October 2000 Monthly Report

COMMENTARY

As the ILO inspection team was busy inquiring and assessing the conditions of the use of forced labour elsewhere in Burma earlier this month, a tragic incident, directly contradictory to what the SPDC has been claiming, was taking place right behind its back in a remote Shan township of Murng-Ton that shares a common border with northern Thailand.

As recently as 4.10.01, one of the villagers who had been conscripted as unpaid forced labourers by SPDC troops from LIB519, in Murng-Ton township, was brutally beaten to death by an SPDC soldier for not being able to work hard enough due to sickness, at a forced labour work site at a military camp, right in front of the other villagers.

The rest of the forced labourers were strictly warned by the commander of the SPDC troops not to say a word about the killing but were instructed to say that their fellow villager had died of a stroke. (See story on page 2)

Another irony reported in this newsletter is one of the incidents in which SPDC authorities had tried to prevent people from telling the truth to the ILO inquiry team by ordering community leaders at all levels to instruct the people in their respective areas to say that there had not been forced labour of any kind since the issuance of the ban last October. 

In conclusion, while trying to put up a false facade, the military junta�s troops are not only still using unpaid forced labour of the people, but are also still cruelly treating the conscripted forced labourers as if they were animals.

KILLING AT FORCED LABOUR SITE IN MURNG-TON

On 4.10.01, one of 17 villagers conscripted as forced labourers was brutally beaten to death by SPDC troops from LIB519 at a military camp in Wan Naa tract, Murng-Ton township.

On the day of the incident, 17 villagers, 10 men and 7 women, from Naa Niu village in Wan Naa tract, Murng-Ton township, were conscripted by SPDC troops of Co. No.3 of LIB519, led by Capt. Maung Swe, to work at a military camp as unpaid forced labourers.

One of the villagers, Lung Kaw, male, aged 53, was not feeling very well, but had to go because it was his turn and there was no one in his family to go in his place.

Lung Kaw was forced to dig a ditch at the military camp and he frequently needed to take a short rest because he got quickly tired and weak from his sickness.

One of the SPDC troops overseeing the work site accused Lung Kaw of not wanting to work properly for the military and kicked him, causing him to fall down on the ground and lose unconscious.

As Lung Kaw regained consciousness and tried to get up, one of the soldiers beat him on the back of his neck with a stick, killing him instantly and throwing him down into the ditch he had been digging.

When it was sure that Lung Kaw was dead, Capt. Maung Swe warned all the rest of the forced labourers not to tell anyone about the beating, but to say that Lung Kaw had died from a severe stroke, and threatened to kill every one if any one of them dared to reveal the truth to other people.

In addition, the other villagers were forced to pay 3,000 Kyat of money for a truck to take Lung Kaw�s body back to their village.

KILLING OF INNOCENT FISHERMEN IN TA-KHI-LAEK

On 21.8.01, 2 Shan villagers of Huay Sa village in Murng Hai tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township, who were catching fish were shot dead by SPDC troops from Ta Lur-based LIB316 on the bank of Nam Hok stream near Huay Sa village, about 18-19 miles north of Ta-Khi-Laek. 

On the day of the incident, the 2 victims -- Ai In Pan, male, aged 26 and Ai Sao, male, aged 19, both from Huay Sa village -- were catching fish along the Nam Hok stream using homemade small explosives. Some other villagers from the same village were also catching fish at some distance.

While the villagers were catching fish, a group of 12 SPDC troops suddenly appeared and shot at Ai In Pan and Ai Sao, without asking any questions or giving any warning.

The other villagers who were fishing nearby, on hearing the shooting and seeing the incident, ran and hid in the nearby forest.

Only after the SPDC troops had left the scene for a long while did the villagers dare to come out and look at their fellow villagers who were lying dead in a pool of blood on the bank of Nam Hok stream.

They returned to Huay Sa village and reported this to the village leaders and the relatives of the 2 victims, who retrieved the bodies and conducted a funeral in accordance with their tradition.

The SPDC troops, on leaving the site, had taken away all the fish the 2 dead villagers had managed to catch, and also the 2 wristwatches they had been wearing.

KILLING OF A DISPLACED FARMER IN KUN-HING

On 28.7.00, a displaced Shan farmer was beaten until his legs and arms were broken and his body was tied to a log and dumped into the Salween river by SPDC troops from IB296, led by Maj. Than Soe, at a military camp at Ho Taang village, in Kun-Hing township.

The victim, Lung Wa Ling (m), aged 44, was originally from Nam Oon village in Waeng Phui tract, Kun-Hing township, which had been relocated to Phaang Laang village tract, Kun-Hing township by the Burmese troops some years ago.

