WAR:clash between the Burmese military troops and the Karenni soldiers near Daw Ta Naw village

2.May 2011 Ktimes

Artillery firing after a clash between the Burmese military troops and the Karenni soldiers near Daw Ta Naw village in Shadaw District, in Karenni State injured two civilians.According to a local source, on 9 March, around 6:30 am in the morning, troops of the Burmese infantry Battalion 332 based in Shadaw District clashed with the Karenni soldiers under the command of Colonel Hseh Noe and Colonel Ku Reh. After the battle, The Burmese army fired seven artilleries into Daw Ta Naw village.

“After the fighting, the Burmese troops fired seven artilleries into the village. Two of the artilleries didn’t explode. Two villagers were hit from the mortars. One was wounded in the leg. The other one was hit but he ran to hide in the jungle.” told a source who witnessed on the fighting.

Enter to Shadaw

“After the Burmese troops fired the artilleries, they entered our village and fired our houses with their guns.  But no one was hit as we all had already fled from our village and hidden in the jungle.” said a villager who went to hide in the jungle.

The victims who were hit by the artillery shelling kept their names anonymous while reporting about the case.

“The Burmese army always warns the villagers that if there is a fighting broke out between the troops and the Karenni armed group, the villagers will have to take responsibility.” said the vice-chair of Karenni Interior Ministry, Bama Naing

“Whenever there is a fighting, the SPDC will use the villagers as scapegoats and torture them. This is their usual strategy in the warfare. They (the military army) target the villagers because they know that some of the villagers have relatives in the Karenni army. They give the villagers problem in order to cut support for the Karenni soldiers.” added Bama Naing.

The fighting on 9 March lasted about half an hour but no side was reported of causality.

The fighting on 7 March between the troops of Burmese infantry Battalion 332 and the unit of Karenni army under the command of Colonel Hseh Noe left four Burmese troops injured including one sergeant.