NEW REGISTRATIONS IN PANG LONG, LOI-LEM, AIMED TO DRIVE OUT SHANS?
New household registrations by the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) in the town of Pang Long are causing concern that Shan refugees from the area are being deliberately deprived of their citizenship.

Since May 22, 1999, the SPDC authorities in Pang Long have been ordering headmen of town quarters and villages around the town to compile new house registration lists. Anyone not physically present in the household is not being allowed to be registered.

Since the forced relocation of over 10,000 Shan villagers to Pang Long in early 1998, large numbers of these Shans have fled to Thailand. With the new registrations, those seeking refuge in Thailand are now being deprived of their original identity and may not be allowed to return if they wanted to.

RAPE AND KILLING IN KUN-HING
On 29.5.99, a combined force of SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) troops from Kun-Hing-based IB246 and Loi-Lem-based IB12, led by Capt Soe Naing Oo, Capt Tin Maung Win and Capt Than Naing Oo, that were patrolling the countryside in Kaeng Lom tract, Kun-Hing township, raped and killed 4 young Shan women who were working on their farms with their parents.

The women were originally from Nam Kham village in Naa Poi tract that had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Kun-Hing town 2-3 years ago. They were working with their parents on their farms when the SPDC soldiers came and surrounded them. They were then separated from their parents and taken to different places by different groups of troops who gang-raped them and later killed all of them.

The victims were:

1. Naang Yaen, aged 20
2. Naang Kham, aged 16
3. Naang Zaan, aged 18
4. Naang Zing, aged 22

8 PORTERS BEATEN TO DEATH IN MURNG-KERNG
During the latter part of May 1999, a column of 80 SPDC troops from Company No.3 of LIB514 led by Capt Aung Htun Myint beat to death 8 civilian porters who had become too weak to carry their loads during a 25-day military operation in which the troops searched remote valleys and mountains in Murng-Kerng township.

On 17.5.99, the said troops, under the command of the Commander of LIB514, Maung Maung Htwe, took 27 civilians from a suburb of Murng-Kerng to use as porters. These villagers were originally from Naa Pung village, Wan Phui tract, that had been relocated to near the town in mid 1998.

After some days, many of the porters became very weak because they were fed with very little rice and often had to go without water for very long periods of time, and had very little time for rest. But the troops pressed them on, beating and kicking those who seemed to be slowing down.

However, at some points, some of the porters became too weak to keep going and actually collapsed and could not get up even though the soldiers were shouting at them, kicking and forcing them to move. The troops then beat them with heavy sticks, aiming at their necks, until they died.

The following porters were beaten to death on 22.5.99:

1. Loong Ma-La, male, aged 49
2. Loong Paan, male, aged 51

The following were beaten to death on 25.5.99:

1. Loong Kham Leng, male, aged 44
2. Loong Aw-Zae-Ya, male, aged 48

The following were beaten to death on 27.5.99:

1. Loong Kun-Da-La, male, aged 53
2. Loong Kham, male, aged 55
3. Loong Kyawng Nya-Na, male, aged 51

The following was beaten to death on 30.5.99:

1. Sai Kaw-Na, male, aged 17

2 BROTHERS, A DRIVER AND HIS SPARE, BEATEN TO DEATH IN SI-PAW
On 23.6.99, SPDC troops from LIB522 manning a checkpoint at a military camp at Sawng Ke village in Si-Paw township beat to death a car driver and his brother. At the time of the event, there were 4-5 soldiers led by Staff Sergeant Maung Pyaung and Sergeant Tin Win at the checkpoint, located at the crossroad where roads from Si-Paw, Kae-See and Murng-Yai meet.

On 22.6.99, the 2 brothers had transported machine parts from La-Sio through Murng-Yai to Seng-Keo, the main base of a Shan ceasefire group, SSA, with their pickup truck and had not stopped to register at the checkpoint because no guard was present at the time.

However, on the next day, when they were returning, they were stopped by the troops at Kawng Laang village near Sawng Ke. The troops asked them questions, shouted at them and beat them so severely that both of them died a short time later.

The responsible military officer, in defending his troops, had said, “They had passed through our checkpoint yesterday without stopping to register like other people. Their behaviour clearly showed their total disrespect for us. We only meant to teach them a lesson for that. But our troops accidentally overused their force, and we could not help it that they died afterwards.

Shortly after the incident, the parents and relatives of the 2 victims, together with some responsible officers from the SSA ceasefire group, complained to the responsible military authorities, asking for compensation for the victims and justice to be brought to bear on the perpetrators. However, there has so far been no response from the military authorities.

