DETENTION AND KILLING OF DISPLACED VILLAGERS IN MURNG-TON
On 12.4.99, about 300 displaced villagers from Central Shan State on the western side of the river Salween, who arrived at Na Kawng Mu village in Murng-Ton township, were stopped and detained by SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) troops under the command of the Commander of IB225. Those people were from the following towns:

• Lai-Kha - - 25 men, 30 women
• Murng-Kerng - - 27 men, 33 women
• Kae-See - - 15 men, 25 women
• Kun-Hing - - 29 men, 31 women
• Lang-Khur - - 22 men, 23 women
• Nam-Zarng - - 21 men, 19 women

For a period of 2 days, on 12 - 13.4.99, the SPDC troops picked out from among the crowd those who they suspected of being members of the Shan resistance disguised as villagers and those who they suspected of helping the resistance by providing food, finance and intelligence. They tortured and interrogated them, and eventually killed some of them. On 14.4.99, around 9:30 a.m., more than 20 of the villagers were put on a truck and taken to Murng-Ton. The rest were released on 21.4.99. Altogether 11 persons, 10 men and 1 woman, had been reportedly killed. They were:

1. Sai Nu (m), aged 27, from Wan Paang village, Nawng Hee tract, Nam-Zarng township
2. Sai Saw (m), aged 30, from Kung Saang village, Kun Mong tract, Nam-Zarng towhship \
3. Sai Aa-Ri-Ya (m), aged 26, from Kun Naa village, Haai Seng tract, Lai-Kha township
4. Sai Taw-Ya (m), aged 25, from Naa Awn village, Paang Saang tract, Lai-Kha township
5. Sai Naw (m), aged 21, from Haai Kui village, Haai Kui tract, Larng-Khur township
6. Sai Loon (m), aged 21, from Wan Long Tawng village, Naa Loi tract, Murngnai township
7. Sai Thun (m), aged 20, from Naa Keng village, Kaeng Lom tract, Kun-Hing township
8. Sai Yawd (m), aged 22, from Wan Khaai village, Kaeng Lom tract, Kun-Hing township
9. Sai Lon (m), aged 24, Nawng Wo village, Murng Naang tract, Kae-See township
10. Sai Kham Seng (m), aged 29, from Murng-Kerng township
11. Naang Taeng (f), aged 25, from Murng-Kerng towhship

It was said that the SPDC troops in Murng-Ton had received a wireless message from their superiors to stop and arrest these people wherever they were.

FORCED RELOCATION OF MORE VILLAGES IN MURNG-PAN
During late March and early April 1999, SPDC troops from Murng-Pan-based LIB520 forcibly relocated 3 villages in Murng-Pan township. The 3 villages relocated were Pung Kur, Nawng Yaang and Pa Khaa. On 29.4.99, Maj Aye Thaung of LIB520 sent Capt Khin Kyaw Win with 80
troops to Pung Kur village, Nawng Yaang tract, Murng-Pan township, to move the villagers to the town.

When he got to the village, Capt Khin Kyaw Win called up the village headman and ordered him to start moving his villagers to Murng-Pan town on 30.4.99 and the movement had to be completed on 2.5.99. Starting from 3.5.99, anyone found in the area of the village would be assumed to be a “destructive element” and would be shot dead. Pung Kur consists of 186 houses of mostly farming families.

On 1.5.99, Maj Aye Thaung sent about 80 troops led by Capt Than Htoo to Nawng Yaang village, Nawng Yaang tract, Murng-Pan township, to force the villagers to relocate to the town. The villagers were ordered to move within 4 days, from 2.5.99 to 5.5.99, and were warned that from 6.5.99 onwards anyone who failed to move would be shot dead and their houses burned. There were 85 houses of farming families in Nawng Yaang village.

On 2.5.99, Capt Kyaw Myint, with about 80 troops, was sent by Maj Aye Thaung to Pa Khaa village, Ho Phaai Long tract, Murng-Pan township, to forcibly evict the villagers from their homes. The villagers were ordered to move to Murng-Pan town and were told not to dismantle their houses but to leave them intact so that one day when the situation became better they could come back home. However, only 2-3 days after the villagers had moved away, the troops came back to the village and dismantled a big wooden house, owned by a villager named Loong Zaang Kaeng Tung, and took the lumber to their military base in Murng-Pan.

