SHRF MONTHLY REPORT
MARCH 2000

20 DISPLACED PERSONS IN HIDING MASSACRED IN KUN-HING

On 12.2.00, 20 villagers who were conducting an annual respect-paying rite at an altar of a territorial guardian spirit at Loi-maak-hin-taang were massacred by a column of SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) troops from IB246, in Kun Pu tract, Kun-Hing township, and 5 other villagers were also killed at a different place by the same troops on the same day.
These villagers were among those who had been forcibly displaced a few years ago by the SLORC/SPDC troops and had been in hiding since then, trying to survive by secretly growing small plots of rice and foraging for wild vegetables, games and fish.
As it had been a long established practice for the villagers in the area to pay respect to the guardian spirit once a year, the villagers prepared some traditional offerings and 20 men went to Loi-maak-hin-taang where there was an altar, set up long ago by their ancestors.
A patrol of about 80-90 SPDC troops from IB246 led by Capt. Hla Khin saw them and shot all of them dead. The troops then ate all the food they found among the offerings and continued to patrol the area, and shot dead another 5 women and children who were hiding in a makeshift hut in a forest in the area.
The following is the list of the names of the 20 male victims and their original villages. All were in Kun Pu tract in Kun-Hing township:

1. Zaai Yunt, aged 21, Kun Pu village
2. Zaai Awng, aged 30, Kun Pu village
3. Zaai Mu, aged 41, Kun Pu village
4. Zaai Kaw, aged 36, Kun Pu village
5. Zaai Maw-Nae-Ya, aged 25, Kun Pu village
6. Zaai Thun Nae, aged 22, Kun Pu village
7. Zaai Lon, aged 34, Kun Pu village
8. Lung Saw, aged 47, Paang Khaa village
9. Zaai Khur Seng, aged 43, Paang Khaa village
10. Zaai Mu-Ling, aged 34, Paang Khaa village
11. Zaai Pan-Ti, aged 33, Loi Yaang village
12. Zaai Ka-Ling, aged 24, Loi Yaang village
13. Zaai Taan, aged 26, Loi Yaang village
14. Zaai Wi, aged 37, Loi Yaang village
15. Zaai Maad, aged 40, Loi Yaang village
16. Zaai Taw-Ya, aged 23, Loi Yaang village
17. Lung Lam, aged 51, Naa Ke village
18. Lung Paan La, aged 53, Naa Ke village
19. Lung Laan, aged 44, Naa Ke village
20. Zaai Zi-Na, aged 31, Naa Ke village

The following is the list of the 5 other villagers shot dead at a different place:

1. Mae Thao Mya (f), aged 65
2. Naang Kya Yong (f), aged 37 (wife of Lung Saw of Paang Khaa village who was killed earlier in the group of 20)
3. Naang Awng (f), aged 18
4. Zaai La Khin (m), aged 15
5. Zaai Thun (m), aged 11

RAPE AND KILLING OF INNOCENT FARMERS IN KUN-HING

On 22.1.00, 3 farmers were beaten to death, and a woman was raped before being killed, by SPDC troops from IB246 led by Capt. Aung Moe in a rice farm at a place called Nawng Hai, about 3 miles from Kun-Hing town. A civilian porter was also severely beaten until he lost consciousness, became mentally disturbed and died 20 days later.
On the day of the incident, a patrol of 50-60 SPDC troops from IB246, together with 14 civilian porters, led by Capt. Aung Moe came to the farm where a man and his 2 children were threshing rice, surrounded and arrested them. The villagers were:

1. Lung Ti (m), aged 40
2. Naang Ser (f), aged 18
3. Zaai Lu (m), aged 11

The troops tied up the villagers, separated them to different places and interrogated them, beating and torturing them all the while. Lung Ti and Zaai Lu were beaten to death during interrogation, but Naang Ser was repeatedly raped before eventually also being beaten to death.
When the troops were arresting Lung Ti, one of the civilian porters who was his nephew, Zaai Wi-La-Sa, seeing what was happening to his uncle and his family, became very worried and tried to intervene by begging the SPDC captain not to kill them, stating that Lung Ti was his uncle and that he could testify to their innocence.
Capt. Aung Moe, however, hit the porter hard on the head with his pistol, making his head bleed and rendering him unconscious for about 30 minutes. After about 3 hours, Zaai Wi-La-Sa was fully conscious again and after about 4 hours, he was forced to continue carrying his load along.When Zaai Wi-La-Sa was released and came back home, he was so shocked and mentally disturbed he could not talk sensibly with other villagers and died 20 days later.

