An interview with CDM doctor O, who is providing medical treatment for four prisoners of war involved in Moso massacre
During the battle for Kone Thar village that broke out on December 3 last year, the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) captured four junta soldiers from the Light Infantry Division-66 Division with injuries. Currently, the four prisoners are receiving medical attention from CDM doctor O and his team of doctors who conducted an autopsy on the bodies burned near Moso village last year.
The captives are a corporal, two sergeants and a private from Light Infantry Battalion 108 of Light Infantry Division 66 from Danubyu, who were involved in the mass killing of civilians by burning near Moso village.
Dr. O, who provides medical treatment to the POWs as well as other detainees, was interviewed to learn more about the situation.
Q: Please introduce yourself first, doctor.
A: I’m Dr. O. I’m a CDM doctor. It has been more than a year since I arrived in Karenni State. Before that, I treated soldiers, patients and IDPs. Currently, as a member of KSCC Health and a member of Doctor Society of Karenni, I provide medical services to the IDPs and resistance comrades. I graduated from medical school more than six years ago and worked in a government hospital for more than a year.
Q: When did you come to Karenni State?
A: I was in contact with a friend from an IDP assistance network here. At that time, the hospitals and clinics were closed because of the armed fighting. As a result, both the population and the IDPs were in need of medical assistance. At his invitation and also because of my personal willingness, I traveled to Karenni last year and arrived here. Since then, I’ve been providing medical services.
Q: We heard that you’re currently treating the prisoners of war during the fighting between the KNDF and the regime’s army. Please tell me something about the situation.?
A: We have captured prisoners of war. The military council tortured us unjustly, even if we were students or demonstrators. They committed murders and violated human rights. Not only women, the soldiers of the military council even raped men. That’s how cruel they’re. But our comrades captured their soldiers alive. After we captured them alive, we treated them as prisoners of war in accordance with the principles of this revolution. We didn’t violate human rights. We don’t kill them. There is no problem if they were killed in a battle. We don’t kill them if they’re captured alive. They were injured in the battle. There were three of them. One of them had his little finger cut off. Another had two fingers cut off and suffered some bruises. Another had his forearm broken after being hit by a bullet.
Q: Why did you give medical treatment to injured the prisoners of war?
A: Out of my own free will, I didn’t want to give them medical treatment. They were torturing people. And they also belong to the battalion that committed mass murders. They’re the henchmen of the military council. None of us who are involved in the revolution want to treat anyone from the junta who tortures people. None of the doctors or nurses are generous enough to offer them medical treatment. But if these wounds aren’t treated, they’ll get infected. They might bleed over, and they might die from it. We need them who were involved in the Moso massacre to be witnesses. We want to hear their testimonies when they appear before the military courts. We want them as eyewitnesses. If they were left unattended, they could have become infected or bled over and maybe even died.
No one wants to treat them, but when the revolution is over, we want them as witnesses before the international military tribunal. We need them alive so we can present them as witnesses. When the KNDF comrades and the comrades from this center contacted me through the health officer and asked for help, I decided to treat them, also because I had provided medical care to prisoners. Of my own free will, I didn’t want to do that. But according to medical ethics, which state that we must help patients regardless of color, race, enemy or friend, if they come to us as patients, we must treat them as patients. In order to save their lives, we must operate on them and give them the medications they need. We take care of them ourselves. Once we leave the hospital room, we only think of them as three soldiers of the military council who killed the people.
Q: How do you feel about providing medical care to them?
A: Of my own free will, I don’t want to treat them. This is my own free will. We treat them because we need witnesses, and we will be only able to present them to the military court if they’re still alive. If the court demands that we present a soldier from LID -66, then we need them alive. If they come to our clinic or hospital, I’ll treat them according to the doctor’s ethics. I personally don’t want to give medical treatment to these genocidal bastards. I don’t see any other reasons either, since I’m in this revolution. All this is done on the basis of cause and effect.
Q: What is the current status of treatment of the prisoners of war?
A: One of them had two bones broken. The bullet penetrated their bones. He needs further surgery. The injury inflamed infected and there are signs of infection. Even though I treated him with antibiotics, the wound needs further surgery. This may be one, two or three times. We can’t do the insertion of a steel rod here. If we were to do that, the cost would be very high. We also can’t insert the steel rod because it’s not easy to transport here. If the wound doesn’t heal completely, we may have to amputate it. If it heals gradually, we can put a plaster cast on it and wait for it to heal. One of them we’ll have to treat further. The other two will take a few days. We’ll have to treat them regularly.
Q: How do the prisoners react when you give them medical treatment?
A: One of them surrendered in no time, but his little finger was hurt because he was in the battle. He didn’t say anything particular. Another one, 40 years old, said he wants to pay compensation and leave the army when this revolution is over and he’s free. The other one didn’t say anything. He looks like he doesn’t understand a word. And he looked confused. It’s kind of drugged-up look. But now he has become normal. He didn’t say anything. One of them just said that after all this he’ll pay the compensation and leave the army.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.