HEADMAN KILLED, VILLAGERS BEATEN UP IN MURNG-PAN
On 15.5.99, SPDC troops of Murng-Pan-based LIB332 beat to death the headman of Tin Tap village and severely beat up 3 other villagers, including his deputy and 2 village guards who lost consciousness 2-3 times and later had to be hospitalized, in the military base in Murng-Pan township.

On that day, about 30 SPDC troops came to Tin Tap village and arrested the headman, Loong Sai, aged 48, his deputy, Sai San Ting, aged 46 and 2 other villagers who were on village guard duty that morning, Sai Zit-Ta, aged 41 and Sai Nyaa-Na, aged 40. The troops arrested the villagers because they heard that some members of the SSA (Shan State Army) had passed through the village that early morning and suspected the villagers had provided food for them.

The villagers were taken to the military base and interrogated. The troops asked them if they had given food to the passing SSA soldiers, and beat and tortured them while interrogating them. The headman tried to explain that it had been too early when the Shan soldiers passed through the village for any one to be up, and no one had seen them and had given them nothing.

However, the SPDC troops continued to interrogate and beat the headman until he died and the deputy and the guards until they lost consciousness 2-3 times. When they were released, other villagers had to take them to the hospital in Murng-Pan. They were still being treated at the hospital at the time of this report.

RAPE OF 15 RELOCATED WOMEN IN LOI-LEM
On May 21, 1999, about 80 soldiers from SPDC’s IB64, LIB513, LIB514 and LIB515 raped and beat a group of 15 relocated women from two villages.

10 of the women were from Nai Lao village, about five hours walk north of the town of Pang Long, and 5 were from the nearby village of Loi Hong. They had been relocated to a site near Pang Long in early 1998, but had sneaked back secretly to their old villages to pick their crops of tea in order to earn money to survive.

The SPDC troops kept the women, who were aged between 13 and 48, for one night in the village of Loi Hong and raped them. Then on the next day, before releasing them to go back to Pang Long, they beat them each with a stick on their back and legs.

KILLING IN NAM-ZARNG
On 4.6.99, SPDC troops stationed at Kho Lam in Nam-Zarng township shot dead a man named Mu-Ling from Nawng Kai village, Ho Nawng tract, at his farm in Kho Lam area.

SHOOTING AND ARREST IN LARNG-KHUR
On 15.6.99, a combined force of 15 SPDC troops from IB99 and LIB525, led by Lt Saw Ne Htun and Sgt Kyaw Win respectively, arrested a man named Loong Kan-Tha from Son Oi village, Haai Kuay tract, Larng Khur township, for questioning.

The troops accused Loong Kan-Tha of secretly keeping a handgun and interrogated him. Since he was not tied or bound, Loong Kan-Tha ran away as soon as there was a chance, knowing that it was the only way to save his life. Saw Ne Htun shot after him, but missed.

Kyaw Win then led his men and arrested all the members of Loong Kan-Tha’s family they found at his house. They were:

1. Pa Wo, Loong Kan-Tha’s wife
2. Sai Mart, their son
3. Naang Mae, their daughter
4. Naang Kyi, their daughter

These villagers were taken to the military camp at Wan Zit village and detained there. It was said that they would not be released until Loong Kan-Tha was captured or turned himself in.

ROBBERY IN MURNG-PAN
On 6.5.99, at about 9:00 p.m., 15 SPDC troops from Co.4 of LIB520 led by Capt Kyaw Thein robbed Loong Thun La of his money and gold at his house in Murng-Pan town.

That evening, the SPDC troops knocked at Loong Thun La’s house. When Loong Thun La opened the door, the troops entered and Capt Kyaw Thein ordered his troops to seize him and tied him up.

The troops then searched Loong Thun La’s house thoroughly and found 17-kyat-weight of gold jewelry and 1,465,000 Kyat of money.

After they had searched the house to their satisfaction, they released Loong Thun La and left the house, taking the gold and money away with them.

On 7.6.99, at about 9:00 a.m., Sergeant Htun Kyaw and 5 troops from Co.4 of LIB520 came to Loong Thun La’s house and asked him who he thought were the ones that had robbed him the previous night. Loon Thun La’s said that he was sure they were Capt Kyaw Thein and his troops.

Sgt Htun Kyaw then told Loong Thun La not to accuse the SPDC soldiers. He said it could have been anyone who had put on SPDC military uniforms. Since Loong Thun La had not captured any of the culprits and had no other evidence against them, the SPDC troops would only punish him.

