FORCED LABOUR SITUATION IN CENTRAL SHAN STATE
Since May 1997 up to the present, SPDC troops stationed in Kun-Hing area have been forcing relocated villagers to pave with stone the main road that leads from Kun-Hing to Wan Zing and Murng-Nawng in Murng-Su.

SPDC troops of Wan Zing-based LIB518, under the command of Col Ngwe Lin, have been forcing villagers who have been forcibly relocated to Kho Lam and Kaad Lur on the Nam-Zarng - Kun-Hing road from their original villages in the village tracts such as Ton Hoong and Naa Poi etc. in Lai-Kha township since 1996-97, to pave the road between Sai Mon village in Kun-Hing township and Wan Zing in Kae-See township.

The villagers have to work in rotation. One person from each house has to go and work in a group of 50 for one week at a time and has to provide their own food. Those who could not go have to hire others to go instead or face a fine of 3,000 Kyat each.

Young women, married or single, widowed or divorced, are forced to camp near where the SPDC troops who are overseeing the road paving are camping, while the rest of the villagers are usually forced to camp at a distance. The young women are forced to prepare food for the troops and wash their clothes, and cut the carcasses of the cattle belonging to the villagers which the troops have shot, to make dried meat and sell to the villagers. In addition, many young women are often raped by the SPDC troops at night.

Villagers of Paang Peng, Wan Luk, Wan Nai, Nam Maw Paang Saang and Nawng Paang in Wan Zing tract, who had been forced to move to different places in 1996-97 and again forced to gather at Wan Zing in mid 1998, are being forced by the SPDC troops of LIB518 to dig trenches, make fences, cut wood and bamboo, make thatched roofing sheets, build huts and tents, build bunkers, plant crops, gather fire wood, provide vegetables and other food stuff, provide alcoholic drinks and collect intelligence for the military on a routine basis. At least 5-6 villagers have to work for the troops on a daily basis.

After SPDC troops were stationed again at Win Zing in 1998, they have been forcing the people in the area to rebuild the road between Kun-Hing, Sai Mon, Wan Zing and Murng Nawng that was once built during the British colonial period before WW ll and has turned into jungle due to lack of use and maintenance for a long time. Since the beginning of 1999, SPDC troops have been banning cars and trucks travelling in the area from using Lai-Kha - Murng Nawng route, but forcing them to use the Kun-Hing - Sai Mon - Wan Zing - Murng Nawng route. The road has not yet finished and is still very rough and difficult to travel, especially during the rains, causing every driver to complain about it.

SPDC troops from the other battalions stationed in the area such as LIB524, Artillery Battalion 331 from Maiktila, and Kun-Hing-based IB246 (whose former commander Maj. Nyunt Oo, who committed the notorious massacre at Taad Pha Ho on 16.6.97, has been promoted and replaced by a new commander, Maj. Myat San) are also forcing the people to do one thing or another all the time.

On 16.6.99, under the instruction of the Commander of the Eastern Command, Brigadier General Maung Bo, a new battalion, IB249, has been formed. It is said that the battalion was formed by enlisting 5-10 troops who are regarded as the most cruel and villainous from many other battalions including LIB518, LIB524, AB331 and IB246. The IB249 has less than 100 troops and is stationed between Phaang Laang and Ta Kaw, west of the Salween river. People are very worried about what this new battalion will do to them in terms of forced labour and other gross human rights violations.

SHAN GIRL SHOT DEAD IN KAENG-TUNG
On 5.7.99, Lt Lin Yong from SPDC’s IB245 shot dead a 16-year-old girl near Ho Te village, Kaad Thaai tract, Kaeng-Tung township.

On that day, 3 SPDC troops from IB245 led by Lt Lin Yong were on patrol and when they came near Ho Te village they saw 2 young women catching fish in Nam Te stream. The troops then changed their direction and walked towards the girls.

When the 2 girls saw the SPDC troops approaching them, they were so frightened that they ran away up the opposite bank of the stream. Lt Lin Yong became angry and shot after them, killing one of the girls. The other girl managed to escape to her village, Ho Te.

When the villagers learned about the incident, they formed a group and went to look for the other girl who was left behind. At one point on the way they came across Lt Lin Yong and his troops. On seeing the villagers, Lt Lin Yong shouted at them, “I am ‘Bo’ Lin Yong, if you are not satisfied with what happened to your daughter, go to the town and complain about it”. He then shot his gun into the air 3 times and left.

