KILLING OF RELOCATED VILLAGERS IN NAM-ZARNG
On 27.5.99, 7 villagers, originally of Nawng Kwaai village that had been relocated to Kho Lam village relocation site in Nam Zarng township 2-3 years ago, were beaten to death by SPDC (State Peace and Development Council -- the currently ruling military junta) troops of LB247 for failing to provide forced labour on a road building project, from Kho Lam in Nam Zarng township to Wan Zing in Kae-See township.

For some time, people in the surrounding areas of the road building sites were being forced to work at the sites without being paid and had to provide their own food and use their own tools. The people had to work in shifts of groups almost every day.

On 27.5.99, SPDC troops found that 7 persons were missing in the group that was to work on that day and asked the headman. The headman said that they had gone to work on their farms and had not yet returned, and that as soon as they got back to the village they would know and would come immediately.

The relocated villagers from Nawng Kwaai had asked the local military authority, and had been granted, permission to go and cultivate their fields and farms at their original village. As it was approaching rice growing season, the villagers were trying very hard to prepare their farms and fields while at the same time having to provide various kinds of forced labour for the military.

The said 7 villagers worked overtime on their farms and had failed to turn up on time for the forced labour on the road building site on that day. When they came back to the village, on the same day, the SPDC troops seized them and accused them of working for the Shan resistance and so were unwilling to provide ‘voluntary labour’ for the SPDC, and had probably gone to meet the Shan soldiers to give information and food.

The SPDC troops then forced the villagers to show them where their farms were. All the 7 villagers were eventually beaten to death. The victims were:

1. Zalae Yaao, male, aged 45, from Kho Lam relocation site, originally from Nawng Kwaai village
2. Loong Sai, male, aged 50, from Kho Lam relocation site, originally from Nawng Kwaai village
3. Saang Kaw Lam, male, aged 38, from Kho Lam relocation site, originally from Nawng Kwaai village

The names of the other 4 victims were not yet known.

KILLING OF FARMING VILLAGERS IN LAI-KHA
On 15.5.99, 8 villagers from Wan Mai Kawng Saang and Wan Paang villages, Naa Mang tract, Lai-Kha township, were beaten to death by SPDC troops from LIB513 led by Capt Lin Aung at a farm located at a place known as Ho Khaai Nawng Kuen, about 4 miles east of the town.

On that day, the villagers were working in the farm when a patrol of about 56 SPDC troops from LIB513 led by Capt Lin Aung surrounded and arrested them. The troops accused them of being agents of the Shan resistance who were collecting intelligence on their troop activities.

The soldiers then tied the villagers up and interrogated them and beat them until eventually they all died. The victims were:

1. Sai Wi-Ling, male, aged 36, from Wan Paang village
2. Sai Kaw-Wi, male, aged 32, from Wan Mai Kawng Saang village
3. Sai Pan-Ti, male, aged 28, from Wan Paang village
4. Sai Khae-Min-Da, male, aged 27, from Wan Paang village
5. Sai Lao Wan, male, aged 19, from Wan Paang village
6. Sai Lu, male, aged 33, from Wan Paang village
7. Naang Ae Nawng, female, aged 30, from Wan Paang village
8. Naang Leng, female, aged 17, from Wan Paang village

RAPE AND KILLING OF RELOCATED VILLAGERS IN NAM-ZARNG
On 24.5.99, 3 young women who were originally from Wan Paang village, Nawng Hee tract, Nam-Zarng township, that had been relocated to the town in August 1998, were gang-raped and later one of them killed by SPDC troops from Company No.4 of IB247 led by Commander Tha Aye at a farm 3-1/2 miles from the town.

The 3 women -- Naang Zing Mya, aged 22, Naang Zang (not her real name), aged 18 and Naang Non (not her real name), aged 16 -- were working on their rice farm when a patrol of about 50 SPDC troops came and asked them where all their men were. The women explained that their men had not come with them and were not at home either, they had been taken by SPDC troops to serve as porters 3-4 days ago and had not yet returned.

Commander Tha Aye then took Naang Non, aged 16, into a nearby farm hut and raped her, and slapped her until there were bruises all over her face. The other 2 women were raped by other officers and later handed over to all the troops to gang-rape them.

