MOTHER AND DAUGHTER RAPED AND KILLED IN MURNG-NAI
On 10.4.99, a Shan woman and her daughter were accused of carrying rice for the Shan soldiers, raped and killed by a commander of SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) troops in Murng-Nai township. Naang Thuay, aged 37, and her daughter, Naang Awng, aged 19, from Kun Mong village were raped and killed by Maj Khin Maung Lay and his troops from Company No.1 of LIB422, near Kung Nyawng village, 3 miles north of Kun Mong, between Kaeng Tawng and Kun-Hing.

On that day, Maj Khin Maung Lay and 25 troops, with 5 civilian porters from Kun Mong village, were going from Kun-Hing township toward Kaeng Tawng in Murng-Nai township. The troops met the women on the way, stopped them and search all their belongings. When the soldiers found small packets of rice in their shoulder bags, which were actually their day meals, they accused the women of carrying the rice with the intention to give to the Shan soldiers. According to one of the porters who had witnessed the horrible event, and lately fled to the Thai border, the 2 women were just going to their farm when they ran into the SPDC troops.

15 FISHERMEN TORTURED AND KILLED IN KUN-HING
On 9.4.99, 15 villagers who had been forcibly relocated to Kun-Hing town 2-3 years ago were arrested, tortured and killed by SPDC troops from LIB524 in Kun-Hing township. The villagers were originally from Ho Yaan village on the bank of Nam Paang river and one of their means of livelihood had been fishing in the river. Since virtually everything was scarce at the relocation site, these villagers, led by a man named Loong Kya, aged 41, had gone together to fish in the river for some days. On the day of the incident, they were about to return after distributing their catch among themselves on the bank of the river when they were surrounded by about 80 SPDC troops of LIB524 led by Commander Aung Than.

The troops arrested the villagers and tied them up, beat, tortured and interrogated them. They accused the villagers of either coming to provide food for the Shan soldiers or to attend meetings organized by the Shan resistance. When they could not force the villagers to confess to either of the accusations, the troops continued to torture and beat them until they all died and dumped their lifeless bodies into the river.

After the troops got back to their base in Kun-Hing, they ordered the villagers who had been relocated from the villages along Nam Paang river to gather and said that since the villagers had been relocated, there had been virtually no source of income for them, therefore the military would buy fish and would issue a permit or a pass to anyone who used to and would like to fish in the river so that the villagers could earn some money. Those who wanted to apply for the pass were to register their names on 10.4.99, at 8:00 a.m., at the military base.

On the morning of 10.4.99, 23 able bodied young men turned up and gathered at the military base at around 11:00 a.m. They were all detained in the military base and had not yet been released at the time this report was received. Most likely, they would be interrogated, used as porters for military patrols and as guides in searching the areas of relocation.

MORE KILLING OF RELOCATED VILLAGERS IN KUN-HING
On 11.4.99, SPDC troops from IB246 led by Maj Nyi Tin killed the following villagers in Kun-Hing township.

1. Phaw-Ka, male, aged 37, from Wan Hai village, Ton Hoong Long tract
2. Kan-Ta-Maa, male, aged 30, from Wan Hai village, Ton Hoong Long tract
3. Ai Taan, male, aged 16, from Wan Hai village, Ton Hoong Long tract
4. Loong Myaat, male, aged 70, from Nam Hoo Oon village, Ton Hoong Long tract
5. Loong Lu, male, aged 40, from Wan Paa Moi village, Naa Poi tract
6. Kaw-Ta, male, aged 35, from Paa Moi village, Naa Poi tract
7. Saw-Ka, male, aged 36, from Wan Hai village, Ton Hoong Long tract

7-8 YEAR-OLD CHILDREN FORCED TO WORK IN KUN-HING
SPDC troops in Kun-Hing township are forcing many children, some as young as 7-8 years old, to break stones for paving roads. Since 4.4.99, Kun Hing-based IB246 and LIB524 have been forcing displaced people who have been forcibly moved to the outskirts of the town from the areas such as Sai Khao, Kaeng Kham and Kaeng Lom over the last 2-3 years to break rocks and stones to be used in paving the Kung hing-Nam Zarng and Kung Hing-Kaeng Tung main roads. The SPDC troops said that the children of the relocated people were useless and had nothing to do, and as they could not go to school they must be made to work. Almost 200 children, including 7-8 years old, are being forced to split stones.

