Briefs

Briefs 

Number of refineries increases 

The number of refineries along the border has multiplied during the past six months, reported an informed source on Wednesday, 13 March.

"In Mongton township, we used to have 28 refineries," he said during his visit to the weekly market in Nawng Ook, Chiangdao District, Chiangmai Province. "Now we have another 8."

Most of them are heroin "factories", according to him. The Thai army reported a count of 61 last month. The source admitted he did not know them all, but he could verify 54.

Township #

US Human Rights report quotes SHRF heavily

The State Department's annual country report on human rights practices - 2001, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor on 4 March had quoted Shan Human Rights Foundation 20 times, said a member of SHRF.

Section 1. Respect for the integrity of the person

a. 8 times
c. 4 times
g. 5 times

Section 2. Respect for civil liberties
d. 1 time

Section 6. Workers' Rights
c. 2 times

"It is an honor," the SHRF worker who had publishes the monthly report smilingly told S.H.A.N. "It also means we also have to work harder and better."

Its report on the murder of 7 villagers who had voiced a complaint to a representative from Eastern Region (Taunggyi), in September on prevalent forced labor was also widely quoted and triggered an angry denial from Rangoon.

Other indigenous sources quoted by the State Department are Karen Human Rights Group, Chin Human Rights Organization, Islamic Republic News' Agency and Karen National Union.

The State Department labelled Rangoon's human rights record as "extremely poor".