Reports Information Update July 27th, 2011 Displacement Monitoring: Regular updates on protection concerns for villagers in Dooplaya

a and Pa'an districts and adjacent areas in Thailand Civilians in Dooplaya District continue to be impacted by conflict between the T atmadaw and armed Karen groups, who have increased fighting since November 7th 2 010. The situation remains highly unstable and civilians report a variety of hum an rights and security concerns related to ongoing conflict and conflict-related abuse. In order to provide as current information as possible on the fighting a nd related protection concerns, KHRG will post to this page immediate situation updates that are not posted in the regular news bulletin, field report, map and photo gallery sections of the KHRG website. All new updates and reports regardin g the situation for civilians in Dooplaya will also be accessible through the ne w 'Displacement Monitoring' section of the KHRG website. Update No.82: July 27th 2011 - 1:30 pm Detention, arbitrary taxation and movement restrictions in T'Nay Hsah Township On July 13th 2011, soldiers from Border Guard Battalion #1017,[1] based at P--camp in B--- village, T'Nay Hsah Township, arrested and detained at least 12 vil lagers from W---, including the village head. According to a KHRG researcher who spoke with local sources in the area, the W--- villagers were detained after fi ve Battalion #1017 soldiers deserted from a smaller camp near W--- on July 11th. KHRG's researcher reported that the five soldiers took arms and ammunition when they deserted, including two M79 grenade launchers, twenty-four 40 mm mortar ro unds, two M16 assault rifles, 300 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, and one AK47 ass ault rifle with 50 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. In addition to detaining the vi llagers at P--- camp, the local sources told KHRG's researcher that soldiers fro m Battalion #1017 threatened residents of W--- not to contact or give informatio n to anyone outside the village, confiscated all of the villagers' mobile phones [2] and imposed movement restrictions preventing W--- villagers from travelling to their agricultural projects. The P--- camp is located between W--- and L--- v illages, and approximately one hour on foot from W---. KHRG's researcher also reported that on July 14th, the day after the W--- villag ers were detained, Battalion #1017 commander Dih Dih reported to Tatmadaw LIB #3 58, also based at P--- camp, that the W--- villagers had stolen the arms and amm unition taken by the five Battalion #1017 deserters. W--- village was subsequent ly ordered to pay a fine of two million Thai baht (US $67,000) to Battalion #101 7; local sources also said soldiers from Battalion #1017 fired twenty-one 81 mm mortars into the forest near W--- village on July 14th, between 1:50 pm to 2:30 pm,. No villagers were reported to have been injured during the shelling. On July 15th, the detained W--- villagers were released from P--- camp, after tw o days in custody. Local sources told KHRG's researcher that the village head im mediately summoned all of the residents of W--- to discuss the Battalion #1017 o rder to pay two million baht for the lost weapons and ammunition. The community decided that the village head should go to P--- camp that same day to meet with Tatmadaw LIB #358, to tell the Tatmadaw that the villagers had not stolen the we apons and that, in fact, the weapons had been taken by the five Battalion #1017 deserters. According to KHRG's researcher, soldiers from LIB #358 agreed that if the Battalion #1017 deserters had taken the weapons, then the villagers were no t responsible and did not need to pay the fine. Following the July 15th meeting, Battalion #1017 commander Dih Dih warned villag ers in W--- to finish cultivating their paddy and hill fields within a week, acc ording to KHRG's researcher; W--- villagers were warned that after July 22nd, vi llagers would not be allowed to travel to their agricultural projects. Battalion Commander Dih Dih did not explain why movement restrictions would be imposed on the W--- villagers, however KHRG's researcher reported that villagers in the ar

ea were worried that Battalion #1017 was planning to conduct offensive military operations in the area. As a result, many villagers in the W--- area are current ly trying to finish as much work in their paddy and hill fields as possible, bef ore they are restricted from travelling. At this time of year, villagers in T'Na y Hsah Township who cultivate flat paddy fields are busy replanting paddy seedli ngs into empty flooded fields, while hill field farmers need to carry out regula r maintenance such as clearing weeds and bushes from already-planted fields. Footnotes [1] Border Guard Battalions of the Tatmadaw were established in 2010; they are c omposed mostly of soldiers from former non-state armed groups that have conclude d ceasefires with the Tatmadaw and have agreed to transform into Border Guard Ba ttalions within the Tatmadaw order of battle. Border Guard Battalion are assigne d four digit battalion numbers, whereas regular Tatmadaw infantry or light infan try battalions are identified by two or three digit battalions numbers. [2] The researcher added that phones were confiscated despite the regular levyin g of taxes by Battalion #1017 on villagers in the area who wish to use phones; a ccording to local sources, villagers owning telephones are required to pay a mon thly tax of 300 Thai baht (US $10) per mobile phone, and 500 baht (US $17) per f ixed telephone line.