SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

COMMENTARY

Despite the claim that peace has prevailed all over the country as a result of the ceasefire deals between the Burmese military junta and almost all the 15-16 or so armed insurgent groups, for some peculiar reasons the Burmese military keeps expanding all over the country, especially in the ethnic states.

In Shan State, in areas where there had formerly been little military presence, like the teak and rice-abundant Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township, several army units have been deployed and many more battalions are being planned to be deployed at 6-7 newly built bases, some of which are still under construction, at strategic points all over the area.

Unpaid forced labour of the local civilian populations is being widely used, regularly and systematically, in building these military bases, and in many other work such as cultivating crops, cutting wood, sawing lumber and fixing roads. At least one member of each household has to work for the military everyday, while the others still often have to work occasionally. 

While having very little time to cultivate rice for themselves, the people are being forced to sell their rice to the military 2 times more than before. (see P. 6)

Similar incidents of military expansion, accompanied by all sorts of human rights abuse, are taking place in many different places in Shan State.

Unbearable hardship cruelly imposed on the life of the people by the military is causing them to flee. 

ARBITRARY KILLING OF 5 INNOCENT VILLAGERS IN MURNG-NAI

On 24.9.01, 5 villagers in Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township were beaten to death by SPDC troops from Kun-Hing based IB246, at a place 2 miles west of Waeng Kao village in Nawng Hee tract, Murng-Nai township.

On 14.9.01, SPDC troops from Kun-Hing based IB246, that were temporarily stationed in Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township under the command of Capt. Zaw Thein, arrested the following 5 villagers accusing them of having connections with the Shan resistance soldiers in the area:

These villagers were taken to a military camp and detained for several days during which they were interrogated, beaten and tortured so harshly that urine and excrement involuntarily came out, and they lost consciousness 3-4 times, but the SPDC troops could not get the answers they wanted.

Finally, the troops accused them of helping the Shan soldiers by trading for them -- using capital money from them and supporting them with the profits gained from it -- and forced them to pay a fine of 50,000 Kyat each for their release.

However, after the villagers had paid the fine and had gone home for only 4 days, they were arrested again by the same SPDC troops and beaten to death. 

Three days later, their bodies were found by some villagers who had gone to gather mushrooms at a place about 2 miles west of Waeng Kao in Nawng Hee tract, Murng-Nai township.

A WOMAN RAPED, BEATEN UNCONSCIOUS AND ROBBED OF HER MONEY IN MURNG-KHARK

On 30.8.01, Naang Kham (not her real name), aged 21, from Nam Kaa Long village in Nam Saw tract, Murng-Khark township, was raped, beaten unconscious and robbed of her money by SPDC soldiers from IB227 on the bank of Nam Luay river near Paang Mu village in Murng-Khark township.

After visiting the town market with some of her fellow villagers, Naang Kham returned before the others to visit her relatives at Paang Mu village on the way back. 

After visiting her relatives, as the others had not yet returned, Naang Kham came out and waited for them near Nam Luay river some distance from Paang Mu village.

As Naang Kham was sitting alone waiting for her friends on the bank of Nam Luay river, 3 SPDC soldiers suddenly appeared from nowhere and dragged her into a nearby bush. Although she shouted for help a few times before one of the soldiers closed her mouth, no one came to her help.

The soldiers raped her one after another while the other 2 held her down and closed her mouth. 

After all 3 soldiers had raped her, they beat her until she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, the soldiers were gone, together with 600 Kyat of her money.

Naang Kham went back to Paang Mu village and, putting away her shame, recounted her plight to her relatives. 

Although her relatives later lodged a complaint with the SPDC township authorities, no action has yet been taken in relation to this case. 

A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL RAPED AND BEATEN UNCONSCIOUS IN MURNG-SART

On 14.7.01, Naang Aam (not her real name), aged 16, was raped by Capt. Naing Oo from LIB333 of the SPDC, at a place about 1-1/2 miles south of Murng Tum village in Murng Tum tract, Murng-Sart township.

On that day, Naang Aam was looking for their cow which they had let loose to graze in the fields south of their village, Murng Tum, when she ran into Capt. Naing Oo, the commander of Co. No.4 of LIB333, who pointed a pistol at her and dragged her by the hand into a nearby bush.