At one point, during a short respite, Naang Zing Mya ran away. However, she had only managed to get to the brink of the farm when soldiers who were standing guard outside the farm saw her and shot her dead right on the edge of the farm. After that, the remaining 2 women were slapped and beaten until they were bruised all over.

After the troops left, the 2 women came back to their parents and told them about their horrible experiences. Their parents then took them to the headman and consulted him. However, the headman only said that complaining about it would only bring more harm and that it was probably more advisable just to keep quiet. Later, the headman led the parents of Naang Zing Mya and some villagers to Naang Zing Mya’s body and quietly buried her..

ROBBING AND BURNING OF A RELOCATED ELDERLY WOMAN IN LAI-KHA
On 4.5.99, 8 SPDC troops from IB64 led by Capt Than Myint drove a Tolagyi (mini-tractor) and roamed the countryside, hunting for loose cattle left by relocated villagers in Naa Maang tract, Lai-Kha township.

When they got to Kawng Saang village relocation site 3 miles from the town, they asked around for information about any movement of the Shan soldiers. But all the villagers they asked said that they had not seen any Shan soldiers in the area.

At one point, the troops came to a house where there were only an old woman of 70, Me Thao Kham Leng, and her daughter-in-law, Naang Kyaan, who had been relocated from Taak Led village. On seeing the troops approaching their house, the daughter took off the small bundle of gold jewelry she was carrying and handed it to her mother-in-law to hide, in case she was searched, hoping that the aging woman probably might not be searched.

However, the troops had seen the younger woman hand something to the old woman. They called the 2 women out of the house and asked about the Shan soldiers. When the women said they had not seen any, the troops told the old woman that they knew her son was a Shan soldier and that he had just sent a letter to her and, therefore, they would search her for it.

When the soldiers held her arms and began to search, the old lady struggled. Some soldiers brought a bundle of hay, lit it and burned the sarong which the woman was wearing, causing the bundle of gold to fell down.

As soon as they saw the bundle, the SPDC Captain grabbed it and left to continue their cattle hunt. There were a pair of gold earrings and a gold necklace in the bundle.

As for Mae Thao Kham Leng, both of her thighs were badly burned and she could not walk for several weeks.

MUTILATION USED AS MEANS OF TORTURE IN MILITARY PRISON IN LAWK-ZAWK
In the military prison at Ba Htoo military base in Lawk-Zawk township, where suspected political prisoners are kept for interrogation, mutilation as well as other means of torture are being used to extract confessions from the suspects. Sensitive organs such as nose, ears and lips etc., down to the soles of the feet, are cut and salt is applied to the wounds to increase the pain.

A former suspect, who was fortunate enough to be released, recounted his experience: He was arrested at 02:00 hrs on 16.5.99 in Murng-Kerng township by SPDC troops from Lai-Kha-based IB64 under the suspicion that he was an important agent working for the SSA-S (Shan State Army - Southern). The troops blindfolded him and took him by car to Lai-Kha military base where they put him on a helicopter and took him to Ba Htoo on the same day.

They interrogated him day and night, using different methods of mental torture to force him to confess to all the accusations they made against him. But he kept denying all the charges, simply because he really had not committed any of the accusations.

After that they started beating him during interrogation and on 20.6.99 they brought several victims of torture with mutilated noses, ears, lips and soles, and those with broken legs and sprained waists etc. to show and warn him that he would have to suffer like them if he did not confess. They even showed him some instruments for torturing as if they would use them on him to frighten him into confessing. However, he stood his ground and kept denying the charges.

Meanwhile, his parents and several village and community leaders were trying to appeal for his release. They eventually went to the military authorities at Ba Htoo and testified to the innocence of him and he was released on 26.5.99.

VILLAGE HEADMAN AND DEPUTY TORTURED WITH FIRE IN MURNG-PAN
On 4.5.99, 35 SPDC troops from LIB332 led by Maj Than Aung came to Pa Khaa village, Ho Phaai Long tract, Murng-Pan township and arrested the village headman, Loon Kaang Taan Lu, and his deputy, Zai Taan Awng.

Pa Khaa village was ordered to move to Murng-Pan town on 2.5.99 by SPDC troops from LIB520 led by Capt Kyaw Myint.