KILLING OF 6 VILLAGERS IN MURNG-TON
In January 1999, a patrol of 15 SPDC troops from IB225 led by Maj Khyit Hla beat to death 6 villagers near a farm between Loi Oon and Naa Mark Tee villages, Murng-Ton township. The villagers were sitting and talking in Loi Oon village when the troops entered and asked them if they had seen any Shan resistance forces pass through the village. When the villagers said they had not seen any Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops accused them of being informers who were collecting intelligence for the Shan resistance and took them away to a farm west of the village for further interrogation. After a while, when the relatives of the 6 villagers heard about it from other villagers who had seen them being taken away by SPDC troops, they went after them to find out what had become of them. They found that the 6 villagers had been killed and their bodies had been buried so shallow that some of their hands and legs were sticking out of the ground.

KILLING IN TA-KHI-LEAK
On 13.4.99, a patrol of 15 SPDC troops went to Wan Mark O, Loi Taw Kham tract in Takhilaek township, and shot dead 2 villagers after accusing them of being intelligence agents of SSA-E (Shan State Army - Eastern), who had inflicted losses on SPDC military operations. The 2 victims were:

1. A-Nyu, male, aged 40
2. A-Ku, male, aged 38

RAPE IN KAENG-TUNG
On 4.3.99, Lt Kyaw Soe from SPDC’s LIB314 raped Nang Ae La, aged 19, in a forest near Wan Ten village, Murng Laang tract, Kaeng-Tung township. On that day, 7 troops from LIB314 led by Kyaw Soe went on patrol and saw a Shan woman who was gathering firewood in a forest near her village of Wan Ten. He then ordered his men to continue and wait for him at the next village of Yaang Khaai and stopped to talk to the woman, even though they could not understand each other’s languages.

A few moments later, when there was no one in sight, Kyaw Soe seized her and raped her. Though she screamed for help, the place was too far from the village to be heard, and she could not resist the strength of the man. As soon as Kyaw Soe left the site, she ran back to her village and told her parents, and her parents complained to the village headman. But there was no one in the village who dared to press the case further against the SPDC soldier.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO APOLOGISE A CHICKEN THIEF IN KAENG-TUNG
On 7.4.99, an SPDC soldier, Private Maung Myint Oo, from IB244 was caught red handed by the villagers while he was stealing chickens in Pa Zaam village, Kaad Tao tract, Kaeng-Tung township. When he was stealing, the chicken owner found out and shouted, causing the neighbours to rush to the scene. The villagers found him trying to get away with 2 chickens in his hands and tried to catch him. But because he did not let them catch him and tried to strike back, the villagers struck him a few times before they caught him. It was in the evening and almost dark.

Three of the villagers then took him to his Company Commander, Capt Soe Lwin Oo, bringing also the 2 chickens he had stolen as evidence. However, the SPDC Captain became very angry and ordered the 3 villagers to hire a car and take his man to the hospital in Kaeng-Tung town immediately during the night. In addition, the villagers had to pay for his medical bills and bring food to him every day during his 2-3-day stay at the hospital which was 7 miles from the village.

After the chicken thief Maung Myint Oo was dismissed from the hospital, the 3 villagers that had struck him were ordered to apologise to him in a traditional Buddhist way, the way they used to pay respect to the monks and elders. Ironically, the military authorities in the area had for some time been encouraging the villagers to arrest anyone who stole their livestock, and if the thief resisted, to strike even to death.

