Karen Human Rights Group - KHRG Photo Gallery 2009"

Karen Human Rights Group | KHRG Photo Gallery 2009 23.07.
09 00:19
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Reports » Photosets July 15th, 2009
KHRG Photo Gallery 2009

This first instalment of KHRG's Photo Gallery 2009 presents 123
still images and 1 short video that have been received from KHRG
field researchers since the last instalment of Photo Gallery 2008 in
February 2009. Many of these photos chronologically overlap with
photos that were previously published in Photo Gallery 2008. They
therefore include photos taken from July 2008 up to July 2009. All
photos are presented here in roughly chronological order
irrespective of subject matter and labelled with alphanumeric
identification tags beginning with 'A' followed by a number. Images
in subsequent instalments of Photo Gallery 2009 will be given
labels starting with 'B', 'C' and so forth according to the order of
their instalment. Some photos included here have also been
presented in previous KHRG field reports and news bulletins. All
photos are included with no thematic divisions. As more photos are
added to the Photo Gallery in later instalments, all images will be
incorporated within relevant thematic sections with the most recent
photos also grouped together in a 'latest additions' section.
All photos included here are by KHRG except where otherwise noted.
13-year-old Saw E--- is shown here on July 25th 2008 at

his family's farm field in Bilin Township, Thaton District
while marching a buffalo around to break up the soil in
preparation for paddy planting. Although Saw E--- is only
13 years old, he cannot currently attend school because
his parents cannot afford the school fees and need him to
work in order to contribute to the household income. Saw
E--- has therefore had to work for his parents and also
engage in wage labour tending other people's buffalo and
cattle. [Photo: KHRG]
A-1
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Karen Human Rights Group | KHRG Photo Gallery 2009 23.07.09 00:19
These students at B--- village in Thaton District are

shown here studying at the local elementary school on
July 29th 2008. Education across Burma, but especially in
rural areas, is woefully underfunded and less than half of
all children complete elementary school. [Photo: KHRG]
A-2
Photo A-3 shows flood damage to the farm fields of

residents of L--- village in Bilin Township of Thaton
District, on August 15th 2008. Nearly half of the paddy
crop grown on this farm field was damaged due to the
flooding. The livelihoods of most farmers in Karen State
are highly susceptible to flooding, drought and other
natural disasters as few people have insurance, while
military extortion in the form of crop quotas, taxation and
other demands are rarely amended to accommodate poor
or failed harvests. [Photo: KHRG]
A-3
This picture - taken on September 28th 2008 - shows a

framed photograph of U Thuzana, the nominal head of
the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). DKBA
Commander Gkaw Muh Lah, based at Lay Gkay army
camp in Thaton District, ordered residents of N--- village
to buy copies of the photograph at a cost of 2,500 Thai
Baht (approx. US $73.32). [Photo: KHRG]
A-4

A-5 A-6
The photograph above left shows a stack of calendars produced by the DKBA. The calendars are written in Burmese
and Pwo Karen languages (with the latter using the traditional Karen Leit-San Weit ('chicken scratch') script). DKBA
authorities ordered every household in Bilin Township to buy a calendar for 2,500 kyat (US $2.46). The money
collected by the village head of T--- village that was to be paid to the local DKBA authorities is shown in the photo
above right. Both photographs were taken in October 2008. [Photos: KHRG]
13-year-old Naw A--- and her younger sister, 11-year-

old Naw M---, are shown here on November 17th 2008
helping their family by pounding paddy to remove the
husks at their home in Thaton District. Naw A--- is the
eldest daughter in the family and currently attends grade
three. After finishing school in the evening, both girls
regularly help their parents with work around the house.
[Photo: KHRG]
A-7

A-8 A-9
These pictures were taken on November 19th 2008 and show rubber plantations owned by SPDC General Major
Maung Bo in Thaton District. The SPDC has been colluding with the Max Myanmar Group of Companies to confiscate
large swaths of villager-owned land in Thaton District for use by the company in its business ventures. For more
details on the SPDC's land confiscation in Thaton District, see Land confiscation and the business of human rights
abuse in Thaton District, KHRG, April 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
Residents of T--- village in Thaton District winnow rice to

separate the grain from the chaff on November 26th
2008 after the annual harvest of the rainy season paddy
crop. [Photo: KHRG]
A-10

