Outrages continue

Human Rights

Outrages continue

As fighting goes on between the Burma Army and the Shan State Army 'South' of Col Yawdserk, reports of violations are going on a par, according to a well-informed source from southern Shan State:
"Fighting and looting appear to be heads and tails of the same coin for Burma Army," writes the source from Loilem. "Troops from Kunhing's Infantry Battalion 296 and Light Infantry Battalion 524 are taking everything they want from the local population especially in the Kenglom tract."

On 27 August, a 13-men strong patrol led by Captain Win Maung of LIB 296 swooped down on the village of Pahpa, Kenglom tract. The following items as listed by the villagers later were taken:

• 30 chickens worth 45,000 kyat ($45)

• 7 suits of clothing

• 3 tape recorders

• 3 blankets

• 3 mosquito nets

• 140 liters of rice

• 108 liters of peanuts

• 3 pairs of shoes

• 2 dry cell flashlights

• 10 cheroots

• 500 kyat cash

Besides, the troops also took cooking oil, chilies and a number of cooking pots and kitchen knives.

On 1 September, the 35-men strong patrol commanded by the same officer raided another village, Hsaileng, in the same tract and took 15 chickens worth 10,500 kyat ($10.5).

Kunhing, 130 miles east of Taunggyi, has been recorded by Shan Human Rights Foundation as the un-safest township for the people. A total of 185 villages were relocated during the 1996-99 campaign against the SSA "South" when 319 villagers died in the extrajudicial killings by the Burma Army, among whom was one abbot who was tied up in a sack an drowned. Two other mass killings in May 2000 led to a total of 83 killed, prompting a strong protest by the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy of Hkun Htoon Oo.

The SSA's 579th Brigade commanded by Maj Kham Leng is active in the area south of the Taunggyi-Kunhing highway.