RE-RELOCATION AND EXTORTION IN MURNG-NAI
In February 1999, SPDC Capt Than Htun from Kun-Hing-based IB246 came to Kaeng Tawng relocation site in Murng-Nai township and told the villagers that had been moved from the village of Waeng Kao to go back to their original village. On hearing that, the village headman, Loong Kaang Kam, was very pleased and called up all the 37 houses of the villagers and went back to Waeng Kao. All these villagers had been relocated to Kaeng Tawng by LIB524 in November 1998.

The villagers went back, restored their ruined houses and tried to settle down again. On 2.4.99, a force of 95 SPDC troops led by Capt Khin Maung Htwe from LIB422 came from Phai-Khun township and camped in the area of Kaeng Tawng and, on 7.4.99, summoned Waeng Kao village leaders to the military camp. Three village leaders went to see the captain who asked them why they had come back to their village after they had been moved away by the Burmese military.

When the villagers told him that they had returned on the permission of Capt Than Htun from IB246, Khin Maung Htwe did not believe them and accused them of sneaking back in order to be able to support the Shan resistance. But the villagers denied the charge and continued to press their point. After a while, the captain asked whether they wanted to go back to Kaeng Tawng relocation site or settle down in their original village. The villagers said if possible they would like to settle down in their village.

The captain said if that was the case he would like the villagers to help him with the following:

1. Loong Haeng Kawn, the village tract headman -- 5,000 Kyat of money
2. Loong Kaang Kam, the village headman -- 90 tins of rice
3. Sai Ka-Ling, asistant to the village headman -- 60 tins of rice
4. Each family of the rest of the villagers -- 2 tins of rice

After giving the demanded 5,000 Kyat, the village tract headman, considering that this kind of extortion would certainly be repeated and the village might even have to move again, left for the Thai border.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN MURNG-KHARK
Starting from 9.4.99 until 15.4.99, people in Murng-Khark were forced to dig fish ponds and ditches for the military by SPDC’s IB227. At least one person from each house in the areas of Murng Nung, Nam Wok and Nawng Hoi had to bring their own food and go to work every day during that period without being paid. About a week after that, on 22.3.99, the military authorities again forcibly collected from the people money needed to buy baby fish and fish food. Each house had to provide 2,000 Kyat, causing a lot of complaining and dissatisfaction.

EXTORTION AND PUNISHMENT IN MURNG-YARNG
On 12.3.99, SPDC troops from Murng Khark-based LIB327 ordered the people of Murng-Yarng to provide money for the repair of the market place. Each house from all the 9-10 quarters and village tracts in the township had to provide 1,000 Chinese money, equivalent to about 9,000 Kyat. Those who did not have ready money had to borrow from others and paid. However, 7 houses at Wan Zarng village in Murng Luay tract could not provide the money and were arrested and taken to the military base. They were forced to work for the military at the base for 7 days as a punishment for failing to pay the exacted money. Among the villagers were 2 widows.

The villagers that were punished were:

1. Sai Kam, male, aged 41
2. Sai Lu, male, aged 45
3. Loong Pan-Ta, male, aged 50
4. Sai Kawm, male, aged 38
5. Pu Pawm, male, aged 49
6. Pa Nang, female, aged 41
7. Nang Kham Man, female, aged 27

EXTORTION OF TRADERS IN KAENG-TUNG
On 15.3.99, 3 cross-border traders with China from Murng Ma in Kaeng-Tung township were forced to pay unreasonably high taxes by the SPDC troops from IB244 who manned the checkpoint at Ta Ping bridge on Nam Luay river. The traders came in 3 trucks and stopped at the checkpoints as all civilian cars had to stop for security check up. However, they were told to pay 30,000 Kyat tax for each of the trucks. When they explained that each truck would only make at most 20,000 Kyat profits and if they had to pay 30,000 Kyat they would even lose 10,000 Kyat, the officer in charge of the checkpoint, Bo Ni, became very angry and threatened to burn the trucks if his demands were not met, and acted as if he would really burn the trucks. Finally, the traders became so frightened and gave the money. As they released the traders, the soldiers even told them to buy some Thai whisky for them on their return. The 3 traders were:

