Landmine explosion maims Karen splinter group soldier

2009 September 7

After a Karen splinter group advanced into territory controlled by the Karen army, a soldier from the splinter group lost his leg after stepping on a landmine in the Maketa forest, Karen State.

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) unit, commanded by captain Saw Aye One, advance into the Karen National Union (KNU) controlled area in Maketa old village, after having taken control of Maketa last week. On September 5th at 3 pm, as the DKBA pushed forward, a soldier was injured in a landmine detonation.

“We heard about one of Captain Saw Aye One’s soldiers getting injured by a landmine explosion,” said a Three Pagoda Pass (TPP) resident who is close to members of the DKBA. “Then they sent the soldier to Kanchanaburi hospital in Thailand, where they amputated his leg.”

DKBA Battalion No. 907 entered into KNU controlled Maketa area on August 30th. Afterwards 30 solders from the Burmese army LIB No. 283 combined with the DKBA group in Maketa.

“We don’t hear about landmine explosions in the KNU controlled area – this time is the first time,” a TPP resident commented. “But in the DKBA control area this has happened before.”

The resident added that in 2005 a Karen villager was injured by a landmine in DKBA controlled Tong Wai area, based near Three Pagoda Pass Town. “The DKBA combined with the SPDC soldiers in Maketa on September 3rd. The LIB No. 283 soldiers went to Papai Gone, north form Maketa village, and that [landmine explosion] didn’t happen with their group,” a Maketa villager explained. “After the SPDC soldiers came back, the DKBA soldiers went to this area on September 5th, and one of soldiers had an accident with a landmine.”

Area residents stated a landmine explosion has never happen in the KNU control area. Residents also told IMNA they didn’t know which group had set landmines in the area.

According to the landmine watchdog group, Landmine Monitor, its 2008 report found that deaths from land mines in Burma have more then double in one year. The rate increase seems to condemn the wide spread use of the weapon by the military regime, its allies, and insurgent groups. The report detailed the increase, that mines killed 47 people in Burma in 2007, compared to 20 in 2006. The report also showed that 338 people were injured by blasts as opposed to 115 a year earlier.

Karen state, which has seen sever fighting as the KNU never signed a ceasefire agreement with the SPDC, h is littered with mines laid both by the Burmese army and the opposition Karen National Union. As a result a large number of victims are from Karen state and often cross the border into Thailand to receive treatment.