3 WOMEN RAPED AND BEATEN TO DEATH IN MURNG-SART

On 13.3.00, 3 women who were gathering firewood were raped and beaten to death by SPDC troops from LIB359, led by Capt. Htun Kyaw, near Pa Sak village, Waeng Nur tract, Murng-Sart township.
On that day, about 80 SPDC troops from LIB359 led by Capt. Htun Kyaw were patrolling the main road from Murng-Ton to Murng-Sart. When they got to about 2 miles west of Pa Sak village, they saw 3 women who were collecting firewood in the forest near the road. They were:

1. Naang Mya Ki, aged 24
2. Naang Mya Lu, aged 21
3. Naang Thun Nae, aged 18

The troops seized the women and interrogated them. After a while, Capt. Htun Kyaw took Naang Thun Nae into a nearby bush and raped her. After that, he gave all the women to his junior officers and told them to rape them. Eventually, after they had raped the women to their satisfaction, the troops beat all the women to death with sticks.

KACHIN VILLAGER BEATEN TO DEATH IN KAENG-TUNG

On 25.2.00, SPDC troops from IB226 led by Lt. Hla Win beat to death 1 Kachin villager and seriously wounded 2 in Murng Khawn tract, Kaeng-Tung township.
On that day, about 25 SPDC troops of IB226 from Loi Muay camp led by commander Hla Win came to Waeng Manaw, a Kachin village, in Murng Khawn tract and arrested 3 villagers. The troops took the villagers to a Shan village, Wan Oi, also in Murng Khawn tract, and interrogated them at the village Buddhist monastery,

forcing them to tell about amphetamine dealers and the routes they used. The 3 Kachin villagers were:

1. Ma Sai (m), aged 46
2. Ma Zao (m), aged 21
3. Ma Kam (m), aged 19

The troops beat and tortured them during interrogation until one of them, Ma Sai, died of the beating. Hla Win then ordered a Shan villager of Wan Oi to go and call the Kachin village headman of Waeng Manaw to come immediately.
When the Kachin headman arrived, Hla Win said, "He confessed he was an amphetamine dealer. We had questioned him a little bit too harshy and he became very frightened and died. Our medic said this man had a heart disease. You should collect money among the villagers and conduct a funeral rite for him". Saying that, the troops left the site.
The other 2 victims were seriously wounded. One got a fractured head and bleeding wounds, and the other had bruises all over and a sprained waist and could not walk, and had to be carried back by their fellow villagers.

RAPE AND HUMILIATION IN MURNG-YAWNG

On 23.2.00, 3 SPDC troops from LIB334 raped 2 Shan women, and humiliated them by giving them 10 Kyat of money, near Ta Khoi village in Wan Tap tract, Murng-Yawng township.
On that day, 3 roaming SPDC soldiers who were looking for a chance to get something from the villages saw 2 women, (Naang Long), aged 18 and (Naang La), aged 18, who were catching fish in a stream near Ta Khoi village.
The 3 soldiers seized the women in the water, took them out and raped them on the bank of the stream until all 3 of them were satisfied. After they all finished, as if to further humiliate the women, the troops gave 10 Kyat for both of them and left.

AKHA VILLAGER KICKED AND THREATENED IN MURNG-KHARK

On 26.2.00, an Akha villager, Aa Nyoo (m), aged 52, was kicked and threatened by SPDC troops from LIB328 near Nawng Yaao village, Nawng Long tract, Murng-Khark township. Aa Nyoo and his son, Aa Tur, aged 21, were collecting firewood outside their village when a patrol of 12 SPDC troops came along the road and called both of them to go to them.
When the villagers got near them, the troops asked whether they saw or knew about the Wa soldiers who had transported their illegal merchandise through that way 2-3 days ago. Aa Nyoo then said that there were many people going and coming, including Wa, Shan and Akha, but he did not see anyone like the ones the troops were asking about.
One of the troops who looked like a leader got angry and kicked Aa Nyoo in the stomach, sending him down the roadside back first, and shouted, "You always try to cover up for them. You'll have to pay for that one day". Aa Nyoo could not get up even after the troops left. His son had to carry him back to their house and immediately gave him some medicine, which made him feel a bit better.

