A/HRC/39/CRP.2 accounts of Tatmadaw soldiers entering villages, going to civilians’ homes, or gathering men (often including the village administrator) at the centre of the village to question them on their affiliation with armed groups or the whereabouts of such fighters, or any other information regarding these groups.165 If villagers did not answer, they were beaten and/or tied-up, and otherwise ill-treated or tortured.166 For example, a witness gave the following account of an instance in 2012 when Tatmadaw soldiers entered her village, Nung Ong, in Mongkaung Township, Shan State: The Tatmadaw always wanted to gather information on the Shan armed groups. If villagers did not have any information, the soldiers would tie people up and threaten them. When they came to our houses, Tatmadaw soldiers would ask “Do you know anything about the Shan army? If you do not answer, we will kill you!” I saw this happen with my neighbours. Soldiers used a rope to hit my neighbours and they tied up their hands while pointing their guns at them.167 123. Multiple accounts received indicate that the Tatmadaw does not specifically or necessarily target locations where non-State armed groups are based or active, but rather launches attacks on villages because residents are of the same ethnic background as the fighters, or because the villages are in the nearest location to a recent operation from the armed group.168 One example is of a Tatmadaw operation in Man Lan village in Namhsan Township in northern Shan State on or around 24 June 2017.169 The TNLA and the Tatmadaw had been fighting in the area, but not close to the village. Tatmadaw soldiers bound, beat, and threatened civilians with death, accusing them of supporting the TNLA. Soldiers arrested about 20 villagers and it was reported that they deprived those who were captured of food, water, and access to toilet facilities. It was also reported that the Tatmadaw soldiers confiscated the civilians’ mobile phones. 170 Residents of Man Lan village later found the body of one of the men who had been taken by the soldiers. 171 All of those taken by Tatmadaw soldiers were Ta’ang. 124. In another example, a victim reported that the Tatmadaw used firearms and mortar directly at a group of 13 women escaping from the fighting between TNLA and the Tatmadaw in a village of Namkhan Township, in Shan State on 2 May 2017. The victim’s mother, her sister and another child were hit by bullets and fragments from mortar explosions. She said, “Even though we were all women fleeing, the Tatmadaw considered us as TNLA and shot at us.”172 125. Another type of intentional attacks on civilians is the practice of Tatmadaw soldiers, in the course of their military operations, deliberately shooting at or otherwise targeting the civilian population or individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities. In many instances, the Tatmadaw has shot directly at civilians fleeing or seeking shelter, or launched mortar shelling on a group of civilians. 173 In Shan State, for instance, a witness reported that the Tatmadaw twice attacked the village of Manwing in Namhkan Township, the first time on or around 5 January 2016 and a second time around 25 February 2016. The witness said: The Burmese soldiers entered the village, and they were shooting at the villagers who were trying to run. They were not shooting at KIA armed men but at civilians. There were no KIA men in the village, as their post was two hours away by foot.174 126. On many occasions, the Tatmadaw launched attacks on villages under the apparent assumption that fighters of EAOs were present at such locations but without seemingly 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 34 DI-068, PI-065, PI-074, PI-087, PI-101. DI-066, DI-068, PI-074; see this chapter, section A.3: Torture and other ill-treatment. DI-068. K-136, DI-057, DI-065, DI-067, PI-065, PI-074, PI-087, PI-101. K-137, PI-074, V-093. V-093. K-137, PI-074, V-093. PI-073. DI-057, DI-069, PI-043, PI-044, PI-047, PI-073, PI-087, QI-094; see this chapter, section A.8: Emblematic incidents. PI-087.