SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

COMMENTARY

Over the last couple of months, forced opium cultivation organized by the SPDC troops in central and southern Shan State has become one of the reasons which have been causing people to flee. 

Over the last 3-4 decades of their rule, the Burmese military authorities have always been one way or another involved in the opium production and trafficking in Shan State and have always reaped sizable profits from such enterprises.

They have, however, always been able to put someone else to be seen as directly engaged in the drug business and to be blamed when something went wrong, thus making themselves seem innocent or even against the business. Hence the emergence of one opium warlord after another as major traffickers and destitute farmers as producers. 
Every so often, while claiming to be implementing opium eradication program in a particular area, they would encourage opium production in some other areas off-limits to outsiders, thus creating a good image of themselves while at the same time still getting more or less the same profits from the lucrative business.

Over the last few months, as if to increase opium production following the crises in Afghanistan, SPDC military authorities have encouraged, and even forced, the people in central and southern Shan Sate to grow more opium.

This forced opium cultivation has in many ways caused hundreds of farmers to flee to other places in the country and to neighbouring countries. (see the last story) 

SHAN VILLAGE HEADMAN TORTURED TO DEATH IN KUN-HING

On 12.12.01, the village headman of Wan Lao village in Kun-Hing township was tortured by SPDC troops of IB246 severely in many different ways until he died.

Wan Lao is the main village of Wan Lao village tract in Kun-Hing township. It had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Kun-Hing town in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops, together with other adjoining large village tracts such as Kaeng Lom, Kaeng Kham and Kaeng Tawng, although Kaeng Tawng was in Murng-Nai township.

Since then people were not allowed to return to their old villages, not even for a short while to grow crops during farming seasons. In 1998, however, although people from the other village tracts were not permitted to go back to farm their land, for some reason people of Wan Lao village alone have been allowed to return to tend their farms and fields since then.

On the day of the incident, there was a short skirmish between SPDC troops and Shan resistance soldiers, at a place between Terng Phen (deserted) village and Kun-Hing town, 7-8 miles away from town. 

After the battle, the SPDC troops searched Wan Lao village, the only inhabited village in the surrounding areas, and found a letter from the Shan soldiers, asking for food from the villagers, in the village. They accused the villagers of supporting the Shan soldiers and arrested the village headman, Zaai Oong Nyunt, aged 35, son of the old Wan Lao village tract headman, and interrogated him about the Shan soldiers.

The SPDC troops said the village headman had committed a very grave offence for not reporting the receipt of the Shan soldiers’ letter and accused him of having provided rice and food for the Shan soldiers to fight the Burmese troops, and tortured him.

They tied him up and beat him for some time and put him in an empty granary, and dropped drips of hot plastic from a burning plastic pipe over his body, asking questions about Shan soldiers during intervals, until he lost consciousness.

When the headman regained consciousness, the troops put him in a gunny sack, closed and tied up the mouth of the sack and kicked him around, and finally kicked him down a mountain slope. The sack rolled down, and when it stopped, Zaai Oong Nyunt was already dead.

CATTLE STOLEN, OWNER SHOT DEAD, IN KUN-HING

On 1.12.01, SPDC troops from IB246 forcibly took away 4 cows and shot dead the owner who tried to stop them, and shot dead 1 buffalo in the corral, at a relocation site in the outskirts of Kun-Hing town.

The cow owner, Lung Ti (m), aged 57, was originally from Naa Khaa Long village in Naa Teng village tract, Kun-Hing township, which had been forcibly relocated to Kun-Hing town in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

While at the relocation site in the outskirts of Kun-Hing town, Lung Ti managed to get a little plot of land not very far from the town to grow a small amount of subsistence crops as well as keep a few head of cattle, 4 cows and 3 buffalos at the time of the event, in a makeshift cattle shed. 

On the day of the incident, a patrol of 12 SPDC troops from Co.3 of IB246, led by Capt. Lun Maung, saw Lung Ti taking a cow into the shed and came near it. When the troops saw there were 4 cows and 3 buffalos in the shed, the Captain said to Lung Ti, “We will take one of your cows”.

Lung Ti asked them what they were going to do with the cow and the troops said they would kill it for meat. Lung Ti then said to them, “If that is the case, I cannot give it to you. I need to sell it and buy rice and other food and necessities for my family. My little farm does not produce enough for us”.

No sooner had Lung Ti said that than the SPDC troops forced their way into the cattle shed and dragged away all the 4 cows. Lung Ti ran after them and tried to wrest the rope from one of the soldiers, but Capt. Lun Maung kicked him and he fell to the ground.
Lung Ti was furious for being treated that way and picked up a yard-long stick he found nearby as he got up, and threw it at Capt. Lun Maung. The stick hit the captain in the arm and the impact made him stagger and fall to the ground. 

Without getting up, Capt. Lun Maung pulled out his pistol and shot Lung Ti who stood facing him right in the chest, killing him instantly. The troops then shot dead one of the buffalos in the shed before they left dragging away the 4 cows.

