Discrimination/violence against women: reports of violations in Karen (Kayin) State

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Title: Dooplaya District Interview: The SAC’s indiscriminate shelling killed a 17-year-old girl and injured three other villagers, March 2022
Description: "This interview describes events that occurred in Kaw T’Ree (Kawkareik) Township, Dooplaya District in March 2022. The SAC LIB #355 indiscriminately fired a mortar shell into Htee Moo Hta village, Noh Hpoh village tract, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District on March 24th 2022. A 17-year-old girl was hit in the head by a fragment of mortar and died immediately. Additionally, one male and two female villagers were injured by the indiscriminate shelling. Local villagers’ property was also damaged.[1] Interview | Htee Moo Hta village, Noh Hpoh village tract[2], Kaw T’Ree (Kawkareik) Township, Dooplaya District (March 2022) Name: Naw[3] E--- Gender: Female Age: 47 Religion: Buddhist Ethnicity: Karen Family Status: N/A Occupation: Health worker Could you please start to explain what happened during the incident? In the early morning [of March 24th 2022], there was gunfire at the Asia Highway [fighting broke out between the State Administrative Council (SAC)[4] and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[5] on the highway between Kawkareik and Myawaddy towns]. I heard the sound of gunfire for just two or three minutes. We were getting ready to move out of [flee from] the house but just before we stood up, a mortar shell [fired by the SAC Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[6] #355] was already falling down on my home and [a fragment of exploded shell] hit my niece. I did not even reach [manage to get] underground [to hide in the bunker]. What is the distance between the Asia Highway and your place? The distance from my village to the highway is only about two or three miles [3.2 to 4.8 kilometres]. So, did they literally fire into the village or did the fighting happen in the [surrounding] area? Yes, the fighting happened [between the SAC and KNLA] by the side of the Asia Highway [outside of the village]. After the fighting broke out, the brutal Burma [SAC] soldiers fired [a mortar shell] into the village. What time was it? It was early morning, just past about 5:00 am. She [the victim] had already cooked a rice meal by that time [normally consisting of rice with curry or soup]. After she cooked [her meal], she put the dirty plates in the washing place. Just as she went to put the plates [in the washing place], the shelling immediately fell and [a fragment] hit her. [The plan was,] once she put the plates away, we would go underground [to hide in the bunker]. Did anyone go underground [to the bunker under their house]? We hadn’t gone down yet. Our neighbours around here were about to go and hide in the bunker because of the gunfire. It [the gunfire] was heard [by the villagers] for just a moment, but it was not for long [so they did not make it to the bunker]. How many people were inside the house during the gunfire? During the gunfire, only two of us, my niece and I, were inside the house. As I do not have a husband, I adopted one of my nieces. So I consider her my child because she is my older brother’s child. I have looked after her since she was very little and I supported her in school until high school Standard [Grade] Ten. Due to the unstable situation at school [school closures due to the coup and COVID-19], she came back to stay at home. How did the mortar shell hit her? The fragment of mortar shell hit her directly on her head. When I looked at my niece, her skull was broken and her brain was falling out. How could I help her? Were you by yourself when you saw her get hit and fall down? Yes, I [was by myself when I] saw it all because it was just the two of us [in the house]. I immediately went to pick her up and hug her. As the shelling was still going on, our neighbours around us would not dare to come and help us. I was angry about that at first. I said to the other villagers that, “I was very helpful to you in the past. Even when you were sick and injured, I had to take you [to get treatment] and look after you at night. When the problem has turned to me, none of you even take a look at me”. A few minutes later, when the shelling stopped, two or three of the villagers came to [help] me. What is the name of your niece and how old is she? Her name is Naw Bleh Cho. She is 17 years old. She was born in 2005. She is still very young. Exactly, it has cost me a lot to support her at school. As it [the incident] happened so quickly, it has been unbearable for me. I do not feel normal yet when I think of her. Also, my house and my flowers and plants are very damaged. It will still cost a lot to repair the damage. The shelling fell on the roof, so the rooftop as well as the floors are all broken. What else is damaged? The other damaged property includes the rooftop of my rice barn and one of my concrete water containers for bathing; it did not break the water container itself but the cement floor around is broken into pieces. Are there any other damages or casualties in the village? Three other villagers were injured. They are U[7] N---, 45 years old and his wife, Naw L---, 38 years old. They are husband and wife. The other injured villager is Naw M---, aged 35 years old. Naw L--- got a minor injury to her lower calf but it was not severe. Her husband was injured in the stomach from the exploded fragment and fell down immediately, but the fragment did not go inside his belly. Naw M--- was hit in her waist and the shrapnel exited through her buttocks Is their house close to yours? Yes, their house is close to mine. Naw M---’s house is just on the other side of the road from my house. She was chopping firewood underneath the house [raised house] during the shelling. Where are they undergoing treatment now? We did not know where to transfer Naw M----, so we just took her to the public hospital at Thingannyinaung Town. For the husband and wife [U N--- and Naw L---], they were not severely injured so they just underwent treatment in the village [from a health worker] and then came back to stay at their house. Has Naw M--- been discharged from hospital? She has not been