Hla Oo's Blog: Tarlawgyi Shans Fight Back KIA Terrorists!

(Translation of news articles direct from EMG and Opposite Eye in February 2013.)

U San Wai the patron of Tarlawgyi Shan Village’s people militia is now demanding the army to provide the third batch of militia training for his village as the volatile situation there still requires his village to be armed and prepared to defend themselves against the terrorist KIA.

According to him the first batch of militia training was given in May last year mainly to the KIA returnees, who were forcefully-recruited by KIA Kachins against their will, and the Tarlawgyi village people militia has been formed with them as the core members.

The village militia was further strengthened by more youths who attended the second batch of militia training given by the army’s IB-37 from Myitkyinar in January this year.

“People from the four villages nearby also participated in the training and forming of their own People Militia units. Our militia is solely for the defence of our communities. We Shans just want to be living our life peacefully and KIA Kachins should leave us alone,” said U San Wai.

He added that at present his people are taking turns working the fields and guarding the village and the nearby fields.

“Our militia is now about 250 strong since the beginning of this year. All are our youths both Shans and Burmese. Only Shan and Burmese villages have the People Militia. Kachin villages do not have. Now the KIA Kachins do not dare to come near our villages. Previously they always bothered us and we suffered,” explained one villager from one Shan village on the east bank of Irrawaddy.

Tarlawgyi Village People Militia (January - 2012).

Rapidly Changing Demographic of Kachin State

Tarlawgyi People Militia's Small-arms demonstration.

As in the rest of Burma the Kachin State has diverse population of mainly Kachin, Shan, Burmese, and other ethnic groups.

Kachin State’s 4 districts, 18 townships, and 11 sub-townships have a total population of more than 1.6 million in the year 2,012 and there are more than 500,000 Kachins, nearly 400,000 Burmese, over 300,000 Shans, and almost 300,000 other ethnic groups living in the Kachin State.

According to the last census figures the districts of Myitkyinar, Moenhyin, Bamaw, and Putao have population of more than 1.6 million out of which Kachins are 39.319%, Burmese 29.288%, Shans 23.633%, Chins 0.737%, Karens 0.218%, Yakhines 0.217%, Mons 0.030%, and Kayahs 0.020%.

Population density map of Kachin State (2009).

KIA’s Revenge Attacks on Tarlawgyi Shan Village

Since the Shan village of Tarlawgyi has a 250 strong armed-militia unit KIA hasn’t been able to raid the village for their usual pillages and rapes. But KIA thugs are still lurking in the jungle near Tarlawgyi and they are regularly raiding the fields away from the village whenever they have a chance to terrorize the villagers.

At about 11 am on February 5 this year a group of five young villagers searching for the wild orchids in the nearby jungle was attacked by an armed group of at least 7 KIA Kachins. Aung Htun Lin (aged-32) the son of U Sai Man of Tarlawgyi Village’s Ward-4 was captured by the KIA men while the rest Wai Moe, Wai Soe, Nyunt Win, and Phoe Khin managed to flee.

Fate of Aung Htun Lin taken away by the KIA men is still unknown but following photos are the images of some of the Tarlawgyi's Shan and Burmese villagers taken away and killed by the KIA terrorists in the year 2011 alone.