FORCED RELOCATION, ARREST, LOOTING AND RAPE IN MUNRG-PAN

On 27.1.2000, about 120 houses of villagers in one part of Ho Phaai Long village, Ho Phaai Long tract, Murng-Pan township were forced to move to the other part of the village by SPDC troops from LIB520 led by Capt. Than Maung, and in the process many villagers were arrested, houses looted and women raped by the troops.
On that day, about 70-80 SPDC troops as mentioned above came to Ho Phaai Long village. The commander of the troops went to the house of the village tract headman, Lung Zin-Na, and ordered him to call all the village headmen, village committee members, community leaders and those who were responsible for certain village affairs in the area to a meeting at his house, stating that the commander of the Tactical Command would come to meet with them.
When all the village leaders were gathered, however, the troops arrested them and took them to the military base of LIB520 and put them in jail, altogether 18 of them, including the village tract headman. As some of the troops took away the village leaders, others started to move the villagers.
There were about 150 houses in Ho Phaai Long village and villagers in one part of the village, from about 120 houses, were forced to move and concentrate in another part of the village where there were about 30 houses, and were surrounded by the troops during that day and night, no one was allowed to leave the place.
During that day and night, the 120 deserted houses were looted by the troops. They took away almost everything, including food, clothes and livestock of the villagers. The next morning, the troops allowed the women to go back to their houses. When the women folk got to their houses, there was virtually nothing left in terms of food, not even salt and chilli, except for some un-husked rice. The women wailed and lamented over their losses while having to pound some rice by hand to prepare food for the day and they were forced back to the concentration quarter again at about 4 in the evening. This happened day after day and during the following days, the villagers were forced to dig trenches around the village for the SPDC troops. After that, many more knowledgable villagers were arrested, 37 more were locked up in addition to the previous 18 village leaders, and were still being detained up to the time of this report.
Ho Phaai Long village was situated just about 200 yards from the SPDC military base of LIB332 and many villagers were worried the troops would harass and oppress them more and more until the whole village was deserted. Some villagers who still had some money had already secretly moved to Murng-Pan town and other places.
Many women, whose husbands had run away, were called in and interrogated and raped by the SPDC troops. Many other women were also being raped by the troops. The following is the known list of the women that had been raped so far:

1. 5 married women whose husbands had run away
2. 3 divorcees
3. 4 widows
4. 7 single women between 15 and 21 years old

DISMANTLING AND CONFISCATING BUILDING MATERIALS FROM BUILDINGS OF WHICH THE OWNERS WERE AWAY, IN MURNG-PAN

On 3.2.00, Capt. Htun Aung from LIB520 of the SPDC, together with 20 carpenters, 20 workers and 4 civilian trucks from Murng-Pan, came to Long Kaeng village in Kung Keng tract, Murng-Pan township, dismantled a teakwood house with white tin roofs, while the owner was away, and trucked the building materials back to the military base of LIB520. A few days before, on 1.2.00, while he was leading a patrol of 70 SPDC troops from LIB520, Capt. Htun Aung saw some empty houses in Long Kaeng village and asked the village headman about them. The headman told him that the owners of the houses had gone to
other places to earn money; some had gone to try their luck in trade in towns like Tawnggi and Murng-Su and some had gone to work as wage earners in towns like Murng-Ton and Murng-Sart because there was not enough work for them in Murng-Pan. The Captain then searched and examined all the empty
houses and returned to the military camp. On the day of the incident, Capt. Htun Aung came back to the  village and ordered the carpenters and workers he had forcibly brought with him to disassemble one of the houses and trucked the materials with the 4 trucks he had conscripted from the town back to the military camp.
The house belonged to a cattle trader named Zan-Ti-Ma whose 25 head of cattle were seized by the SPDC troops some time ago. Not very long after he lost his cattle, the man had gone to Tawnggi to trade in other commodities in order to save up some more capital money, and his house was taken away while he was away. It was a single storey, 2 compartment house, with a front porch, built of pure teak wood with tin roofing.

On 5.2.00, the same Capt. Htun Aung and about 80 troops, together with conscripted 25 carpenters, 30 workers and 8 civilian trucks, went to Pa Khaa village in Tawng Kwaai Tai tract. The village was deserted because of forcible relocation conducted by SPDC troops some time ago. Capt. Htun Aung ordered the carpenters and workers to dismantle the wooden walls and tin roofs of the deserted Buddhist monastery at Pa Khaa village and, using the conscripted 8 civilian trucks, carried the materials back to the base of LIB520, leaving the skeletal framework of the big monastery standing like a ghost haunting in a ghost village.

