Type of Incident

[SAC] shelling killed four villagers and injured [two, including] one teenager

Date of Incident(s)

May 13th 2024 

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area, Htaw Ta Htoo (Htantabin) Township, Taw Oo (Toungoo) District

Deceased Victims Information

Name

U[2] G---

U E---

Daw[3] L---

Ma[4] N---

Age

79 years old

50 years old

54 years old

20 years old

Gender

Man

Man

Woman

Woman

Ethnicity

Bamar[5]

Bamar

Bamar

Bamar

Marital Status  

Married

Single

Married

Single

Occupation

Unknown

Farmer

Shopkeeper

Unknown

Religion

Buddhist

Buddhist

Buddhist

Buddhist

Position

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Village

Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area

Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area

Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area

Z---- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area

Injured Victims Information

Name

Maung[6] T---

Maung P---

Age

15 years old

35 years old

Gender

Boy

Man

Ethnicity

Bamar

Bamar

Marital Status  

Single

Single

Occupation

-

Farmer

Religion

Buddhist

Buddhist

Position

-

-

Village

Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area

Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area

Perpetrator Information (Armed Actors)

Name(s)           

Rank

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Unknown

Unknown

State Administration Council (SAC)’s[7] Infantry Battalion (IB)[8] #73

Zayet Gyi [Town], Htaw Ta Htoo Township

Unknown

1. Explain in detail how this information was collected.

The [KHRG] researcher conducted an interview [with two villagers to get detailed information] after being introduced by another villager from the incident area [Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area]. [The researcher] interviewed a 60-year-old relative of the victims, named U J---, and the 50-year-old administrator [of Z---] village, named U V---, about the mortar shells that landed into the village. [The researcher also talked to a villager named U Y---, also from Z--- village, to confirm the details of the first mortar shell.]

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

U J--- is a relative of the victims and a neighbour of the victims, so he witnessed this incident first hand. U V---, the village leader [administrator], also approached the incident place to help [the victims]. As such, the researcher knew [confirmed] this [information] is authentic. According to U J---, he went to check the incident place a short time after the mortar shells landed [and exploded] and he heard his nephew [U E---] calling for help. When he reached the incident place, he saw four people were lying down [injured from the mortar explosion]. Among them, only U E---, who sustained life-threatening injuries, was asking him for help [meaning the rest were not conscious]. The researcher also received the information [from U J---] that U E--- died before he reached the hospital. U J--- saw the bodies of his four family members at the incident place, which caused him to be in distress and experience a panic attack. U V---, the village administrator, confirmed that four villagers were killed due to the mortar explosions.

[U Y--- from Z--- village witnessed the first mortar shell incident.]

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On May 13th 2024, at around 10 pm, [State Administration Council (SAC) soldiers from] Infantry Battalion (IB) #73 [whose army camp is located in the vicinity of Zayet Gyi Town, Htaw Ta Htoo (Htantabin) Township, Taw Oo District] fired two rounds of mortar into Z--- village, Zayet Gyi Toungchan area, Htaw Ta Htoo Township. There had been no prior fighting before the attack. The two mortar shells landed in the village and exploded.

The first mortar shell injured a villager named Maung P--- (35 years old) on his leg and arm. Maung P--- is Bamar ethnic, Buddhist, and a farmer. The first mortar shell also injured two cows and damaged nearby houses and the properties inside.

The second mortar shell hit [near a house] and killed four members of a family. A total of six family members were living in the house. Five family members were hit by the second mortar shell. Four family members were killed [under their stilted house] while going to their makeshift bunker [location censored for security], when the mortar exploded approximately 15 to 20 feet [4.5 to 6 metres] from the house. Two family members [U D--- and Maung T---] were still inside the house [about to go outside] when the explosion occurred, resulting in one of them [Maung T---] getting minorly injured [on his heel]. As a result [of the explosion], they [Daw L--- and U G---] were severely injured and died when they reached Toungoo Hospital, located in Toungoo Township, Pel Khu Region [an SAC government-controlled area]. [They were transported by the village administrator and some other villagers.] [Ma N--- was killed instantly and U E--- died before reaching the hospital.]

There was no fighting in or near the village [before the attack] but the SAC still shelled the village. [As explained by U J---, the family member of the victims, there is a People’s Defence Force (PDF)[9] camp located near that area, however there was no fighting prior to the attack.]

The four deceased villagers are:

• U G--- (79 years old), from [a piece of] shrapnel that hit his right eye and passed through the back of his head. He died when he reached the hospital;
• Daw L--- (54 years old), U G---’s daughter, from a piece of shrapnel that passed through the nape to the front of her neck. She died when she reached the hospital;
• U E--- (50 years old), U G---’s son, from shrapnel that perforated the right side of his stomach and passed through the left side of his chest, and another shrapnel which hit his right knee. He died before he reached the hospital;
• Ma N--- (20 years old), U G---’s granddaughter and Daw L---’s daughter, from three [pieces of] shrapnel [that hit] her right hand and passed through her right and left buttocks. She died immediately.

The remaining family members are U G---’s son-in-law, named U D--- (50 years old), married to Daw L---, and his [U G---’s] 15-year-old grandson, named Maung T---. Maung T--- sustained a small injury on one of his heels but survived [without lasting injuries].

U D--- suffers from trauma after surviving the incident. The loss of his wife and daughter impacted his feelings [he feels depressed]. His son, Maung T---, was slightly injured on his heel during the incident. The surviving members of the family [U D--- and Maung T---] are experiencing difficulties [to guarantee] their livelihood. U D--- suffered a motorbike accident and had a steel rod inserted in one of his injured legs prior to the SAC shelling incident. He was relying on his family members to support him financially due to his mobility issues. Given financial difficulties, he is being treated with traditional medicine, and still [as of November 2024] cannot walk properly. Consequently, he cannot work.

The two interviewees informed the [KHRG] researcher that after the occurrence of this incident, villagers live their lives full of anxiety and insecurity.

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

U J---, a relative of the victims, allowed this information to be used in a report.