discharged yet as her condition is very severe. She might have to stay there for more than 10 days. Who took her to hospital? Just the villagers from here, Htee Moo Hta village. After she was hit [by the fragment of mortar], was she still conscious? She, the woman who was transferred to the hospital, was still conscious after she was hit. But she felt dizzy and did not dare to look around. She was not unconscious. Did anyone provide support to pay for the expenses for the treatment [of all the injured villagers]? I do not know anything about that. They have to pay for everything by themselves. For my niece, one of the KNLA officials provided a donation of over 300,000 kyats [USD 162.03][8]. I do not remember his name. Do you know which armed group fired the mortar shell? It might be the Burma soldiers [KHRG’s researcher confirmed that it was SAC LIB #355]. I do not think that the Karen [KNLA] soldiers have that type of artillery. After the incident happened [the shelling], how did you arrange the funeral [for your niece]? I kept her for one night at my house, and yesterday [March 27th 2022] we took her and buried her at a cemetery [according to Buddhist practices]. Were there any other damages due to the shelling? The car of U N--- [one of the injured villagers] was damaged. The mirror of the car was hit by a fragment from the exploded mortar. So, how many mortar shells fell on your house? One mortar shell fell on my house but exploded into many fragments. If two or three shells had fallen on us, we would have all died. Even though just one fell, the fragments injured people horribly. It was only one shell [that was fired into the village]? Yes, it was just one. U N--- and his three or four children [who were at home with him at the time] were shielded by the bathroom. If the bathroom had not been there, it would be terrible to imagine. I have to thank God for the protection. Are there any authorities from armed groups or the village head who have come to provide support and look after you? I do not see such things. Did they [the SAC] give any warning before firing the mortar? We had heard from the village head that they [SAC soldiers] said, “If anyone fights against us, we will fire mortars into the village.” So they [village authorities] warned us to be cautious when staying in the village. After the incident happened, did any of the Burma [SAC] soldiers enter to check the situation in the village? No, they did not come. How would you like to express your feelings on this incident? If I have to say something about it. It gravely affects my life. You can imagine that I supported my niece in attending school so that she would become an educated person. I am not a wealthy person so I have had to try very hard for her to get a chance to attend school. To get an education today, the priority is money. I am not rich because I just farm and sell rice. Then, I sent my niece to school with the income that I get from farming. I supported my niece from Standard [Grade] Five until Ten. The [school] expenses cost a lot. How much do you think it would cost if you have to repair all the damaged materials in your home? Umm, nowadays, everything is valuable and expensive. The zinc roofing of my barn alone already cost over 100,000 kyats [USD 54.01]. If I have to repair all the damaged materials, I think it would cost up to 1,000,000 kyats [USD 540.10] or much more. How do you feel about this incident? It put us in a state of fear and anxiety. The villagers are more concerned for their security because of the shelling into our village. As there are many villagers here, someone will [undoubtedly] be hit if a mortar falls into the village. If they [the SAC] still continue activities like this in the future, it would cause a lot of suffering to the villagers. They do not tell us when they will start fighting. Sometimes, we are in bed at night [when they start fighting]. How can you stay alert to the shelling while you are sleeping? That’s why. There will be much more difficulty if the situation continues like this. How do most villagers here secure their livelihood? My village is in a mountainous area close to [Myawaddy] town. Most villagers farm (work on hill farms or plantations). Villagers will not go to Bangkok or move to another village to find other work. We just stay in our own homes. What do you do to earn a livelihood? For me, I just farm and serve as a health worker with my experience and knowledge from attending a medical training offered by the Myanmar government [prior to the coup]. What would you like to tell the local authorities including the village head and soldiers, about taking action and responsibility? I do not want to put more of a burden on them [local authorities]. Even if they take action [against armed groups] for the situation today, such situations can [are likely to] keep happening in the future. If it continues like this, the village leaders will have more concerns. That’s why I do not want to put a burden on them. I also work for the community. I have been working as a medic for over 20 years. I know everything about the villagers’ concerns, from my experience [as a health worker]. How has this incident impacted the villagers’ movements outside the village? Are they afraid to go out? The night after the shelling, the village head called a meeting about whether the villagers wanted to move out [displace] or not. But how can the villagers move if they do not have [cannot bring] food supplies with them? Healthcare is also important because there are a lot of elders and children in the village. So the villagers responded to him by saying that they would not move. We will just stay like this until we die. We will just carry on with our livelihoods and stay [in the village] as long as we can. Is it also hard to move? Yes, it is extremely hard to move. Where can we move to in the [local] area? Even if we move to the mountains, we will have to bring our food with us and then the weather is also unstable. If the medicine supplies are not sufficient for healthcare, especially for children and elders, you cannot hide in the mountains, can you? That’s why if we move, we will suffer more. What are the other villagers’ perspectives about this incident? Regarding the shelling, some of the villagers also feel