The troops interrogated the headman and his deputy and tortured them. They tied bundles of hay, lit them and burned the villagers’ bodies and faces.

The villagers were badly burned on their faces and were unable to speak at the time of this report.

TORTURE, EXTORTION AND DETENTION IN MURNG-PAN
On 15.5.99, a husband and wife were arrested and beaten, until the husband lost consciousness 5 times in just one day, by SPDC troops of LIB332 led by Capt Sein Maung Win at their military base in Murng-Pan township. The troops extorted all the money and valuable from the couple and has detained the husband up to the present.

The couple, Sai Nya-Na, aged 40 and Naang Man, aged 36, and their daughters, Naang Kham Ing, aged 19 and Naang Non Hawm, aged 16, were originally from Pa Saa village in Nawng Hee tract, Kaeng Tawng area, Murng-Nai township, that had been burned down and forced to move in early 1996 by the then Slorc (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

The family had since then moved to Pawk Kaad Nawk village, Murng-Pan township. After 5-6 months, Sai Nya-Na secretly went back to catch their loose cattle in the area of their old village. He managed to catch a few at a time and sold them for a period of one and a half year until he had sold all his cattle, and had accumulated a lump sum of money, 289,765 Kyat.

Using 200,000 Kyat of that money as capital, Sai Nya-Na continued to trade in cattle and, by the time he and his wife were arrested by SPDC troops, had managed to save 586,595 Kyat of money, 150 ancient British silver coins and some gold weighing 9 Kyat. The couple had carefully hidden their possessions in secret places in their house.

However, on 15.5.99, 15 SPDC troops from LIB332 led by Sein Maung Win came and arrested them and took them to the military base. At first the troops tortured both of them, but later stopped torturing the wife and forced her to watch while her husband was being beaten and tortured.

After her husband lost consciousness 5 times she could not bear the agony any more and, thinking they would really kill her husband, begged them to spare her husband’s life and offered to show them where she and her husband had hidden their possessions.

Naang Man had hoped the troops would release her husband once they got their money. But, after they had searched the house and took all the valuables there were to take, the troops accused Sai Nya-Na of dealing in illegal drugs and locked him up in the military base up to the present.

LAHU MILITIA FORCED TO COLLECT TAX FROM DRUG DEALERS IN MURNG-PHYAK
Since December 1998, SPDC troops at Murng-Phyak-based LIB329 have ordered Lahu militia from the villages of A-Mu-Te and Za-Ku-Ni to set up checkpoints and collect tax money from passing amphetamine drug dealers.

This has been going on up to the present. The collected money, around 5 millions Kyat or more per month, is divided into 2 portions of 70% and 30%.

The SPDC troops take the larger portion and leave the smaller one to the Lahu militia despite the fact that Lahu have done all the work and are having their reputation tarnished as drug-traffickers.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 7.6.99, SPDC troops of Ta-Khi-Laek-based LIB526 forced the villagers of Wan Mong, Sri Ngawk, Sri Naw, San Saai, Murng Hi, Paang Hat, Wan Pung, Ho Yaang and Kawng Kaat in Murng Ko tract, Ta-Khi-laek township, numbering in thousands, to harvest rice for the military.

The rice fields, cultivated by the military, covered altogether 360 acres and the villagers were required to finish the cutting and piling of rice plants in a single day. Since the beginning of the cultivating season, the soldiers have been using forced labour of these same villagers, starting from ploughing, sowing and planting, up to the present.

In addition to the forced labour, the villagers were required to pay for the cost of paddy seeds to be used for next year’s cultivation. On 8.6.99 each household in the area was forced to pay 200 Baht to the military.

When the time for winnowing and transporting the rice to the military base come, these same villagers will most likely have to provide free labour again.

BEATING AND EXTORTION IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 1.6.99, a Lieutenant from the SPDC’s LIB659 in Ta-Khi-Laek, Bo Bala, beat up a villager in Murng Phong, Ta-Khi-Laek township for failing to sell drug for him.. The villager was kicked and beaten several times until he was bruised all over and lost 3 teeth.

