SHRF Monthly Report June 1998 -Shanland.org

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT 
JUNE 1998

MASSACRE OF DISPLACED VILLAGERS IN MURNG-PAENG

On 2.6.98, a column of 80 SPDC troops from Murng Sart-based LIB 333 led by Captain Tin Maurng shot dead 28 villagers of Wan Kyawn village, Murng Poo Long tract, MurngPaeng township, at the mouth of Nam Sim tributary that runs into the Salween river, and dumped the bodies into the river.

Since 30.5.98, the SPDC column and 20 forced civilian porters had been heading west following Nam Sim river along the dirt road built by a Thai logging company "Thai Sawat", towards the Salween river. Their intention was to lay in wait for a Chinese opium mule convoy that was coming from Kaeng Kham and Kaeng Lom in Kun-Hing township and, according to their information, was supposed to cross the Salween at the mouth of Nam Sim tributary.

Coincidentally, on 1.6.98, 28 villagers, 19 men and 9 women of all ages, who had been walking down along the Salween from the north for 2 days, arrived at the mouth of Nam Sim a few hours before the SPDC troops and rested there. These villagers were among those who had been forced to leave their villages about 2 years ago. They had tried desperately to survive in the jungle and were now waiting for a chance to get a lift on a boat or raft that some other people occasionally used to drift down to Ta Sa La village -- a large village situated a little to the north of Ta Zamg where the construction of a bridge over the Salween was underway.

As soon as the LIB 333 troops reached the place, they seized and tied up all the villagers. They tortured and interrogated the villagers while accusing them of having returned from giving support to the rebels. Eventually, since the villagers had no pass from the military camp at Mumg Poo Long, the soldiers accused them of being Shan rebels who had hidden their weapons and tried to go to collect support money at the villages. They dragged them to the bank of the Salween and shot all of them dead at the same time and dumped their bodies into the water.

On 3.6.98, some people at Ta Sa La village saw some 4 - 5 corpses floating down the river wearing clothes usually worn by rural Shans. Out of curiosity, they salvaged the bodies and found out that they were people from Mumg Poo Long who they knew quite well, so they buried all the corpses they could get and conducted a Buddhist funeral rite for them on the same night.

MASS KILLING OF INNOCENT FARMERS IN NAM-ZARNG

Since they have been forced to move to Kho-Lam relocation site in Nam-Zarng township in 1997, the villagers of Nawng-Kwai-Nai-Loi have had no land to grow rice on. So, on 5. 4. 98, Loong Lai-Seng, a man of 51, organized a group of his relatives and fellow villagers, altogether 36 men and women, and asked for permission from the Burmese authorities to go back and grow rice at their former village for one month. The permission was given and, after each of the farmers had paid 300 Kyat, a one-month pass was signed by an officer named U Han Sein in Nam-Zarng town on 5.4.98.

The villagers then went and worked at their old village of Nawng-Kwai-Nai-Loi, 8-10 miles northeast of Kho-Lam, building makeshift huts for shelter. On 4 - 5.5.98, 70-80 SPDC troops of No.22, led by Commander Naing Maung, surrounded the huts of the farmers at night and burnt them, shooting and killing those who tried to run away. The villagers killed were:

VILLAGERS DIE OF FOOD POISONING IN KHO-LAM, NAM- ZARNG

On 30. 5. 98, Commander Myint Htoo of SPDC Battalion No.6 at Nam-Zarng ordered officer San Maung and 60 troops to take 40 sacks of rice on 8 army trucks to Kho-Lam relocation site and distribute them among the relocated villagers because there was a food shortage.

The villagers that had moved to Kho-Lam during the last year's relocations were 285 families, comprising 1425 people -- 526 men and 614 women over 20 years of age, and 249 under 20 years of both sexes.

The rice was distributed at a rate of 4 - 5 (condensed milk) tins for each person. After that those who had eaten the rice became sick, dizzy and faint, and many have died. The villagers who died were:

These 20 people died during the time between 31.5.98 - 2.6.98 after eating the rice. When some people became suspicious and dared not eat the rice but threw it in the water, some fish were also killed.

On 3.6.98, Commander Myint Htoo and Dr U Win Sein from the Nam-Zamg township general hospital came to Kho-Lam and examined the cause of the death. The doctor said the villagers died from drinking contaminated water that had germs that cause diseases and, without giving any help to the villagers, told them to boil their drinking water properly and returned to Nam-Zarng.