angry because the people who fight are soldiers, but the shelling affects the villagers. This upsets them. The Karen soldiers fight against Burma [SAC] soldiers. If the Burma [SAC] soldiers were humane, they might fight the soldiers directly. Instead, they oppress the villagers by shelling into the village, so villagers are affected the most. What will you do with your life now? I am not sure about the rest of my life as I am growing old. I will just continue to do my work as much as I can. What else do you want to express or share? With today’s situation on my mind, I do not want such things like shelling into our village to affect us. If possible, we also do not want to see our villagers injured like this. But we cannot prevent the activities of soldiers, can we? As we cannot prevent [military activity], we just have to suffer when it happens. It is very bad to be a civilian. If the authorities [any of the authorities, whether the SAC or ethnic armed groups] do not permit travelling, we cannot do anything and we just have to stay under the control of the authorities. Right now, do the villagers feel secure to travel? We do go to buy things from Thingannyinaung Town, but if the sun is rising higher [it is during the day] we have to travel with caution. Are there any soldiers who check you when you travel along your way? There has been no checking so far. It is only three miles to Thingannyinaung Town. It is quick to reach there. The villagers do not go further than that. They just shop there for a bit and come back. Previously, where did you usually shop? We used to buy [products] from Ra M’Tee [Myawaddy] and Kaw T’Ree [Kawkareik] towns before. If the villagers wanted to buy products from Myanmar they went to Kaw T’Ree Town, while some purchased products from Thailand from Ra M’Tee Town. Due to the unstable situation today, prices are getting higher and higher. Villagers are struggling the most with this situation. In your village, are there any bunkers that you have made for hiding? Yes, some villagers have made them recently but some of the bunkers were dug a long time ago and have now been fixed. Did you recently make a bunker for hiding? Yes, we made a bunker at the beginning of 2022 when we heard about the incident [airstrikes and attacks] in Lay Kay Kaw Town.[9] Has almost every individual made a bunker? Yes, almost everyone has made a bunker. But some, two or three families, share the same bunker. Currently, some villagers do not even dare to sleep inside their house at night. They just sleep at the entrance of the bunker. Are people still sleeping in the bunker since the recent shelling? Yes. [However,] after the incident [shelling on March 24th], there has not been anymore shelling into the village. Even when there was shelling, it landed outside of the village. So the situation is a bit better than before. Further background reading on the situation of fighting and indiscriminate shelling Dooplaya District in Southeast Burma can be found in the following KHRG reports: “Southeast Burma Field Report: Intensification of armed conflict, air and ground attacks, and widespread human rights violations, July to December 2021”, March 2022. “Dooplaya District Short Update: A woman was killed by mortar shrapnel during indiscriminate shelling by armed groups, February 2022”, March 2022. “Dooplaya District Situation Update: Indiscriminate shelling, fighting, forced labour, peace talks, and the COVID-19 pandemic, August to September 2021”, February 2022..."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group
Date of publication: 2022-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2022-05-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Title: The Karen Women's Organization Strongly Condemns Ongoing Violence & Brutality Being Perpetrated Against Women
Description: "Amid worsening hostilities in Karen State, the lives of innocent civilians are increasingly at risk as thousands continue to flee in search of safety. The Karen Women Organization (KWO) strongly condemns the ongoing, systematic human rights abuses being perpetrated against villagers who have been indiscriminately targeted in a series of unrelenting attacks by the military junta, including the murder of Naw Khee, a 56-year-old woman killed on 21 December. Naw Khee was working on Robin Farm in Yar Khee Klo early in the morning with her husband when fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Burma Army broke out. The clashes were with Burma Army Battalion, LIB-101 along with five Border Guard Force (BGF) soldiers, led by BGF Commander Bo Maung Soe. As the junta troops approached Naw Khee, her husband fled. Terrified and alone, she was violently interrogated. When she responded that she did not know where the KNLA soldiers were, the soldiers broke her nose. A gun was then put in her mouth and she was shot to death. Her body was found by local villagers on 22 December who dared not retrieve her until the junta soldiers had left the area. Burma has become a battlefield as the junta plunges the country further into armed conflict. Women, children and the elderly are being subjected to frequent bombings, artillery strikes and indiscriminate firing. With violence increasing, ongoing attacks against women and girls are a reoccurring crime being perpetrated with impunity by the junta. Every day, there continues to be more incidents of torture and killings. The military's expanding offensives in ethnic areas and unrelenting air and ground strikes has forced thousands to flee and seek safety. Dozens have been killed, arrested and disappeared. As a result of the increasing offensives, the number of internally displaced persons and refugees are steadily rising on Burma's borders of Thailand, China, India and Bangladesh. Limited access to areas where the military has established bases has only heightened the level of concern KWO has for the many who are displaced and living in fear without protection. Justice has been denied and dismissed for victims of the regime's attacks. Women across the country are facing a multi- burden: a lack of human security, a loss of civil liberty rights due to the military's attempted seizure of power. Accountability for the mass crimes committed by the Burma Army, including genocide, are long overdue..."