KILLING, TORTURE, MUTILATION AND INTIMIDATION OF LAHU VILLAGERS IN TA-KHI-LEAK
On 6.5.99, at around 10:00 at night, about 60 SPDC troops from LIB330 surrounded Naa Ke, a Lahu village in Ta-Khi-Laek township, firing their guns into the air and ordered all the villagers to gather in the centre of the village. Many villagers were frightened and ran away, but they were shot after, and 2 were killed. Two who were wounded were captured by the troops. The SPDC soldiers brought the wounded 2 back to the centre of the village and, accusing them of having connections with SSA-E, cut off each of their ears.

They even threatened the rest of the villagers that whoever dared to work as agents for the Shan soldiers would have to face the same fate.
After that, the SPDC troops left the village, taking the 2 wounded Lahu villagers with them. There has been no news so far of them being live or dead.

KILLING, TORTURE AND INTIMIDATION OF AKHA VILLAGERS IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 6.5.99, at around 11:00 at night, about 30 SPDC troops from LIB33 surrounded Pa Laang Noi, an Akha village in Ta-Khi-Laek township, shooting their guns into the air and ordered all the villagers to gather in the centre of the village. When all the villagers were gathered, the troops singled out the village headman, Aa Te, from among the crowd and beat him to death with thick sticks of firewood before the eyes of the villagers.

On seeing the appalling sight, some villagers were so frightened and ran away. The troops shot after them, killing 3 and wounding 1 of the running villagers. The SPDC soldiers then threatened the Akha villagers that whoever worked as agents for the Shan soldiers would have to die like their headman.

RAPE AND KILLING IN MURNG-SART
On 13.4.99, 7 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based LIB527 raped and killed a village girl, Nang Kawng Tip, aged 17, of Murng In village, Murng Poo tract, Murng-Sart township. On that day, 3 young women of Murng In village went together to gather wild vegetables along the banks of Nam In stream in the vicinity of their village. When they saw the soldiers approaching them, they were frightened and ran away, but only 2 of them managed to get away. The other one was captured by the troops and was raped and killed. When the relatives of the girl learned about her being captured by the SPDC troops from the other 2 girls, they went to look for her only to find her dead body lying on the bank of Nam In stream, with every evidence of having been raped and killed.

SHOOTING AND KILLING OF PORTERS IN MURNG-SART
On 27.4.99, SPDC troops of LIB333 shot at civilian porters who were being forced to serve the military, killing one and wounding 2, in the area of Phak Tu Murng village, in Murng-Sart township. On 13.4.99, about 60 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based LIB333 came to Murng Kaan and Thalaang villages and took 7 villagers from each village to serve as porters during, it was said by the troops, an operation against the SSA-East (Shan State Army - East).

After some days, because of the unbearable conditions and treatment by the soldiers, many of the porters ran away on 27.4.99. The troops shot after them, killing 1 and wounding 2. However, the wounded 2 managed to get away with the other 7 porters. Only 4 porters were left with the troops, and at the time of this report they had not yet returned to their village. The porter that was killed was Ai Kan-Na, male, aged 28, from Thalaang village, Murng-Sart township.

BEATING AND TORTURE, CAUSING DEATHS, IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 29.4.99, SPDC troops from LIB334 beat and tortured 6 villagers of Murng He village in Murng-Yawng township. Later, 2 of them died of the injuries from the beating and torture. On that day, about 60 SPDC troops from Murng-Yawng-based LIB334 led by Maj Hla Htwe were going from Murng He village to Murng Khan village, Murng-Yawng township, when they saw on the way 6 young men who were catching fish in
Nam He stream. The troops then surrounded and seized the villagers, accusing them of being members of SSA-E (Shan State Army - East) who were looking for the guns they had hidden in the areas of Murng He and Murng Khan villages since 1996. The SPDC soldiers interrogated them, beat and tortured them for several hours. When they could not extract any information they needed from the villagers,
they tied them to the trees on the bank of Nam He stream and left.

