Cattle farmer beaten and slashed in the neck by three SAC soldiers in Ke See, southern Shan State
Update by the Shan Human Rights Foundation
September 13, 2022
A farmer tending his cattle was assaulted by three SAC soldiers, who beat him and slashed him in the neck near their army base in Ke See, southern Shan State.
On August 31, 2022, at around 1 pm, Loong Shwe Htun from Wan Nawng Yom village, Mong Nim village tract, Ke See township, was taking his cattle to graze in his fields outside the village. When he reached the boundary of Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 131 base next to Nawng Yom village, he saw three SAC soldiers in the base aiming their guns at his cattle, and quickly went to try and stop them from shooting.
The three soldiers came out of their base and asked Loong Shwe Htun: “Are those your cattle?” When Loong Shwe Htun said “Yes”, the soldiers ordered him to go down on his knees. When Loong Shwe Htun refused, they surrounded him and beat him with their fists and rifle butts. One of the soldiers took a farming knife from Loong Shwe Htun’s bamboo basket, and slashed his neck with it. At that time, about five villagers who were nearby came to try and help Loong Shwe Htun. The soldiers then fired their guns in the air and went back to their base.
Loong Shwe Htun was carried by his fellow villagers to Ke See hospital, where he was admitted and given stitches for multiple knife wounds in his neck.
Loong Shwe Htun
That evening, several officers from IB 131 including a major came to see Loong Shwe Htun at Ke See hospital. They said they had detained the culprits, and would take responsibility for punishing them. They requested Loong Shwe Htun’s relatives not to post information about the case on social media. The officers did not provide any assistance to the victim, and no one knows whether the culprits will actually be held to account.
Loong Shwe Htun is 47 years old, with one son and one daughter. He is a widower, living with his son, who is also a farmer. Loong Shwe Htun was the main breadwinner, and the family is now facing difficulty covering the hospital costs.
The three IB 131 perpetrators are under the control of Military Operations Command 2 (MOC 2) in Mong Nawng.
Contact
Sai Hor Hseng +66: 94-728-6696 (Shan, English)
Sai San Loi +66: 88 680 4913 (Shan, Burmese)
Ying Leng Harn +66: 62 569 5220 (Burmese)