Source/publisher: Karen Women's Organisation
Date of publication: 2021-12-24
Date of entry/update: 2021-12-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Title: The Karen Women’s Organization and the Karen Human Rights Group Condemn the Burmese Junta’s Use of Women as Human Shields
Description: "The Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) and the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) strongly condemn the use of women as human shields by the Burma Army in Karen State and other ethnic areas. Women in particular face many risks in being used as human shields, being subjected to forced labour, to torture and sexual violence, and to assaults in military custody. This type of inhumane treatment by the Burma Army must end immediately and all soldiers responsible for subjecting women to this harrowing ordeal need to be held accountable without impunity. Rampant militarization throughout the country is threatening the stability and security of civilians who are living in fear amidst ongoing attacks. On August 19th 2021, at 1:00 PM, the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #341 and LIB #410 from Ler Toh army camp, based at Hkaw Poo village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mutraw district. When the soldiers arrived, they confronted and arrested three women villagers. The soldiers kicked and stepped on them and asked them many questions. These two military battalions forced three women to carry their materials and equipment and used them as human shields until they reached Kyaw Hta Loh River, where they were released after sustaining minor injuries. And on September 1st at 2:00 PM, after a skirmish between the SAC and the KNLA soldiers at Paing Kalan Done village tract, Kawkareik Township, Dooplaya District, SAC soldiers took Naw Mu Htee Kaung, 30 years old, and used her as a human shield by placing her in front of them as they marched farther into KNU territory. Using civilians as human shields is forbidden under international humanitarian law. The Burma Army’s use of sexual violence in conflict areas is nothing new. However, what is increasingly frustrating is that the crimes committed by the Burma Army remain unpunished. Rape and other forms of gender-based violence have been systematically used by the Burma Army as a weapon of war for decades. The cases mentioned are not isolated incidents. KWO and KHRG remain extremely concerned at the growing level of unrest in Burma. No one should ever be subjected to the terror of being used as a human shield. Throughout the country’s turbulent history, women have never been safe and this is yet another example of how their lives are at risk. Weak rule of law, which has been in place for decades, only undermines their struggle further, and pursuits for justice and accountability have been hijacked by the junta. Last month, KWO received reports from the ground about an increase in Border Guard Forces and Burma Army soldiers in Karen State. The state-backed regime is forcing villagers to go to their bases and use them as human shields. They also stayed in the villages and looted villagers’ properties such as money, jewellery, motorbikes, tractors, food supplies, livestock, and destroyed houses. Burma Army drones and airplane surveillance in Karen areas have caused fears among villagers of potential airstrikes. The increase in fighting is directly linked to the expansion of Burma Army operations. Since the coup, KHRG has documented an increase in militarization in Karen State. The increase in military presence, fighting, shelling, and airstrikes have caused mass displacement and civilian casualties. Women and girls are especially affected by mass displacement. According to KHRG’s documentation, women have been forced to give birth and to take care of their new-borns in the caves and jungles, without access to adequate maternal care. The international community must do more to act on behalf of the people of Myanmar. We call on the UN Security Council to refer the Burma/Myanmar situation to the International Criminal Court and to declare a no-fly zone in Karen areas. Humanitarian support must be provided for those fleeing from fighting. In addition, steps must be taken to refrain from all engagements with the junta and the so-called State Administration Council, and instead to recognize the National Unity Government, who represents the people’s voice. Further, human rights must be a priority at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly later this month where a pivotal decision will be made on who will be the chosen representative for Burma/Myanmar. UN bodies must recognize that the people of Burma/Myanmar overwhelmingly reject the junta and their unlawful attempts to seize democracy in the country. KWO and KHRG urge the protection of all civilians in the country and for the UN to act swiftly and with conviction to intervene in the declining state of human rights in Burma/Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group
Date of publication: 2021-09-03
Date of entry/update: 2021-09-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Title: Thousands protest against Myanmar army after woman's killing
Description: "Myanmar: Several thousand protesters marched in southeast Myanmar on Tuesday (Jul 28) to demand the military's withdrawal from the area and an end to rights abuses after soldiers allegedly killed an unarmed woman from the Karen ethnic group. In a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing, the military confirmed that two soldiers had been arrested for the shooting of Naw Mu Naw, 40, and robbery of her gold jewellery in Dwe Lo township in Karen state on July 16. The court-martial of the arrested men was already underway, military spokesman Zaw Min Tun told AFP on Tuesday. But the killing has reignited anger in a state that has for decades been the scene of a bloody civil war between the military and ethnic Karen militants. Naw Mu Naw's murder sparked a wave of protests over the last two weeks, but Tuesday's was by far the biggest. An estimated 5,000 people turned out -- many dressed in traditional clothes and waving the Karen blue, white and red flag as they marched to state capital Hpa-an. Advertisement "We demand the military withdraw because we're worried we might also be shot and killed," said 57-year-old Khwe Ni. Karen National Union (KNU) rebels signed a ceasefire in 2012 with the military after more than 60 years of fighting, one of a number of groups to join the country's now flagging peace process. Unrest has flared up again in a state divided into two parallel jurisdictions, one centrally run and one under governance of the KNU, which collects taxes and runs local police, schools and healthcare. The Karen accuse the military of building roads and other infrastructure to encroach on their territory. Zaw Min Tun told AFP the military would not withdraw from the area, but said "rules would be tightened", without giving further details. Tens of thousands of Karen refugees still live in camps along the Myanmar-Thai border. Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson called for the two soldiers to be handed over to a civilian court, condemning the lack of transparency in military trials..."