When the 6 men did not return to their village of Murng He in the evening, their parents became worried and, accompanied by other relatives and fellow villagers, went in search of them. When the search team found them, they were still helplessly tied up to the trees, and had to be carried back to their village because they could not walk. All of them suffered from fractured heads and bruises and wounds all over their bodies, especially on the waists and legs. After 6 days, 2 of them died.The 2 villagers who died were:

1. Ai Phom-Ma, male, aged 25, son of Loong Pin of Murng He village
2. Ai Lao, male, aged 20, son of Loong Hong of Murng He village

BEATING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 6.4.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB526 came to Yan Shin, a Lahu village in Murng Ko tract, Ta-Khi-laek township and demanded 15 labourers from the Lahu headman, Kya Hi, to clear the bushes and other rubbish in the compound of the military base. The Lahu headman refused to comply with the demand and the troops beat him with their rifle butts. They stopped only when the head of the Lahu People’s Militia came to intercede. Headman Kya Hi was sent to a clinic at Murng Ko and the wounds on his head had to be treated with at least 7 stitches.

CONTINUING FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-NAI
Since early March 1999 up to the present, SPDC troops that are stationed in Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township, who are often eplaced by a new group of troops, have been forcing the civilian population in the area to work for the military. Ox-carts with their owners or drivers are being forced to transport teak lumber from Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township all the way to Kun-Hing town in Kun-Hing township.

People are being forced to dig trenches encircling the miliary camps in the area. The trenches are approximately 4 elbow-spans in depth and 2 elbow-spans in width. People are being forced to construct 3 layers of fences surrounding the military camps in the area. Every 5 days, people are being forced to provide 5 persons to serve as porters for the military for a period of 5 days. Because of this continuing forced labour, it is very difficult for the people to find time to work for themselves. Excessive forced labour has long been one of the major causes that make people flee their native places and seek refuge elsewhere.

FORCED LABOUR IN KUN-HING
Since April 1999, SPDC troops of Kun-Hing-based LIB524 have been forcing the people in Kun-Hing township to break rocks and stones. People have to work in shifts of 150-160 persons, 10 days for each shift. Though it was said that the stones were to be used in paving roads in the area, they were often trucked away to be sold elsewhere. They usually truck them away when there are enough broken stones to fill 5-6 six-wheeled trucks.

EXTORTION FOR NAM HAANG DAM IN MURNG-TON
On 27.3.99, SPDC Capt Sein Win from Murng-Sart-based IB49 and some troops came to Naa Kawng Mu, Murng Haang tract, Murng-Ton township, and told the village tract headman, Loong Haeng Nying, to collect a list of villagers of Naa Kawng Mu who did not have rice fields.
The headman then went around the village and notified the villagers who did not have rice fields to gather at his house in the evening. When the villagers had gathered at the headman’s house at 7:00 a.m., altogether 31 people, Capt Sein Win asked them if they wanted land on which to grow rice and most of the villagers answered that they did.

Capt Sein Win then told the villagers that if they really wanted rice fields, the government would build a dam on Nam Haang river so that the farmers would have water to irrigate and work on their own rice fields in the future. On 28.3.99. Sein Win ordered the headman to provide 1 labourer from each house in the village, altogether 85, to clear a spread of land on the western side of Nam Haang river, about 1/2 mile south of Murng Haang tract. In the evening,

Capt Sein Win again summoned the 31 villagers who did not have rice fields and asked again who really wanted new rice fields. 24 of them confirmed that they really wanted them, but 7 declined the offer on the grounds that they did not have any capital to start with: no money, no rice to eat during the growing season and no draught-animals to work with. On 29.3.99, with the help of 15 village elders and leaders, Capt Sein Win measured and distributed the land, 4 acres each, and explained to the 24 villagers that the government intended to use a budget of 15,000,000 Kyat for the construction of Nam Haang dam. But before that they would have to start building the dam in order to show the government as example. To be able to do that, each of the 24 villagers were required to provide 15,000 Kyat of
money in advance and would be reimbursed when the government money arrived.

