September 23, 2022
A civilian woman was killed on Sept. 22nd by artillery fire from military council troops in the eastern part of Demoso township in Karenni (Kayah) state, said a director of Nway Oo Guru Lay Myar.
“It happened around 4:50 pm. She lived in Dawkhuli village. She was working in a groundnut plantation and was killed on the spot when an artillery shell hit and exploded,” the group’s director said.
The victim was a local girl in her twenties. The regime’s infantry battalion (102) stationed in Ngwetaung reportedly fired artillery yesterday after a clash with [resistance members].
“They fired at the eastern side of Demoso. The artillery shells continuously hit near Pardawdu village. They fired into the evening. The artillery shell that hit Dawkhuli village killed the girl on her way back from the farm. He died on the spot,” said an information officer of Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF).
According to data collected daily by The Kantarawaddy Times, clashes occur daily in Karenni State. Between September 1st and 22nd, 11 civilians, including three minor children, were killed either by artillery shelling or indiscriminate killings by the regime. In addition, several others were injured by heavy weapons fire from the junta.
There are currently more than 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Karenni State. They are in need of food and have been trapped by landmines or killed by regime soldiers when they returned to their villages to collect rations.
On September 21st, a family on a motorcycle was hit by a landmine while travelling to collect rations in western Demoso Township. In the incident, a man in his forties was hit in the leg and a 10-month-old baby was slightly injured.
“It would be very difficult to intervene militarily. But if we look at similar incidents in other countries from our experience, most countries can intervene militarily in a situation where international humanitarian law is violated. But the most important point for us is whether we should get military intervention through UN procedures for more harmony,” he said.
According to the Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN), the number of civilian deaths increased after the military coup, reaching 267 deaths by Sept. 14th. Most of the civilian deaths were caused by artillery fire.
Maw Mi Myar (The Kantarawaddy Times)