners Relief and Development)

8-year-old Palai Nan Naw was killed by a mortar blast, along with 60-year-old Lahpai Laba Tu.

Soldiers took 33 women and children hostage in the Roman Catholic Church pictured below. They were held for three days while the Burma Army looted over 250 households. KIA soldiers claim they were unable to shoot into the bunkers because BA soldiers were keeping children present to serve as human shields. None of the hostages were harmed, though upon their release, all hostages returned to looted and destroyed homes.

Roman Catholic Church (© Partners Relief and Development)

Soldiers also captured and held male villagers during the looting. The picture below is a burned house belonging to 73-year-old farmer Labang Tu. After being held for three days, he was allowed to return to his home where he found it in ashes. He is now displaced in the jungle with his daughter.

Burned House (© Partners Relief and Development)

Since the attack, 1,573 people have been displaced into the jungle with very little access to food, shelter and medicine.

Kachin IDPs- Women (© Partners Relief and Development)

Kachin IDPs- Women walking (© Partners Relief and Development)

Kachin IDPs – House (© Partners Relief and Development)

Kachin IDPs – House 2 (© Partners Relief and Development)

The family pictured below has had to flee their home twice in the past 3 months, leaving them now to live in this small hut with no walls. They have little food and only the clothing on their back. At the time the picture was taken, all three had malaria.

Family with malaria, forced to live in the jungle (© Partners Relief and Development)

On 20 August 2011, the Burma Army mortared Nam Gau Village in 3rd brigade, Shwigu District. Of the 5 mortars fired, one went through the roof of a girl’s school dormitory, injuring 4 girls under the age of 13 and killing an 8-year-old girl.

Mortared roof of girls’ school dormitory (© Partners Relief and Development)

Hpaw La Htu Mai, 8 years old, was killed immediately when a mortar came through the roof of her dormitory.

Hpaw La Htu Mai, 8 years old, was killed immediately when a mortar came through the roof of her dormitory. (© Partners Relief and Development)

Thank you and God Bless,

Free Burma Ranger Kachin Teams

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

Update From Kachin FBR Relief Team

Over 20 Villages, 3000 People, Fleeing Burma Army Attacks

People flee Burma Army attacks

November 30th, 2011 – Kachin State detail

November 30th, 2011 – Kachin State overview

The Burma Army has killed a villager and over 20 villages have fled attacks and mortar fire in Momauk Township, Kachin State. Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 73 under Division 88 has been attacking villages, with troops from Divisions 33, 44, 66 also entering the area. At least 400 Burma Army soldiers have been involved in the attacks, using 120mm and 60mm mortars and machine guns. Fighting in the area has increased and the Burma Army is building at least four new camps, using forced labor. Over 3,000 people have been displaced.

People flee Burma Army attacks

People flee Burma Army attacks

On 18 November 2011 Burma Army LIB 73 under Division 88 fired 120mm mortars at villagers in the KIA Brigade 3, Battalion 15 area (Kachin Independence Army — pro-democracy ethnic resistance). Two hundred Burma Army soldiers came to Hakawn Village on 19 November 2011. Over 20 villages have fled including Hpakawng, Bumwa, Lamaibang, Kadaw, Mandau, Matang, Mamda, Kadaw, Edin Yang, Zinlum Gaji, Pranghkudung, Lawmun, Lawdan, Kawngja Yang, Hkangdung, Kungpi and four other unnamed villages. Some of the houses in these villages have been burned by the Burma Army. People from these villages are fleeing to Kawngrazup, Jahkai and some to Mazuppa Village. There are over 3,000 displaced people in total, some staying in other villagers’ houses, some staying under tarps while many are without blankets or tarps for shelter.

Displaced people in hiding.

On 26 November 2011 the Burma Army fired 300 rounds of 120mm mortar, two rounds falling near the village of Pranghkudung. One round exploded near the nursery school. On 27 November 2011, 300 troops from Burma Army Division 33 burned Man Chyam Village in Man Si Township.

Villager Killed

The Burma Army shot and killed a Kachin farmer, Nang Zin Tawng, age 52, at 4pm on 21 November 2011. Earlier that day, the Burma Army attacked a small KIA force and then came down to a rice field near Kadaw Village.