Being a farmer, Lung Wa Ling could not make a living at Phaang Laang village relocation site where there was no land for farming, so he had to find a small plot of land in a remote forest and grow rice to help his family survive. 

It was while he was working at his remote farm one day, on 22.7.00, that Lung Wa Ling was arrested by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB296, led by Maj. Than Soe. He was accused of being a spy of the Shan resistance and taken to the military camp at Ho Taang village for interrogation. 

On 25.7.00, when his relatives learned that Lung Wa Ling was arrested and was being kept at Ho Taang military camp, they approached the community leader at Ka Li village and asked him to find out how Lung Wa Ling was being treated and help appeal for his release because they all knew he was innocent.

But the community leader was reluctant to go saying that he owed the military commander at Ho Taang camp 100,000 Kyat, and since he did not have that much money at the moment, he dared not show his face to the commander. 

On the next day, Lung Wa Ling�s relatives offered to pay for his debt and gave the community leader the money and in addition some more money for his personal and travel expenses.

However, when the community leader came back, he told the relatives of Lung Wa Ling that he had not seen him in the military camp. Even after he paid the money, the commander still refused to talk about Lung Wa Ling, and the community leader thought Lung Wa Ling was no more.

On 1.8.2000, Lung Wa Ling�s relatives learned that Lung Wa Ling had been beaten, tied to a wooden log and dumped into the Salween river by the SPDC troops at Ho Taang camp on 28.7.00.

RAPE AT �TA SAANG� BRIDGE IN MURNG-TON

For 7 days, from 11 to 17.8.01, 3 Shan women were detained and raped by SPDC troops from IB225 led by Capt. Myint Lwin, stationed at Ta Saang bridge on the Salween river, at Ta Saang bridge camp in Murng-Ton township.

On 11.8.01, 2 truckloads of Shan villagers, mostly from central Shan State, heading for Murng-Ton were stopped at Ta Saang bridge checkpoint by the said SPDC troops for checking. While the troops searched the villagers� belongings and questioned them, Capt. Myint Lwin picked out 3 women from among the villagers, took them to a separate place and interrogated them.

After searching and questioning them for a while, one of the troops said to the truck drivers, �We received an order from our superior to keep the 3 women here until we learn more about them, and they may be released by then�, and ordered them and the other villagers to go on their way.

The 3 women were:

1. Naang Naw (not her real name), aged 28, a teacher by profession, from Wan Long village, Ham Ngaai tract, Murng-Kerng township

2. Naang Khur Zed (not her real name), aged 20, from Wan Long, Ham Ngaai tract, Murng-Kerng township

3. Naang Thuay Zaam (not her real name), aged 18, from Wan Long, Ham Ngaai tract, Murng-Kerng township

While detaining the 3 women at the Ta Saang bridge camp, Capt. Myint Lwin brought them into his bed room one at a time and raped them, starting from the youngest, Naang Thawn, and later Naang Kham Zung and Naang Nae respectively.

After he had raped all the 3 women to his satisfaction, Myint Lwin let his close subordinates rape the women. Later, all the 21 soldiers manning the Ta Saang bridge checkpoint raped the women to their satisfaction and released them on 18.8.01.

BEATING OF INNOCENT VILLAGERS WITHOUT APPARENT REASON IN MURNG-SART

On 28.8.01, SPDC troops from LIB333, led by Capt. Naing Oo, severely beat up 2 villagers of Nam Lin village in Murng Kok tract, Murng-Sart township, with rifle butts, seriously injuring both of them.

On the day of the incident, the said 2 villagers were returning to Nam Lin village from visiting their relatives at Murng Kok village and on the way ran into a patrol of about 25 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based LIB333, led by Capt. Naing Oo.

The SPDC troops stopped the 2 villagers, forced them at gun point to go under a tree on the side of the road and asked whether they had seen any Shan soldiers in the area. 

When the villagers said they had not seen any Shan soldiers, the troops became angry and struck them with their rifle butts. Each time the villagers denied the knowledge of the presence of Shan soldiers in the area, they were beaten by the SPDC soldiers until they fell down on the ground 2-3 times and became red with blood all over.

After beating the villagers for some time and still not geting any answer they wanted, the troops assumed that the villagers really did not know and released them.

The 2 victims were:

MASS FORCED LABOUR AND BEATING IN KAE-SEE

Since 16.8.01, people in Wan Zing tract in Kae-See township have been forced to fix the motor road between Wan Zing village in Kae-See township and Lai-Kha in Lai-Kha township, about 40 miles long, by the SPDC troops of IB287, commanded by Lt. Col. Myint Oo.

