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This Incident Report describes events occurring in Dwe Lo Township, Mu Traw (Hpapun) District, in June 2023. On June 11th 2023, Saw H---, a 22-year-old villager from Y--- village, Ma Lay Ler village tract, Dwe Lo Township, was fatally shot by State Administration Council (SAC) soldiers next to his farmland. The incident occurred shortly after the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) attacked SAC Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #409 with a tripwire-detonated landmine, while the SAC soldiers were traveling from Meh Way army camp (in Meh Way village tract, Dwe Lo Township) to LIB #409’s army camp, located in Hkoo Thoo Hta village tract. Saw H--- helped his family to secure their livelihood, and so the family now faces difficulties.
Excerpt
Part 3 – Complete Description of the Incident
Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.
On June 11th 2023, at 5 pm, a villager named Saw H--- (22 years old), living in Y--- village, Ma Lay Ler village tract, Dwe Lo Township, Mu Traw District, was fatally shot by State Administration Council (SAC) soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #409, next to his farmland, while he was about to leave to his village. The SAC soldiers shot a bullet at him that hit the left side of his chest and killed him instantly.
The incident happened one to two hours after Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[8] soldiers attacked soldiers from LIB #409 with a tripwire-detonated landmine, while they [SAC soldiers] were travelling from Meh Way army camp [located at Meh Way village tract, Dwe Lo Township] to Hkoo Thoo Hta army camp [located at Hkoo Thoo Hta village tract, Dwe Lo Township]. [Shortly after villagers saw LIB #409 soldiers leaving Y--- village, where they rested for a while, the killing incident occurred.] [Villagers believe that] when they [SAC LIB #409 soldiers] arrived at Saw H---’s farmland [located near Y--- village], they encountered him and shot at him next to the farmland.
The parents of Saw H---, [other] villagers, and local authorities went to [the incident place when hearing the sound and] carried the dead body home, 20 to 30 minutes after his death. It is unknown which soldier from LIB #409 shot at Saw H---. [SAC] LIB #409 is led by Captain Thet Naung Soe, Lieutenant Way Yan Kyaw, Lieutenant Shine Moe Aung, and Major Chan Nyein Htun. It is also unknown who led [or authorised] them [to shoot at Saw H---].
On June 12th 2023, at 1:30 pm, Saw H--- was buried in the village’s cemetery. Although he is not the main breadwinner, he tried to help his parents on the farmland. With the death of Saw H---, his parents were mourning, experiencing heart problems [emotional distress], and they were befuddled and struggled to work. His mother, named Naw Z---, reported: “I have no one to take care of us with the death of my son. We cannot work [much] as we are getting old. I don’t know what we are going to do to secure our livelihood. It has become a great difficulty for our livelihood.”