This photo - taken on December 31st 2008 - shows the

remains of a house at Htee Bper Kee village in Dta Greh
Township, Pa'an District, which DKBA forces destroyed on
October 8th 2008 after issuing forced relocation orders to
the local residents. The DKBA ordered the local residents
to move to nearby Htee Bper village adjacent to which
the DKBA was planning to construct an army camp. For
more information on this incident, see Human
minesweeping and forced relocation as SPDC and DKBA
step up joint operations in Pa'an District, KHRG, October
2008. [Photo: KHRG]
A-11
A-12
A-13
In pictures A-12 and A-13, a KNLA soldier removes a DKBA-deployed landmine in December 2008 from a road in Dta
Greh Township, Pa'an District. This road is one which local villagers frequently use. [Photos: KHRG]

This photo was taken on December 31st 2008 and shows

an SPDC-manufactured M14 landmine which was planted
by DKBA soldiers active in Pa'an District. The SPDC has
provided much of the weaponry, like the landmine shown
here, which the DKBA now utilises.[Photo: KHRG]
A-14
This landmine - made by hand from a block of wood, gun

powder and a battery-powered detonator - was deployed
by DKBA soldiers from Special Battalion #999 in Dta
Greh Township, Pa'an District. It was subsequently
retrieved and photographed by KHRG in January 2009.
[Photo: KHRG]
A-15
A-16 A-17
In photograph A-16, taken on January 23rd 2009, a 42-year-old villager named Saw P--- carries 25 thatch shingles

to be delivered to the DKBA's Gka Hsaw Wah ('White Elephant') Battalion, based in southern Papun District. He is
shown here being followed by his son. Although Saw P--- was able to travel with a friend by boat to deliver the
shingles, other villagers have had to take the shingles by foot - a 6 to 7 hour walk. Photo A-17 was also taken on
January 23rd 2009 and shows thatch shingles which residents of M--- village stacked before delivery to DKBA camp
commander Puh Tah Thoo who is based out of Meh Mweh army camp in southern Papun District. Villagers here had
to collect 1,000 thatch shingles and deliver them to the DKBA by January 25th 2009. DKBA soldiers didn't
compensate the villagers for the thatch nor for the petrol consumed by the boats used to deliver them. [Photos:
KHRG]
A-18 A-19
Villagers from the lowland area in Nyaunglebin District are shown here on January 30th 2009 after having travelled to
the mountains to trade with, and sell goods to, displaced villagers and others living in the hills. Trading at such
'jungle markets' is a crucial means by which villagers can evade SPDC-imposed restrictions and, for those hiding in
the hills, maintain their lives outside of State control. [Photos: KHRG]
In this photo, village girls are shown caring for their

younger siblings on February 1st 2009 while their parents
are out at work on their hillside farm fields in Nyaunglebin
District. With heavy demands by miltiry forces, ongoing
livelihoods vulnerabiliy and increasing poverty, many
young children in Karen State have had to take on more
household work as well as wage labour outside the home
in order to help their families cope. [Photo: KHRG]
A-20

Photo A-21, taken on February 2nd 2009, shows the

former plantation of the 54-year-old mother of Saw T---,
of M---- village in T'Nay Hsah Township of Pa'an District.
Saw T---'s mother had to sell the plantation because her
28-year-old son, who had been recruited into the DKBA,
refused to serve as a soldier. Along with this plantation,
Saw T---'s mother also had to sell her farm field in order
to collect the 900,000 kyat (approx. US $914) needed to
hire someone else to take her son's place. [Photo: KHRG]
A-21
53-year-old Saw N---, of Gk--- village in Lu Pleh

Township of Pa'an District, is carving a wooden spoon at
an IDP site in Pa'an District on February 6th 2009. He told
KHRG that, because he had to do forced labour at his
home village for the SPDC and DKBA almost every day,
he had no time to do his own work and therefore fled to
this IDP site at the start of 2009. [Photo: KHRG]
A-22
This picture, taken on February 7th 2009, shows an

SPDC-sponsored school in Htee Bper Kha village, Papun
District. After beginning construction nearly one year
prior, the building remains unfinished and villagers have
been informed that the SPDC expects the villagers
themselves to complete its construction. [Photo: KHRG]
A-23