Source/publisher: Agence France-Presse (AFP) (France) via "CNA" ( Singapore)
Date of publication: 2020-07-29
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Title: Hpa-an Incident Report: Rape case in Nabu (T’Nay Hsah) Township, 2018 Rainy Season
Topic: Rape or other sexual violence
Topic: Rape or other sexual violence
Description: "During the 2018 rainy season, Naw H--- was raped by a close male relative in A--- village, Ta Nay Hsah Township. He lured the victim into his hill farm and raped her in his hut. Naw H--- has an intellectual disability. She did not tell anyone about the rape, but the village leaders questioned her when she started showing signs of pregnancy. At first, she did not tell them who the true perpetrator was, but she ultimately accused her relative after giving birth to a child. The village leaders arrested and interrogated him on April 27th 2019. He admitted that he had raped Naw H---. Therefore, the village leaders subjected him to physical punishment, after which he was released. The perpetrator was not brought before a formal court of law. The victim received no compensation and still lives in the same village as the perpetrator. Currently, Naw H--- is staying with another close relative, and her child was adopted by someone living abroad..."
Source/publisher: "Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)"
Date of publication: 2019-09-09
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Title: Hidden Strengths, Hidden Struggles: Women?s testimonies from southeast Myanmar - English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description: "This report presents women?s testimonies in respect of various issues during the reporting period of January 2012 to March 2016. These issues include the dangers posed to women by the presence of armed actors in communities; the effects of land confiscation and development projects on women?s livelihoods; women?s access to healthcare and education; the continued occurrence of gender-based violence; and the harms caused by landmines; forced labour; arbitrary taxation and extortion. Importantly, women?s actions and agency in the face of abuse and injustice are also documented in this report. These agency strategies are documented to highlight women?s actions as women are not passive recipients of abuse...KHRG presents the perspectives of local women on issues identified by them, including livelihoods, militarisation,health, education, and others. The report outlines human rights abuses that are of particular concern for women, including gender-based violence (GBV), and how continued human rights abuses in southeast Myanmar affect women and men differently, an aspect that is often overlooked. In addition, it highlights the agency strategies that women employ for self-protection, and the challenges they face when attempting to access justice for abuses. Finally, the report suggests ways to address the issues raised and improve the situation for women in southeast Myanmar, by giving concrete recommendations to the Government of Myanmar, ethnic armed organisations, local and international civil society organisations, and the international community supporting the peace process and in Myanmar. KHRG is confident that this report will provide a valuable resource for practitioners and stakeholders working on issues related to southeast Myanmar, and that it can be used as a tool in developing an awareness of local women?s concerns and agency. KHRG also believes that the report will be equally interesting for members of the general public who would like to learn more about women?s perspectives of the situation on the ground in rural southeast Myanmar..." pdf links in html version
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication: 2016-08-03
Date of entry/update: 2016-08-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Karen
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Title: Rape and violent threats in Kawkareik Township, Dooplaya District, April 2014 to May 2015
Description: "This News Bulletin describes a rape case and ongoing threats in B--- village, Kyaw Hkee village tract, Kawkareik Township, Dooplaya District, that took place between April 2014 and May 2015. A 17-year-old villager from B--- village, named Naw A---, who at the time was 16 years old, reported that she was raped and subsequently fell pregnant by 26-year-old Saw Hpah Kyaw Eh who is already the father of two children. According to Naw A---, Saw Hpah Kyaw Eh raped her at her house when her adoptive mother and brother were out. After finding out she was pregnant, Naw A--- reported the rape to the village leaders, who dismissed the case as they believe Naw A--- to be feeble-minded. Saw Hpah Kyaw Eh did not take responsibility for the rape and he has kept denying that it was him. Saw Hpah Kyaw Eh said it was Naw A---?s adopted brother that she calls Saw Z--- who had raped her. This news bulletin also describes the villagers? reactions to Naw A--- and what the victim?s adoptive family did after the case. As of the end of May 2015, the case was re-opened and investigations have begun. The case was re-opened by the Karen Women Organisation (KWO) and the village tract leaders, and has been transferred to the Karen National Police Force (KNPF) for further investigation."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication: 2015-07-28
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Karen and Burmese
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Size: 177.08 KB 66.89 KB 85.29 KB
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Title: Human rights abuses and obstacles to protection: Conditions for civilians amidst ongoing conflict in Dooplaya and Pa?an districts
Description: "Amidst ongoing conflict between the Tatmadaw and armed groups in eastern Dooplaya and Pa?an districts, civilians, aid workers and soldiers from state and non-state armies continue to report a variety of human rights abuses and security concerns for civilians in areas adjacent to Thailand?s Tak Province, including: functionally indiscriminate mortar and small arms fire; landmines; arbitrary arrest and detention; sexual violence; and forced portering. Conflict and these conflict-related abuses have displaced thousands of civilians, more than 8,000 of whom are currently taking refuge in discreet hiding places in Thailand. This has interrupted education for thousands of children across eastern Dooplaya and Pa?an districts. The agricultural cycle for farmers has also been severely disrupted; many villagers have been prevented from completing their harvests of beans, corn and paddy crops, portending long-term threats to food security. Due to concerns about food security and disruption to children?s education, as well as villagers? continuing need to protect themselves and their families from conflict and conflict-related abuse, temporary but consistent access to refuge in Thailand remains vital until villagers feel safe to return home. Even after return, food support will likely be necessary until disrupted agricultural activities can be resumed and civilians can again support themselves."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication: 2011-01-21
