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Karen residents of Mah Lee Leh village pan for gold in the Meh Toh Law river, Dweh Loh township, Papun District on April 4th 2007. As the SPDC takes further military control over Papun District, artisan labourers such as those shown here have confronted increasing SPDC restrictions on their work as well as financial demands in support of local military units, thus undermining any profit from such occupations. [Photo: KHRG]

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Taken on April 4th 2007, these two photos show the partially burned hill fields of villagers from Gkwee Hta Mah village in Meh Cho village tract, Papun Disrict. Soldiers from SPDC LIB #219 conducted an irregular burn in order to prevent a complete burn that would have allowed local villagers to cultivate crops on the land.

The tactic of setting fire to fallow fields in order to prevent their subsequent complete burn continues to be widely used in order to undermine agricultural life in areas outside of military control. [Photo: KHRG]

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Villagers in Thu K'Bee village tract, Nyaunglebin District catch fish on April 5th 2007. At the end of May 2007, about a month and a half after this photo was taken, SPDC forces forcibly relocated the residents of Thu K'Bee village tract to Htaik Htoo and Yan Myo Aung areas and placed heavy restrictions on travel outside of these relocation sites. Such restrictions hinder villagers' efforts to maintain their livelihoods as travel to farm fields and fishing sites, such as those shown here, is either wholly obstructed or otherwise limited to those who can afford the cost of the necessary SPDC-issued travel documents. [Photo: KHRG]

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KNLA soldiers take security along the Bpwa Ghaw to Saw Hta vehicle road, Papun District in April 2007 as displaced villagers prepare to cross while evading SPDC troops. The SPDC enforces movement restrictions backed up by a shoot-on-sight policy in areas where it lacks a consolidated control of the local civilian population. The SPDC has previously conducted ambushes against displaced civilians attempting to cross this road and KNLA soldiers thus check the area prior to quickly escorting the villagers to the forest cover on the opposite side. [Photo: KHRG]

In early 2007, SPDC authorities in Kyauk Kyi township, Nyaunglebin District embarked on a large-scale relocation programme forcibly removing residents of at least Weh Lah Dtaw, Pa Hta La, Dtaw Koh, Hee Poh Der and Htaik Bpauk villages and confining the residents at either Gkya Thay Dtaw or Soo See relocation sites. Soo See is situated in an area which the SPDC calls Htaik Htoo area but is locally referred to as Bplaw Law Bler in Karen. The site is therefore typically referred to locally as Bplaw Law Bler relocation site. A few months later, on May 29th Aung Zaw, battalion commander of SPDC LIB #350 forcibly relocated the residents of Thu K'Bee village tract, also in Kyauk Kyi township. Some were sent to Htaik Htoo and others to the Yan Myo Aung area. On June 15th, SPDC LIB #599 ordered the villagers of Hsa Leh and Bpay Dtoo villages, Kyauk Kyi township to move to Shwee Bpauk. Following these mass relocations in Kyauk Kyi township, local SPDC authorities forbade all relocated villagers from returning to their former homes and fields. These restrictions caused additional burdens on villagers' livelihoods, exacerbating poverty and malnutrition. The photos below show some of the abandoned villages and SPDC-controlled relocation sites involved in the Nyaunglebin relocation campaign during the first half of 2007.

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Photo C-58 shows a dismantled home at Weh Lah Dtaw village, Weh Lah Dtaw village tract on February 28th 2007. In photo C-59 one Weh Lah Dtaw resident balances on a roof beam in the process of removing wooden planks from his home. Local SPDC authorities ordered all Weh Lah Dtaw villagers to dismantle their homes and move to Gkya Thay Dtaw relocation site. Wood and other building supplies salvaged from their homes and other buildings had to be transported by bullock cart to the assigned relocation site. The forced dismantling of homes is one strategy which the SPDC uses to prevent villagers from returning to reclaim their land.

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Pa Hta La village, shown here [photo C-60] on March 10th 2007 lies empty; homes and other buildings having been dismantled by local residents prior to their eviction and forced relocation to Bplaw Law Bler relocation site.

Hee Poh Der village [photo C-24], Kyauk Kyi township - another community in Nyaunglebin which SPDC personnel forcibly relocated in early 2007. Almost all homes, such as those shown here on March 10th 2007, were dismantled and now lie deserted.

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An abandoned home [photo C-62] at Dtaw Koh village, Kyauk Kyi township on March 13th 2007. Following the relocation of villagers out of Dtaw Koh, local SPDC soldiers participated in destroying some of the homes that remained incompletely dismantled. This destruction has further undermined any future return of villagers to their place of origin.

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The remains of a dismantled church [photo C-63] and other buildings [photos C-64 and C-65] in Htaik Bpauk village, Kyauk Kyi township as seen on March 17th, 2007. When the SPDC forcibly relocated the village in early 2007 local residents had to dismantle buildings, such as the village church shown here, and salvage building supplies for the construction of new homes and buildings in the military-controlled relocation site.

