COMMENTARY

Torture is one of the most brutal human rights violations frequently used by the Burmese military as a means to extract information and to terrorize and subjugate the civilian populations in Shan State, especially in the rural areas where the Shan resistance movement is presumed to be active.
Torture is by no means a new phenomenon for the Shan populations. It has been used by members of the Burmese military since they marched into Shan State, under the pretext of driving out the Chinese Nationalist troops which had spilt over into Shan State after they were defeated by Chinese Communist troops, and occupied it more than 40 years ago.

Since then, the Burmese military have not retreated, even after the Chinese Nationalists had been defeated, which they were obliged to do, but expanded their occupation and set up strategic strongholds all over Shan State instead.

Following the military takeover of State power in 1962, their oppression of the civilian populations has been escalating up to the present.

In this report, we describe one of the gruesome cases of torture of innocent villagers by SPDC troops in front of several other civilian porters.

Cases like this, in which people are deliberately tortured in public, have been common in the Shan rural areas, and sometimes the whole village were forced to watch while the torture was being committed in the centre of a village.

GRUESOME TORTURE AND KILLING IN LOI-LEM

On 20.11.00, 2 displaced Shan farmers were brutally tortured and killed by SPDC troops from LIB513, led by commander Maung Swe, who cut the ears, lips and tongues of their victims with knives and beat their eyes with sticks until their eyes popped out and after about 2-3 hours beat them to death, at a place about 5-6 miles from Pang Long town relocation site in Loi-Lem township.

The 2 farmers, Zaai Zaw Zing (m), aged 25 and Zaai Mint Zo (m), aged 27, were originally from Kun Khaa village, Huay Waan tract, that had been forcibly relocated to Paang Long town relocation site, Loi-Lem township, by SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council = the name of the ruling military junta from 1988 to 1997) troops in August 1997.

These 2 farmers had grown rice at their farms at a place 10 miles from Paang Long town with the permission from LIB513 in the form of a pass issued by the military authorities, and had been transporting the harvested rice back to Paang Long on horsebacks.

On the day of the incident, the 2 farmers were going to their farms with their horses, taking with them a small amount of husked rice and some pickled soya bean and salt for their families who were working at the farms. When they had gone about 5-6 miles on the way, they ran into a patrol of 50 SPDC troops from Company No.4 of LIB513 with some civilian porters, led by commander Maung Swe.

The troops stopped them and, on seeing about 1 Pyi of rice, arrested them and interrogated them. The SPDC troops accused the farmers of carrying the food with the intention to feed the Shan soldiers and asked them the whereabouts of the Shan soldiers.

After the farmers explained that they were only going to get their rice from their farms and the food was only for their families who were taking care of the rice at their farms and kept denying the accusation, saying that they did not know any Shan soldiers, for some time, the SPDC troops started to torture them.

The troops beat the farmers for a while, but they kept denying the charge and said they did not know any rebels. The troops then seized Zaai Mint Zo and cut his ears slowly one after another with a knife while forcing Zaai Zaw Zing to watch the gruesome sight.

When the farmers still could not answer their questions, the troops continued to cut the lips and tongue of Zaai Mint Zo and beat his eyes with a stick until they popped out of their sockets, and threatened Zaai Zaw Zing that they would do the same to him if he did not tell them where the Shan soldiers were.

When Zaai Zaw Zing said he could not tell them anything because he did not know, the SPDC troops did the same to him as they interrogated him.

The 2 farmers were left to suffer for 2-3 hours and eventually beaten to death.

These acts of brutality were deliberately done in front of all the civilian porters.

6 CIVILIAN PORTERS KILLED AND 2 WOMEN RAPED IN LOI-LEM

On 4.11.2000, SPDC troops from Pang-Long-based LIB513, led by commander Hla Thaung, gang-raped 2 women until they could not stand up and shot dead 6 civilian porters at a remote rice farm in Loi-Lem township.

The rape victims, Naang Zing Nyunt, aged 22, and Naang Kham Zaam, aged 20, were originally from Som Khawn village in Pa Laai tract, Loi-Lem township, which had been forcibly relocated to Pang Long town in October, 1997, by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

The 2 women were threshing rice alone in their farm when a patrol of about 45 SPDC troops from Company No.5 of LIB513 led by commander Hla Thaung, with 6 civilian porters, came into the farm. The troops seized the women and raped them until they became so weak and hurt that they were not able even to stand up. All the 45 troops or so raped the women.

When the civilian porters saw the conditions of the women, out of pity, one of them murmured in Shan to the other about how cruel the SPDC soldiers were towards the Shan women and that he would take his wife and children and flee when they had grown old enough.