On 31.5.99, 7 troops from LIB659 led by Bo Bala had seized 2 packages of amphetamine pills from 2 Lahu villagers of Wan Maak O village in Murng Phong tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township. But the SPDC troops only took the amphetamine and released the 2 Lahu villagers, father and son, and even gave each of them 200 Baht for them to buy charoots and cigarrettes. There were about 2,000 tablets of amphetamines in the 2 packages.

On 1.6.99, Bo Bala sent his trusted man, Private Kyaw Thein, to force a villager of Wan Nam Luk in Murng Phong tract to sell the drug for them. When the villager was trying to sell the pills on the Thai side of the border, he was spotted by the Thai police and chased after.

He ran and managed to get away, but lost one of the amphetamine packages, about 1,000 tablets, during the run. He reported the incident to Private Kyaw Thein who in turn took him to Bo Bala.

Bo Bala accused the villager of trying to cheat him and beat him up, breaking 3 of his teeth. He ordered the villager to pay back the cost of the lost drug. The father of the villager had to sell one of their family buffalo, worth about 80,000 Kyat, to pay for his son’s release.

The victim was Sai Pan, aged 21

BEATING OF LAHU HEADMAN IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 6.6.99, Lt Hla Tin from the SPDC’s LIB330 beat up the Lahu village headman, Aa Kyuay, aged 49, of Wan Li Za in Loi Taw Kham tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township.

On that day, Lt Hla Tin, who was the commander of a platoon of SPDC troops stationed at Nam Pung, a former stronghold of MTA (Murng Tai Army), in Loi Taw Kham area, had sent some of his troops to demand 6 chickens from one of the nearby villages, Wan Li Za. But the headman of the village was not able to find all the required chickens and was able to provide only 2 chickens.

When Hla Tin learned about it from his men, he became very angry and summoned the village headman to the military camp and scolded and beat him. The headman was also hit on the head with a pistol butt which fractured his skull and split his scalp at 2 places.

After he had beaten the headman, Hla Tin warned him not to tell anyone about the incident. The headman dared not tell anyone but went quietly alone to receive medical treatment at a hospital in Mae Sai, a border town on the Thai side of the border.

BEATING AND TORTURE IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 26.5.99, SPDC troops from LIB334 severely beat up 3 innocent villagers at Kaeng Khaang village, Murng Yu tract, Murng Yawng township.

The troops suspected the villagers of knowing the place where some former members of MTA had hidden or buried their cache of arms and ammunition in the area. They arrested the villagers and ordered them to tell where the arms cache was. But when the villagers could not tell because they really did not know, the troops beat and tortured them.

The villagers were eventually released on the guarantee of the village headman that they were innocent and really did not know anything about what they were being forced to tell.

After their release, one of them had to be sent to the hospital at Murng-Yawng where his head wounds had to be stitched 7 times. The 3 victims were:

1. Aai Lawt, aged 26, who suffered a sprained waist, arm and leg
2. Aai Wong, aged 19, who suffered a sprained waist and leg
3. Aai Zang, aged 20, who suffered a prained leg and arm and head wounds which needed 7 stitches

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 1.6.99, a patrol of 12 SPDC troops from LIB334 came to Hawng Koey village in Murng-Yawng township and shot one of the cattle belonging to the villagers.

After that, the troops seized some of the villagers and forced them to cut the carcass into pieces and carry them to the military base.

The cattle shot belonged to Aai Zawm, male, aged 39, and was worth 65,000 Khat.

VILLAGERS CANED FOR DEFYING ORDERS IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 29.5.99, SPDC troops from LIB221 gathered up 6 villagers of Murng Haai Tai village in Murng-Phyak township and took them to their military base.

At the military base, the villagers were instructed to work as informers for the SPDC military and their duties would be to report back every 7 days on the activities of the villagers who provided food for SSA-E (Shan State Army - East).

However, the villagers refused to follow the instruction. Capt Kyaw Hla, who was giving the instruction, became very angry and ordered his troops to make the villagers kneel down in line at gun point. He then ordered one of his men to beat each of the villagers 20 times with a cane, 1 inch thick and 1 metre long, while the others kept their guns constantly on the villagers.