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Photos C-66 and C-67 above show the burnt remains of a farmer's haystack at Dteh Dtoo village, Kyauk Kyi township. SPDC soldiers from LIB #599 under the command of Hsan Mya Oo set fire to this haystack, shown here on March 12th 2007, with which the farmer had been intending to feed his livestock. This arson came at a time when SPDC LIB #599 was engaged in the large-scale relocation of Kyuak Kyi villagers. The SPDC destroys crops, food stores, farm field huts and haystacks, such as the one shown here, in order to undermine villagers' abilities to maintain their livelihoods outside of SPDC control and thus support themselves while evading military relocation programmes.

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Villagers in Kyauk Kyi township travel on bullock carts loaded with wooden planks taken from their dismantled homes on March 12th 2007. This convoy represents just part of the mass relocation of villagers in Kyauk Kyi in the first half of 2007.

The entrance gate at Bplaw Law Bler relocation Site [photo C-69], Kyauk Kyi township on March 16th 2007. The white on red signboard reads:"Warm welcome to Htaik Htoo area." The SPDC forcibly relocated residents of Pa Hta La village to Bplaw Law Bler relocation site, shown here on March 9th 2007. Following the relocation Thet Naing Aung, column commander of SPDC LIB #350, informed the newly relocated community that any villagers who wished to leave the confines of the relocation site would have to purchase a permission document at a cost of 1,500 kyat which would allow them to remain outside the confines of the relocation site for a period of 15 days.

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Photo C-70 left, shows a detailed map of the Htaik Htoo area. The heading at the top of the map reads:"Htaik Htoo development area base map". The blue line winding through the map is labelled Kyauk Kyi river and the thick red line along the right side indicates the main road to Kyauk Kyi town. Both the town and the river of Kyauk Kyi are known as Ler Doh in Karen. See the KHRG map of Nyaunglebin District for the placement of Kyauk Kyi town, river and township.

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Photos C-71, C-72 and C-73 show Bplaw Law Bler relocation site, located in Htaik Htoo (Bplaw Law Bler) area. Notable in these photos, the housing plots, size of individual homes and general barren landscape contrasts with the large dismantled homes and lush environs of the abandoned villages in the photos above. Following the March relocation of Pa Hta La villagers, SPDC personnel likewise ordered the residents of Thu K'Bee village tract to relocate there in May 2007. When battalion commander Aung Zaw of SPDC LIB #350, ordered the residents of Thu K'Bee village tract to relocate to Bplaw Law Bler on May 29th he accused the residents of having contact with the KNU. Army personnel from LIB #350 then divided the 125 households in Thu K'Bee village tract, sending some of them to Bplaw Law Bler and the others to the Yan Myo Aung area. The villagers left Thu K'Bee on June 27th 2007 and arrived at Bplaw Law Bler where they joined the relocated Pa Hta La villagers. To view previous KHRG photos of Bplaw Law Bler relocation site see KHRG Photo Gallery 2006 Section 2 [Photos: KHRG]

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A Free Burma Rangers medic treats a displaced woman in Kay Poo village tract, Lu Thaw township, Papun District on May 1st 2007. This woman became seriously ill after fleeing from SPDC soldiers and hiding in the mountainous forests of northern Papun District. Restrictions on movement which the SPDC enforces in Papun District obstruct civilian access to medical supplies and treatment. Displaced villagers therefore rely heavily on support from cross-border medical teams. [Photo: KHRG]

This woman fled her home at Ler Wah village, Nyaunglebin District along with her personal belongings in order to evade soldiers from SPDC LIB #220 on May 11th 2007. [Photos: KHRG]

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The burnt remains of Naw Deh Lih and Saw Thaw Shwe's rice stores as seen on May 13th 2007 shortly after being destroyed by soldiers from SPDC LIB #220. A charred rice storage basket and winnowing fan lie amidst the ashes. The SPDC has used the destruction of paddy fields and rice stores as a means to undermine the livelihoods of those attempting to live in areas outside of military control and thereby drive them into military-controlled relocation sites. [Photo: KHRG]

Khee Ghoh Loh Der villagers conduct the early stages of the rice cycle by dibbling holes for planting their fields on May 15th 2007. These fields are located near to the SPDC camp at Htaw Muh Bleh Meh, Lu Thaw township, Papun District. As the soldiers intermittently fire off mortar shells from their camp into the surrounding forests and fields these villagers have to take care of their security by monitoring the activities of local SPDC troops so as to know when it is safe to cultivate their fields and then work in groups to quickly tend to the crops before heading back to the forest cover. [Photo: KHRG]