One of the SPDC troops, who understood Shan, overheard this and reported it to their commander who called the porter over to him and immediately shot him dead. After a while, the troops took back their things which they had made the porters carry and shot all of them dead.

Before leaving the farm, the troops told the 2 women that all the porters they had just killed were rebels who deserved death, and that the women should leave the farm as soon as they could, and left.

The women returned home as soon as they could walk and were so frightened that they dared not go back to their farm again to collect their rice.

A DISPLACED FARMING COUPLE KILLED IN LOI-LEM

On 25.11.00, a column of about 60 SPDC troops from IB66, with 25 civilian porters, led by Capt. Khin Zaw Win shot dead a couple who were gathering rice at their farm in Loi-Lem township.

The couple, Zaai Zin-Ta, aged 30 and Naang Nae, aged 25, were originally from Khong Laang village in Paang Hu tract, Loi-Lem township, which had been forcibly relocated to Pang Long town by SLORC troops in July 1997.

Like many other displaced farmers in the area, Zaai Zin-Ta and Naang Nae had been trying to survive by growing rice on a small plot of land at a remote place and on the day of the incident were gathering rice to take back to their house at the relocation site in Pang Long town.

As they were gathering rice at their farm, the said SPDC military column came and, without asking any questions, shot them dead.

TORTURE AND KILLING OF INNOCENT VILLAGERS IN TA-KHI-LAEK

On 10.10.00, a patrol of 7 SPDC troops from Ta-Lur-based LIB316, led by Lt. San Lin, arrested 2 villagers of Wan Zaang and Ta Pe villages in Kaeng Laab tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township, and interrogated them, beat and tortured them, and eventually shot them dead on the bank of Nam Khawng (Mekhong river).

On that day, a patrol of the said SPDC troops had come to Wan Zaang village and ordered the village headman to call out a villager named Zaai Zang, aged 29, and took him away, saying that they needed to ask him a few questions.

After that, they came to Ta Pe village and, using the same method, took away Zaai Lawng, aged 27.

The troops took the villagers to their camp at Kaeng Laab village, accused them of being agents who helped collect new recruits in Pa Leo and Kaeng Laab areas for SSA-S (Shan State Army - South) and interrogated them.

The troops beat and tortured the 2 villagers while they interrogated them and, after some time, eventually took them to the Nam Khawng river and shot them dead on the bank.

RAPE IN YAWNG-HWE

On 27.10.00, a woman from Loi Sak village in Kyawk Teng village tract, Yawng-Hwe township, was raped by a member of SPDC-sponsored Pa-O militia in Kyawk Teng tract.

The rapist was Khun Gyi, the deputy commander of Company No.2 of Pa-O militia in charge of Kyawk Teng village tract in Yawng-Hwe township. The Pa-O militia was formed by a Pa-O ceasefire group commanded by Aung Kham Hti under the sponsorship of the SPDC.

On the day of the incident, the victim, Naang Mon, aged 30, was returning from the town market to Loi Sak village in Kyawk Teng tract by bicycle and met Khun Gyi, who was driving a car alone, at a remote spot on the way.

Khun Gyi stopped his car and stopped Naang Mon, and dragged her into a roadside bush, pointing his pistol at her and threatening to shoot if she shouted or struggled. He raped her until he was satisfied and drove his car away, leaving Naang Mon crying in the bush.

When Naang Mon got back home, she told her parents about her plight and they complained about it to the village headman. Though the headman said he would do whatever he could, nothing has happened until the time of this report.

SEVERE BEATING OF INNOCENT VILLAGER IN LAI-KHA

In May 2000, SPDC troops from IB99 beat up a village community leader of Maak Kawk village in Wan Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, so severely that he had to be hospitalized for 15 days and is still limping and suffering from chest pain up to the present.

On the day of the incident, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB99 suddenly ran into Maak Kawk village without giving any warning, frightening all the villagers and causing them to run away to all directions. However, a man named Lung Thun, aged 48, could not run in time and was caught by the troops.

Lung Thun was a community leader of Maak Kawk village. The troops asked him why all the other villagers had run away and he said, "Because they are afraid of you. They are afraid of having to serve you as porters".

The troops then accused Lung Thun of siding with the Shan rebels and telling lies, and beat him. Three soldiers kicked and beat him at the same time with sticks and rifle butts on the head, back and shoulders several times, and poked him in the chest with a rifle muzzle, causing him to bleed and in a short while lose consciousness.

When the troops left, sensing the seriousness of his conditions, Lung Thun’s relatives immediately took him to the Lai-Kha town hospital on an ox-cart. He was treated at the hospital for 15 days and, after several months, at the time of this report is still limping and suffering from chest pain.

