A Five-Month Old Baby Boy and His Five-Year Old Sister Killed by the Burmese Army

Media Release from European Karen Network

For Immediate Release 26th March 2010

A Five-Month Old Baby Boy and His Five-Year Old Sister Killed by the Burmese Army

A five-month old baby boy Saw Htee Plar Htoo and his five-year old sister Naw Paw Bo were killed when the Burmese Army troops attacked their village Khaw Hta in Kler Lwe Htoo (Nyaunglinbin) District, Karen State on 22nd March. Their mother, Naw Pa Lah, was seriously wounded on the stomach.

Another villager, Naw La Pwe, 37 years old and the mother of six children was also killed in this attack.

On 22nd March, Burmese army troops Battalion 369 entered the village around 4:30 pm and opened fire without warning, shooting any one and everyone in it. Villagers tried to escape but it was too late as they were already in the village. Nine houses were also destroyed.

These villagers fled their village in February when the Burmese Army attacked nearby villages. They just returned to their village a week ago and now have been forced again to flee their village.

The remaining villagers fled into the jungle and are now in hiding as the Burmese Army remains active in the area.

Since mid January this year, the Burmese Army has stepped up attacks in several areas in Karen State . In the previous attacks, three villagers were killed and more than 2,500 people were forced to flee their homes. In another area, a fifteen year old schoolboy was killed and two others were wounded when the Burmese Army fired mortar bombed their school in a hiding side.

“The European Union should end its silence on the attacks on ethnic civilians in Eastern Burma ,” said Nan Kyi Aye, board member of the European Karen Network. “The European Union under the presidency of Spain should call on the Burmese Regime to immediately stop the attacks on Karen civilians and call for United Nations to set up a commission of inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese Army. The European Commission should provide humanitarian aid in this area without delay through cross-border assistance”.

The EKN brings together Karen people and represents Karen communities across Europe . We aim to raise awareness about the situation in Karen State and Burma as a whole and pressure European governments to do more to bring about democratic transition in Burma .

For more information please contact Nan Kyi Aye, board member of European Karen Network on +4741847953 (European time).