Nang Zin Tawng killed by Burma Army

Nang Zin Tawng’s sons

Many people, including the family of the man killed, had hid in the fields while trying to finish harvesting their rice. The victim and his two sons Nang Zin Naw, age 21, and Nang In La San, age 15, had stayed together for two or three days in their rice field hut while harvesting rice. That evening at 4pm they went to the rice field. The father went ahead as his two sons followed. He saw the Burma Army and ran, and the Burma Army shot him. The two sons heard the shots and returned to the village

We (Kachin FBR team) went to the location of the attack and took pictures and gave the family 300 Yuan (USD 47) to help with funeral costs.

God Bless You,

Kachin Free Burma Rangers,
Kachin State, Burma

People flee Burma Army attacks

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/reports/under-siege-in-kachin-state-burma.html

Burma Kachin Report Exec Summary PHR 11.30

map showing area of report

Fighting between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burma Army broke out on 9 June 2011, ending a 17-year cease-fire agreement between the two groups. As many as 20,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Kachin State, according to local networks helping IDPs in Laiza. KIA sources have said that the number of standing Burma Army battalions before the conflict began was 93. Currently there are 113 battalions in Kachin State with more troops on the way, according to KIA sources. Divisions 33, 88, and 99 are currently operating in Kachin State.

On 16 October 2011, approximately 200 Burma Army soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 438 and Infantry Battalion (IB) 121 attacked Nam San Yang Village in Wai Maw District, Kachin State. The soldiers burned over 30 houses and stayed for 3 days in the village occupying the village temple.

All the villagers from Nam San Yang Village have fled their homes and are staying with relatives or in IDP camps in Laiza. Other villagers are living in huts in their fields as it is now harvest time and they do not want to lose this year’s crops. The Burma Army is still patrolling from their nearby camp down into the village making it difficult for the villagers to reclaim their left belongings and farm their fields.

For more information regarding this attack:
Democratic Voice of Burma - http://www.dvb.no/news/troops-raze-kachin-villages-locals-flee/18666
Christian Solidarity Worldwide - http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=1260

The remainder of a Kachin house burned by the Burma Army

Another Kachin house burned by the Burma Army

A third Kachin house burned by the Burma Army

IDP family from Nam San Yang Village currently living in a KIO run IDP camp

Burma Army soldiers outside of the Kachin temple they had occupied

Burma Army camp from which the attack was launched

© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR

Please find attached the October 2011 issue of ALTSEAN Burma Bulletin.
October 2011 Burma Bulletin
The Burma Bulletin is a short month in review of events in Burma, particularly those of interest to the democracy movement and human rights activists.

In the October 2011 issue you will find:

* Mass release of prisoners
* Crimes, conflict in Northeastern Burma
* Regime detains protesters
* Regime displaces 112,000
* India-regime cooperation
* Regime angers China
* Other Burma news
* List of Reports
* Much more…

The October 2011 Burma Bulletin is also available online at: http://bit.ly/vruB9G

You can also receive daily Burma updates by following us on Twitter http://twitter.com/altsean

Yours, in solidarity,

ALTSEAN-Burma

The number of villages destroyed or abandoned was 105, an average of two villages a week. The total number of villages destroyed since 1996 is now 3,700.

The media release and a PDF of the report (without pictures and maps as full PDF is 10mb) is attached. Full version is available on request.

EMBARGOED UNTIL TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2011

PRESS RELEASE FROM THAILAND BURMA BORDER CONSORTIUM

PROMOTING RECONCILIATION IN BURMA

Bangkok – An alliance of humanitarian agencies working with displaced persons from Burma/Myanmar believes the current window of democratic reform is the best opportunity in decades to resolve ethnic conflict. The prospect of a genuine and inclusive process of national reconciliation bringing an end to decades of war and displacement needs to be promoted and realised.

The Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) has raised the urgent need to grasp this opportunity after its annual survey of conditions in South East Burma found more people had been forcibly displaced from their homes during the past year than any other since was first collected in 2002. While government figures estimate that a quarter of the nation live in the survey found that almost two thirds of households in rural areas of the South East are unable to meet their basic needs.

Impoverishment was found to be particularly severe in the conflict-affected areas of northern Kayin State and eastern Bago Region. Comparative analysis with World Food Program surveys suggest that standards of living in Burma’s South East are similar to conditions in Northern Rakhine State and far worse than those reported from the central Dry Zone.

“As much as the Arab Spring this year has given hope that political change can come rapidly even under the most repressive regimes, the ongoing violence in Egypt and elsewhere is a reminder that conflict transformation is a road littered with obstacles. A determined and sustained effort to resolve ethnic conflict in Burma is essential to avoid another generation of violence and abuse”, said Jack Dunford, TBBC’s Executive Director.