The photo to the right, taken on February 9th 2009,

shows a close-up of a picture of Maung Chit Thoo,
Operation Commander of DKBA Brigade #999 and now
one of the most powerful figures within the DKBA, along
with his wife. Maung Chit Thoo had DKBA personnel
under his command forcibly sell this picture to individual
households in T'Nay Hsah Township of Pa'an District, at a
cost of 2,000 kyat (approx. US $2.03) each. [Photo:
KHRG]
A-24
34-year-old Naw T--- shown to the left, a widow from N-

-- village in T'Nay Hsah Township of Pa'an District, makes
charcoal as her sole means of livelihood in order to
support her four children and cover DKBA-imposed taxes.
In mid-December, while felling a tree with her father, the
tree landed on her legs, injuring both knees. Her legs are
shown here covered with a turmeric-based medicinal
compound meant to reduce and prevent swelling. She
had been unable to walk or work for two months since
the accident when this photo was taken on February 16th
2009; making the payment of DKBA taxes especially
difficult. [Photo: KHRG]
A-25

Saw P---, the 39-year-old head of B--- village in Bu Tho

Township of Papun District, is shown here on February
24th 2009. Saw P--- told KHRG that local DKBA forces
had been regularly demanding 'porter fees' from the
residents of his village. On December 16th 2008, January
16th 2009 and February 16th 2009 the villagers had to
give payments of 10,000 kyat (approx. US $9).
Furthermore, on December 25th 2009 the villagers had
to give 400 thatch shingles to the DKBA. [Photo: KHRG]
A-26
18-year-old Maung Z---, shown in photo A-27, is of

mixed South Asian and Burman ethnicity. He came from
a town in Pegu Division and spoke to KHRG on February
27th 2009. Amongst other things, Maung Z--- explained
that while he was involved in the military training, "There
were many people under 18 years old. There were also
13-year-olds and 16-year-olds attending the military
training."
A-27

18-year-old Maung C---, shown in photo A-28, spoke to

KHRG on February 26th 2009. Maung C--- was grabbed
by a Burma Army soldier at the Sule Pagoda in Rangoon
after returning from his grandmother's shop. The soldier
then sold Maung C--- to a Burma Army officer for the
equivalent of US $18.80. Maung C--- was then enlisted in
the Burma Army and began military training in June
2008. As he described it, "My parents didn't know that I
was grabbed and sent to the military. Up until now they
still don't know where I am." For more details on the
deserters shown here, see Mistreatment and child
soldiers in the Burma Army: Interviews with SPDC
deserters, KHRG, June 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
A-28
A-29 A-30

Northern Karen State continues to have one of the

highest documented concentrations of Internally
Dispalced Persons (IDPs) in Burma. Lu Thaw Township of
northern Papun District is amongst those areas of
northern Karen State with large IDP populations living in
hiding. Photos A-29 to A-36 show the hiding site of
displaced villagers who previously fled from their homes
at Th--- village of Papun District. IDPs in hiding have to
adopt a range of strategies to support themselves while
evading the Burma Army. Photo A-31 shows a patch of
onion plants now being grown by the displaced villagers
from Th--- village. [Photo: KHRG]
A-31
A-32 A-33
Photo A-35 below shows a patch of sugar cane shoots

that are also being cultivated at the hiding site in Papun
District at which the former residents of Th--- village now
reside. In photo A-36, the displaced villagers clear a hill-
side field on which to plant a new paddy crop. These
photos were all taken on February 28th 2009. [Photos:
KHRG]
A-34

A-35 A-36
A-37 A-38
This cave in Papun District, shown in photos A-37 to A-

41 on February 28th 2009, has long served as a hiding
site for displaced villagers living nearby who have sought
to avoid Burma Army soldiers when their patrols have
arrived in the area. The writing on the cave walls traces
the history of displaced villagers who have hid out here
over many years. The year '1991' is visible in photo A-
39, written out by a previous resident. [Photos: KHRG]
A-39

