FBR: FBR: Burma Army Continues Attacks in Kachin State as of 14 December 2011

Report by Kachin FBR team

The Burma Army continued attacks against the Kachin people and every day there is shelling from attacking Burma Army units. There has been no ceasefire by the Burma Army troops in our area and they keep attacking. There are over 30,000 displaced Kachin villagers in hiding now. On 13 December 2011 at 4:20pm, 3 Burma Army helicopters sent food supplies to Burma Army camps at Loi Yain and Mo Bwan in Kachin State. These helicopters came from Momauk Township, Ba Maw District according to the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO -- pro-democracy ethnic resistance). As the helicopters flew, Burma Army soldiers from Loi Yain and Zin Lon Ka Ba Camps fired mortars and machine guns toward the surrounding area to provide cover fire for the helicopters, which dropped four large loads. Mo Bwan Camp is located at N 24°° 18' 42.6", E 97° 39' 48.7" and Zin Lon Ka Ba Camp is at N 24° 16' 30.1", E 097° 30' 40.2".

There are at least 2000 Burma Army troops in Momauk Township, and they have been attacking, patrolling, burning villages and building new camps. Between 18 November and 27 November, Burma Army Divisions 33 and 88 were building camps at the villages of Hpaw Kawn, Hkrawng Kawng, Man Da, Pang Mu, Law Mon and Kung Pi, and in the Bum Kapaw Bum area between Hpaw Kawn Village and Hkrawng Kawng Village.

In late November, these units were actively patrolling and using 81mm and 120mm mortars every day. One mortar round dropped into Hkrawng Kawng Village destroying one family's kitchen. People from this village fled to a nearby village. On 25 November 2011, 200 soldiers dropped from helicopters to join in attacks. On 30 November, the Burma Army was shooting from their new camp at Pang Mu toward Zin Lum Village. There are 1600 to 2000 recently displaced people from 18 villages in Momauk Township, Baw Maw District. The displaced people are in need of medicine, plastic tarps, warm clothes, blankets and food.

Remains of a Burma Army Mortar

On 8 October 2011, Burma Army Battalions 601, 74 and 276 totaling approximately 200 soldiers entered and attacked Nam Lim Pa Village, Kachin State. Soldiers fired six mortars and small arm fire forcing 297 households, 1573 people, from their homes. In addition to property destruction, soldiers looted over 250 houses and took ten porters to carry the confiscated property. Five people were killed and seven people were injured in the attack. All those killed were civilians and included two adult men and three children.

Labang Brang Nan, 34 years old, was killed by Burma Army soldiers because he had been providing food for Kachin Independence Army (KIA- pro-democracy ethnic resistance), though was not himself a KIA soldier. He was found half-buried in this shallow grave, wearing a KIA uniform and showing visible signs of torture. His 9-year-old son was found buried beside him; his tongue had been cut out and he had been shot multiple times in the upper body.

Shallow Grave ( © Partners Relief and Development)

The remains of 17-year-old Naw Din were burned here days after he had been shot in the head by Burma Army soldiers.

Burned Grave (© Partners Relief and Development)

8-year-old Palai Nan Naw was killed by a mortar blast, along with 60-year-old Lahpai Laba Tu.

Soldiers took 33 women and children hostage in the Roman Catholic Church pictured below. They were held for three days while the Burma Army looted over 250 households. KIA soldiers claim they were unable to shoot into the bunkers because BA soldiers were keeping children present to serve as human shields. None of the hostages were harmed, though upon their release, all hostages returned to looted and destroyed homes.

Roman Catholic Church (© Partners Relief and Development)

Soldiers also captured and held male villagers during the looting. The picture below is a burned house belonging to 73-year-old farmer Labang Tu. After being held for three days, he was allowed to return to his home where he found it in ashes. He is now displaced in the jungle with his daughter.

Burned House (© Partners Relief and Development)

Since the attack, 1,573 people have been displaced into the jungle with very little access to food, shelter and medicine.

Kachin IDPs- Women (© Partners Relief and Development)

Kachin IDPs- Women walking (© Partners Relief and Development)

Kachin IDPs - House (© Partners Relief and Development)

Kachin IDPs - House 2 (© Partners Relief and Development)

The family pictured below has had to flee their home twice in the past 3 months, leaving them now to live in this small hut with no walls. They have little food and only the clothing on their back. At the time the picture was taken, all three had malaria.

Family with malaria, forced to live in the jungle (© Partners Relief and Development)

On 20 August 2011, the Burma Army mortared Nam Gau Village in 3rd brigade, Shwigu District. Of the 5 mortars fired, one went through the roof of a girl's school dormitory, injuring 4 girls under the age of 13 and killing an 8-year-old girl.

Mortared roof of girls' school dormitory (© Partners Relief and Development)

Hpaw La Htu Mai, 8 years old, was killed immediately when a mortar came through the roof of her dormitory.

Hpaw La Htu Mai, 8 years old, was killed immediately when a mortar came through the roof of her dormitory. (© Partners Relief and Development)

Thank you and God Bless,

Free Burma Ranger Kachin Teams

http://www.internationalcampaignforfreedom.blogspot.com/