Loong Thun La could see no better choice than to keep silent.

LAND CONFISCATION AND FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YAI
In early June, SPDC troops in Murng-Yai forced all the villages in 8 village tracts in Murng-Yai township to cultivate rice for the military.

On 9.6.99, SPDC troops of Murng-Yai-based LIB507 issued an order requiring the villagers from all the 8 village tracts in the area of a Shan ceasefire group, SSA 1st Brigade, to cultivate rice for the Burmese army. The following chart shows the size of land each respective village tract had to cultivate:

1. Pa Karng tract had to cultivate 70 acres
2. Ho Ter tract had to cultivate 90 acres
3. Wan Zarng tract had to cultivate 90 acres
4. Kerng Zong tract had to cultivate 30 acres
5. Nam Sawm tract had to cultivate 30 acres
6. Wan Kyawng and Parng Sim had to cultivate 30 acres

These lands were rice fields near the main road and military base, originally owned by the villagers which had been confiscated and declared military property by the SPDC troops 1-2 years ago.

The villagers had to take responsibility for all that needed to be done in rice cultivation, including building embankments and clearing and fixing irrigation ditches. One person from each house had to go every day for about 16-17 days.

People were complaining that although they were in the area that was supposedly controlled by the SSA, and were required to provide certain support to the members of SSA, they were still being forced by the SPDC troops to work for them. They could not understand why SSA did not protect them from being oppressed by the SPDC troops.

BURNING OF CIVILIAN PROPERTY IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 2.6.99, a group of SPDC troops from Ta-Lur-based LIB316 burned up a civilian motor boat with consumer goods on it at one of the Mae Kong river crossing points at Kaeng Laap village in Kaeng Laap tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township.

On that day, 3 SPDC troops from LIB316 led by commander Yan Nain came to Ta Kaeng Laap ferry on the Mae Kong river, opposite Ta Kaeng Kok ferry in Laos, and ordered a motor boat to take his battalion commander and his men downstream to Wan Pung village in Murng Phong tract.

The boat was at the time fully loaded with consumer goods and was about to go to sell them at a market on the Laos side of the river, which is one of the traditional practices of the local people in the area. The boat owner tried to explain the difficulty he was in and begged the troops to spare him this time. But the troops insisted on having his boat and ordered him to unload the goods. Since it was a market day, and the boatman did not want to lose this opportunity, he begged them again and again.

After a while, the SPDC commander became very angry and shot his gun into the air 3 times, and ordered his men to seize and tie up the boatman and his crew, 3 in all. He then ordered his men to set fire to the boat in front of the lamenting boatman.

The boatman, Sai Oon Peng, aged 36, lost his boat and all the goods on it. The boat was worth 270,000 Baht and the goods, 36,700 Baht.

BULLYING IN KAENG-TUNG
On 12.6.99, at 14:30 hrs, a line of 10 civilian vehicles were forced to back away to give way to a single military vehicle at a stretch of narrow road in Kaeng-Tung township.

On that day, a military car from Murng-Phyak, carrying Maj Tin Win and 3 troops from LIB329, and a line of 10 civilian cars met head-on on the Kaeng-Tung - Ta-Khi-Laek road. It was at about the middle of a stretch of narrow road known as Loi Phaa Sakeng where vehicles could not pass one another, because there was a steep cliff up on the one side and a steep slope down to Nam Laen river on the other.

The military car was coming from the direction of Kaeng-Tung and the civilian cars were coming from Ta-Khi-Laek. Normally, and logically, the single vehicle should have backed away and given way to the long line of vehicles. It would have been much easier and taken much less time.

However, the SPDC Major ordered the civilian vehicles to make way for him. That meant the 10 civilian cars had to drive backwards one after another, find a wide enough spot and keep to one side of the road. The troops even shouted at the people who came out of the cars.

It took them 3 hours to do that while it would only have taken at most 30 minutes for a single vehicle to back away. This is only one of the innumerable instances of how innocent people are being treated by the bullying military officers.

EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
On 5.6.99, the Kaeng-Tung-based SPDC’s LIB314 issued an order extorting money from the people in the village tracts of Kaad Fa, Yaang Kaeng and Yaang La, Kaeng-Tung township, for fixing the road between Kaeng-Tung and Ta Ping, leading to Murng La.

Each house was required to bring 3,000 Kyat to the base of LIB314 no later than 10.6.99. With about 3630 houses in the 3 village tracts, almost 3 million Kyat would be in the hands of the LIB314 in no time.