TBBC’s partner agencies have documented the destruction, forced relocation or abandonment of more than 3,700 civilian settlements in South East Burma since 1996. This includes 105 villages and hiding sites during the past year, when at least 112,000 people were forced to leave their homes. While some fled into Thailand as part of an ongoing flow of new refugee arrivals and others returned to former villages or resettled elsewhere in Burma, over 450,000 people currently remain internally displaced in the south eastern region.

“Democratic reforms by the new government are vital and welcomed, but the demands for ceasefire groups to form Border Guard Forces has escalated conflict and displacement in ethnic areas. As prospects for the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons are directly linked to national reconciliation, the urgency of finding a solution to conflict in Burma has never been greater”, said Mr Dunford.

ENDS

Enquiries (in Thailand) :

Sally Thompson, TBBC Deputy Executive Director: +66 (0)22385027 (English)

Saw Htooklei, Karen Office of Relief and Development +66 (0)861912165 (English and Burmese)

“Displacement and Poverty in South East Burma / Myanmar” will be available from

http://www.tbbc.org/resources/resources.htm#idps

–

Mark Farmaner

Director

Burma Campaign UK
28 Charles Sq
London
N1 6HT

Mobile: 0794 123 9640
Tel: 00 44 (0)207 324 4713
Fax: 00 44 (0)207 324 4717

E-mail mark.farmaner@burmacampaign.org.uk

www.burmacampaign.org.uk

Join our e-mail campaign network and receive the latest updates from the Burma Campaign UK automatically. Simply send a blank e-mail to:

burmacampaign-subscribe@lists.burmacampaign.org.uk

The Burma Campaign UK

Registered Company No. 3804730

Registered office address as shown above
——————————————
Report 2011 Idp En

EMBARGOED Press Release Tuesday October-25- 2011

Opium cultivation surging in constituency of Burma’s new ruling party

A new briefing paper by the Palaung Women’s Organization (PWO) exposes a dramatic increase in opium cultivation in Burma’s northern Shan State in the constituency of a drug lord elected into the new military-backed parliament.

Still Poisoned, a follow-up to PWO’s 2010 Poisoned Hills report, documents how opium cultivation in 15 villages in Namkham Township has soared since the November 2010 election to over 1,100 hectares, an increase of over 78% in only two years. The opium trade in this area is controlled by “Pansay” Kyaw Myint, head of a pro-regime “People’s Militia Force” and elected MP for Burma’s ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party.

PWO research also shows that opium growing has spread to 12 new villages in Namkham in the past year, and regime troops, police and militia have been openly taxing opium farmers.

There has consequently been a disturbing increase in drug addiction among local Palaung communities. PWO found that in one village, over 90% of males aged 15 and over were now addicted to either opium or heroin, more than double the rates recorded two years earlier.

When campaigning to be elected into parliament, Kyaw Myint promised villagers they could grow opium for five years if they voted for him.

“After the election, opium cultivation and drug addiction in our communities has worsened,” said a villager from Namkham. “Now militia leader Kyaw Myint has become an MP, he has more power to deal in drugs.”

PWO’s latest research underlines the urgent need to address the political problems at the root of the drug problem in Burma.

“Local paramilitary leaders are being allowed to cultivate and profit from drugs in return for helping the regime suppress ethnic resistance forces,” said Lway Nway Hnoung, principal researcher of the report. “Burma’s civil war and drug production are two sides of the same coin.”

PWO is calling for a nationwide ceasefire and a tripartite dialogue which addresses the political
aspirations of Burma’s ethnic nationalities as the most effective way to address the opium problem in the long-term.

The full report can be viewed on: www.palaungwomen.com and www.palaungland.org

Contacts:

Lway Nway Hnoung- (+66) 821 648 115

Lway Cherry- (+86) 13988239760

Lway Seng Bloh- (+66) 856057318
Still Poisoned (English) Embargoed October25-2011

TBBC’s annual survey of conditions in South East Burma/Myanmar is now available. A press release  to mark the launch of the report, should be attached. If not, it can be downloaded from http://www.tbbc.org/announcements/2011-10-25-media-release-idp-survey.pdf.

It and previous reports are available from http://www.tbbc.org/resources/resources.htm#idps.

Please write to tbbcbkk@tbbc.org with your street address if you would like a hard copy mailed to you.

Best wishes,

TBBC team.
2011 10 25 Media Release Idp Survey