A-40 A-41
A-42 A-43
Photos A-42 and A-43 show an abandoned SPDC army

camp at Thay Wah Gkyo village in Lu Thaw Township of
Papun District. Photo A-44 shows writing on a wooden
plaque found at the army camp that reads "[For] the
meritorious deed [of] Major Myo Win Min company
communication officer for MOC #10 [and] Major Myo Min
Aung LIB #504." These photos were both taken on March
1st 2009. In total, the Burma Army withdrew from 13
camps in Lu Thaw Township between the end of 2008
and the start of 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
A-44

Karen villagers in Lu Thaw Township, Papun District

construct a platform as part of a traditional ceremony on
March 1st 2009 to evict malevolent spirits from the area
and ensure a prosperous future on the newly sanctified
land. This ceremony is often conducted in areas that have
not been cultivated or inhabited for extended periods of
time. For a discussion of related Karen religious
architecture, see Kirsten Ewers Andersen, "Two
Indigenous Karen Religious Denominations," Folk 23,
1981. [Photo: KHRG]
A-45
A-46 A-47
IDP villagers in Lu Thaw Township of Papun District are shown here on March 4th 2009, having come to D--- IDP
camp in order to receive medical treatment from a mobile Karen medical team. Such aid, delivered by local Karen
staff working with small mobile medical teams which obtain supplies from accros the border in Thailand are crucial
means by which IDP communities are able to address their health needs. Many communities residing in SPDC-
controlled areas likewise rely on such 'cross-border' aid because of the lack of government health care provisions and
restrictions on access to the area imposed on international aid agencies based out of Rangoon. [Photos: KHRG]

Many elderly villagers are included amongst the many

internally displaced persons in Karen State. This 79-year-
old man, shown in photo A-48 winnowing rice on March
4th 2009 at an IDP hiding site in Lu Thaw Township of
Papun District, previously fled from his home village
when a patrol of Burma Army soldiers arrived in the
area. [Photo: KHRG]
A-48
A-49 A-50
This domestically-made M14 landmine was removed from the ground in Lu Thaw Township on December 14th 2008.
A KHRG field researcher subsequently took these photos on March 5th 2009. According to Landmine Monitor, these
M-14 landmines are "manufactured by Myanmar Defense Products Industries at Ngyaung Chay Dauk, in Bago
division." [Photos: KHRG]

This landmine was removed from the ground on

December 14th 2008 from a spot near to P'Lah Koh
Burma Army camp in Lu Thaw township of Papun District.
The mine had earlier been planted by soldiers from
Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion #242. The mine
appears to be a domestically-manufactured MM1
landmine, which according to Landmine Monitor is
"modelled on the Chinese Type 59 stake-mounted
fragmentation mine.". These photos were all taken on
March 5th 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
A-51
A-52 A-53
These photos show displaced villagers in Nyaunglebin

District as they work together to face the challenges of
life in hiding from Burma Army forces. In photo A-54,
girls are shown caring for their younger siblings while
their parents work on their hillside farm fields. The
elderly woman in photo A-55 is from S--- village and is
responsible for both looking after her grandchild and
pounding rice while her children work in their hill fields.
A-54

Thramu M---, a school teacher shown in photo A-56 is a

single mother who continues to both raise her own
children and teach the other displaced children in her
community. Photo A-57 shows a 21-year-old woman
named Naw H--- from T--- village of Kyauk Kyi Township
while she makes a bamboo container with which to store
and carry water. These photographs were taken on March
7th and 8th 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
A-55
A-56 A-57
These pictures show bamboo huts located at the hiding

site of villagers from Thaw Ngeh Der village in
Nyaunglebin District. The residents of Thaw Ngeh Der
fled their homes in March 2008 and remained at this
displaced hiding site until at least March 8th 2009, when
these photos were taken. At that time, the villagers had
not yet returned to their village due to ongoing Burma
Army patrols in the area. [Photos: KHRG]
A-58

A-59 A-60
A-61 A-62
Students who have just finished their school year at an IDP camp in Papun District return to their home villages. The
students are shown here on March 20th 2009 hurriedly crossing an SPDC-controlled vehicle road while Karen National
Liberation Army (KNLA) soldiers take security. Because of insecurity and a lack of educational facilities at their home
villages, which remain outside of SPDC-controlled areas, these students must take this risky journey simply to access
schools. [Photos: KHRG]