As Naang Aam was crying and shouting for help, Naing Oo covered her mouth with one hand and threatened to shoot her dead if she continued to make noises and raped her to his satisfaction. 

When Capt. Naing Oo released her, Naang Aam started to cry and shout again even louder than before and he struck her on the head with his pistol butt, and she fell down on the ground. Naing Oo then beat her all over the body with a stick until she lost consciousness.

Some hours later, Naang Aam was found lying unconscious in a bush by her father who was worried about her having gone too long and had come looking for her. 

She was then nursed back to consciousness by her father and they walked slowly, helped all the way by her father, back to their village, where she related her plight to her parents.

A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL RAPED AND EXTORTED IN LAI-KHA

On 2.6.01, Naang Seng (not her real name), aged 17, of Paang Sa village in Naa Loi tract, Lai-Kha township, was raped by an SPDC troop from IB64 at the edge of a field near her village.

As Naang Seng was gathering vegetables to feed her pigs along the edge of a rice field outside Paang Sa village, an SPDC commander, Chit Htwe, from Co. No.4 of IB64, came up to her and forcibly raped her.

While Chit Htwe was raping her, Naang Seng’s father who was worried about his daughter and had come after her saw it and shouted for help, and Chit Htwe quickly ran away.

When Naang Seng and her father, with the help of the village tract leader, went to file a complaint with the battalion commander, Aung Kyaw, at LIB333 base, she was asked if she would recognize him when she saw the one who had raped her. 

When Naang Seng said yes, the commander told all 3 of them to come back the following morning when the troops lined up for morning check, and dismissed them.

The next morning, Naang Seng, her father and the village tract headman, accompanied by 13 other fellow villagers, went to the military base and the commander told her to point out her rapist among the lines of 250 or so soldiers.

Naang Seng, however, could not find Chit Htwe and told the commander that he was not among the lined-up soldiers. 

The commander then said that those were all the soldiers in the camp and accused Naang Seng of trying to frame one of the soldiers under his command, and asked the village tract headman what he wanted to do.

The headman said that if the rapist was not among the soldiers he would just have to drop the case, and asked permission to return home. But the commander stopped them and said that they had insulted him by accusing one of his soldiers of raping their daughter, which was not true, and they would have to pay a fine for that or be put in jail.

The 3 villagers who had filed the complaint were obliged to pay 30,000 Kyat each and the other 13 who had accompanied them were to pay 20,000 Kyat each. 

The villagers were ordered to pay the money to the village tract headman within 5 days and the headman was to bring it to the commander within 7 days.

VILLAGERS BEATEN AND ROBBED OF THEIR FISH IN MURNG-YAWNG

On 6.10.01, 7 villagers of Wan Kawng village in Murng-Yawng township were robbed of their fish and beaten by SPDC troops from LIB334.

On that day, the said 7 villagers had together caught about 26 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) of fish in the area of their village and were carrying it home when on the way they were stopped by a patrol of 12 SPDC troops from LIB334.

The troops accused the villagers of having stolen the fish from other people’s fish ponds in the area and took away the fish. 

When the villagers denied the accusation and explained that they had not stolen the fish and asked the soldiers to give them back, some of the troops became angry and beat the villagers with their rifle butts, badly injuring 3 of them. 

When they had beaten the villagers, the troops gave back 1 viss of fish to each of them and ordered them to go home. 

In addition to injuries, the villagers lost 19 viss of fish, which could be sold at 1,200 Kyat per viss at the market, to the SPDC troops.

The following 3 villagers were badly injured:

BEATING AND FORCED LABOUR IN TA-KHI-LAEK

On 29.9.01, villagers of Naa Hai Long village in Ta Lur tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township, were beaten and forced to do sanitary work at the military camp for 3 days by SPDC troops of LIB316.

According to the local villagers, a bronze Buddha statue donated to Naa Hai Long village temple by SPDC troops some time ago was believed by the local people to contain some bad magical power, but no one dared to do anything to it because they were afraid of the SPDC troops.

Unfortunately one day, however, the Buddha statue mysteriously went missing and Naa Hai Long villagers were accused of having destroyed it and the headman was summoned to the military by SPDC troops of LIB316.

