Joint Burmese column presses 50 villagers into porter service in Kyainnseikyi Township

February 16, 2010

HURFOM: Recently a combined force from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 402 and the State Peace and Development council (SPDC) Military Operations Management Command (MOMC) No. 8, attempted to approach the area near Khonnawar village, Kyainnseikyi Township, and were ambushed by troops from Karen National Union (KNU) brigade No. 6, according to a Khonnawar village resident.

On January 25^th, Military Column (MC) No. 1, a joint force of soldiers from LIB No. 402 and MOMC No. 8, led by lieutenant colonel Yan Myo Aung, were conducting a patrol in KNU brigade No.6 territory. While traveling the column was ambushed by KNU forces. LIB No. 402 forces responded by entering near by Khonnawar where they gathered villagers, accused and blamed them for the ambush, of being sympathizers to KNU insurgents and of being members of KNU forces. Villagers also reported when LIB No. 402 departed they also kidnapped villagers to guard against KNU ambush.

HURFOM interviewed a villager on February 5^th, who fled from Khonnawar to Three Pagoda border town. The villager fled the same day due to abuses committed by LIB No. 402 when they retributively punished the village’s residents and kidnapped members as hostages. “About half an hour after I heard the sounds of some firing of both small and big guns, around 50 Burmese soldiers arrived in village and they gathered villagers and yelled at them [accusing them of being] rebel group [members] and rebel supporters. [They] tortured some villagers such as kicking and hitting them with the butts of their rifles, and arrested them. They stayed in the village for half an hour and then left. When they left they took around 50 male villagers to go with them. Since then no one has yet arrived home.”

The Burmese government’s Military Operation Management Command (MOMC) No. 8 which is based in Tenasserim Division, combined with LIB No. 402 under control of South East Command (SEC) in a joint operation to the area around the Karen National Union (KNU) brigade No.6 area based on Kyainnseikyi Township, Three Pagoda border town, Karen State, Burma. The column that has been sent was formed specifically for the purpose of carrying out observation and security in the area.

According a 50 year old resident who lives near Khonnawar village and has lived in the area since he was young, fighting between KNU and SPDC soldiers has occurred very often. He reports that instances of portering have happened every time SPDC soldiers arrived and entered KNU territory. In his life he was used as a porter no less than 20 times. The period of time he was forced to porter depended on the SPDC soldiers, sometimes for periods of 2 months while other times only for 3 days. While living here he has had more then 20 friends who have been maimed or killed during portering time. Many lost limbs in accidents or to land mines, some were shot to death and some died of malaria. Several kinds of torture were employed every time SPDC soldiers arrived in his village. They have used villagers as cover to guard against ambush by KNU forces, used villagers to clear land mines and forced villagers to work as porters to transport equipment and supplies.

Saw Thoo, a 22 year-old who has since fled from Khonnawar village to Three Pagoda Pass town, explained how years of SPDC abuse have driven away residents, and how the recent kidnapping has affected him. “After many villagers were taken by SPDC soldiers to go to the front line for clearing lands mine and protecting [SPDC soldiers] from KNU ambushes, many villagers form Konawar have left and moved to Three Pagoda Pass sub-town. Many people including my cousin were [recently] involved – … he is only a 15 year-old boy – every one in his family is so worried about him but they don’t know who to get him back. They are worried the SPDC has used his as a child soldier”

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News