A-63 A-64
Villagers in Papun District take part in a KHRG Village

Agency workshop in March 2009. In these workshops,
participants are encouraged to discuss the strategies that
they and other villagers use to resist abuse and to
develop and refine these strategies according their local
situation. For more information on KHRG's Village Agency
workshops, see Supporting IDP Resistance Strategies,
KHRG, April 2008. [Photos: KHRG]
A-65
The picture to the left shows the Burma Army camp at

Bpaw Hseh Koh in the Maw Gkyaw Koh area of Papun
District in March 2009. While Burma Army soldiers
withdrew from 13 camps in Papun District between the
end of 2008 and the start of 2009, many other camps,
like the one shown here, remain occupied. [Photo:
KHRG]
A-66

Many villagers in Karen State have been displaced

repeatedly over the past decades due to human rights
abuse and armed conflict. 70-year-old Naw Hs---, who is
shown here in March 2009 with her husband, is now
staying at Th--- village in Papun District. Naw Hs--- has
been repeatedly displaced since she first fled from
Japanese troops during World War II. Since that time she
has fled from the soldiers of successive Burmese
governments. Naw Hs--- told KHRG that she hopes peace
will come quickly to her and her husband. [Photo: KHRG]
A-67
A-68 A-69

Photos A-68 to A-73 and video A-74 show villagers in

Nyaunglebin District as they engage in forced labour
repairing an SPDC-controlled vehicle road leading from
Htaik Htoo relocation site to Kyauk Kyi Town on April 2nd
2009 as ordered by Burma Army personnel based at See
Bpay Tha Ya army camp in Kyauk Kyi Township.
A-70
A-71 A-72
Those ordered to comply with the forced labour include villagers previously relocated from Ay Neh, Bpa Ta Lah, Thoo
Gka Bee, Noh Gkaw and Weh Lah Taw village tracts. Burma Army personnel ordered one person from each household
to contribute to the road repair. Women and children were amongst those engaged in the forced labour. [Photos and
video: KHRG]

A-73 A-74
[To watch the video click here.]
Photo A-75, taken on April 3rd 2009, shows the road

leading from Papun Town to Gk'Ma Maw at the point
where it connects Way Hsah and Way Moo villages. Local
SPDC authorities have surveyed the farm fields on both
sides of this road, apparently planning to confiscate this
land as they have done with other land in the area. If the
SPDC does confiscate the land, many civilians who farm
fields along both sides of the road will lose their means of
livelihood. [Photo: KHRG]
A-75

16-year-old Maung Ht---, a deserter from the Burma

Army is shown here in April 2009. Maung Ht--- told KHRG
that "In the past, when I was staying in the SPDC
Association [Burma Army] I suffered many troubles. I
was exploited with insufficient salary and rations. And
furthermore, as I didn't have a high level of education, I
had to remain at a low-rank. They [Burma Army
authorities] ordered [the soldiers] as they wanted. I had
to meet all of their needs. Because I couldn't endure this
treatment, I fled when I got in contact with the KNU... In
the same way as me, I pray that the child soldiers who
remain with the SPDC Army will be quickly released from
oppression and torture." [Photo: KHRG]
A-76
In April 2006, SPDC Light Infantry Battalion #349 forcibly

relocated the residents of numerous villages in
Nyaunglebin District to Htaik Htoo relocation site - also
located in Nyauglebin District. Over nearly three years,
the empty homes and other buildings at the formerly
occupied villages became dilapidated. However, in
December 2008, the former residents of B--- village, one
of those that had been previously relocated, were able to
return to their homes and have since rebuilt the local
school, as shown in photo A-77, although without any
SPDC assistance.
A-77

Amongst those forcibly relocated to Htaik Htoo relocation

site by Burma Army forces in 2006 were the residents of
multiple villages in Bpa Ta Lah village tract of Kyauk Kyi
Township. However, on December 22nd 2008, SPDC
authorities ordered the former residents of Bpa Ta Law
village tract to relocate again. This time three of the
previously relocated villagers were moved to a new site
(photo A-78) with no irrigation located in an open area
between Bpa Ta Lah and Taw Koh village. For more
details about the SPDC's forced relocation of civilians to
Htaik Htoo and other relocation sites in Nyaunglebin
District, see Cycles of Displacement: Forced relocation
and civilian responses in Nyaunglebin District, KHRG,
January 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
A-78
This picture, taken in April 2009, shows a family from