Date of entry/update: 2012-02-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Nyaunglebin Interview: Naw P---, May 2011
Description: "This report contains the full transcript of an interview conducted by a KHRG researcher in May 2011 with a villager from Ler Doh Township, Nyaunglebin District. The researcher interviewed Naw P---, a 40-year-old farmer who described her experiences living in a Tatmadaw-controlled relocation site, and in her original village in a mixed-administration area under effective Tatmadaw control. Naw P--- described the following human rights abuses: rape and sexual violence; indiscriminate firing on villagers by Tatmadaw soldiers; forced relocation; arrest and detention; movement restrictions; theft and looting; and forced labour, including use of villagers as military sentries and porters. Naw P--- also raised concerns regarding the cost of health care and about children?s education, specifically Tatmadaw restrictions on children?s movement during perceived military instability and the prohibition of Karen-language education. In order to address these concerns, Naw P--- told KHRG that some villagers pay bribes to avoid forced labour and to secure the release of detained family members; lie to Tatmadaw commanders about the whereabouts of villagers working on farms in violation of movement restrictions; and organise covert Karen-language education for their children."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication: 2011-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2012-02-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Tenasserim Interview: Saw C---, Received in May 2011
Description: "This report contains the full transcript of an interview conducted prior to Burma?s November 2010 elections in Te Naw Th?Ri Township, Tenasserim Division by a villager trained by KHRG to monitor human rights conditions. The villager interviewed Saw C---, a 30-year-old married hill field farmer who told KHRG that he was appointed to the position of village head by his local VPDC in an area of Te Naw Th?Ri Township that is frequently accessed by Tatmadaw troops, and in which there is no KNLA presence. Saw C--- described human rights abuses faced by residents of his village, including: demands for forced labour; theft and looting of villagers? property; and movement restrictions that prevent villagers from accessing agricultural workplaces. He also cited an incident in which a villager was shot and killed by Tatmadaw soldiers while fishing in a nearby river, and his death subsequently concealed; and recounted abuses he witnessed when forced to porter military rations and accompany Tatmadaw soldiers during foot patrols, including the theft and looting of villagers? property and the rape of a 50-year-old woman. Saw C--- told KHRG that villagers protect themselves in the following ways: collecting flowers from the jungle to sell in local markets in order to supplement incomes, failing to comply with orders to report to a Tatmadaw camp, and using traditional herbal remedies due to difficulties accessing healthcare. He noted, however, that these strategies can be limited, for example by threats of violence against civilians by Tatmadaw soldiers or scarcity of plants commonly used in herbal remedies."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication: 2011-09-09
Date of entry/update: 2012-02-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 243.33 KB
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Title: Walking Amongst Sharp Knives - The unsung courage of Karen women village chiefs in conflict areas of Eastern Burma
Description: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: "In lowland Karen areas in Eastern Burma women are increasingly taking on the role of village chief, as male village chiefs are more likely to be killed by the Burma Army. This change, overturning deeply engrained tradition, has put women further into the front line of human rights abuses being committed by the Burma Army and their allies. This report by the Karen Women Organization, based on the testimonies of 95 women chiefs, exposes for the first time the impacts of this dramatic cultural shift. The abuses experienced or witnessed by the women chiefs include: • Crucifixion • People burnt alive • Rape, including gang rape • Many forms of torture, including beatings and ?water torture” • People buried up to their heads in earth and beaten to death • Arbitrary executions • Beheadings • Slave labour... Many of the abuses described in this report would appear to be in breach of international law, including five articles of the Rome Statute, of the International Criminal Court. The practice of electing women as village chiefs has spread through lowland Karen areas of Eastern Burma since the 1980s, as Burma?s military regime has expanded control and increased persecution of these war-torn communities. With men increasingly reluctant to risk their lives as chiefs, women have stepped in to assume leadership in the hope of mitigating abuses. However, testimonies of women chiefs show that, far from being exempt from the brutality of the Burma Army, they have faced ongoing systematic abuse, including gender-based violence. This report is based on interviews with women chiefs from five districts of Eastern Burma: Papun (Mutraw), Dooplaya, Thaton (Doo Tha Htu), Nyaunglebin (Kler Lwee Htu), and Pa-an. They are aged from 25 to 82. The average length of time they served as chiefs was nine years; about one third of the women are still serving as chiefs. The women chiefs not only describe their daily struggle to fulfill the constant demands of the Burma Army for labour, food, building materials, ?taxes” and intelligence, but also testify to their systematic use of terror tactics to subjugate villagers and prevent them from cooperating with the Karen resistance. Apart from bearing witness