RAPE AND KILLING IN MURNGKERNG

On 3.5.98, Nang Sa, 30, a woman villager who had been forcibly relocated to Ham-Ngai relocation site, Murng-Kerng township, went back to tend her orange orchard at the old village of Nar-Mon. She met a group of SPDC soldiers from IB no.9 in the deserted village. The soldiers raped her and stabbed her dead 6 times in the chest, dumped her body in a ditch and covered it with a mat and twigs. The body was found by other villagers 3 days after the incident.

On the same day, Aye Nang, 29, mother of 3 and her younger sister, aged 13, went from Ham Ngai village relocation site to their former village of Wan Pek to dig for yams because they had no rice to eat. They were seized by SPDC troops of IB no.9 and taken to different places to be raped, but when they saw the younger sister was menstruating, they released her. She then went to her brother-in-law who was working in a farm and both of them continued to run away. Aye Nang was raped and stabbed to death, 4 times in the chest, and buried under thin earth. When her body was uncovered by villagers 3 days after the event, her sarong was hanging on her neck.

The following 2 women were also raped and killed by SPDC troops of LIB no.513 on 19.4.98.

• Aye Mung, 24, wife of Sarng Soi and daughter of Loong Thun & Pa Nang of Nar-Mon village, Ham-Ngai tract, Murng Kerng township.
• Aye Sa, 35, daughter of Loong Sam & Nai Awng of Wan Pek village, Ham-Ngai tract, Murng Kerng township. She was raped and killed at Huay Kyawng.

KILLING IN KAE-SEE

On 25 - 26.3.98, SPDC troops of Pang Long-based LIB no.513 shot dead and wounded the following villagers in the area of Wan Khem, Kae-See township. The villagers killed were:
Aw-Zae-Ya, 30, son of Loong Ta & Pa Mon of Wan Maw village, Murng-Khun tract, Murng Kerng township. Sai Taw, 35, son of Loong Lam & Pa Kya of Wan Karng village, Murng-Khun tract, Murng Kerng township. Ai Nu, 30, son of Loong Thun & Nai Khe of Wan Long village, Wan Khem tract, Kae-See township. Sarng Seng, 30, son of Loong Ing-Ta & Pa Loi Nang of Kung Sa village, Murng Khun tract, Murng Kerng township. Ai Suay, 18, son of Loong Sawn & Nai Awng of Kung Sa village, Murng Khun tract, Murng Kerng township. Sarng Loo, 28, son of Loong Zarng Sao & Pa Zarng Lek of Kung Sa village, Murng Khun tract, Murng Kerng township.

The following 2 villagers were shot and wounded:

• Pi Zing, 36, son of Loong Mu & Pa Kya of Kun Pen village, Murng Khun tract, Munrg Kerng township.
• Sai Woo, 25, son of Loong Kaw & Pa Sae of Pa Karng village, Murng Khun tract, Murng Kerng township.

The troops also looted the villages. Wan Khem and Kung Sa lost:

• 10 cattle
• 3 pigs
• 10 chickens
• 2304 baskets of rice paddy
• 2 cassette tape recorders
• 2 bicycles
• 2 watches
• 2 ox-carts
• 1 tin of cooking oil ------ altogether worth 2,325,000 Kyat.

Wan Keng tract lost:

• 9 cattle
• 30 chickens
• 896 baskets of rice paddy
• 15.5 baskets of rice
• 124 baskets of peanut
• 3 cassette tape recorders
• 1 sewing machine
• 1 bicycles
• 2 watches
• 4 ox-carts
• 7 tins of cooking oil ------ altogether worth 983,900 Kyat.

They also looted the Buddhist monastery of Kung Sa village and took away:

• 1 electricity generator
• Some household things -------- altogether worth 38,000 Kyat.

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KILLING IN LAI-KHA

On 12.4.98, SPDC Commander Aye Ko of LIB no.517 slaughtered the following villagers in Lai-Kba township.

• Lao Keng, 42, son of Lang Leng of Wan Heng village, Wan Heng tract, Lai-Kha township. (Lao Keng was an ethnic Chinese)
• Loong Su, -, son of Loong Kyawng La of Wan Heng village, Wan Heng tract.
• Pi Kya, 40, son of Loong Mu Ling of Loi Tawng village, Lai-Kha township.
• Nang Zing, 16, daughter of Loong Za-Ling of Loi Tawng village. She was raped before she was killed.
• Pan Awang, 25, son of Loong In of Kawng Hawm village, Lai-Kha township. (Pan Awang was a Palaung)

These villagers were killed separately at their respective farms and villages.

The following villagers were killed by SPDC troops on 5.5.98.

