The following incident report is presented below translated exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security.[2] This report was received along with other information from Thaton District, including four other incident reports, five interviews, one situation update and 139 photographs.[3]
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Type of Incident
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Forced recruitment
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Date of Incident(s)
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May 29th 2012
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Incident Location (Village, Township and District)
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B--- village, Kyoh Moh Thweh village tract, Hpa-an Township
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Victim Information
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Name
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Age
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Sex
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Nationality
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Family
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Occupation
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Religion
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Position
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Village
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Saw M---
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53
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Male
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Karen
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Married with six children: eldest, 23 years; youngest, four years
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Toddy-palm climber
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Buddhist
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Villager
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B---
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Perpetrator information
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Name
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Rank
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Unit
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Based at
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Commander's Name
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Moe Nyo
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Platoon Commander
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Border Guard Battalion #1014
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Noh Hpoh Moh
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U La Ba
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1. Explain the specific manner in which you collected this information.
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When I went to B--- village, I met and interviewed Saw M--- who lives in B--- village and he told me that he was forced to serve as [a soldier in the] people's militia and he told me, step-by-step, about how it happened for him to serve in the people's militia.
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2. Explain how the source verified information accuracy.
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For this information, Saw M---, a B--- villager, who has to go and serve as [a soldier in the] people's militia, was asked to go and serve in the people's militia by Kyoh Moh Thweh village tract leader, Saw N---. He refused to go but Saw N--- told him that if he didn't go, he would need to give 50,000 kyat (US $58.07)[4] for each month [of non-service].
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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.
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On May 29th 2012, a group from the Border Guard, which is based in Noh Hpoh Moh village and led by Moe Nyo, called a meeting in Noh Hpoh Moh and ordered the village leaders to recruit soldiers for a people's militia. A village leader, Saw N---, who attended the meeting, reported that each village had to give five people, and if they can't give people, they have to give 50,000 [kyat] (US $58.07) for each month. On June 2nd 2012, I went and interviewed a B--- villager, Saw M---, who was going to serve in the people's militia. He said that he didn't want to be [a soldier] and he also couldn't give the money that he had to give. He said that there was only one option left, which is to leave the village. The people who have to go are Saw U---, Saw F---, Saw H---, Saw S--- and Saw J---. None of the people included in the list of names want to be [soldiers]. They also don't have money to pay [in lieu]. Therefore, this is the biggest problem for the villagers to solve. Most of the villagers make their living by flat field farming, hill field farming, and live from hand to mouth; they have to try hard for their family's daily food. There is no work [opportunity] for them to earn money, but only working for daily wages; they can't get these jobs all the time. It is very difficult for the villagers to face this situation. Related to this situation, in 2011, Saw V---, Saw Y---, Saw W---and Saw T--- fled because they dared not to go [to be a soldier], and also couldn't give money [in lieu].
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