Karen Human Rights Group

KHRG Photo Gallery 2006

This gallery presents 1,000 photos taken by KHRG researchers in the field throughout 2006 and the first days of 2007, divided into thematic sections including a major section documenting the SPDC's attacks on northern Karen villages throughout the year and the response of villagers living there.

Preface

This gallery presents 1,000 photos taken throughout 2006 and the first days of 2007 by KHRG researchers in the field. The first 614 photos appeared in this gallery in November 2006, and it was updated with 386 more in March 2007. This photo gallery begins at the end of 2005, picking up where KHRG Photo Gallery 2005 left off. Much of it documents the attacks on northern Karen villages by forces of the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC) military junta ruling Burma. These attacks began in 2005, and their early stages were already documented in KHRG Photo Gallery 2005, but they have continued through all of 2006, displacing over 20,000 villagers and killing many. The entire first section of this photo gallery follows the development of this campaign chronologically, as it progressed throughout the year in the three districts of Toungoo, Nyaunglebin and Papun.

The Gallery also documents other aspects of the human rights situation, including forced relocation, forced labour, killings, torture, extortion and economic sabotage, rape and landmines, both in areas where the SPDC is trying to gain control and in supposedly 'peaceful' areas fully under SPDC administration. It continues with sections documenting some of the ways in which villagers respond to and resist human rights abuses; photos related to child soldiers; and finally an update on two villagers who were shown in a previous KHRG photo set.

The photos span the whole of 2006 and Karen regions from north to south including Toungoo, Nyaunglebin and Papun districts, which lie in northern Karen State and Pegu Division; Pa'an and Thaton districts in central Karen State; Dooplaya district in southern Karen State; and Karen refugee camps in Thailand and camps for the internally displaced just on the Burma side of the international border (for maps showing the places, camps, rivers and roads mentioned in the photo descriptions, follow the map links in the text or see the map for the district where the photo was taken in the KHRG Map Room). Based on their subject matter they have been divided into thematic sections as shown in the Table of Contents below. Each thematic section and subsection begins with a short explanation of the photos which follow. Where a photo could be appropriately placed under more than one theme, it is included in the section which seems most applicable. At the beginning we have added a 'latest additions' section which presents the 386 photos added to the gallery in March 2007, shown in roughly chronological order (these photos have also been added to the thematic sections where they belong, so they appear twice).

Taken together, the photos presented here try to provide a holistic view of the suffering imposed on villagers in Karen regions, but also to show their resilience and resourcefulness in resisting this suffering despite the immense force deployed against them and the lack of anything but a trickle of outside help. We hope that the viewer will take away an awareness of the scale of human rights abuses being committed and the resulting suffering, but also a recognition of the strength of the villagers and their capacity and right to control their own lives and the political and humanitarian processes which affect them.

All of the photos in this set were taken by KHRG human rights researchers in the field. The photos have been selected as a sampling from the thousands our researchers have taken, intended to show as many aspects of the situation as possible. Some details of people and places have been deliberately omitted, blanked out or masked in the photo descriptions or the photos themselves when necessary to protect the people involved. Some people may find some of the photos shocking and we have tried to put warning captions where this is likely; however, it has been considered necessary to include such photos to present the situation in its brutal reality. While looking at the photos, please remember that they have been taken under difficult and often dangerous circumstances with low budget equipment, and quality is as incoming. Some photos are blurred, badly exposed or the film has been damaged in transit over several months through jungle conditions. In some cases the 'date' feature has been accidentally activated on the camera without the date being set properly, causing incorrect dates to be burned in orange characters on a corner of the photo; where these 'dates' appear, please ignore them. Even where quality is poor, these photos have been selected because they provide a unique record of events in Karen regions.

Each photo is displayed in a reduced size with accompanying text. Click on any photo to see a larger, better resolution version (suitable for download if desired). The photos and captions are formatted to be viewed on a monitor at least 800 pixels wide, so it is best to view the photo set with your browser window maximised.

All images and accompanying text are Copyright KHRG 2005, 2006, 2007, except where stated otherwise. All rights are reserved. Copies of the photo prints or digital versions scanned at higher resolution can be obtained upon approval from KHRG, by specifying the photo set and photo numbers and paying the costs involved. Organisations and individuals may download the images from the KHRG web site and use them for publication or public presentation on a not-for-profit basis, provided they are properly attributed to KHRG; any publication for commercial purposes requires prior written permission from KHRG.

Top of Report | Preface | Terms and Abbreviations | Table of Contents Latest additions to the Gallery The Northern Offensive Forced Relocation and Forced Displacement Militarisation, Regimentation and Abuses in SPDC-controlled areas Village Responses to Abuse Soldiers Update on Previously Published Photos | Map Room

Table of Contents

Preface

Terms and Abbreviations

Latest additions to the Gallery

1.  The northern offensive
   1a) Convict porters in the northern offensive

2.  Forced relocation and forced displacement
   2a) Plaw Law Bler forced relocation site

3.  Militarisation, regimentation and abuses in SPDC-controlled areas
   3a) Militarisation, violent abuses, and "development"
        - Southern Karen State
        - Eastern Papun
        - Southern Papun
   3b) Forced Labour
   3c) Extortion and economic sabotage
   3d) Sexual violence
   3e) Landmines

4.  Village responses to abuse

5.  Soldiers

6.  Update on previously published photos

Appendix 1: KHRG Map of Burma
Appendix 2: Map of Karen Districts
Appendix 3: Map Room (for additional maps)

Terms and Abbreviations

Top of Report | Preface | Terms and Abbreviations | Table of Contents Latest additions to the Gallery The Northern Offensive Forced Relocation and Forced Displacement Militarisation, Regimentation and Abuses in SPDC-controlled areas Village Responses to Abuse Soldiers Update on Previously Published Photos | Map Room