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These photos show an ethnic Burman family which now resides along the Meh Way riverside in Meh Way village tract, Papun District. The family migrated to the area in order to pursue a means of livelihood panning gold on the river and they now live amongst the local Karen community.

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The combined effect of the SPDC's corruption and economic mismanagement has exacerbated the economic factors behind internal migration. The resulting displacement, frequently at the individual or household level, is pervasive across SPDC-controlled areas of Karen State. [Photo: KHRG]

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Karen residents of Mah Lee Leh village pan for gold in the Meh Toh Law river, Dweh Loh township, Papun District on April 4th 2007. As the SPDC takes further military control over Papun District, artisan labourers such as those shown here have confronted increasing SPDC restrictions on their work as well as financial demands in support of local military units, thus undermining any profit from such occupations. [Photo: KHRG]

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Taken on April 4th 2007, these two photos show the partially burned hill fields of villagers from Gkwee Hta Mah village in Meh Cho village tract, Papun Disrict. Soldiers from SPDC LIB #219 conducted an irregular burn in order to prevent a complete burn that would have allowed local villagers to cultivate crops on the land.

The tactic of setting fire to fallow fields in order to prevent their subsequent complete burn continues to be widely used in order to undermine agricultural life in areas outside of military control. [Photo: KHRG]

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Villagers in Thu K'Bee village tract, Nyaunglebin District catch fish on April 5th 2007. At the end of May 2007, about a month and a half after this photo was taken, SPDC forces forcibly relocated the residents of Thu K'Bee village tract to Htaik Htoo and Yan Myo Aung areas and placed heavy restrictions on travel outside of these relocation sites. Such restrictions hinder villagers' efforts to maintain their livelihoods as travel to farm fields and fishing sites, such as those shown here, is either wholly obstructed or otherwise limited to those who can afford the cost of the necessary SPDC-issued travel documents. [Photo: KHRG]

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The burnt remains of Naw Deh Lih and Saw Thaw Shwe's rice stores as seen on May 13th 2007 shortly after being destroyed by soldiers from SPDC LIB #220. A charred rice storage basket and winnowing fan lie amidst the ashes. The SPDC has used the destruction of paddy fields and rice stores as a means to undermine the livelihoods of those attempting to live in areas outside of military control and thereby drive them into military-controlled relocation sites. [Photo: KHRG]

Khee Ghoh Loh Der villagers conduct the early stages of the rice cycle by dibbling holes for planting their fields on May 15th 2007. These fields are located near to the SPDC camp at Htaw Muh Bleh Meh, Lu Thaw township, Papun District. As the soldiers intermittently fire off mortar shells from their camp into the surrounding forests and fields these villagers have to take care of their security by monitoring the activities of local SPDC troops so as to know when it is safe to cultivate their fields and then work in groups to quickly tend to the crops before heading back to the forest cover. [Photo: KHRG]

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Due to increasing SPDC patrols and the ongoing threat of attack the Yay Ghoh Loh villagers who own these paddy fields, shown here on May 15th 2007, no longer dare to cultivate crops here. This whole area, which includes eight separate paddy fields, had previously been able to produce a yield of about 1,000 baskets [32,000 kg. / 70,400 lb.] of paddy. The loss of this cropland thus means a severe increase in food insecurity, poverty and malnourishment for the local civilian community. [Photo: KHRG]

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The burnt and burning remains of villagers' rice storage barns at Dtuh Ba village, Lu Thaw township, Papun District on May 17th 2007 following an SPDC attack. Villagers in Lu Thaw have come under increasing pressure as SPDC forces have recently completed a vehicle road linking a network of camps in the northwest to the township's main east-west vehicle road. [Photo: KHRG]

Using this newly constructed road system the SPDC has been able to more easily resupply those army units conducting search and destroy missions against civilians hiding in the mountains of northwest Lu Thaw township. [Photo: KHRG]

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Family members from Papun District travel to their hillside paddy fields in Law Kaw Htee village tract on June 14th 2007. Due to the military-induced impoverishment of rural communities, this family's livelihood has been under increasing pressure. The elder man [photo C-111] is 67 years old yet must work in the fields to support himself and his family. His two young grandchildren who accompany him must also work in the fields and have not therefore been able to go to school. The elder man's son-in-law [photo C-112] must spend his time foraging for food despite having previously lost his right leg. [Photo: KHRG]

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Following an outbreak of fighting between KNLA and DKBA troops, a group of DKBA soldiers came to Maw Dtaw Hta village, Nah Koh Kee village tract, located near to the site of the fighting, where they set fire to a home and rice storage barn belonging to villager Saw Gkaw Dee. These photos show the situation shortly after the arson on June 20th 2007. In photo C-119 villagers have attempted to retrieve some of Saw Gkaw Dee's possessions out of the ashes. The DKBA soldiers apparently burnt down these buildings as a means of punishing local villagers for not doing enough to prevent KNLA forces from patrolling in the area. DKBA and SPDC forces typically hold local villagers responsible for any KNLA presence near their villages. [Photo: KHRG]

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