In a shocking and gruesome incident a local woman in Mongkeung Township, southern Shan State was beheaded by Burmese Army troops into a four-cut campaign since July 27, according to villagers, who recently fled to Thailand.
On August 3 morning, Nang Hsoi (29) from Wan Kart village, Ho Khai village tract was arrested from her village by soldiers belonging to the Mongkeung based Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #514. She was falsely accused of being the wife of a Shan State Army (SSA) ‘South’ fighter and a collaborator of the SSA, said a local villager on condition of anonymity.
“In the evening they [soldiers] took her to a bridge near the village, cut her head and threw it into the creek,” he said.
Two days before she was killed, over 10 villagers from Wan Kart, Wan Kawng and Wan Long villages were detained on suspicion of being SSA spies at the Burmese Army base.
The Burmese Army that has been into the four-cut campaign (cutting food, funds, intelligence and recruits from among the local populace to the armed resistance) had ordered villagers in Mongkeung, Kehsi and Laikha townships to leave their homes within five days, from August 1 to 5.
Since then, at least 300 houses in the three townships were razed to the ground and more than 300 villagers were forcibly relocated to the town, said a source.
The campaign was spearheaded by the Mongnawng – based Military Operations Command (MOC) #2 command: Loilem based IB#9, and #12, Laikha based IB#64 and LIB#515, Namzang based IB#66 , #247 and LIB#516, Mongnai based IB#248 and LIB#518, Panglong based LIB#513, Mongkeung based LIB#514 and Mongpawn based LIB#517.
Till date, 21 villages from Panghsang village tract and nine villages from Wan Htee village tract in Laikha Township alone were forced to resettle in Marklang quarter of the town.
During the drive some were beaten up and some were reportedly killed, forcing many others to hide in the jungle, said another villager, who is seeking refuge on the Thai-Burma border.
“There are some people who are hiding in the jungle preparing to seek refuge in Thailand,” she said, “Many will be coming soon.”
Currently, about 10 people are seeking refuge in areas near Thailand.
During the last engagement on July 15, the Burmese Army’s LIB 515 had to contend with 11 dead, one captured and a loss of five assorted weapons.
During the 1996-98 campaign against the SSA, 1,500 villages were destroyed and more than 300,000 in southern and eastern Shan State were forcibly relocated, a third of whom had escaped to Thailand.