The girl that was killed was Naang Aam, aged 16, daughter of Pu Saam Taan (father) of Ho Te village, Kaad Thaai tract.

KILLING OF FARMER IN MURNG-PAN
On 8.6.99, a patrol of about 45 SPDC troops from Murng-Pan-based LIB322 led by Battalion Commander Aung Thet Htun shot dead Sai Wa-Ling, male, aged 32, at his farm near the deserted village of Nawng Haan, Ho Phai tract, Murng-Pan township.

In the morning of that day, Sai Wa-Ling was working in his farm, about 3 miles away from Huay Maak Phurng village where he lived, when the said SPDC troops came near his farm and called him to come to them.

The troops asked what he was doing in that remote place and he told them that he was tending his farm. The troops then accused him of coming to meet with the members of the Shan resistance and trying to hide the truth from them. Sai Wa-Ling told them that he had not seen anyone since he got to the farm until the SPDC troops came.

However, the SPDC Commander did not believe him and ordered his men to take him out of his farm and further interrogated him. After a while, at around midday, when they could not get any information they wanted from Sai Wa-Ling, the Commander ordered his troops to shoot him dead.

Sai Wa-Ling was shot in the mouth and chest. His lifeless body was then dragged and dumped in a dried-up ditch and covered with leaves and branches. The Commander even warned his troops and civilian guides to say, when they got to the villages and back to their base and were asked, that the man they had shot dead was a member of the resistance forces.

KILLING IN NAM-ZARNG
On 25.5.99, about 35 SPDC troops from IB247 led by Capt Aung Htwe beat up 6 villagers who were looking for land to grow rice at a place 3 miles away from Nam-Zarng town. Two of the villagers were so severely beaten up that they died during the beating.

The villagers were sitting in a circle and having their day meal when they were surrounded and seized by the SPDC troops. The troops accused them of having provided food to the Shan soldiers and beat them while interrogating them.

The villagers tried to explain that they lived in the suburb of the town and had come to find land where they could grow rice because there was no land left for them to cultivate closer to the town. But the SPDC soldiers said they knew the villagers were collecting money the other night to buy rice for the Shan soldiers and accused the villagers of telling lies and continued to beat and torture them until 2 of them died.

The other 4 were released and warned not to tell people that they were beaten by SPDC troops but to say by thieves or other villains instead. Before they left, the troops even threatened them that if the villagers told people that they had beaten them, they would come after the villagers and kill them with all their families. The villagers managed to walk slowly back to their homes with great difficulty because they were also severely beaten up.

The following is the list of the victims:

1. Su-Za-Ta (killed), male, aged 38, from Haai Oi village, Wan Nawng Kung Mong tract
2. Ma-La (killed), male, aged 35, from Haai Oi village, Wan Nawng Kung Mong tract
3. Khat-Ti-Ya, male, aged 33, from Nam Hoo village, Wan Nawng Kung Mong tract
4. Saw-Zin-Na, male, aged 30, from Nam Hoo village, Wan Nawng Kung Mong tract
5. Wan-Na, male, aged 27, from Kun Saang village, Wan Nawng Kung Mong tract
6. Kyaw Mint, male, aged 25, from Kun Saang village, Wan Nawng Kung Mong tract

RAPE AND EXTORTION OF RELOCATED VILLAGERS IN KAE-SEE
On 22.5.99, a patrol of about 50 SPDC troops from LIB514 led by Capt Sein Win arrested 8 relocated villagers, 4 married couples, at their farm about 3-1/2 miles from Kae-See town and detained them in the lockup in the military camp, and raped the women for 3 consecutive nights, Capt Sein Win and his 3 close followers took the 4 women to a separate place and raped them.

The villagers had been cultivating their farm since early April 1999 after they got permission from Maj Myint Than of LIB424. When they were arrested by the troops from LIB514, their rice plants had already grown to the height of about an arm-length.

The villagers had tried their best to explain that they were working with permission from the SPDC military. But the Captain from LIB514 only felt insulted because the permission was not from him and he ordered his troops to arrest the villagers, saying the villagers did not have proper regard for his unit and had never asked any permission from it.

