Five villagers, including a secretary of a village, were arrested and tortured by the Burmese Army. The arrests and the torture followed a clash between 'Wa' and Burmese Army troops. The five villagers are from Lyar Du Chay village in Shardaw Township, Karenni state, said a local who escaped from Burmese Army clutches.
 
A number of Burmese Army soldiers were killed and their weapons seized in a clash in Shan state last month. After the battle near the border of Shan and Karenni state, the Burmese Army arrested the villagers.
 
Ngar Reh (35), secretary of the village, Sawh Reh (30), Pel Reh (20), Tar Reh (22), Kyel Reh (45) and Boo Reh (25) were the ones arrested. Among them, Boo Reh escaped. According to Boo Reh, they were interrogated about the weapons and beaten up. They were tied up and kept in the jungle for two nights.
 
A Karenni Army officer at the frontline said that the "seized weapons were hidden in the village. The weapons were given to the villagers. A villager surrendered to the Burmese Army and came back to the village to pick up the weapons. When he told the Burmese Army about the weapons, the villagers were arrested."
 
An army company led by battalion commander Ye Htun of LIB 421 (Light Infantry Battalion 421) came back to the village and searched each house. The soldiers carried away things from the houses, said Boo Reh.
 
The troops discovered two guns, which were hidden by the PNLO (Pa-O National Liberation Organization), near the village. The detained villagers were brought to Mauk Mae Township in Shan state, he added.
 
The village has about 20 houses with 70 people. Villagers are afraid to live in their village and flee to other villages because of the army threatening and torturing them, said the Karenni Army officer.
 
The Burmese Army LIB 421 is based in Phel Khon town in Shan State. The battalion is under military operation command 7 (MOC 7).