The village headman was scolded and beaten by the SPDC troops and the whole village of Naa Hai Long were forced to work at the base for 3 days as a punishment.

LAND CONFISCATED, VILLAGERS FORCED TO BUILD MILITARY BASES IN KAENG-TUNG

Since June earlier this year, SPDC military authorities have confiscated a lot of land from the people in Murng Khawn tract, Kaeng-Tung township, and forced the whole village tract to provide free labour in building new military bases.

About 9-10 villages in all have to take turns and work every day on the 3 camp sites for new military battalions in the area, which have been set up on cultivated land confiscated from the villagers of Wan Oi, Wan Urm, Wan Lawn, Paang Nim and some others.

The villagers have to work in clearing the land, leveling the ground, digging trenches, cutting wood and bamboo, building fences and barracks and other military facilities without receiving anything in return and have to provide their own food.

LAND CONFISCATION AND FORCED LABOUR IN BUILDING MILITARY CAMP IN KAENG-TUNG

From July to September 2001, villagers of Wan Pawm Tin Thaat in Paang Hung tract, Kaeng-Tung township, were forced by SPDC troops of IB245 to work in their camp expanding project.

IB245 had confiscated land close to the camp and expanded it, and forced the villagers to work for 3 months without pay.

Each day, 10 villagers had to work in clearing the place, building fences, digging trenches and building barracks.

Village leaders complained about this to the SPDC authorities in Kaeng-Tung, but nothing happened. 

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YARNG

From 26 to 29.9.01, villagers of Pha Sawng village and Yaang Khai village in Murng Luay tract, Murng-Yarng township, were forced by SPDC troops from IB228 to work without pay at a military camp every day from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The villagers, 16 from Pha Sawng village and 21 from Yaang Khai village, had to clear the military camp compound of grass and bushes, fix fences around the camp and clear bushes outside around the camp all day long for 4 days.

The villagers not only received nothing for their labour, but also had to use their own tools and provide their own food during the 4-day forced labour service.

POLICE AND MILITIA FORCE AKHA VILLAGERS TO CARRY CONFISCATED THINGS IN MURNG-YAWNG

On 10.8.01, 16 Akha villagers of Paang Khun village in Pa Hok tract, Murng-Yawng township were forced by a combined force of SPDC police and people’s militia to carry things confiscated from traders who had bought them from Thailand, to the police station in Murng-Yawng town which was about 10 miles away.

The villagers had to work all day, returning 2-3 times to transport all the things which were mostly consumer goods, but received nothing for their forced labour. 

Armed police and militia walked in front and rear of the villagers as guards while they were transporting the goods, as if they were prisoners.

EXTORTION BECAUSE OF CROP FAILURE IN LA-SIO

On 9.10.01, SPDC troops from LIB322 extorted money from several villages in Naa Naang and Nam Pawng village tracts in La-Sio township, 20,000 Kyat from each village in the 2 village tracts.

On that day, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB322 came to Naa Naang and Nam Pawng area and called a meeting of the village and village tract leaders in the area. 

The troops said that their maize growing project had yielded very poorly, causing the military to lose so heavily that they needed help from the people, and extorted 20,000 Kyat of money from each village in the area.

EXTORTION AS PROTECTION FEES IN MURNG-PHYAK

On 9.9.01, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB333 extorted money for protection fees from the villagers of Nam Naang village in Nam Naang tract, Murng-Phyak township.

On the day of the incident, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from LIB333 came to Nam Naang village, called up the village leaders and the commander of the troops said to them, “We heard that about 10 days ago Shan soldiers from SSA-E (Shan State Army - East) came to this village and you provided them with food and money. Was that true?”.

But before anyone could make any response, he continued, “If that was true, you have given food and money even to the Shan soldiers, and as we are government soldiers who are protecting you we surely deserve more, so you should at least collect money and help us cover the costs of our patrols, if not also food”.

When the village leaders explained that no Shan soldiers had ever come to their village and that they had never given anything to any Shan soldiers, the commander did not believe them but became angry and scolded them, and threatened to burn the market place if they did not comply with his demand.

Nam Naang village was the main village in Nam Naang tract where a market was held every 5 days and the market place was big and crowded with open thatched buildings which could easily burn, and a fire could easily spread to the other 50-60 houses in the village.