BULLYING AND EXTORTION IN LARNG-KHUR

On 10.9.00, 2nd Lt. Maung Aye, from SPDC’s LIB525, in charge of an outpost camp at Muay Taw village temple, beat up an innocent villager, Zaai Sai, male, aged 30, who he had forced to run an errand, and tied him up for one whole night, at Muay Taw military camp in Larng-Khur township.

On that day, Maung Aye ordered Zaai Sai, a villager of Kung Sa village, to take a letter and some chickens to his wife at the military base of LIB525 in Larng-Khur town. When Zaai Sai got to Wan Ta village on the way, he was stopped by some SPDC troops from IB99 manning the checkpoint there.

The troops from IB99 forcibly took the letter and the chickens from Zaai Sai and told him that they would take the responsibility for sending them. So, Zaai Sai returned empty handed to report to Maung Aye at Muay Taw camp.

When Maung Aye saw Zaai Sai returned without a letter from his wife, he was angry and beat Zaai Sai with his hands, spraining one of his own wrists. Maung Aye became even more angry at himself and tied Zaai Sai up with a rope the whole night, until he released him in the morning.

According to the local people, whenever there is a military column passing through the areas of Wan Zid, Haai Kuay and Nawng Long village tracts, SPDC troops at Muay Taw camp would force the villagers to provide food such as chickens, rice and cooking oil, etc., to feed the passing soldiers.

After the military column has passed through, the Muay Taw camp troops would forcibly collect money from the villagers to pay for the costs of the beer and alcoholic drinks they had drunk with the passing troops, usually about 3,000 Kyat from each quarter.

ROUTINE EXTORTION AND FORCED LABOUR IN LARNG-KHUR

During the whole year of 2000 and up to the present, SPDC troops from IB99 and LIB525, manning the military camp at Muay Taw village temple, have been routinely extorting food and money and using unpaid forced labour of the people in Wan Zid, Haai Kuay and Nawng Long village tracts, Larng-Khur township.
The villagers are being forced to provide the troops with food stuff such as rice, salt, pickled soya bean, cooking oil, chickens, coconuts and lemons, etc., at least 1-2 times per month. According to one villager, "They ask for almost everything you eat".

At least 1 ox-cart has to fetch and transport water to Muay Taw camp every day, 5 times per day.

At least 7 persons have to report to the camp every day; 2 for running errands and 5 have to be at the camp as standbys to serve as porters. Anyone who turns up later than the specified time is fined, either money or rice or chickens, etc.

Occasionally, the villagers are forced to provide firewood, using their own ox-carts and mini-tractors to transport it to the camp, and even to Larng-Khur town for the troops’ families.

The local people are complaining that despite being in the compound of a Buddhist temple, the troops at Muay Taw camp keep pigs and chickens and often kill them in the temple compound for food, and often bring their wives to sleep with; behaviour from which Buddhists are supposed to refrain.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN TARNG-YARN

The following are instances of forced labour and rice extortion forced upon the people in Tarng-Yarn township by SPDC authorities from July to September 2000.

On 5.7.00, SPDC troops from LIB509 led by Maj. Tin Aung came to Nawng Kham village in Nawng Kham tract, Tarng-Yarn township, and used unpaid forced labour of the villagers to fix the market ground and the road from the market to the village monastery.

On 9.7.00, 2nd Lt. Kyaw Win of the ‘Wa’ army, one of the ethnic ceasefire groups with the SPDC, acting under the instruction of the SPDC tactical command No.3, forcibly conscripted 25 villagers in Nawng Kham tract to work as unpaid labourers on their pineapple plantation.

On 25.7.00, SPDC township authorities in Tarng-Yarn came to Nawng Kham village in Nawng Kham tract and forced the village tract and community leaders to sign a contract promising to sell 800 baskets of rice from Nawng Kham tract to the SPDC authorities in the year 2000, at the price of 360 Kyat per basket.
On 15.8.00, ‘Wa’ 2nd Lt. Kyaw Win again conscripted 20 unpaid forced labourers from Nawng Kham tract to work on their pineapple plantation.

The following are instances of forced labour and extortion imposed by the SPDC authorities in August and September 2000 on the people in Tarng-Yarn township in building a military training camp at Wan Kaad village. The villagers were forced to provide thousands of several kinds of bamboo, big and small, and transport them to the building site of the military camp.

On 29.9.00, SPDC authorities of Tarng-Yarng township forced the villagers of Nawng Kham village tract to provide 350 pieces of bamboo and transport them to the military camp.

On 11.8.00, SPDC township authorities forced the villagers of Long Mong village tract to provide bamboo, big and small, altogether 1,700 pieces, and transport them to the military camp.