Thaton District that fled to Pa'an District and then to
Thailand. The family reported that they had to pay
money to support the villagers who were recruited as
new DKBA soldiers. They therefore decided to leave their
village to avoid paying this money. [Photo: KHRG]
A-79
A-80 A-81

20-year-old Saw M--- deserted from the DKBA in early 2009 and subsequently spoke to KHRG on April 14th, when
these photos were taken. Prior to deserting, Saw M--- served in the 'Brigade Security Force' of DKBA Brigade #999
under commander Pah Nwee. Regarding child soldiers in the DKBA, Saw M--- told KHRG that "some soldiers are only
13 years old. There were six soldiers who were 13 years old in my security detachment [the 'Brigade Security
Force']." [Photos: KHRG]
On April 19th 2009, SPDC and DKBA soldiers combined

to attack the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)
camp at Khaw Lay Kee in north-eastern Dooplaya
District. Due to the fighting, about 200 local villagers fled
to a site in Thailand near the Moei River where they built
approximately 30 huts in which to temporarily reside, as
shown in these photos.
A-82
On April 28th 2009 the joint SPDC and DKBA forces

defeated the KNLA at Khaw Lay Kee. When these photos
were taken on April 30th 2009, some of the refugees
from the Khaw Lay Kee area had briefly returned to the
area of the fighting to check on their abandoned
agricultural fields. [Photos: KHRG]
A-83

A-84 A-85
This picture, taken in April 2009, shows a poster of DKBA

Brigade #999 Brigadier Pah Nwee's drama troupe. Pah
Nwee announced that his drama troupe would perform in
Ht--- village of Pa'an District, on March 7th to 9th 2009.
He demanded 200,000 kyat (approx. US $182) from the
residents of Ht--- village to pay for the production.
[Photo: KHRG]
A-86
A-87 A-88

The photos above and below show IDPs in Lu Thaw Township in northern Papun District receiving emergency food
support in the form of rice supplies that are being given by local KNU officers. After prolonged periods of hiding in the
forest, these villagers have been unable to fully tend to their farms or maintain stores of harvested paddy. As a
result, they have faced severe food shortages. These photos were taken on April 25th 2009. [Photos: KHRG]
A-89 A-90
The S'Gkaw Karen Buddhist monk, shown here on April

30th 2009, reported to KHRG that he had gotten into an
argument with Pah Nwee, the commander of Democratic
Karen Buddhist Army Brigade #999, which operates
primarily in Pa'an District. When Pah Nwee insisted that
the monk follow a strictly vegan diet, the monk replied
that he would not do so. Pah Nwee then got angry with
the monk and punched him in the chin and hit him on his
back. The monk subsequently fled to Thailand. U
Thuzana, a Karen monk and the nominal head of the
DKBA, enforces a strict vegan diet at his compound at
Myaing Gyi Ngu in Pa'an District, which also functions as
the DKBA headquarters. Following U Thuzana's
regulations, some DKBA officers maintain a vegetarian
diet, while others do not. [Photo: KHRG]
A-91

The photo to the right shows 34-year-old Naw M---

along with her three sons, who now live in Mae La Oo
refugee camp in Thailand. Naw M--- told KHRG that she
left her village in Lu Thaw Township, Papun District,
because of problems created by frequent SPDC patrols.
Naw M--- lost a leg to a landmine while she was
displaced in Lu Thaw Township, and her husband was
shot and killed by the Burma Army. A fourth son and her
father died from lack of access to medical treatment.
This photo was taken on May 9th 2009. [Photo: KHRG]
A-92
This picture, taken on June 2nd 2009, shows land in T'Nay

Hsah Townshipof Pa’an District owned by DKBA Brigade
#999 Operation Commander Maung Chit Thoo. Maung
Chit Thoo reportedly plans to build a resort for foreign
tourists at this location. However, he has demanded
money from local villagers to pay for the construction.
[Photo: KHRG]
A-93
Beginning in the first week of June 2009, DKBA and SPDC forces conducted joint attacks on a KNLA camp located in
Dta Greh Township of Pa'an District. The KNLA camp was located adjacent to Ler Per Her camp for internally
displaced people, which prior to the attacks had a population of over 1,200. Residents from the from the surrounding
villages began leaving for Thailand at the start of June to avoid the fighting as well as expected forced labour
carrying military supplies amidst the fighting. Subsequently, on June 5th the entire civilian population of Ler Per Her
camp evacuated to Thailand to avoid the fighting. Joint SPDC/DKBA attacks on the KNLA continued until mid June,
when the KNLA withdrew its forces from the camps and dispersed as small units into the surrounding forests.
[Photos: KHRG]