The villagers were taken and locked up in the military camp for 3 days and 3 nights. Capt Sein Win and his 3 close followers took the 4 women detainees to a different place and raped them every night. They were released only when their relatives had paid 10,000 Kyat of money for each couple as demanded by the SPDC troops.

The victimized villagers were originally from Wan Tong village, Wan Heng tract, Kae-See township and had been forcibly relocated to the town of Kae-See on 24.9.97. They were:

1. Loong Paan La, aged 51 and his wife, Pa Murng Awn, aged 49
2. Loong Nya-Na, aged 47 and his wife, Pa Long, aged 45
3. Zaai Khan-Thi, aged 28 and his wife, Naang Zaam, aged 25
4. Zaai Taan Lun, aged 21 and his wife, Naang Mo Khur, aged 20

A few days after their 3 days and 3 nights ordeal, they left for the Thai border on 30.5.99 and reached Thailand on 11.6.99.

BEATING, TORTURE, EXTORTION AND CONFISCATION OF MINI-TRACTORS BELONGING TO RELOCATED VILLAGERS IN LAI-KHA
On 4.5.99, about 30 SPDC troops from IB55 led by Capt Kyaw Myint arrested 4 villagers with 2 mini-tractors who were gathering dead branches for firewood in the forest outside Lai-Kha town and took them to their military base.

The 4 villagers were:

1. Loong Maha Zai, male, aged 51, owner of a mini-tractor
2. Loong Lai Seng, male, aged 49, owner of a mini-tractor
3. Zai Nyunt, male, aged 22
4. Zai Mala, male, aged 20

These villagers were among those who had been forcibly relocated from their original village of Nawng Keng in Wan Lur tract to the town in October 1996 by the then Slorc troops. Since they could not continue to make a living as farmers due to lack of land near the town, Loong Maha Zai and Loong Lai Seng had sold their possessions and bought mini-tractors. They had been using the mini-tractors to earn their living by transporting various things such as rice, wood and others for the townspeople up until they were arrested.

On that day, due to lack of work in the town, they had gone to gather dry wood in the forest to bring back to sell to the townspeople as firewood. At around noon, when they were resting and eating their day meal, they were surrounded and arrested by the said SPDC troops who took them to the military base.

On arrival, Capt Kyaw Myint, who brought in the villagers, reported to his superior that he had captured some Shan soldiers. The villagers were then tied up and interrogated, and were beaten and tortured. They were forced to answer questions such as ‘who is your leader?’, ‘where is your group?’ and ‘where are the rest of your group?’ etc.. Since the villagers could not answer any of the questions, they kept saying that they were not Shan soldiers and that they lived in the town and had gone to the forest only to gather firewood. However, the troops kept on interrogating them, beating and torturing them.

On 5.5.99, when the news of the incident spread into the town and the families of the detainees learned about it, they went to the military base and, with the help of their community leader, confirmed the fact that the 4 villagers were actually living in the town and were not Shan soldiers.

However, the Commander of IB55, Tin Soe Aung, then said that if the detainees really lived in the town and had not asked for permission, that meant they did not respect the SPDC troops and for that they deserved to be punished. He ordered them to pay a fine of 12,000 Kyat each or serve a 6-month prison term.

Later, their families had to borrow from their relatives and paid for their release. Even when they got back to their house, their faces were still swollen badly, almost beyond recognition, from the beating. Their mini-tractors were confiscated without any compensation.

DETENTION, BEATING, EXTORTION AND CONFISCATION OF CATTLE IN LAI-KHA
On 17.5.99, some relocated villagers who managed to retrieve their loose cattle from the area of their deserted former village were arrested, beaten and extorted and their cattle were confiscated by SPDC troops of LIB515.

Loong Loi Hurng, male, aged 51 and Loong Lai Seng, male, aged 49, originally from Kho Zai village in Wan Saang tract that had been forcibly relocated to the town of Lai-Kha, together with their 6 young relatives, had managed to round up 15 head of their cattle which they had let loose at their old village at the time of the forced relocation and were bringing them back to the town on 17.5.99.

When they got near the town, they ran into a patrol of 50 SPDC troops from LIB515 led by Capt Aung Mya who stopped and arrested them and took them to the base of LIB515. At the military base, Commander Saw Hpyu asked where they had bought the cattle from. When the villagers said that they were just their own cattle and they were bringing them to town from their old village to sell, the Commander asked who they had got permission from so that they could go back to their old village and catch the cattle.