• Pam-Sa, 45, son of Loong Aw & Pa Zing of Kung Keng village, Nar Poi tract, Lai-Kha township.
• Mu-Ling, 28, son of Loong Pin-Nya & Pa Pe of Kung Keng village, Nar Poi tract, Lai Kha township.
• Ai Naw, 30, son of Loong Aw & Nai Zing of Hamg Lin village, Nar Poi tract, Lai Kha township.
• Ai Wi-Yun, 30, son of Loong Lu & Nai Zarm of Hamg Lin village, Nar Poi tract, Lai Kha township.
• Wa-Ling, 28, son of Loong Kaw Yoi & Nai Ku of Ho Loi village, Tamg Kam tract, Lai Kha township.
• Zing-Ta, 35, son of Loong Tha & Nai Yung of Pa Mai village, Nar Poi tract, Lai-Kha township.
• Aye Zing, 16, daughter of Loong Kang Nya & Pa Man of Pa Mai village, Nar Poi tract, Lai-Kha township.

Loong Kaw Yoi was beaten and was in a critical condition.

Zing-Ta and his wife were both killed and their ox-cart destroyed; the 2 oxen were killed and eaten at the deserted monastery of Phak Ha village.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-KERNG

On 15.5.98, 5 villagers who had been forcibly relocated to Ham Ngai village relocation site in Murng-Kerng township went back to tend their orange orchards at their former village, Wang Murng. They met SPDC troops of IB no.9 on the way and were arrested. The troops tied up 3 of them and told the other 2 to go back to Ham-Ngai and bring back 10 bottles of whisky and some food, and money for the release of the detainees _1500 Kyat each. While the 2 villagers were going back to Ham-Ngai, the soldiers shot a cow that belonged to Sai Zam Awng of Wang Murng.

After the villagers had given the SPDC troops the whisky and money, and had got back to Ham-Ngai, some community leaders went to complain about it to the commander of the army camp at Ham-Ngai where a section of troops from LIB No.514 led by Sergeant Ar Long, an Aklia national, were stationed. After that, Ar Long called the villagers of Wang Murng to the camp and interrogated them every day for some time and eventually said that it could not be members of the Burmese army, but most likely the Shan soldiers.

DETENTION AND INTIMIDATION IN SI-PAW

On 16.5.98, children of the members of SPDC LIB no. 506 at Nam Lan village in Si-Paw township had disappeared. They were students - 3 from 10-standard, 1 from 9-standard and 1 from 7-standard -- and were going by bicycles from Nam Lan to Wan Li to attend a wedding of their friend who was marrying a Shan lady and disappeared somewhere between the 2 points, together with their bicycles.

On the same day after the disappearance of their children, LIB no.506 arrested village headmen from the villages of Wan Li, Khai Mawn, Nar Zamg, Loi Long, Wan Kyawng, Nawng Ping, Kawng Kharm, Wan Zing and Ngong Zamg --- 2 from each village --- and interrogated them, beating and scolding them for not reporting that rebels were in the area so that their children had been taken away. After that the villagers were locked up, altogether 17, all headmen and their deputies.

On 18.5.98, the soldiers released 3 of the villagers and ordered them to find the Burmese children or get information about the whereabouts of them, otherwise the remaining 14 detainees would not be released.

However, no one seemed to know where the Burmese children had gone and the villagers could not get any clue about it. But the hopelessness of the case and the appeals from the leaders o the Shan ceasefire group in the area prompted the release of the villagers. The troops released them on 3.6.98, but still threatened them that they would face harsher punishment if the 5 children were not found.

FORCED LABOUR IN NAM-KHAM

Since 22.4.98, SPDC troops in Nam-Kham have been forcing the civilian population to build a wooden dam over Nam Mao (Shweli) river People from 21 villages have to provide wood, stones and labour.

Every day, 30 people from each of the bigger villages and 20 from each of the smaller villages have to go and work on the dam at 7 different points from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm without any payment; they have to provide their own food.

On 9.5.98, while working on the dam, a man fell down into the water and died. The man was Sai Ai Poi, 20, son of Loong Kam-Khain La-Plie & Nai Soi-Kham-Ing of Zae-Hai village. He fell into the water at 1:00 pm on 9.5.98, but his body could only be retrieced on 10.5.98 at 2:00 pm. As compensation, SPDC only gave his family 4 sacks of rice and 4 vis of cooking oil.

The following is a list of the villages and what they have been forced to provide up to the time of this report (25.5.98), and the dam construction is still far from finished.

_{Note: 1 gin of stone = 4 loads of mini-tractor. All vehicles are mini-tractors. Though they have been working for more than a month, SPDC have only given 2 gallons of diesel oil for each vehicle.}