Sensing the danger that lay ahead, the villagers collected money among themselves, 300 Kyat from each house, as soon as possible and gave it to the SPDC troops, altogether 16,000 Kyat.

EXTORTION AS PROTECTION FEES IN MURNG-TON

On 10.9.01, a company of SPDC troops from Murng-Phyak-based LIB360 extorted money as protection fees from the villagers of Mawk Zali village in Mae Ken tract, Murng-Ton township.

On that day, about 50 SPDC troops of Co. No.2 from Murng-Phyak-based LIB360, led by commander Min Zaw, that were temporarily stationed at Naa Kawng Mu village in Murng-Ton township came to Mawk Zali village and asked the villagers if any Shan soldiers had come to the village. When the villagers said no, the troops camped in the village for the night.

The next morning, the commander of the SPDC troops called up the village leader and said, “We are soldiers who have to come and protect you. You are able to live safely and peacefully only because we are going around all the time protecting you day and night, regardless of sun and rain. Therefore you people should understand our hardship in trying to protect you and should help us in return by providing us with 30,000 Kyat of money per month to buy food”.

The villagers could not refuse and had to collect among the 25 houses in the village, from 700 to 1,500 Kyat per house in accordance with their economic status, and handed 28,500 Kyat to the SPDC commander.

The commander then said that as long as their duty was to be in the area, the villagers would have to provide the money once a month.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO PROVIDE MONEY AND CHICKEN FOR MILITARY FARM IN MURNG-TON

On 4.10.01, SPDC troops of LIB360 issued an order requiring the people in 3 village tracts -- Pung Pa Khem, Murng Haang and Mae Ken village tracts -- to provide money and chickens for a military farm, in Murng-Ton township.

The commander of LIB360 said in the order that he intended to buy chicken and let his soldiers breed and raise them so that they would not have to bother the people for chickens in the future, and he would like the people in the area help him with the needed money to do that.

Each village tract was to hand in 20,000 Kyat of money not later than 15.10.01. Any village tract that did not pay in time or less than the amount demanded would have to pay a fine of 40,000 Kyat. 

The villagers managed to pay the demanded 60,000 Khat before the deadline by collecting 50 to 350 Kyat from each house in their village tracts.

On 17.10.01, the commander of LIB360 again issued an order requiring the people of the same village tracts to provide 50 chickens each, either big or small, male or female, not later than 25.10.01. 

Because many villagers did not have any chickens, they had to collect money and bought the needed chickens for the military.

PEOPLE FORCED TO BUY BACK THEIR RICE IN NAM-KHAM
On 25.10.01, SPDC authorities from the department of agriculture and land survey in Nam-Kham township, claiming to be working on the order of the Regional Military Commander, forced several villages to buy back 300 baskets of the rice which the villagers had been previously forced to sell at the rate of 350 Kyat per basket, at the price of 2,000 Kyat per basket. 

If any village refused to comply, the headman of that village would be arrested and put in jail, it was threatened. 

The following were the villages and the amounts of money they had to pay for the rice they had been forced to buy.

INCREASED RICE PROCUREMENT IN MURNG-NAI

On 28.9.01, SPDC military authorities in Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township issued an order to the village and village tract leaders in the area notifying them that the military would be procuring more rice from the people in the coming year, 2002.

In the meeting held at the base of LIB324 at Ton Hung village relocation site, to which all the village and village tract leaders from the 4 village tracts in the area had been summoned, Tactical Command Commander Khin Maung Myint issued an order requiring the people in the area to sell 4,000 baskets of rice to the military in early 2002, a double-fold increase compared to the rate of 2,000 baskets per year over the last few years.

Khin Maung Myint said that the rice was needed to feed the SPDC soldiers of several newly deployed battalions to protect the people in the area and on no account should it be less than the demanded amount. Although previously it was IB246 from Kun-Hing township that usually came and bought 2,000 baskets per year, it would now be only for the troops who had come to protect the people in Kaeng Tawng area.

The purchase would be done during the first 2 months of 2002 at the rate of 700 Kyat per basket, while the current market price in the area was between 2,000 and 2,200 Kyat per basket.