On 10.8.01, Commander Myint Oo of IB287 issued a written order to all the 16-17 villages in Wan Zing tract, demanding each village headman provide 15 workers per shift, starting from 16.8.01, to work in rotating shifts on a 40-mile-long road repairing project from Wan Zing to Lai-Kha. 

Each shift of villagers, numbering around 250, is required to work for 5 days and provide their own food, and bring their own working tools such as hoes, knives, spades and saws, etc.. The villagers are not only receiving nothing for their labour but are also being scolded and beaten while working.

LAND CONFISCATION AND BEATING IN KAE-SEE

On 7.6.01, SPDC troops from IB283 confiscated 500 acres of rice fields belonging to several villagers of several villages in Kae-See township and gave them to the Lahu people�s militia in the area.

Commander of Co. No.4 of IB283, Capt. Thaung Nyunt, in order to acquire cultivating lands for the families of the Lahu militia, issued an order confiscating 500 acres of land from the villagers of the following village: Murng Sawng, Nawng Tao, Murng Lerm, Wan Tong, Murng Yaang, Ter Taad and Wan Zing.

Some farmers who had little land of which all had been confiscated, tried to plead with the SPDC troops not to take their land but were only scolded, slapped, kicked and beaten. Many had been slapped several times until their eyes and faces were swollen all over.

LAND CONFISCATION IN MURNG-NAI

In June this year, SPDC troops from Kun-Hing-based LIB524 which were stationed in Kaeng Tawng of Murng-Nai township, under the command of Capt. Mya Htun, confiscated several acres of deserted rice fields of which the owners had been moved away, and in the process also confiscated 40 acres of adjacent rice fields which were still being cultivated by farmers who had not been moved.

The confiscation affected 7 farmers in the area, each of whom owned some parts of the 40-acre rice fields. 

Although the farmers tried to explain and ask the SPDC troops to give back their land, the troops did not listen and even threatened to shoot them if they dared to complain again.

PEOPLE FORCED TO PROVIDE TEAKWOOD WHERE THERE WAS NONE, EXTORTION AND RAPE, IN KAE-SEE

On 17.8.01, a patrol of about 37 SPDC troops from LIB516, led by deputy battalion commander, Maj. Tin Maung Htoo, came to Wan Zing village in Kae-See township and issued an order requiring the villagers to provide them with 3 tons of teakwood.

When the villagers explained that there was no teak wood in the area, the SPDC troops ordered them to give 210,000 Kyat of money instead. Although the villagers tried to explain several times the troops kept demanding the money, and eventually the villagers had to comply with the order for fear of further abuses.

While stationed at the village monastery in the evening of that day, the troops were said to have forcibly taken the following things from nearby villages: (a) 20 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) of chickens, 5 pairs of canvas boots and 13 bags of peanuts from Loi Long village; (b) 30 viss of chickens from Wan Kung village.

A young housewife at Wan Kung village, Naang La (not her real name), was also said to have been raped by some of the SPDC soldiers.

EXTORTION AND MORE RESTRICTIONS IN MURNG-TON

Since early August this year, SPDC troops from the battalions based in Murng-Ton -- IB65, IB225, IB277 and LIB519 -- have been searching houses at night and extorting 500 Kyat of money for each missing member of each household in Murng-Ton township.

Groups of 20-30 SPDC troops from the said Murng-Ton-based 4 battalions searched the houses of the local people in their respective areas of control, at least once every 3 nights, starting from 10:00 p.m. until early morning of the next day.

Their stated reason for searching was to check if there were any unreported guests secretly staying overnight without permission from the authority concerned. But if there were no guests, the troops checked the members of the households and fined 500 Kyat for each missing member. 

The local people are complaining that there are no apparent reasons for extorting money for missing family members. They see it as just one of the schemes introduced by SPDC troops to squeeze money from the people for their battalions.

EXTORTION, FORCED LABOUR AND DESTRUCTION OF FARM LAND IN NAM-ZARNG

Since 25.7.01, people in Ko Lam tract, Nam-Zarng township, are being forced by SPDC troops of IB66 to dig a 11-1/2-mile-long irrigation ditch through a stretch of rice fields of the local farmers, destroying several acres in the process, to the new rice fields forcibly sold to some relocated farmers.

About 50-60 people in Ko Lam tract are being conscripted as unpaid forced labourers each day to dig the said ditch, which is about 3-4 yards wide and about 2-3 yards deep, using their own tools and providing their own food.

The intended purpose of the ditch is to divert water from Nam Mawng stream to feed some 60 acres of new rice fields beyond the existing rice fields and, instead of taking a roundabout route, the authorities ordered the ditch to be dug right across them.