Many people who could not afford that much money had to sell their rice or cattle or other possessions and some had to borrow from their relatives to pay.

Many local people have been complaining that there had been several occasions in which the SPDC troops demanded money for repairing roads, but they had never seen any roads being fixed with that money. The SPDC troops have always used forced labour of the people to maintain most of the roads.

LAHU MILITIA FORCED TO TAX AND PROTECT DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN KAENG-TUNG
On 9.6.99, SPDC troops at Kaeng-Tung-based IB244 had summoned the head of the Lahu militia at Paang Nim village, Murng Khawn tract, Kaeng-Tung township, to their headquarters and instructed that Lahu militia group at Paang Nim tax all the amphetamine traders passing through their area and take the responsibility of escorting them up to Murng Pak.

The acquired tax money would be split equally between Lahu militia of Paang Nim and IB244 and, if anything went wrong, IB244 would take responsibility for all the consequences.

IB244 had sent 7 troops led by Lt Ba Shein to be stationed at Paang Nim with the Lahu militia and to collect their share of the tax money from them. The Lahu militia had to provide the SPDC troops with food and other daily necessities free of charge as long as they were stationed at Paang Nim.

EXTORTION IN MU-SE AND NAM-KHAM
On 7.7.99, the SPDC police in Mu-Se forced the people travelling on vehicles to buy tickets for a fashion show.

The police, including traffic police, set up a checkpoint in front of Mu-Se No.2 middle school to stop cars and motorbikes and forced the drivers and passengers to buy one ticket each.

The tickets were sold at 3 different prices: 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 Kyat each. Ignition keys of the vehicles whose drivers refused to buy the tickets were simply taken away by the police. Sometimes, the drivers might even be fined.

Another checkpoint for selling the tickets was set up at the clock tower in Mu-Se town.

The tickets were also forcibly sold at the checkpoint of ‘105th mile’ camp. Regular bus drivers bitterly complained about it because they were forced to buy several times.

The fashion show, which included a team of famous models from Rangoon and Mandalay, was staged at the town stadium on 9.7.99 and 11.7.99. An SPDC Colonel at Murng-Ko was said to have contracted the show.

This kind of extortion is by no means new. During the Shan New Year celebration, vehicles that were heading for the Shan festival ground and not to the stadium where a travelling Burmese dramatic troupe was performing were held up and ordered to pay 500 Kyat each.

The same thing happened in Nam-Kham during the few days before the Union Day. On 8.2.99, Capt Ant Maw, Chairman of the township SPDC, called a meeting of the headmen of the 15 town quarters and ordered them to sell tickets for the occasion of the Union Day to the people.

Each large town quarter was required to sell 300 tickets at the price of 30 Kyat each, and each small quarter was to sell 200 tickets. There are 5 large quarters and 10 small quarters in Nam-Kham. The money, the full quota, was set to be collected on 11.2.99. The Union Day was on 12.2.99.

FORCED LABOUR IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN NAM-KHAM
In early June 1999, the Nam-Kham Township Peace and Development Council has issued an order requiring the people in Nam-Kham township to build embankments on the banks of Nam Mao (Shweli) river to protect them from being washed away by the water current.

A shift of 30 labourers, which were picked out by turns from the following villages, have to provide free labour every day. The villages that have to provide forced labour are: Haad Hin, Khae Khun, Kun Hai, Nawng Khing, Nawng Khaang, Kawng Waeng, Maan Kaawng, Kung Sa, Zae Hai,Maan Kham, Maan Nawng, Kawng Tap, Paang Tho Lin and Ho Naa.

Some groups of villages have to provide wood and bamboo free of charge:

1. Nur Kawng group have to provide 1,000 pieces of bamboo
2. Haad Hin, Khae Khun and Nawng Khing have to provide 500 pieces of bamboo
3. Maan Meng, Hin Long and Haang Kwaam have to provide 150 hardwood logs
4. Kawng Kaad, Nam Ma and Waeng Kaang have to provide 150 hardwood logs

Some other villages have to provide stones:

1. Maan Kham has to provide 50 gins of stones
2. Maan Nawng has to provide 30 gins of stones
3. Zae Hai has to provide 50 gins of stones
4. Kung Sa has to provide 50 gins of stones
5. Maan Kwaang has to provide 30 gins of stones

(Note: 1 gin of stones is equal to 4 loads of mini-tractor and 1 mini-tractor load is worth 1,000 Kyat)

The building of the embankments has not yet completed and is still continuing at the time of this report.