The villagers were dismissed after they were caned. They were:

1. Sai Waat, male, aged 19
2. Sai Kam, male, aged 26
3. Sai Kaw, male, aged 20
4. Sai Leng, male, aged 37
5. Sai Saw, male, aged 31
6. ai Pi, male, aged 41

FORCED LABOUR IN KAENG-TUNG
On 6.6.99, SPDC troops from Murng-Phyak-based LIB330 ordered several villagers of Murng Pak in Murng Khawn tract, Kaeng-Tung township, to carry their things from Murng Pak village back to their Murng-Phyak base which was 2-days walking distance away.

Altogether 15 villagers had to go, providing their own food and other travel expenses if any. Some who could not go had to hire others, 3,000 Kyat for each, to go instead.

BULLYING IN KAENG-TUNG
On 27.6.99, a column of about 60 SPDC troops from IB244 led by Maj Maung Kyi was patrolling the mountains in the outlying areas in Kaeng-Tung township.

In the afternoon, they came near Sen Zerm village, a village of Loi La people that belongs to the same ethnic group as the Wa, and saw a group of 3 young women fetching water just outside the village. Maung Kyi very much fell for one of the women and decided to camp at the village monastery for the night.

At night, he ordered the village headman and his villagers to bring food and drinks and serve him and his officers. When it got a little late, at about 09:30 p.m., and the soldiers were a bit drunk, Maj Maung Kyi ordered the headman to bring the woman he saw fetching water when they entered the village to entertain him.

However, the headman did not know who that woman was and could not provide any woman. Maung Kyi then became very angry and fired his pistol into the air and kicked the headman, and also kicked and overturned the tables on which food and drinks were being served.

On hearing the news, all the young women dared not stay in the village any longer and secretly left to hide in the forest and farms. The headman also, feeling so humiliated, cried and went back to his house. The headman was Loong Pan-Nyaa, aged 51.

EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
In June 1999, SPDC military authorities of Electrical & Mechanical Engineer Battalion No.6, stationed at Loi Muay in Kaeng-Tung township, issued an order requiring the villagers in Paang Law and Murng Zaem tracts in Kaeng-Tung township to provide money for their battalion.

The money was supposed to be used to hire labourers to work on farms to grow corn, peanut and soya bean for the military.

Each household was required to pay 2,000 Kyat and the deadline for the handing in of the money was set at 5.6.99. Those who failed to hand the money in on time would be fined twice as much.

There were 12 villages in the 2 village tracts, and not less than 560 households, which meant that the amount of 1,120,000 Kyat would finally be accumulated, and even more if some had to pay double.

The local people were saying that it would cost only a fraction of the money even if the SPDC troops really intended to pay the labourers.

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-KHARK
On 4.6.99, SPDC troops of IB227 ordered the villagers of all the 7 villages in Murng Noong tract, Murng-Khark township, to reap rice for the military. The villagers had to work all day without pay and had to provide their own food.

EXTORTION OF LIVESTOCK IN MURNG-YARNG
On 23.5.99, 7 SPDC troops from Murng-Yarng-based IB279 led by the Commander of Company No.3, Capt Sein Myint, came to Yarng Lao village, Yarng Lao tract, Murng-Yarng township, and demanded 12 viss of chicken.

However, the village headman of Yang Lao could not find as many chickens as were demanded and offered to give money for the troops to buy more chicken somewhere else.

But Capt Sein Myint did not accept the offer and shot his gun into the air in anger, forcing the headman to get more chickens. The headman, being in a dilemma and unable to find any more chickens, then bought a pig and brought it to the soldiers.

The soldiers seemed to be satisfied with the pig, but ordered the villagers to kill it, cut it into pieces, wrap them properly and bring them to the military base.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-YARNG
In May 1999, a patrol of 12 SPDC troops from IB279 led by Capt Sein Myint met 2 villagers, father and son, of Mawn Ke village who had bought a buffalo at Murng Phen and were returning with it.

Capt Sein Myint stopped the villagers and, accusing them of having stolen the buffalo, arrested them and demanded 10,000 Kyat of money for their release.

The villagers tried their best to explain that they had bought the buffalo. But Sein Myint insisted on having the money. Eventually, afraid of further and harsher abuses, the villagers gave 4,000 Kyat, which was all they had at the time, before they were released.