The villagers explained that they did not get permission from anyone, but because they had no more money to buy rice, they had gone back to get their cattle to sell in order to buy rice to eat. The Commander then accused them of going back to their old village to provide rice to the Shan soldiers, catching cattle was only a cover, and ordered his troops to beat the villagers until many of them lost consciousness several times. The villagers were then locked up in the military base.

On 20. 5.99, Capt Aung Mya told the families of the detainees that they would have to pay a fine of 2,000 Kyat for each head of cattle and 5,000 Kyat for each of the villagers for their release. However, after the demanded money had been paid, only the villagers were released. The cattle were taken by the military even though the fine for them had been paid.

The other 6 victims of the beating were:

1. Kaw-Na, male, aged 31
2. Ma-La, male, aged 27
3. Khat-Ti-Ya, male, aged 25
4. Kun-Na, male, aged 20
5. Zaai Taeng, male, aged 18
6. Zaai Suay, male, aged 16

EXTORTION AND INTIMIDATION OF A WHOLE VILLAGE TRACT IN LARNG-KHUR
On 22.6.99, SPDC troops led by Capt Myint Lwin of Company No.4 of LIB292 called a meeting of headmen and leaders in Wan Zit tract, Larng-Khur township; 2 persons from each of the villages were required to attend the meeting.

At the meeting, the SPDC Captain issued an order forcing the farmers in the area to sell 14 baskets of rice for every acre of the land they cultivated at a price of 300 Kyat per basket. On failure to comply to the demand, all the cultivated land would be confiscated and all the villagers forced to move out of the village tract.

The village headmen and leaders tried to plead for mercy and explained that 14 baskets per acre was too much because the land would not yield enough. However, the Captain only changed his words and said that if the villagers did not have enough rice they could pay in the form of money instead at the rate of 800 Kyat per basket.

He added that the villagers had only 3 ways to choose: to pay in kind, 14 baskets of rice for each acre of land, or in cash, 800 Kyat per basket, or get out of Wan Zit. Without giving any chance for anyone to say anything further, he ordered the villagers to return to their respective villages.

The villagers were thus in a very tight spot. There were 150 acres of rice fields in Wan Zit tract and accordingly 2,100 baskets of rice were required to be sold to the SPDC troops. If the fields did not yield enough rice they would have to pay in cash and that meant 800 x 2,100 = 1,680,000 Kyat of money, and if they paid the rice quota they would get only 300 Kyat for each basket.

DETENTION, EXTORTION AND CATTLE CONFISCATION IN LAI-KHA
On 30.5.99, 5 SPDC troops from LIB442 led by Capt Soe Pyu arrested 3 villagers who had sold 16 head of cattle in the town of Lai-Kha and extorted money from them and confiscated all the cattle that had already been sold.

On 27.5.99, the 3 villagers, originally from Nawng Kham village in Wan Thi tract, Lai-Kha township, which had been forcibly relocated to the town a few years ago, had gone back to their old village and managed to round up 16 of their cattle which they had let loose when they had to leave the village at short notice. They brought the cattle to the town and sold them.

As soon as the SPDC Captain heard about it, he and his troops went to the villagers’ houses and asked them where they had got permission to go back to their old village and accused them of having no cattle of their own and of stealing other people’s cattle. The troops took the villagers and the cattle they had just sold to the military base and locked them up.

On 3.6.99, the villagers were ordered to pay a fine for stealing cattle and to sign a paper guaranteeing not to commit the same offence again before they were released.

1. Loong Pan-Ta, male, aged 50 had to pay a fine of 56,000 Kyat
2. Loong Zin-Ta, male, aged 47 had to pay a fine of 53,000 Kyat
3. Loong Taan, male, aged 57 had to pay a fine of 51,000 Kyat

All the 16 head of cattle were confiscated by the troops and the buyers also lost their money.

ARREST, FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 13.7.99, at about 10:00 p.m., SPDC troops and police in Ta-Khi-Laek searched the houses which had overnight guests and arrested the guests even though they had informed and registered at the responsible authorities.

The arrested guests were taken to the base of LIB331 and locked up all night. On the next day, they were forced by the troops to do sanitary work in the military compound all day without food and were released only after each of the guests paid 2,000 Baht to the military.

