Shan Herald Agency for News

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Elderly Woman Killed After Stepping on Landmine in Hsenwi Township Posted: 07 Jul 2015 06:55 AM PDT A 70-year-old woman died while collecting firewood near a Burma Army compound in northern Shan State. HSENWI TOWNSHIP—A 70-year-old woman died after stepping on a landmine near a Burmese military compound in northern Shan State'sHsenwiTownship last Saturday. The victim, Nai Bu, was collecting firewood near the compound of Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion No. 567, about 30 miles southeast of the town of Hsenwi, when she stepped on a mine at about 8 a.m. on July 4. "I heard Nai Bu's screams when the mine exploded," said Sai Aung, a resident of MongPonHuay village, where the victim also came from. "But I couldn't immediately go and help her because I need permission from the authorities in order to enter that area." "She was seriously wounded and both of her legs were destroyed," he added. Nai Bu was immediately taken to the Hsenwi hospital but she died en route. According to Sai Lao, a youth activist in Hsenwi Township, local villagers frequently search the forest near the army base for foodsources to supplement their diets. But because of this incident, he explained that the villagers are now "living in fear" of stepping on landmines still concealed in the area. "They [the Burma Army]didn't inform the villagers about where the landmines are," said Sai Lao. "They shouldn't plant the landmines near the community, but if they did, they should have told the villagers." Local sources confirmed that Nai Bu has one son who is now working in Thailand, but he has not been able to be contacted about the incident.

Burma Army Shoots Civilians in Shan State’s Namtu Township Posted: 06 Jul 2015 11:56 AM PDT Witnesses report that two local farmers were shot from behind while returning home from work. NAMTU TOWNSHIP—Soldiers from the Burma Army Battalion 77 shot two civilians in a village in Shan State's Namtu Township on the evening of July 4, local witnesses reported. One of the victims was Sai Maung, 40, of the nearby village of Pang Long, who suffered a serious injury to his hip after being shot by soldiers active in the area. At the time of publication, information was not available about the identity or condition of the second victim. According to a Pang Long resident who wished to remain anonymous, the attack occurred while Sai Maung and his friend were returning home from their fields, where they work in subsistence agriculture. "Sai Maung and his friend were singing so they didn't hear when the Burma soldiers ordered them to stop," said Sai Aik Na, another Pang Long resident who witnessed the incident. "The Burma soldiers then shot them from behind." Sai Maung was taken to a Hsipaw hospital later that night. Pang Long village is located in a contested area controlled by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), but which has also witnessed increased an increased presence of Burma Army troops and outposts in recent years.

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