Photo A-94, taken in July 2008, shows the locations (at

the time immediately preceding the attacks) of the SPDC
and DKBA camps in the background. In the foreground
lies the now empty Ler Per Her IDP camp. Between Ler
Per Her and the SPDC/DKBA camps lies the KNLA camp.
Photo A-95 shows the Moei River dividing Thailand (on
the left and bottom) and Karen State (on the right). The
village of Mae Salit (to which many of the Ler Per Her
refugees subsequently fled) is visible on the Thai side of
the river at the bottom left corner of the photo. A few
buildings at Ler Per Her IDP camp are just barely visible
amongst the trees on the opposite bank of the river.
Photo A-96 shows smoke rising from the KNLA camp
near Ler Per Her on June 14th 2009, after KNLA forces
withdrew and the camp was taken by the DKBA.
A-94
A-95 A-96

A-97 A-98
Photos A-97 to A-100 show displaced villagers from Ler Per Her IDP camp who wait to leave the area by boat as they
flee to Thailand on June 5th 2009 to avoid the joint SPDC/DKBA attacks.
A-99 A-100
A-101 A-102

In photos A-101 to A-105, displaced villagers from Ler

Per Her IDP camp flee to Thailand by boat on June 5th as
insecurity grows amidst the SPDC/DKBA troop build-up in
the area.
A-103
A-104
A-105
A-106 A-107

Following their arrival in Thailand, local and international

aid organisations including the Karen Refugee Committee
(KRC), the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC)
and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) came to provide assistance. In photos A-106 to
A-112 the newly displaced refugees from the Ler Per Her
area receive humanitarian aid on June 7th 2009 in Noh
Boh village in Tha Song Yang District of Tak Province,
Thailand.
A-108
A-109 A-110
A-111
A-112

Many of those injured in the fighting around Ler Per Her

IDP camp subsequently went to Thailand for medical
treatment. Photo A-113, taken on June 23rd 2009, shows
a 17-year-old DKBA child soldier named Saw P---
recovering at a hospital in Thailand after being injured
during fighting with the KNLA near Ler Per Her camp.
Saw P--- told KHRG, "In 2008, the DKBA recruited 10
villagers in my village to join the army. I had to draw a
lottery ticket and then [due to the ticket that he drew], I
had to join the DKBA for three years... Commander Saw
Hsar Muh Say stayed behind along with the Burmese
Army and gave an order that the soldiers had to fight at
the frontline and also had to plant landmines. It's like the
DKBA commanders ordered us to die."
A-113
Amongst those who fled to Thailand were villagers who

had been previously injured from landmine explosions.
The villagers shown in photos A-114 and A-115 each lost
a leg when they stepped on landmines in separate
incidents. The man in photo A-114 lost his leg in 2007
when he stepped on a landmine near to his home village
of Muh Aye Puh in Dta Greh Township of Pa'an District.
A-114

Likewise, the man in photo A-115 lost his leg near to the
same village at the end of 2008. As their village was
located near to Ler Per Her IDP camp, they both fled to
Thailand at the start of June 2009 (when they were
photographed by KHRG) in order to avoid the fighting
between joint SPDC/DKBA attacks against a KNLA camp
in the area. [Photos: KHRG]
A-115
In 2007, this man stepped on an SPDC-deployed

landmine near his home village in Bu Tho Township in
Papun District. Since losing his leg, he has not been able
to work to support his family, so he has moved to stay at
Ee Thoo Hta IDP camp in Papun District of northern Karen
State where he is able to get some limited food rations to
support himself. This photo was taken in June 2009.
[Photo: KHRG]
A-116
A-117 A-118