The villagers were really in need of cultivatable land in order to earn a living and they had no choice but to provide the money. Many of them had to borrow from their relatives from other places, some even from their relatives who were working in Fang district in Thailand, to pay.
So far, the money has been paid, without anyone being sure that they would ever get it back, but the construction of the dam has yet to begin.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-YAWNG
Over the last few months, preceding the rainy season, the SPDC’s Murng-Yawng-based LIB311 has extorted money from the people of Maurng-Yawng township, supposedly for the repair of the road between Murng Yawng and Murng Phyak so that it would be negotiable by cars during the coming 3-month rainy season.

Every house in the township, including all the rural villages, of Murng-Yawng had to provide 3,000 Kyat. But, nothing has so far been done in regard to the repair of the road and the rainy season has almost begun. People are wondering where all the money, hundreds of thousands if not millions, has gone.

EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
In late April 1999, SPDC Commander of the Golden Triangle Special Regional Command, Brigadier General Thein Sein and District and Township PDC authorities in Kaeng-Tung called a meeting of the people in the township. All the chairmen, headmen and leaders of the 5 zones and 10 village tracts were ordered to attend the meeting.

At the meeting, the civilian headmen and leaders were told to go back and‘solicit’ 2,000 Kyat of money from each and every house of their respective areas for the Township PDC to use in developing Loi Muay area into a tourist destination and recreation resort for the SPDC’s officials in the future. People are complaining about them being forced to bear more and more burdens which have become increasingly unbearable: They had just been forced to provide money for improving Nawng Tung mini-lake in the centre of the town, for laying
water pipes and repairing roads in the town, and now they were being forced to pay for developing a place quite far from the town. In addition, they are being routinely forced to provide unpaid labourers to work for the military. They hardly have time to earn a decent living, let alone to find extra money to pay the military.

DETENTION, FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION OF REPATRIATED MIGRANT WORKERS IN TA-KHI-LAEK
Twenty two Shan young men and women who had been forcibly repatriated to Shan State by the Thai police were detained and locked up by the Burmese immigration and police in Ta-Khi-Laek. These people were working in Thailand when they were arrested by the Thai police on 10.3.99. They were repatriated to Ta-Khi-Laek on 17.3.99 by the Thai police and were immediately put in jail by the Burmese police. Eighteen of them were released on 26.4.99, after being detained for more than one month, on paying a fine of altogether 30,000 Kyat at a Burmese ourt, and only after paying 60,000 Baht under table to the authorities.

Out of the 22 detainees, 8 were women and 14 were men. All were under 23 years of age. Four of the men were not yet released on the rounds that they were under 18 years of age. Of the released 18, 16 were from Paang Hu in the relocated area of Paang Long in Loi-Lem ownship and 2 were from Kun-Hing of whom one was a Burman national. All of them had gone to work in Thailand since early 1998. During their over one month detention, they were forced to do menial work such as cleaning the police station and the houses of the police officers every day.

Moreover, their relatives had to provide food for them which cost on average 600 Baht per day and which added up to 24,000 Baht for 41 days of detention. This kind of incident is by no means new: numerous similar cases have been happening, mostly unnoticed, since the military took over power. But it is becoming worse since 1996, and people from the Karenni, Karen and Mon States, who have common borders with Thailand, are also facing the same plight.

DETENTION AND EXTORTION OF REFUGEE MIGRANT WORKERS IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 17.3.99, police and immigration in Ta-Khi-Laek township arrested and detained 4 Shan young men who had been repatriated from Thailand by the Thai police. The 4 men were from an area of Pang Long town where some of the forced relocations have taken place, in Loi Lem township. They were working in Thailand when they were arrested by the Thai police and repatriated to the Shan border town of Ta-Khi-Laek.
They were arrested and detained by the Burmese immigration and police on the grounds that they had left the country illegally because all of them were still under 18 years of age.

They were released on 3.5.99, after paying a fine of 5,000 Kyat each at a Burmese law court. They also had to pay some members of the immigration and the police 2,000 Baht each to quicken the process.

ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 24.4.99, a man who worked as an informer for SPDC Military Intelligence Service unit No.22 based in Ta-Khi-Laek was arrested and sentenced to a 14-year jail term by what seemed to be a civilian law court in Ta-Khi-Laek. This man, Sai Yi Phoo, aged 36, was a trader and was said to be working for the MIS for some time and was well acquainted with the commanders of the unit, Maj Thein Han and Capt Kyaw Lwin Moe. It was said that in addition to collecting intelligence for them, he also provided financial and material assistance for the unit.