EXTORTION AND SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN MUNRG-TON

Since 4.3.00, SPDC troops of Company No.3 of IB225 led by Capt. Zaw Myint, temporarily stationed at Naa Pa Kaao village in Mae Ken tract, Murng-Ton township, has been rounding up cattle in the area and forcing the owners to reclaim them at a rate of 1,000 Kyat for each head. After they had rounded up some cattle, the troops called the village headman to look at them and tell the owners to claim them back. The unclaimed cattle were killed and cut up to make dried meat. The dried meat was sold back to the villagers at a price of 500 Kyat per viss, and many villagers were forced to buy it whether they wanted it or not.
At the time of this report, so far 46 head of cattle had been claimed by their owners and 17 had been killed at Naa Pa Kaao village.

EXTORTION IN TA-KHI-LAEK (TACHILEK)

On 20.2.00, Chairman of Ta-Khi-Laek Township Peace and Development Council, Capt. Aung Win, issued an order requiring every house in the whole  township to provide 600 Baht of Thai money to be used in preparing a welcoming ceremony.
The welcoming ceremony would be held on 22.2.00 to welcome 17 Lahu insurgents led by Aa Song who would surrender to the SPDC troops, and it was said that the Tactical Command Commander, Col. Thet Naing Win, had instructed Capt. Aung Win to collect money from the people in the township for the expenses.
Since the order said that who ever failed to hand in the designated amount would be faced with a twofold fine, those who did not have enough money had to sell their rice paddy or pigs or other possessions to pay the authorities.

RICE QUOTA IN TA-KHI-LAEK, FLOOD VICTIMS NOT SPARED

On 20.2.00, township level SPDC authorities in Ta-Khi-Laek township called a meeting of all the village tract headmen from the rural areas at Hawng Lerk village and told them that farmers who had not yet provided their rice quotas must do it within 7 days, and those who failed would not be allowed to farm the land in the future.
The quota was 12 baskets per acre of land and for each basket the authorities would pay 90 Baht in Thai money, said the authorities. The villagers tried to beg the authorities to reduce the quota to 5 baskets per acre, explaining that this year many rice fields had been destroyed by floods and many farmers did not get enough rice to fill their quotas.
The authorities, however, gave no thought to the plight of the farmers but stuck firmly to the set quota. In fear of losing their land or being banned from farming, many farmers had to give out off the rice for their own consumption and those who did not have enough had to buy or borrow from others. The market price
for 1 basket of rice was 160-170 Baht in the area.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN TA-KHI-LAEK

Since January 2000, acting under the authority of the SPDC in the area, USDA (Union Solidarity and Development Association) members have been forcing the townspeople to sweep and clean the roads and streets in Ta-Khi-Laek town every Saturday.One person from each house was required to work or pay 100 Baht in Thai money to the USDA if any one was not free or did not want to go. Since there was actually not much to do, people were seen walking up and down along the town streets, holding hoes and brooms, on Saturdays.
Some said that it was just one of the schemes the authorities used to line their own pockets, but many complained about a waste of time because many people had to abandon their work and go just to avoid having to pay 100 Baht.

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN MURNG-YAWNG

On 19.2.00, a patrol of 12 SPDC troops from LIB334 came to Ho Poi Tai, an Akha village, in Pa Hok tract, Murng-Yawng township, and shot a villager's pig and forced the villagers to cook the pork for them. After eating, the troops said to the villagers, "We did not eat your pig for free. Here, we pay for it". Saying that, the troops paid 150 Kyat of money to the pig owner and left.
According to the pig owner, Aa Hur, aged 49, his pig was worth at least 6,700 Kyat in the market.

FARMERS ROBBED IN MURNG-KHARK

On 17.2.00, 7 SPDC troops from Kaeng-Tung-based IB227 robbed the farmers who were returning from selling their farm produce on the way between Murng-Khark town and their village.
On that day, 13 farmers from Nam Taw village, Pa Khaa tract, went to sell their farm produce in Murng-Khark town market. On their return, they met 7 SPDC troops before they got to their village.
The troops stopped them, aiming their guns at them and ordered them not to move, searched them and took away all the money they found. Just before they left the site, the troops even said, "Don't tell anyone about this. If we heard you've told someone, we'll come after you".

VILLAGERS FORCED TO PROVIDE FIREWOOD IN MURNG-YARNG

On 19.2.00, villagers of Yaang Khwaai, Wan Tap and Nawng Hoi villages in Murng Luay tract, Murng-Yarng township, were ordered to provide
firewood by SPDC troops of IB279 and IB281. Each village was required to bring to the military camps 5 arm-span stacks of firewood within 10 days.
To be able to gather enough firewood within the given time, the villagers had to abandon their own necessities and work hard cutting and transporting firewood to the military camps.