Summary of fighting, abuses and displacement in Namkham township, Shan-China border (during May 2013)

Shan Human Rights Foundation, May 22, 2013

Timeline

3 May, 2013 Burma Army troops enter Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) camp at Nawang Ma Tar village, Namkham township, a few kilometers from the China border, on the pretext of searching for four missing Burmese civilians; they burn the camp down.

9 May, 2013 Starting early in the morning, hundreds of Burma Army troops from LIB 45, 65 and 144 based near Namkham cross the Mao (Shweli) River by boat from the south to attack the SSA-S based in Nawng Ma Tar village. Burma Army artillery units stationed south of the river also start firing mortar shells continuously in the direction of Nawng Ma Tar. Villagers estimate about 100 shells are fired, directly across the route of the Chinese oil and gas pipelines. Some shells land on the Chinese side of the border. Thousands of villagers from Nawng Ma Tar and over 30 villages in the surrounding area flee across the border into China and also into the town of Namkham and its outskirts.

Chinese authorities try and block villagers from crossing the border, fining those who do not have legal border passes.

10 May, 2013 Some villagers from Nawng Kham and Nawng Mar Ta return to their homes and find their property looted by the Burma Army; they do not dare stay in their homes.

11 May, 2013 Burma Army troops patrol villages along the Chinese border in search of SSA-S troops and kill a Shan villager from Man Sawn village, who was sheltering at the Chinese border.

13 May, 2013 At about 9 pm, there is an attack by an unknown armed group in Nam Tee village tract, south of Namkham, at a depot for vehicles and equipment of the Chinese gas pipelines. Two men are killed and three injured, two men and a woman. At around the same time, two policemen are shot, and one killed, at a temple nearby. Villagers report seeing pro-government militia around the area.

Summary of displacement

Between May 9 and 11, 2013, it is estimated that a total of about 3,000 villagers (from 32 villages – see list in the report) fled from their homes. About 2,000 villagers fled to the Chinese side of the border, and about 1,000 fled to the town of Namkham and its outskirts.

In China, they sheltered mainly in temples in five villages, as well as in old shelters built by refugees who had been displaced by the fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and Burma Army since June 2011, but had been pushed back by Chinese authorities. In Namkham town, they mainly stayed with relatives, and in temples. The refugees have been relying on donations of food from local communities. Currently, about one third of the refugees have moved back to live in their homes, but the rest are mostly only going back in the daytime, and dare not sleep in their homes, as they fear further fighting.

Human rights abuses by Burma Army

Shelling of civilian target

On May 9, 2013, without prior warning, Burma Army troops fired about 100 mortar shells at the village of Nawng Ma Tar, which has about 100 houses. Fortunately, the inhabitants fled to the Chinese side of the border when the shelling started, so there were no civilian casualties, but many houses have been damaged by the shells.

Villager beaten to death by Burma Army troops

On May 10, 2013, Sai Aung Hla, son of King Soi Seng Yee and Nai Kham Yord, of Man Sawn village, Namkham township, was arrested by Burma Army troops on the China border near Nyaung Bang village (on the China side) where he had fled because of the fighting. He was taken to Man Kun Tai village, and beaten to death.

Looting of displaced villagers’ property

On May 10, 2013 some villagers of Nawng Kham and Nawng Ma Tar who had fled to China, returned to their homes, and found that their homes had been looted by Burma Army troops. The following villagers lost their property:

Sai Hla Oo, lost property valued at 60,000 Chinese yuan (approx US$ 9,700)
King Mawk
Hseng Hsarm Moan lost money totaling 2,000,000 Kyats (US$ 2,140)
Sai Hsarng Ai Maung Kaen lost money: 8,000 CHY (US$ 1,290) and 500,000 Kyat (US$ 536)
Sai Myat Aung lost money: 300,000 kyat (US$ 320)
Sai Yee Bee lost property valued at 10,000,000 kyat (US$ 10,724)
Sai Hsarng Ya and Nang Khin Kun Keng lost property and money: 2,000 Chinese yuan (US$ 320)
Nai Kham Soi In lost money 10,000 Chinese yuan (US$ 1,610) and her ID card.