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FBR REPORT: A Compilation of Burma Army activities since 12 January 2012, as of 23 March 2012 Karen State, Burma 23 March, 2012
In This Report: 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. There have been good reforms including the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and permission for her National League for Democracy to contest by-elections on 1 April 2012, freeing of some political prisoners and some relaxation in media censorship. However, Burma Army attacks, human rights abuses and troop movements continue in ethnic areas. The following are a compilation of Burma Army activities in Karen, Kachin, Karenni and Arakan States since 12 January 2012, the date of a preliminary agreement toward a ceasefire between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Government of Burma on 12 January 2012. One of the 11 points to which the government "agreed in principle" at that time was to cease fighting in all ethnic areas. As this is a compilation, all incidents have been previously reported unless otherwise noted.
On 12 January 2012, a preliminary agreement toward a ceasefire was reached between the KNU and the government and both groups ordered their troops not to shoot at each other.
villagers from Play Hsa Lo Village, Yer Lo Village, Plow Baw Der Village, Hsu Lo Village, and Lay Gaw Lo Village to send 120 bamboo poles to build a new fence for Play Hsa Lo Army Camp. Burma Army MOC 9 has stationed troops to secure the road between Bu Hsa Kee and Kay Pu in southern Taw Oo (Toungoo) and northern Mu Traw Districts, Karen State. On 9 March 2012 at 9:50am, a group of villagers tried to cross the road at Ka Thay Hta in the Si Day area. Before the villagers arrived to the road, local village defense volunteers went up to the road to check for security, and were fired on by Burma Army troops. One of the defense volunteers, Saw Lay La Thaw, age 23, died and one other was wounded. Burma Army Division 66 is also securing the length of road from Kler La (Bawgali Gyi) to Bu Hsa Kee.
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.
scene, he dropped his identification card, which identifies him as Maung Tin Tway from Bago Region. He is part of Infantry Battalion (IB) 299, commanded by Zau Zau U (second-in-command is Aung Thoo Win) which is under MOC 19, commanded by Than Win. His battalion was patrolling in the area at the time. 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 Ler Hsaw, 10 from Lu Shah and 10 from Mae Klu villages, Waw Ray Township, Doo Pla Ya District, South Central Karen State. 18 January, a soldier from SPDC LIB 562 (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 T'kaw township, Doo Pla Ya District. Saw Pa Dah was wounded in the leg. On 29 January 2012, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 346 asked villagers from Par Klaw Kee Village, Mae Ka Ti Village, Htee Yo Kee Village, Htee Mae Baw Village and Kyaw Kee Village to send 12 trailers of food to Mae Ka Ti Burma Army Camp. Each village was forced to carry 30 bags of rice. On 27 January 2012, the Burma Army increased troops in Seitkyi, Kaw T'ree Township with the addition of Military Operations Command (MOC) 19, which numbers approximately 240 soldiers. Two days later, an additional 170 soldiers arrived under MOC 19. Under Commander Myo Thant Zin, they replaced LIB 563 in the Ka Li Kee area.
Positive Encounters
28 January, Burma Army troops and KNLA troops shake hands at a road crossing. Ler Mu Plaw, Lu Thaw Township, Mu Traw 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.
New Information: On 13 March 2012, KNLA troops crossing the car road near Tha Dah Der Village, Lu Thaw Township, Mu Traw District, met Burma Army soldiers on the road and shook hands.
Kachin State
The Burma Army continues attacks in Kachin State and has not agreed to a ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Over 40,000 people have been displaced since the fighting began 9 June 2011. The Burma Army continues to reinforce troops. Fighting has reduced in some areas in recent months but is still frequent in the KIA's 4th Brigade area in Northern Shan State. New Information: Fifty armed men from Burma Army Division 99, Battalion 69, fired mortars into a KIA Camp near Ban Htang Village at 2pm on 15 March 2012. Fighting continued until 4pm. From mid-January, the Burma Army was 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. On 13 January 2012, 60 elderly people who are unable to walk were taken by car to a new Internally Displaced Person (IDP) site. 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 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.
Karenni State
The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Government of Burma signed a ceasefire on 8 March 2012. The ceasefire did not include any restrictions on Burma Army movements in Karenni State. Twenty-three Burma Army battalions are operating in Karenni State. Prior to this agreement the following incidents occurred since 12 January: On 14 January 2012, IB 295, commanded by Aung Zey Ya, killed a village man in
Karenni State. On 15 January 2012 in Hpruso Township, after a battle between the Burma Army and the Karenni Army, Burma Army IB 54 killed a 35-year-old villager named Lu Reh in Htay Byar Nyae.
Arakan State
In Arakan State, the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) has agreed to ceasefire talks with the government, but the talks have not occurred yet. New Information: At 12:30pm on 14 March 2012, as an Arakan FBR team was providing medical treatment at a village in Paletwa Township, security personnel posted outside the village were fired on by soldiers from Burma Army Battalion 232. No FBR members were hurt. God bless you, Free Burma Rangers