to numerous instances of abuse and murder of fellow-villagers, the chiefs themselves have suffered brutal punishment for alleged non-cooperation. One third of the women interviewed had been physically beaten or tortured. The women also testify to ongoing impunity for sexual violence. They describe incidents of gang-rape, rape of girl-children and rape-murder for which they were unable to seek redress. They also describe being forced to provide ?comfort women” for the Burma Army troops. The women chiefs? own vulnerability to gender-based violence has been deliberately exploited by the Burma Army as a means of intimidation. Rape of women chiefs was described as common, and several chiefs described being gang-raped. Pregnant and nursing women chiefs were also subjected to forced labour and grueling interrogation. Despite the constant threat of violence, the women?s stories reveal their extraordinary strength and courage in assuming leadership and seeking to protect the rights of their communities. They have repeatedly dared to challenge and complain to Burma Army troops about abuses and in some cases managed to secure compensation and even rescinding of unjust orders. The women chiefs have also suffered great personal stress from being unable to fulfill their traditional household roles and care for their families. Several were blamed by their husbands for being ?married to the SPDC” because they had to follow their orders. This report provides poignant insight into the challenges of women assuming leadership in a patriarchal and militarized society. The KWO hopes that this report will help bring recognition of these brave women for their sacrifices not only at the front line of abuses by Burma?s military dictatorship, but at the forefront of the struggle for gender equality in Burma..."
Source/publisher: Burma library
Date of publication: 2010-02-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-02-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 2.6 MB
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Title: Torture of Karen Women by SLORC
Description: Story or three women totured by SLORC
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) Regional & Thematic Reports
Date of publication: 1993-02-16
Date of entry/update: 2009-11-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Mortar attacks, landmines and the destruction of schools in Papun District
Description: "SPDC abuses against civilians continue in northern Karen State, especially in Lu Thaw township of Papun District. Because these villagers live within non-SPDC-controlled "black areas", the SPDC believes it has justification to attack IDP hiding sites and destroy civilian crops, cattle and property. These attacks, combined with the SPDC and KNLA?s continued use of landmines, have caused dozens of injuries and deaths in Papun District alone. Such attacks target the fabric of Karen society, breaking up communities and compromising the educations of Karen youth. In spite of these hardships, the local villagers continue to be resourceful in providing security for their families and education for their children. This report covers events in Papun District from May to July 2008..."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group Field Reports (KHRG #2008-F12)
Date of publication: 2008-08-22
Date of entry/update: 2009-11-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: State of terror: women at risk
Description: Two reports researched and written by the Karen Women?s Organisation ? Shattering Silences in 2004 and State of Terror in 20071 ? document the wide range of human rights abuses against Burmese women and girls.
Source/publisher: The Karen Women?s Organisation via "Forced Migration Review" No. 30
Date of publication: 2008-04-22
Date of entry/update: 2008-11-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese
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Title: Dignity in the Shadow of Oppression - The abuse and agency of Karen women under militarisation
Description: "As the State Peace and Development council continues with its aggressive campaign to expand military control over all areas of Karen State, local villagers confront brutal and systematic abuses perpetrated by the junta?s armed forces. In light of such abuse, external representations of Karen women have fallen back on stereotypes of women in armed conflict which depict nothing but their helplessness and vulnerability. The findings of this report, however, demonstrate that such representations can be both inaccurate and harmful. They miss the many ways in which Karen women are actively responding to abuse and resisting militarisation, and furthermore undermine local women?s attempts to determine for themselves how they, their families and communities are to develop. Such portrayals foster external perceptions and intervention that neglect local concerns and the strategies that these women are already employing to claim their rights. In this report, KHRG examines the patterns of military abuses against Karen women, the many ways these have affected their lives, the manner in which these women have responded to abuse and the ways that this relationship between military abuse and women?s agency has led to changes in the roles of women in Karen society...."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG #2006-05)
Date of publication: 2006-11-22
Date of entry/update: 2008-03-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Karen
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Title: State of Terror
Description: The ongoing rape, murder, torture and forced labour suffered by women living under the Burmese Military Regime in Karen State... Executive Summary: "This report, "State of Terror" clearly documents the range of human rights abuses that continue to be perpetrated across Karen State as part of the SPDC?s sustained campaign of terror. The report focuses in particular on the abuses experienced by women and girls and draws on over 40001 documented cases of human rights abuses perpetrated by the SPDC. These case studies provide shocking evidence of the entrenched and widespread abuses perpetrated against the civilian population of Karen State by the Burmese Military Regime. Many of the recent accounts of human rights violations which occurred in late 2005 and 2006 provide irrefutable evidence that the SPDC?s attacks during this period have increased and have deliberately targeted the civilian population. The recent dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) as