An ethnic Arakan SPDC army deserter from Infantry Battalion (IB) #124, pictured here in August 2007, who fled his unit after witnessing other soldiers in his battalion torturing local villagers in Toungoo District. He told KHRG that he surrendered to the KNLA because he did not want to remain with the SPDC Army, having initially enlisted in 2004. [Photo: KHRG]

A-2

A-23

A-24

18-year-old Saw H--- (above), formerly lived in Saw Muh Plaw village tract, Lu Thaw township of northern Papun District. When Burma Army soldiers entered into Saw Muh Plaw village tract, Saw H--- and fellow villagers fled to evade the troops. During the flight, however, Saw H--- stepped on a landmine which blew off the lower portion of his left leg. When this photo was taken on September 23rd 2007, Saw H--- remained in hiding in northern Karen State despite the loss of his leg; the mangled portion of which medics were able to successfully amputate. [Photos: KHRG]

A-25

These four villagers [A-25], including 18-year-old Saw H---, shown here on September 24th 2007, all lost the lower sections of one leg in separate incidents when, upon stepping on landmines, the lower part of the limb was blown off. The Burmese-manufactured M-14 landmine which the Burma Army regularly deploys in civilian areas in Karen State is often not fatal to adults but severely mutilates one or both of a victim's legs. For young children and small animals, however, the risk of death from the M-14 landmines is far greater. [Photo: KHRG]

A-26

A-27

Photos A-25, A-26, and A-27 show SPDC-deployed M-14 blast landmines photographed in September 2007, which were recovered from Papun District. According to the Landmine Monitor 2007 report, these M-14 landmines are "manufactured by Myanmar Defense Products Industries at Ngyaung Chay Dauk, in Bago division."[1] SPDC forces regularly deploy such landmines along roads, forest paths and within village confines following attacks in order to prevent the return of villagers hoping to reclaim their land and belongings. [Photos: KHRG]

A-28

A-91

A-92

The SPDC mortar shell and landmines shown here were collected from Burma Army personnel operating in Toungoo District in late 2007. The manufacture date on the mortar shell reads 2002. SPDC forces conducting search and destroy operations in Karen State typically shell villages with high powered mortars such as these before entering on foot. When departing, the soldiers often lay landmines along village paths, in farm fields and plantations and within the village proper to dissuade villagers from returning. [Photos: KHRG]

Saw B---, shown here on December 1st 2007, stepped on an SPDC landmine that had been deployed at L--- village, Toungoo District. Following armed attacks on villages in northern Karen State, SPDC forces have been deploying landmines to obstruct efforts by the civilian population to return to reclaim their land and possessions. [Photo: KHRG]

A-103

A-116

A-117

The SPDC camp in the Hsaw Wah Der area of southeastern Toungoo District as seen on January 18th 2008. SPDC forces in this area have been conducting sorties into the surrounding hills; shelling the hiding sites of displaced villagers, burning farm fields and food stores and, under a shoot-on-sight policy, firing at anyone spotted in the area. [Photos: KHRG]

A-121

The SPDC Army camp at Dt'Ay Hta, southern Toungoo District is shown here on January 28th 2008. Local SPDC forces established this camp in an area where many displaced villagers remain in hiding, thereby increasing insecurity for civilians in the area. [Photo: KHRG]

These two M-14 landmines, shown here on April 10th 2008, were retrieved during de-mining operations in Lu Thaw township of Northern Karen State. One was retrieved from the area of Kay Bpoo village on January 21st 2008 and the other from Tar Nya Lah Hta on February 13th 2008. Burma Army forces have deployed M-14 landmines in civilian areas including along roads, in forests and farm fields; as well as in and around burned out villages to control the movement of those trying to evade military forces. According to one online source, "whilst the blast wound from an M14 is unlikely to be fatal, it usually destroys a significant part of the victim's foot, thereby leading to some form of permanent disability regarding their gait."[1] [Photo: KHRG]

A-139

B-41

B-42

An SPDC poster, showing a picture of a destroyed bridge in Toungoo District with accompanying text that reads, "The destruction [done by] KNU terrorist rebels in Toungoo District," in Burmese [Photo B-41] and Karen [Photo B-42] languages. Photograph taken on April 5th 2008. [Photos: KHRG]

B-61

B-62

Four-year-old Naw L--- [photo B-61] lost her father, Saw Pah Gaw, when he stepped on an SPDC-deployed landmine and died on July 28th 2007. In photo B-62, Naw L--- is shown with her mother, Naw Gk---, on May 18th 2008. [Photos: KHRG]

B-63

B-64

24-year-old Saw N---, originally from Htee Moo Kee village of Lu Thaw Township but now living at an IDP site, was walking to clear hillside agricultural fields at Taw Moh Bpleh Meh, a site close an SPDC Army camp. While there, Saw N--- stepped on a KNLA-deployed landmine and in the explosion lost the lower part of his right leg. In the photos above, Saw N--- is being treated for his injuries on May 23rd 2008. [Photos: KHRG]