The events that led to his arrest were as follows: On 19.2.99, a man who worked for Sai Yi Phoo, Sai Oo, aged 25, a nephew of Capt Hla Myint of Drug Control Department, was arrested by the police after mailing some letters at the post office. He was arrested on a charge that he had posted leaflets published by ABSDF (All Burma Students’ Democratic Front -- one of the groups that oppose the SPDC) to ABSDF’s hard-core members inside Burma.

Since he was working for Sai Yi Phoo, Sai Oo denied the charge, saying that he posted the letters only because Sai Yi Phoo had asked him to, he did not know what they were. The police then informed the MIS 22, knowing that Yi Phoo was working for them. The MIS commander then sent Capt Kyaw Lwin Moe with the police and arrested Sai Yi Phoo at his house. Yi Phoo peacefully went with them, thinking that Maj Thein Han would be able to help him. But he did not have a chance to see the major and was instead put in jail by the police. He was sent to court and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment: 7 years for illegally keeping a handgun and another 7 years for keeping documents critical of the SPDC in his house. The defendant lawyer, who he had hired, was not allowed to utter a word.

In fact, as was generally known by many townspeople, he had been allowed to keep the handgun by the head of the MIS himself, and the documents found in his house were those which the MIS had asked him to get from his brother in Mae Sai, Thailand. This was by no means new; he had been collecting documents and information of any interest for the MIS on a regular basis since 1996. He had been an informer for the MIS under several successive heads in Ta-Khi-Laek, starting from Maj Thant Zin, Maj Hpe Thant, Maj Tin Htut and finally Maj Thein
Han.

The letters which the police had seized from Sai Oo, Yi Phoo’s employee, were not shown as evidence. No one except the SPDC authorities knew what the letters contained and whether they were unlawful or not, even Sai Oo, Sai Yi Phoo, the lawyers and the judge himself did not appear to be aware of the contents. The punishment was believed to have been meted out under the directive of the MI-22.

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 6.4.99, about 30 SPDC troops from Murng-Phyak-based LIB330 led by Lt Kyaw Htin shot for meat 2 cattle belonging to the villagers of Murng Pak, Murng-Phyak township. The 2 villagers that lost their cattle were Loong In Kham, male, aged 49 and Loong Saam Taan, aged 40.

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 9.4.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB330 came to Wan Hai Nur village, Murng-Phyak township, and forcibly took away 15 villagers with them to their base. The troops forced the villagers to clear land for growing beans for the military near Wan Hai Tai village for 5 consecutive days without pay. The villagers were given each day hardly enough rice and nothing to eat with it.

TORTURE AND BEATING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 21.4.99, SPDC troops from LIB526 arrested 2 villagers of Saw Kong village Murng Phong tract (2), Ta-Khi-Laek township. They accused them of recruiting new soldiers for SSA-E and beat and tortured them while interrogating them. Both of the villagers suffered serious wounds on the heads and waists and could not walk or stand up. They were released only after the headman and the village leaders testified their innocence and signed a guarantee paper taking responsibility for them. Both of them had to be hospitalized and received treatment at a hospital in Mai Sai town in Thailand for 3 days before they were taken back to their village. The 2 victims were:

1. Sai Kam, male, aged 28, who suffered from a fractured head and stiff and painful waist
2. Sai Thai, male, aged 21, who suffered from a fractured head and broken leg.

FORCED PORTERING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 30.4.99, about 60 SPDC troops from LIB331 led by Maj San Tin went to the following villages and dragooned 12-13 villagers from each to use as porters for the military. The villages were Nam Kat, Phak Hi, Paang Kaw and Maak O in Loi Taw Kham tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township.

With the 40-50 porters they had gathered, the troops continued to the area of Phak Tu Murng village where the boundaries of 3 townships, Murng-Sart, Murng-Phyak and Ta-Khi-Laek, meet. Each porter was given only 3 milk-tins of rice per day and nothing else. At the time of this report, the porters have not yet been released except for the few that have managed to escape.