well as in those crossing the border in search of asylum, bears further testimony to the escalation of attacks on the civilian women, men and children of Karen State. The report builds on the findings contained in "Shattering Silences", published by the Karen Women?s Organisation in April 2004. That report detailed the alarmingly high number of women and girls who have been raped by the military during the years of the SPDC?s occupation of Karen State. This new report documents the range of other human rights abuses experienced by Karen women and girls, in particular those of forced labour and forced portering. The report locates these atrocities within a human rights framework, to show the direct link of accountability the SPDC bears for the violations committed in these cases. It also demonstrates the multiplicity of human rights violations occurring, as forced labour is often committed in conjunction with other human rights violations such as rape, beating, mutilation, torture, murder, denial of rights to food, water and shelter, and denial of the right to legal redress. These human rights abuses occur as part of a strategy designed to terrorise and subjugate the Karen people, to completely destroy their culture and communities. This report demonstrates very clearly that it is the women who bear the greatest burden of these systematic attacks, as they are doubly oppressed both on the grounds of their ethnicity and their gender. Attacks have continued in spite of the informal ceasefire agreement reached with the SPDC in January 2004. It is clear that rather than honouring the agreement, the SPDC have proceeded with systematic reinforcement of their military infrastructure across Karen State, bringing in more troops, increasing their stocks of food and ammunition and building army camps across the state. From this position of increased strength the SPDC have conducted ongoing attacks on villages across Karen State since September 2005. As this report goes to press over one year later, it is clear that rather than abating, the intensity of these attacks has only increased. Karen women and children continue to be killed and raped by SPDC soldiers, are subjected to forced labour, including portering, and are displaced from their homes. In the first half of 2006 alone KWO received reports of almost 5,000 villagers being taken as forced labourers, with over five times that many being forcibly relocated from their villages as their farms, homes and rice paddies were burned. As a consequence, increasing numbers of refugees are fleeing across the border into Thailand and many, many more are internally displaced. The world now knows the full extent of human rights violations being committed by the SPDC, particularly against women and children from the ethnic groups across Burma. The situation is past critical. The international community must take immediate action to stop these most grave atrocities."
Source/publisher: The Karen Women
Date of publication: 2007-02-00
Date of entry/update: 2007-02-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 673.45 KB
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Title: SHATTERING SILENCES: Karen Women speak out about the Burmese Military Regime?s use of Rape as a Strategy of War in Karen State
Description: "This report, ?Shattering Silences” clearly documents the widespread and systematic rape being committed by the Burmese military against Karen women in Burma. Most of these incidents have been committed with impunity, creating a climate of fear for Karen women in Burma. The cases reported demonstrate how rape is actively being used as a strategy by the SPDC military to intimidate, control, shame and ethnically cleanse Karen groups in Burma. Despite the current ?ceasefire talks” between the SPDC and the Karen National Union (KNU), the SPDC has continued to perpetrate human rights violations against Karen people in Karen State. At the time of publication in April 2004, Karen women continue to be killed and raped by SPDC soldiers, forced to work as porters and forced from their homes. This is the first report that focuses on the atrocities being committed by the SLORC/SPDC military against the Karen women. The report explores the patterns of rapes committed against the Karen women by the SLORC/SPDC soldiers and the effects on the women and their families. The report locates these atrocities within a human rights framework, to show the direct link of accountability the SPDC bears for the violations committed in these cases. It also demonstrates the multiplicity of human rights violations occurring, as the rape of women is often committed in conjunction with other human rights violations such as beating, mutilation, torture, murder, forced labour, denial of rights to food, water and shelter, and denial of the right to legal redress. These rapes occur as part of a strategy designed to terrorize and subjugate the Karen people, to completely destroy their culture and communities. This report demonstrates very clearly that it is the women who bear the greatest burden of these systematic attacks, as they are doubly oppressed both on the grounds of their ethnicity and their gender. Many foreign governments continue talking about Burma as a country which simply lacks democratic systems. In fact, Burma not only lacks democratic principles and institutions, but also has the worst kind of authoritarian regime - one that commits atrocities against its own people, on a scale that amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. In their speaking out here against the SLORC/SPDC soldiers and commanders who have raped them, the women of courage who have shared their stories have shattered the silences behind which their rapists have hidden. The shame was and is not the women?s to bear but lies instead with every soldier and commander who has raped Karen women and girls and with the Burmese military regime who continues to allow these gross violations of women?s human rights to continue with impunity. As the world comes to realize the full extent of human rights violations being committed by the SPDC, particularly against women from ethnic nationalities, the actions members of the international community take to address this issue becomes critical..."
Source/publisher: The Karen Women's Organization (KWO)
Date of publication: 2004-04-02
Date of entry/update: 2004-04-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm doc pdf
Size: 963.64 KB 1.11 MB 1.9 MB
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