B-122

An unexploded mortar shell, photographed on July 30th 2008, fired by Burma Army soldiers based at Htaw Muh Bplaw in Lu Thaw Township, Papun District. [Photo: KHRG]

B-123

B-124

Photo B-123 shows a KNLA soldier crouching behind an SPDC-deployed M-14-type blast landmine on July 30th 2008. KNLA soldiers removed this landmine from a villagers' hillside agricultural field on April 20th 2008. Photo B-125 shows another M-14 landmine on August 8th 2008 which KNLA soldiers deployed at Saw Gkeh Hta village on May 16th 2008. The SPDC-deployed M-14 type landmine, shown in Photo B-124 on August 5th 2008, was removed from Htee Bpway Kee village. According to the Landmine Monitor 2007 report, these landmines (copies of the US M-14 'plastic mine') are "manufactured by Myanmar Defense Products Industries at Ngyaung Chay Dauk, in Bago division." Burma Army forces regularly deploy such landmines along roads, forest paths and within village confines following attacks in order to prevent the return of villagers hoping to reclaim their land and belongings. According to one online source, "whilst the blast wound from an M14 is unlikely to be fatal, it usually destroys a significant part of the victim's foot, thereby leading to some form of permanent disability." [Photos: KHRG]

B-125

B-136

B-137

When the Burma Army forces withdrew from their camp in T'Moh village tract, Dta Greh Township, Pa'an District, they left this M-26 landmine deployed in the ground. Photographs B-138 to B-143 below show a KNLA soldier removing the landmine from around the abandoned Burma Army camp in T'Moh village tract on August 28th 2008. KHRG field researchers reported that five more landmines were removed by KNLA soldiers in T'Moh village tract during the last week of September 2008.

In a December 2008 correspondence with KHRG, Landmine Monitor provided the following information about the type of mine shown here:

"The mine in the photograph is... a bounding mine. This means when triggered, a small explosive charge blows the mine up from the ground where a much larger explosion takes place at chest height. They are lethal. The mine is an American made M26. Where it came from is a mystery to our experts as they state the mine is extremely rare. The mine which you document being lifted was brand new, and laid by someone who did not understand how it worked. Your photographs showed that it had been laid upside down. Our experts noted that one of your pictures showed that the arming pin in place, so the mine was probably not armed. The internal trip wire spool in the base of the mine was still in storage position, and the tripwire lever was also in its storage position. Despite that, if armed correctly, the M26 is extremely dangerous and can also function on pressure."

B-138

B-139

For more information regarding this and other landmines deployed in T'Moh village tract, Dta Greh Township, see the report Human minesweeping and forced relocation as SPDC and DKBA step up joint operations in Pa'an District, KHRG, October 2008.

B-140

B-141

B-142

B-143

Saw M---, a 35-year-old villager from Play Hsa Loh village tract, Tantabin Township, recovers at a hospital in Toungoo District on November 7th 2008 after treatment for his injured right leg.

B-170

B-171

Saw M--- was walking to his cardamom plantation on September 25th 2008 when he stepped on an SPDC landmine which Burma Army soldiers had deployed within the plantation area. The mine destroyed the lower portion of Saw M---'s right leg. [Photos: KHRG]

B-172

B-173

Photo B-173 shows a KNLA soldier removing a makeshift tripwire mine encountered in Pa'an District in November 2008. The mine [Photo B-172], deployed by DKBA forces earlier in 2008, was made from a hand grenade strapped to a small tree with elastic bands. The nylon cord tied to the grenade's draw pin and stretched out across a forest path serves as a tripwire. Photo B-174 shows the retrieved grendade alongside two unexploded mortar shells that KNLA soldiers also retrieved from the area. [Photos: KHRG]

B-174

B-175

DKBA soldiers fired this Chinese-made Type-69 RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) at Htee Ber Kee village, Dta Greh Township, Pa'an District, in October 2008 after ordering local residents to relocate to DKBA-controlled Htee Ber village. DKBA forces receive these Chinese-made Type-69 RPGs (which are a variant of the Soviet RPG-7) from the SPDC. DKBA soldiers fired two or three similar RPGs at Htee Ber Kee village each day for a week following forced relocation orders. This particular RPG failed to explode and was photographed by KHRG on November 28th 2008. [Photos: KHRG; disregard incorrect date printed on the photo]

This photo, taken on November 27th 2008, shows a water buffalo belonging to a villager in Dta Greh Township. The buffalo stepped on a DKBA-deployed landmine and subsequently died. [Photos: KHRG]

B-176

B-177

This landmine - made by hand from a block of wood, gun powder and battery-powered detonator - was deployed by DKBA soldiers from Special Battalion #999 in Dta Greh Township. It was subsequently retrieved and photographed by KHRG in January 2009. [Photos: KHRG]