Golden Nightingale: A Wounded Five Year Old Girl and Others Injured by Burma Army.

25 February 2022

Karenni State, Burma

**Warning disturbing content

A deadly rain of steel hit the village of Mya Le, Demoso, at 3:00 a.m. this morning on 10 February, 2022. The Burma Army fired four 120 mm heavy mortars into the village, severely injuring a 62 year-old grandfather, Mar Leow, and wounding his 5 year-old granddaughter, Golden Nightingale.

The Burma Army attacks and shells the Karenni people here in the Demoso–Loikaw area daily.  They also place landmines around the towns and on approaches. Yesterday 9 February 2022, we were with a volunteer village defender who stepped on a landmine right in front of us on 7 February as we were walking in the mountains above a Burma army camp. The Burma Army put these mines out to keep everyone away from the areas they control as well as the block access to homes and fields.  In addition to attacking and shelling the Karenni, the Burma Army also places landmines on approaches and around their towns. The Burma Army puts these mines out in order to keep people away from areas they control and to block people’s access to their own homes and fields.

9 February 2022, our team was with a Volunteer Village Defender who stepped on a landmine right in front of us a few days before on 7 February 2022 as we were walking in the mountains above a Burma army camp together. Our medics had given gave him immediate first aid, saving his life. Though he lost his leg, but we encouraged him that God has more things for him to do and that we would give him all the help he needs. the needed help.  He is now recovering in a clinic we support. 

Then, early this morning at 3:00 a.m. we heard four mortars screaming in and exploding with thunderous crashes near us. We responded and helped treat the grandfather and his granddaughter, Golden Nightingale, who were both hit. The grandfather was hit in the back and severely wounded with shrapnel inside which broke a rib and lodged deep in his back by shrapnel which had lodged deep in his back and broken one of his ribs.  We tried to remove the shrapnel but were unsuccessful, so we treated him, stabilized him, and sent him off to a clinic. 

5 year-old Golden Nightingale was hit on her side and crying from pain and fear, but thankfully, her wounds were not serious. After we treated her, we all prayed for her and her badly injured grandfather. Then Later on as the sun came up, the Burma Army shot more mortars into the town of Demoso, along with sustained machine gun and small arms fire. Volunteer Defenders of the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), went forward to block the attack in the town, and we followed them to give medical care if needed. Soon we were under direct mortar and machine gunfire. A mortar shell exploded next to one of the KNDF leaders and he sought cover in a ditch. The ditch was mined and he was badly wounded by the detonating landmine. His foot was blown off and along with most of his thigh and right buttocks. Then, rifle and machine-gun fire opened up and he was pinned down. Two volunteers ran out and grabbed him, and we went to help, drag him to cover behind an abandoned house. There, Joseph, one of our senior FBR medics, stabilized him. We were then able to carry him out of the fighting area and send him off to a clinic we support here. 

Please pray for Golden Nightingale, all of those wounded like her grandfather, and the families of those killed from this attack.

God Bless you,

Free Burma Rangers