On 29.9.00, SPDC township authorities again forced the villagers in Long Mong tract to provide 350 pieces of bamboo and transport them to the military camp.
On 7.9.00, SPDC troops from LIB326 came to Ho Mang village in Ho Mang tract and forcibly took away 500 pieces of bamboo, using unpaid forced labour of the villagers to cut and transport them.

On 11.9.00, SPDC troops from LIB326 came to Ho Mang village and again forced the villagers to cut and transport 400 pieces of bamboo to the military camp.
On 21.9.00, SPDC township authorities extorted several kinds of bamboo from the following villages in Ho Mang tract.

On 22.9.00, SPDC troops from LIB326 forced the villagers of Ho Mang village to provide 607 pieces of bamboo.

On 27.9.00, SPDC troops from LIB326 again forced the villagers of Ho Mang village to provide 476 pieces of bamboo.

These thousands of bamboo pieces were forcibly taken from the people, using unpaid forced labour of the people to cut and transport them to the military camp at Wan Kaad village to be used for building a military training camp.

Other forced labour and extortion in Tarng-Yarn:

In August 2000, Commander Aung Kyaw Nyunt of SPDC’s LIB326 called a meeting of community leaders and all the village and village tract headmen in Tarng-Yarng township and issued an order forcing the villagers to grow 20 acres of corn for the military. The yield was designated at 15 basket per acre, altogether 300 baskets. But the military would not take the corn, and would take money instead; 1,000 Kyat per basket of corn. Therefore, the villagers were required to give the military 300,000 Kyat of money instead of corn.

On 2.8.00, Tarng-Yarn township authorities extorted 650 pieces of bamboo from the people in Long Mong village tract. The villagers were required to cut and transport the bamboo to the village monastery at Long Mong village.

On 5.8.00, the township authorities again extorted 1200 pieces of bamboo from Long Mong tract; to be cut and transport to Long Mong village monastery.
On 8.8.00, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB33 led by Capt. Aung Myint came to Nawng Murng village in Long Mong tract and forcibly took 2 viss of chickens, 2 bottles of whiskey, 4 cans of meat, and conscripted 4 porters and 2 mini-tractors for transportation of the troops.

On 22.8.00, a group SPDC troops from 55th Division came to Nam Pa Tep village in Long Mong tract and forced a mini-tractor to take them to Nawng Kham village.

LAND CONFISCATION, FORCED RELOCATION, FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN KAE-SEE

Since August 2000, IB296 and No.3 Training Corps together with other concerned military authorities of the SPDC in Kae-See township have been expanding their military base areas and, in the process, have confiscated land, relocated villages, extorted building materials and money, and used unpaid forced labour of the local people.

In late 2000, wide areas of land in the east and north of the present IB296 military base were confiscated and bulldozed and cleared. The nearby rice farms and fields were to be confiscated later and the owners had been told to stop cultivating after the present crop.

Villages in Kaang Paang and Long Nga tracts were to be relocated some time later to make space for the military base.

Farms and gardens of the military, which the forced labour of the local people had been used to cultivate, were deliberately left unfenced, and any cattle that entered them would be confiscated and made into military property.

For building housing and other military facilities, 3 saw mills in the area were given responsibility to provide 10 tons of free lumber each and were permitted to cut timber in the area, and were told that they could sell the extra lumber to anyone they like after the demanded quota had been given to the military.

The military also had a plan to build a hydro-electric-power plant at Taad Ma Len (Running Horse Waterfall), west of Naa Loi village.

The military had brought up more than 600 Burmese civilian workers from low land Burma to work in the military construction projects. To provide housing for these Burmese workers, the military also extorted building materials and food from the local people.

The following is the summarized list of the things extorted from the local people by the military authorities in Kae-See township in August 2000:

1. Big bamboo = 1848 pieces
2. Medium size bamboo = 1322 pieces
3. Woven bamboo sheets = 70 sheets
4. 2 big baskets of vegetables every day
5. 1 cow and several viss of meat and chickens
6 Other food stuff worth tens of thousands of Kyat.

LAND CONFISCATION IN KAENG-TUNG

In October 2000, SPDC military authorities of Golden Triangle Special Regional Command based in Kaeng-Tung confiscated 3,000 acres of lands from the local villagers in La Murng tract, Kaeng-Tung township, to be used for growing crops for the military.

The lands were rice fields which had been cultivated by the local farmers for a long time.

In December 2000, the SPDC troops ordered the villagers in La Murng tract to grow rice for the military on the confiscated land. The villagers of Wan Kawm, Wan Phaai and Paeng Tao villages not only lost their lands but were also forced to work on them for the military, with no compensation whatsoever.

The SPDC troops also used some parts of the confiscated land to grow onion and garlic, and local villagers were forced to take responsibility for growing them. The villagers not only had to till the ground and plant the crops, but also had to look after them and water them on a daily basis.