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Due to increasing SPDC patrols and the ongoing threat of attack the Yay Ghoh Loh villagers who own these paddy fields, shown here on May 15th 2007, no longer dare to cultivate crops here. This whole area, which includes eight separate paddy fields, had previously been able to produce a yield of about 1,000 baskets [32,000 kg. / 70,400 lb.] of paddy. The loss of this cropland thus means a severe increase in food insecurity, poverty and malnourishment for the local civilian community. [Photo: KHRG]

The SPDC camp at Htaw Muh Bleh Meh in Ler Muh Bplaw village tract shown here on May 15th 2007. At the base of this hill the Army has constructed a car road linking this camp to other SPDC camps in the area. The troops based here have destroyed villagers' hill fields, hunted down and shot at those living nearby and fired mortar shells at fields and communities into the surrounding forests. [Photo: KHRG]

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The burnt and burning remains of villagers' rice storage barns at Dtuh Ba village, Lu Thaw township, Papun District on May 17th 2007 following an SPDC attack. Villagers in Lu Thaw have come under increasing pressure as SPDC forces have recently completed a vehicle road linking a network of camps in the northwest to the township's main east-west vehicle road. [Photo: KHRG]

Using this newly constructed road system the SPDC has been able to more easily resupply those army units conducting search and destroy missions against civilians hiding in the mountains of northwest Lu Thaw township. [Photo: KHRG]

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The burnt remains of Naw Bpoh Roh, a woman from Saw Muh Bplaw village tract, Lu Thaw township, Papun District who had come to Ler Muh Bplaw village tract, also in Lu Thaw township, in order to find work. Naw Bpoh Roh was caught in her temporary home at Hser Hta village in Ler Muh Bplaw when SPDC soldiers attacked in mid-May 2007. When a KHRG researcher arrived on the scene and took this photo on May 17th 2007, Naw Bpoh Roh's body was still smouldering. [Photo: KHRG]

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At 3:00 in the afternoon on Friday May 23rd 2007 soldiers from SPDC LIB #88 of LID #78 arrived at the Bpay Baw Dter area of Tantabin township, Toungoo District. Upon reaching the local paddy fields soldiers opened fire on resident villagers at work tending their crops. At this time the soldiers shot and wounded 14-year-old Naw Krih Heh, shown in [photos C-86 and C-87]. The bullet pierced the front of her chest and exited out of her back.

During this attack the SPDC soldiers shot and killed three villagers and wounded three others, including Naw Krih Heh. Those killed in the attack were 38-year-old Saw Maw Lee Gkeh, 18-year-old Saw Hsa Gkoo Doo and 18-year-old Saw Gkay Gkay. Along with 14-year-old Naw Krih Heh, the SPDC soldiers also injured 34-year-old Saw Naw Htoo [photo C-88] and 22-year-old Naw Tha Lay [photos C-89 and C-90]. The dead and injured villagers were from See Daw Koh village, Tantabin township, Toungoo District. The SPDC has applied a shoot-on-sight policy in order to drive all civilians out of areas which it does not fully control. Those attempting to remain near to their homes and land face the constant threat of military attacks. [Photo: KHRG]

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Villagers in Papun District cut bamboo during May 2007 with which to construct temporary shelters in the forest where they hide, evading the SPDC troops who hunt them down. [Photo: KHRG]

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Displaced villagers in Lu Thaw township, Papun District conduct music classes with traditional instruments including the Karen harp and bamboo xylophone in May 2007. Despite their situation of displacement the elder villager conducting the classes teaches his students in order to maintain indigenous music and culture in the face of the SPDC's systematic efforts to undermine the traditional Karen way of life. [Photo: KHRG]

Saw G---, 54-year-old secretary of H--- village. On May 4th 2007, Soldiers from LIBs #371 and 372 of MOC #5 under the command of Kyaung Mya, based at Kler La town, Toungoo District detained Saw G---'s son and nephew in the Htee Thu area as they were travelling to get rice. Following the detention of Saw G---'s son and nephew, the soldiers executed them both. Such killings occur in the context of the SPDC's strict movement restrictions which soldiers enforce with a shoot-on-sight policy. [Photo: KHRG]

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Piles of bamboo poles which Mah Lee Ler villagers have collected lie alongside Meh Wah Koh river on June 3rd 2007.

Commander Tin Lin Oo of SPDC LIB #213, based at Saw Mu K'Ler Koh earlier ordered Mah Lee Ler villagers to cut down 200 bamboo poles and deliver them to his army camp. Commander Tin Lin Oo said he would use the bamboo to repair structures at the camp. [Photo: KHRG]

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A group of internally displaced people trek through southern Toungoo District on June 7th 2007. These people fled into Karen State from Gheh Gaw Bper village in neighbouring Karenni State in order to evade continued SPDC demands and restrictions. [Photos: KHRG]

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