FBR Report
| FBR REPORT: Burma
Army Attacking and Displacing over 1,000 Karen People |
| Karen State, Burma |
| 5 June 2008 |
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Dear Friends,
The Burma Army has just attacked the village of Te Mu Der, Papun District,
Northern Karen State. Burma. Over 1,000 people from this village and the surrounding
villages fled. The rains have started and for the families in hiding it is miserable.
Three villages were displaced; Te Mu Der, Tha Kaw To Baw, and Tha Da Der.
On 4 June between 7am - 8 am, Burma Army battalion IB 240 attacked, drove the
people out of the village, burned rice barns, looted homes, badly damaged the
church and destroyed farms in Te Mu Der village in Papun District. Te Mu Der
is located at N18 25 05 E 097 17 15, just south of the Kyauk Kyi- Hsaw Hta road
in north central Papun district. Villagers ran with what they could carry and
the Burma Army looted what they left behind. The Burma Army fired mortars into
the village and one round hit the church, damaging the roof. They then entered
the village and at the church destroyed one piano, 2 amplifiers, two speakers
and stole one guitar. They went through the village, looting and destroying
property and fences. The troops burned down three rice barns with over 300 tins
of paddy rice belonging to Saw Kyaw Soe 45 yrs, Saw Kwe Lay Moo, 43 yrs and
Saw Gwey Hu, 55 yrs. The troops have now pulled back. Two FBR teams are in the
area providing assistance. This new attack follows other attacks outlined in
last weeks report from this northern area. Please see: "Burma
Army Attacks Villages in Eastern Burma as they Obstruct Relief to Cyclone Victims",
at www.freeburmarangers.org.
We are now sending more medicine, plastic tarps to shelter the families in
hiding, food support and blankets.
At this same time the Burma Army is also attacking Karenni villages three days
walk north of Te Mu Der (the attacked Karen village described above).
On 4 June, Burma Army battalions LIB 429 and LIB 531, both under the command
of Myo Win Hlaine entered Bwa Doh village. They captured a villager, Saw Ko
Blu, 33 yrs old. They beat him until his head split open and shot at another
villager who ran away. The Burma Army units then proceeded to Kwa Kee as another
battalion, LIB 530 arrived at Kay Kaw village one and a half days walk northwest
of Kwa Kee..
Thank you and God bless you,
Free Burma Rangers
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