1. Sai Peng, male, aged 35, from Wan Tong, Murng Ma tract
2. Sai Oon, male, aged 31, from Wan Long, Murng Ma tract
3. Sai Law, male, aged 31, from Kaeng Law, Murng Ma tract

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK BY SPDC IN KAENG-TUNG CEASEFIRE AREA
On 18.3.99, about 7 SPDC troops from IB244 went to Wan Pui, a Palaung village, and shot and took away a pig and chickens belonging to the villagers. The village was in Murng Ma tract and was 3 miles inside the Special Region or Zone 4, supposed to be under the control of the ceasefire group headed by Sai Lern aka Li Ming Shin and where the SPDC troops were not supposed to disturb. However, the SPDC troops shot the pig and chickens even when there were members of Zone 4 security force present in the village. The following villagers lost their livestock:

1. Loong In Saw, male, aged 45, lost 1 pig worth about 18,000 Kyat
2. Loong Ping, male, aged 36, lost 3 chickens worth 2,300 Kyat
3. Ai Noong, male, aged 41, lost 6 chickens worth 4,600 Kyat

BULLYING IN MURNG-PHYAK
During the water festival, 13-15.4.99, the SPDC Tactical Command Commander in Murng-Phyark instructed the military authorities and community leaders to organize sports and dancing & singing competitions for the townspeople. Three of the Shan villages in the surrounding countryside were willing to join the dancing competition because some of the villagers had been practising for it for some time. But the Commander of LIB330 did not allow them to participate in the main town competition. They were told to compete among themselves instead.

At the end of the competitions, the Tactical Commander, who had been drinking and watching the competitions, called up the village headmen and said that the village dancers had been poorly drilled and their performances were so bad that they spoiled the town’s prestige. After that, as a punishment for the bad performance, he ordered the headmen and their villagers to go and clear a farm at Murng Hai village for 7 days, starting from 18.4.99. Murng Hai was 12 miles away from the town. The villagers had no choice but to comply, or face an even more severe punishment.

ROBBING OF YOUNG WOMEN RETURNING TO VISIT THEIR RELATIVES IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 28.3.99, a team of SPDC troops, members of immigration, police and customs, that had jointly set up a checkpoint at Murng-Phyak to check cars and passengers from Takhilaek and Kaeng-Tung, confiscated money from 3 women who were travelling from Ta-Khi-Laek to Kaeng-Tung. The 3 women had gone to work in Thailand and were returning with their hard earned money to visit their parents during the coming water festival.

They were searched by the SPDC search team at the Murng-Phyak checkpoint and their money were taken from them, 77,000 Baht in total. The SPDC authorities accused them of carrying illegal money and even threatened to arrest them and put them in jail. However, they were released after the car driver helped beg for their release. But only 5,000 Baht of their money was returned to each of them.
The losses of the women were as follows:

1. Naang Seng Non, aged 21, lost 25,000 Baht
2. Naang Aam Non, aged 19, lost 30,000 Baht
3. Naang Dui Dip, aged 19, lost 7,000 Baht

This contradicts the statement by the SPDC Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win on 22 April 1999 that migrant workers could return safely.

ROBBING OF CHARITY MONEY IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 9.4.99, a monk and villagers from Hawng Koey village, Murng-Yawng township, were robbed of charity money they were carrying at the checkpoint of an SPDC multi-departmental search team at Murng-Phyak. The monk and the villagers, including 15 of their relatives from Thailand, were returning in 4 cars with the charity money donated by their relatives in Thailand to build a new temple at Hawng Koey village in Murng-Yawng township.

When they reached the checkpoint at Murng-Phyak, the leader of the search team, Capt Sein Htwa from IB221, asked how much charity money they had collected. When he was told that the they had 37,000 Baht, Sein Htwa said that it was illegal money and forcibly took away 10,000 Baht, despite protests and appeals from the monk.

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-PHYAK
From 15.3.99 until 25.3.99, SPDC’s LIB330 in Murng-Phyak had forced the villagers of Murng Pak tract to cultivate 10 acres of peanut for the military every day. The villagers had to provide food not only for themselves but also for the 4 SPDC troops that were overseeing the work each day.