The new rice fields are situated south of Wan Phui village in Ko Lam tract. They were measured by the SPDC authorities in the area in May this year and sold to the displaced farmers, who had been relocated to the area and had no land to farm, at the price of 10,000 Kyat per acre.

It was said that initially no farmers wanted to buy the new rice fields which had been measured out of barren land at such a price. After almost a month with no buyers, the authorities declared they would collect 5,000 Kyat from each household as the fees for measuring the land.

Not wanting to lose 5,000 Kyat for nothing, farmers who had some money and had no land bought the land, generally 2-3 acres for each household.

UNFAIR RICE PROCUREMENT IN MU-SE

On 6.9.01, SPDC authorities from the Department of Agriculture, led by U Myint Than, in Mu-Se came to Paang Long, Kawngmu Loi and Kawngmu Tong villages in Mu-Se township and forced the villagers to sell 41 baskets of unhusked rice at the price of 360 Kyat per basket, while the actual market price in the area was 1,400 Kyat per basket.

According to the local people, since earlier this year SPDC authorities in northern Shan State has issued an order requiring farmers to sell their unhusked rice at the rate of 4 baskets per acre of cultivated land, at the price of 360 Kyat per basket, no matter what the current market price might be.

This order has put many farmers in a very difficult situation in which they have not enough rice left even for their families� own consumption. One local farmer explained as follows:

�On average, one acre of land in northern Shan State could produce, given right weather conditions, around 30 baskets of rice. For an ordinary farmer to grow an acre of rice, the following expenses, measured in rice, are needed apart from his own labour:

(a) 5 baskets of rice for hiring workers to help in planting rice seedlings
(b) 5 baskets of rice for hiring buffalo
(c) 5 baskets of rice for buying fertilizers
(d) 5 baskets of rice for other expenses

Usually only about 5 baskets of unhusked rice per acre are left for the farmer at the end of the harvest, and if he/she has to sell another 4 baskets at a giveaway price, only 1 basket would be left for his own consumption, together with very little money from the selling of the 4 baskets. 

When something goes wrong and the farmer does not have enough rice to sell to the authorities, he would have to buy from others at the market price and resell at their designated price, which is usually many times lower�.

AKHA VILLAGERS FORCED TO PROVIDE FREE CHICKENS IN MURNG-KHARK

On 16.8.01, the SPDC police force in Murng-Khark forced the Akha villagers of Wan Kui, Huay Tu and Paang Kaw villages in Nam Yaang Long tract, Murng-Kark township, to provide 37 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) of chickens for entertaining a senior police officer and his team from Kaeng-Tung who would be visiting Murng-Khark on an inspection tour.

On that day, 7 policemen from Murng-Khark town came to the said 3 villages and ordered the village headmen to collectively provide 37 viss of chickens and bring them to the police station in the town not later than noon of the next day.

Although the villagers told the SPDC soldiers that Akha hill-tribe people did not usually keep many chicken and that there were not 37 viss of chicken in all the 3 villages, the soldiers said they could not change the amount demanded by their superior, adding, �We will also take from the other villages. Whether pigs or cows we are not sure yet�.

The villagers had to divide the responsibility in accordance with the sizes of their villages and find the needed amount of chickens and take them to the police station in Murng-Khark in the morning of 17.8.01. 

Wan Kui village had to provide 7 viss of chicken; Huay Tu village 13 viss and Paang Kaw village 17 viss; altogether worth about 22,200 Kyat of money, according to the local villagers.

PEOPLE IN NAM-KHAM TOLD WHAT TO SAY TO THE ILO INSPECTION TEAM

On 30.9.01, the Chairman of the Nam-Kham Township Peace and Development Council called a meeting of all the community and village/tract leaders and spoke to them as follows:
1. In 2-3 days time, the visiting ILO inquiry team will arrive in Mu-Se and Nam-Kham townships;
2. Our government has provided the ILO team with a helicopter;
3. Because they do not trust us, they have brought their own interpreters;
4. When they arrive, they may go along the main roads and streets, and even into the houses, and ask whoever they want to ask about what they want to know. 

Therefore, what you must do is to follow them in your respective villages and quarters and see (a) who they meet; (b) what they ask; and (c) what is the answer, and must later report it back to us (SPDC authorities);
5. The time of the ILO team arrival in each village or quarter and their departure time must be reported immediately to the SPDC authorities; 
6. The people in the whole township must be notified beforehand to say there is no forced labour when asked by the ILO team;

On how to notify the people, some village and community leaders asked whether they should use loud speakers and walk along the streets in their respective areas to make sure everyone heard it. 

But they were not allowed to do so. Instead, they were ordered to go from house to house and personally tell the people and see to it that they understood and followed the instructions, and make sure no house was left untold.