When this photo was taken in June 2009, the young man shown above wearing a grey shirt was enrolled in 10th
standard at Ee Thoo Hta High School in Ee Thoo Hta IDP camp. When he was 11 years old he stepped on a KNLA-
deployed landmine near his village in Bu Tho Township in Papun District. The prosthetic leg he now wears has been
provided by the KNLA and he currently receives support from the Karen Youth Organisation to be able to continue to
study. [Photos: KHRG]
The photo to the left shows Ee Thoo Tha camp for

internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Papun District along
the Salween River bordering Thailand. The camp has
steadily increased in size since it was opened in April
2006 and now has a population of just over 4,000
people. The residents of Ee Thoo Hta told KHRG that due
to the recent fighting between joint SPDC and DKBA
forces and the KNLA in June 2009, they are concerned
about their security and a possible attack on the camp.
[Photo: KHRG]
A-119
A-120 A-121

Children residing at Ee Thoo Hta IDP camp play football

and walk to school during the rainy season in the first
week of July 2009. Most of these children have come
from villages in the mountains of northern Karen State
and for some the school at Ee Thoo Hta is their best
opportunity for education. The current camp registration
includes 472 children aged 1 to 5 years. The head
teacher of Ee Thoo Hta High School, furthermore, told
KHRG that there were over 500 children aged 6 to 15
years attending the school. Including those aged 15 to
17, the head teacher estimated that the total population
of Ee Thoo Hta below 18 years of age is about 2,000, or
roughly half the camp's population of over 4,000 people.
[Photos: KHRG]
A-122
A-123 A-124
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Karen Human Rights Group - KHRG Photo Gallery 2009"

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Karen Human Rights Group | KHRG Photo Gallery 2009 23.07.

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HOME BACKGROUND ON BURMA REPORTS NEWS BULLETINS PHOTOSETS MAPS LINKS

Reports » Photosets July 15th, 2009

KHRG Photo Gallery 2009

13-year-old Saw E--- is shown here on July 25th 2008 at

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 1 von 37

These students at B--- village in Thaton District are

Photo A-3 shows flood damage to the farm fields of

This picture - taken on September 28th 2008 - shows a

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 2 von 37

13-year-old Naw A--- and her younger sister, 11-year-

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 3 von 37

Residents of T--- village in Thaton District winnow rice to

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 4 von 37

This photo - taken on December 31st 2008 - shows the

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 5 von 37

This photo was taken on December 31st 2008 and shows

This landmine - made by hand from a block of wood, gun

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 6 von 37

In this photo, village girls are shown caring for their

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 7 von 37

Photo A-21, taken on February 2nd 2009, shows the

53-year-old Saw N---, of Gk--- village in Lu Pleh

This picture, taken on February 7th 2009, shows an

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 8 von 37

The photo to the right, taken on February 9th 2009,

34-year-old Naw T--- shown to the left, a widow from N-

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 9 von 37

Saw P---, the 39-year-old head of B--- village in Bu Tho

18-year-old Maung Z---, shown in photo A-27, is of

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 10 von 37

18-year-old Maung C---, shown in photo A-28, spoke to

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 11 von 37

Northern Karen State continues to have one of the

Photo A-35 below shows a patch of sugar cane shoots

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 12 von 37

This cave in Papun District, shown in photos A-37 to A-

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 13 von 37

Photos A-42 and A-43 show an abandoned SPDC army

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 14 von 37

Karen villagers in Lu Thaw Township, Papun District

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 15 von 37

Many elderly villagers are included amongst the many

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 16 von 37

This landmine was removed from the ground on

These photos show displaced villagers in Nyaunglebin

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 17 von 37

Thramu M---, a school teacher shown in photo A-56 is a

These pictures show bamboo huts located at the hiding

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 18 von 37

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 19 von 37

Villagers in Papun District take part in a KHRG Village

The picture to the left shows the Burma Army camp at

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 20 von 37

Many villagers in Karen State have been displaced

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 21 von 37

Photos A-68 to A-73 and video A-74 show villagers in

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 22 von 37

Photo A-75, taken on April 3rd 2009, shows the road

http://www.khrg.org/photoreports/2009photos/gallery2009/index.html Seite 23 von 37

16-year-old Maung Ht---, a deserter from the Burma

In April 2006, SPDC Light Infantry Battalion #349 forcibly