Even though the townspeople of Ta-Khi-Laek abide by the regulation that every guest staying overnight has to be registered at the authority, the guests are often harassed in this way when the military authorities want free labour and money.

BEATING AND SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 5.7.99, about 25 SPDC troops from LIB334 led by Capt Kyaw Hla came to Murng Khan village, Murng Khan tract, Murng-Yawng township and ordered the village community leader to provide 15 viss of chicken immediately.

When the community leader could not find enough chicken right away, Capt Kyaw Hla became very angry and struck him on the head with his rifle butt and ordered his troops to shoot a pig in the village. After the pig was shot, instead of paying for it, the troops even ordered the villagers to carry it with a shoulder yoke up to Murng-He village.

The community leader had to be sent to Murng-Yawng hospital and his head wound needed to be treated with 6 stitches. The owner of the pig was a 51-year-old woman named Me Nai Leng and the pig was worth 7,000 Kyat.

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 9.7.99, 7 SPDC troops from LIB334 led by Sergeant Kyi Win came to Hawng Koei village, Hawng Zaang tract, Murng-Yawng township, and ordered the villagers to cut 5 arm-span piles of firewood form them (1 arm-span pile = a pile of about 2 feet long pieces of firewood which is 1 arm-span wide and 1 arm-span high).

He also ordered the villagers to transport the firewood to their military base without paying anything to the villagers.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 1.7.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB311 went to man one of the Nam Luay river crossing points and demanded money from people who were returning from Wan Paan village market, the headquarters of a ceasefire group, Brigade 911, in Special Region or Zone No.4 in Murng-Yawng.

The troops stopped people who came to that crossing point and demanded 300 Kyat each, and allowed them to cross the river only after they had paid the demanded money.

The people not only had to pay the normal 10 Kyat ferry fare, but also had to pay 300 Kyat each to the SPDC troops without knowing for what. Many people thought the troops were probably collecting extra money for their Commander.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO CATCH FISH FOR THE MILITARY IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 4.7.99, 25 SPDC troops from LIB330 led by 2nd Lt Kyaw Htin came to Hai Tai village, Murng Hai tract, Murng-Phyak township, and forced the villagers to catch 20 viss of fish for them.

About 20-30 villagers, including men and women, had to get into Nam Hai stream and try to catch all day until they caught 20 viss of fish and gave it to the troops.

The villagers did not get any share of the fish for themselves and, in addition, not only had to provide their own food but also had to serve a day meal to the 25 SPDC troops.

MOTORBIKES FINED IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 13.7.99, a combined force of SPDC township authorities, including police and military, at the checkpoint in Murng-Phyak seized about 30 motorcycles that were running between Kaeng-Tung and Ta-Khi-Laek, transporting people to and fro.

They accused the motorcyclists of running without license or permission for transporting people and forced each of them to pay a fine of 3,000 Kyat

However, according to the motorcyclists themselves, all of them that were fined that day actually had permission to transport people from the concerned authorities.

RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT AND EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
In mid July 1999, SPDC township authorities in Kaeng-Tung issued an order banning people who held citizen ID cards issued on the western side of the Salween river from going through to Ta-Khi-Laek.

Many people who came from lowland Burma and Shan State west of the Salween had been turned back by the authorities under the said order, which was issued apparently to prevent people of Burma from fleeing to Thailand.

However, traders who could afford to pay 100,000 Kyats were allowed to pass through without any obstruction. People were saying that this is only one of the ways in which SPDC authorities line their own pockets.

LAND CONFISCATION IN KAENG-TUNG
In June 1999, SPDC authorities in Kaeng-Tung township, acting under the instruction of the Commander of the Golden Triangle Special Regional Command, Brig Gen Thein Sein, confiscated 3 acres of land from the villagers of Yaang Law.

The land was located on the west bank of Nam Kern river and included a public cemetery and was said to be going to be used for the construction of a rice mill owned personally by the Regional Commander.

It was said that some time before this, another plot of land at Wan Mao village had already been confiscated for the same purpose, but so far no rice mill had been built on it and it had been left deserted.

Local people were speculating that the lands were not to be used as stated but to divide into small plots and sell to rich people to build their houses and thus make money for the Commander and his troops.