Karen women loses leg in landmine incident, Karen News, 11 July 2013

For the last 5 years, Landmine Monitor has found that the activity which is most likely to cause a mine injury for civilians in mine affected areas is going to the forest.

Villagers must enter the forest to obtain additional food for their families, items for house and homestead construction, and items to sell or trade.

This Karen News article interviews Naw Ma Pain, a woman who stepped on a mine in Myawaddy Township of Kayin/Karen State while cutting bamboo for home use. It is unknown who laid the mines in this area.

The article states that the area had warnings that the area was ‘restricted’ by an unidentified local armed group. That the person chose to enter the area because she saw roads being built demonstrates the need for Mine Risk Education in affected areas. It was reported that a soldier of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army had also been victimized by mines in the same area earlier in the year.

Full article can be found at Karen women loses leg in landmine incident.