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK AND BEATING OF BUFFALO TRADER IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 19.3.99, a patrol 7 SPDC troops from Ta Lur-based LIB316 shot 1 buffalo belonging to a villager at Mark Kawk village in Ta-Khi-Laek township. Two villagers, Sai Kam, aged 36 and Sai In Kham, aged 41, from Wan Lawn village, Murng Khawn tract, Kaeng-Tung township, were driving 7 buffalo down to Ta-Khi-Laek for sale when one of their buffalo was shot by the soldiers they ran into at a place near Mark Kawk village. When Sai In Kham, the buffalo owner, tried to protest one of the troops struck his forehead with a rifle butt, splitting his scalp. The buffalo was said to be bought from the north at a price of 87,000 Kyat.

SHOOTING OF VILLAGER IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 10.4.99, an SPDC soldier, Private Maung Myint, from Company No.1 of LIB316 shot at a boatman at a Mae Khong river crossing point at Kaeng Laab village, Ta-Khi-Laek township, opposite Laos. On the day of the incident, Maung Myint ordered a boat at Kaeng Laab village to take him to Pa Leo village. Coincidentally, there was an ordaining ceremony of novice monks going on in the village and the boatman said that in accordance with the Shan tradition he had to take the to-be-novices to pay respect to their relatives on the Loas side of the river and declined the soldier’s demand. The soldier got very angry and berated the boatman in many ways, including such words as ‘Are Loatians your fathers?’, and shot him with his gun. The boatman, Sai Oon Pan, was hit in the left shoulder and lost consciousness. The other villagers later put him in a car and took him to a clinic at Ta Lur, 12 miles away from his village.

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 10.4.99, 5 SPDC troops from LIB526 came to Phak Hi village, Murng Phong tract, Ta-Khi-Laek and shot and took away a pig. On leaving the village, the troops shouted and told the villagers that if they were not satisfied with what had happened they could go and complain to their company commander. The pig belonged to a woman of 51 years old, Pa Laeo, and was worth 2,600 Baht.

BURNING OF HOUSE IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 26.3.99, a patrol of 12 SPDC troops from LIB331 burned down a house belonging to A-Pe, a Lahu man, at Ai Long village, Loi Taw Kham tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township. The troops accused A-Pe of being an agent who collected intelligence for the SSA-E (Shan State Army - Eastern) and burnt the house before the owner could get anything out of it. A-Pe lost a house and property worth about 12,000 Baht.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 27.2.99, SPDC authority in Murng-Phyak issued an order exacting money for road repair from the people. The amount of 1,300,000 Kyat was said to be needed to fix the Murng-Phyak - Phak Tu Murng road. Each family in the area were forced to provide 2,000 Kyat. Those who did not have money had to sell their property such as rice, pigs and buffalo in order to pay.

ROBBING IN MURNG-SART
On 2.3.99, Some villagers of Murng In, Murng-Sart township, were robbed by SPDC troops from LIB333. The villagers were returning from Murng-Sart town after buying things intended for an ordaining ceremony of novice monks in accordance with Buddhist tradition. On the way, they met a group of SPDC soldiers who robbed them of all the things they had bought from the town.

BURNING OF PROPERTY IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 13.4.99, SPDC troops from LIB316 burned a civilian truck loaded with garlic at Fa Kaang village, Murng Laen tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township. On that day, the troops came to the house of the owner of the truck and conscripted the truck to carry their commander’s belongings to Murng Phyak. But the owner declined, explaining that his truck was already loaded with garlic and was about to leave for Ta-Khi-Laek and begged them to take someone else’s truck for this time and promised to go next time. However, the soldiers kept saying an order an was order and insisted on taking the car, but the owner was unwilling to unload the garlic and keep declining. The soldiers became very angry and eventually burned the garlic. All the garlic and some parts of the truck were burnt and the loss was estimated to be more than 100,000 Baht.