Type of Incident

Land confiscation

Date of Incident(s)

May 1st 2015

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

A--- [village], Yay Pu [village tract], Ta Kreh [Paingkyon] Township, Hpa-an District

Victim Information

Name

U B---

U C---

U D---

Age

55

60

56

Sex

Male

Male

Male

Nationality

Muslim

Muslim 

Muslim[3]

Family   

Married

Married

Married

Occupation

Farmer

Farmer

Farmer

Religion

Islam

Islam

Islam

Position

Villager

Villager

Villager

Village

E---

E---

E---

Perpetrator Information

Name(s)              

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

U Kyaw Hein [also called] Dee Ter Ler

Supervisor

Cantonment Area

Paw Yay Poo [Yay Pu]/Ya Tah

Kya Aye Cantonment Area #2 Commander

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

I heard that the company came to construct the road [and that] the BGF’s [Border Guard Force][4] troops confiscated the villagers’ land and sold it to the company. So I went to A--- village and E--- village to talk to the villagers about these issues. The victims told me that the BGF’s troops had confiscated their lands.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

The information was given by U F---. He is a representative of the villagers and he knew detailed incident information. After the BGF confiscated the land, they [BGF] divided it into separate plots, sold it to other people and companies, and dug out the soil to fill the roads.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened. Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please use the space prepared below, and create an attachment if needed.

The incident reported is about the road construction in Yay Pu village tract, Ta Kreh [Paingkyon] Township, Hpa-an District, by the Steel Stone Group.[5] They ploughed the road and dug out the soil on May 1st 2015, in E--- and A--- [villages]. The name of the company is Steel Stone [Group] and the manager’s name is Tha Laing Aung.

They [the company] abused the villagers’ rights, as the BGF confiscated and sold the villagers’ lands [to the company]. The [Cantonment Area #2] Commander Kya Aye[6] and soldier [Cantonment Area Supervisor] Kyaw Hein, [also called] Dee Ter Ler, are the people who committed the biggest human rights abuses. The villagers deliberated many different ways to restrict the power of these two people [prevent them from committing human rights abuses]. The villagers submitted a letter to the KNU [Karen National Union] and Burma government about the above information in order to gain support in reclaiming their land.[7] The villagers have confidence and capacity [to respond to the incidents]. The villagers want people [KNU and Burma/Myanmar government] to restrict the power and end the activities [withdraw the position] of the BGF and other armed actors [commanders and soldiers] who do not use their power in an appropriate way.

The villagers tried their best to report the incident and they [KNU and Burma/Myanmar government] also have to deliberate as to how best to stop the oppressors and the people who committed human rights abuses on the villagers as soon as possible. This is honest information. The names of the victims are mentioned above. I took photos where the incident took place on May 1st 2015

Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided.

The victims allowed KHRG to use this information and report it to the Burma government, the companies, and the BGF and arrange [publish] it as soon as possible to help the villagers to gain compensation for their lands.