Later the SPDC troops told the community leader in the relocation site that Lung Ti had beaten Capt. Lun Maung with a stick. Intending to fire his gun into the air and scare Lung Ti away, the captain had pulled out his pistol, but the pistol accidentally went off and hit Lung Ti even before he could aim it skyward.

No one dared to say anything although there were people who had witnessed the incident, and the case was thus dropped.

3 WOMEN RAPED FOR 3 NIGHTS IN LARNG-KHUR

On 7.1.02, 3 travelling women from Murng-Nai were detained for 3 days and nights and raped by SPDC troops at the base of IB99, in Larng-Khur township.

(Naang Wun Ki), aged 16, from Kung Nyawng village in Kun Mong village tract, Murng-Nai township, and (Naang Thun Mint), aged 17, from Kung Kyawng village in the same village tract, were travelling with Pa Thawn, an older woman from Kun Mong village who had travelling experience and knew the way, to the border with Thailand to find their relatives.
When the car they were travelling by arrived at Larng-Khur town, they were stopped and checked at a police checkpoint, but were let go after a brief search by the police. When they reached a military checkpoint, they were stopped and checked again.

When the SPDC troops manning the checkpoint saw the 2 girls, they ordered them to get down and said that they could not let them go yet. Pa Thawn then said that she could not go without the 2 girls and stopped with them.

When evening came, Pa Thawn took the 2 girls to the house of her friend in Lurng-Khur town to stay for the night. However, at about 8:00 p.m., 5 SPDC troops came to that house and said that they would take (Naang Wun Ki) and (Naang Thun Mint) to see their captain at the military base for questioning just for a short while and they would bring them back right away. But Pa Thawn insisted on going with them and the troops finally had to let her go.

As they got into the IB99 military base, the women were separated and Pa Thawn was taken to a different place and interrogated. The troops asked her whether she had ever taken rice to give to rebel soldiers and many other questions about the rebels. After that she was kept and raped by Capt. Aung Hpyu of Co.1 for 3 nights.

The 2 girls were kept and raped by the commander of IB99, Ong Myint Kyaw, also for 3 nights after which all the 3 women were released. Despite their horrible experiences, the women continued their journey and reached the Thai border on 16.1.02.

CIVILIAN DRIVER SEVERELY BEATEN WITH RIFLE BUTT IN TA-KHI-LAEK

On 10.01.02, an SPDC soldier from LIB331 beat up a civilian driver with a rifle butt in the forehead, causing a big wound that needed to be treated with 6 stitches at a hospital, for questioning the activities of the SPDC troops, in Ta-Khi-Laek.

Since 1.1.02, SPDC authorities in Ta-Khi-Laek had put up a surprise checkpoint on the main road in the centre of Ta-Khi-Laek town and stopped trucks and cars that had dark stickers or plastic sheets on their windshield and window glasses, and tore them away by cutting and peeling them off with knives.

The force that manned the checkpoint was a mixed lot coming from different SPDC departments such as administration, military, police and people’s militia. As one of the security measures for the “Myanmar-Thai Friendship Trade Fair 2002”, they tore off dark shading sheets from every truck and car, except for those of the military and some of the officers of the UWSA (United Wa State Army).

When the security officers at the checkpoint tore off the dark stickers from one of the cars coming from Kaeng-Tung, out of curiosity the driver asked, “Why did you do that. I think civilians are not terrorists”.

On hearing that, one of the security persons, a soldier from LIB331, struck the driver right on the forehead with his G-3 rifle butt, sending him to the ground with blood gushing out from the wound in his forehead. 

Zaai Wun Pan, male, aged 39, the victim, was from Nawng Phaa village in Kaeng-Tung township. After the beating, he went to a hospital in the Thai border town of Mae Sai for treatment of his wound. He received some medicine and 7 stitches on his forehead, which cost him 600 Baht.

BEATING AND TORTURE IN MURNG-NAI

On 5.12.01, 2 brothers from Nam Kun village in Kun Pu village tract, Murng-Nai township, were arrested by SPDC troops from LIB530 and beaten and tortured at Saai Khaao village.

Zaai Zaam La, aged 25 and Zaai Thun Kyaw, aged 21, were arrested by a passing SPDC military column of LIB530 outside their village and taken to Saai Khaao village in the same area.

At Saai Khaao, the 2 men were accused of being Shan soldiers and tied up and tortured by the SPDC troops. Plastic bags were put over their heads and they were beaten and water was poured into their stomachs, and finally they were hung by their hands to a tree all night. 

The 2 men lived with their sister and parents at Nam Kun village and when their sister got the news of their arrest the next morning, she went to plead with the SPDC troops for their release, stating that they were not Shan soldiers but were just ordinary villagers who as young men helped look after their household work.

Fortunately, for some reason, the SPDC troops released the 2 brothers on the guarantee of their sister that they were innocent villagers. According to the local villagers who witnessed the incident, had not their sister come in time to plead for their release, the 2 would have died from the torture in a couple of days.

PEOPLE FORCED TO STAND GUARD AROUND THE CLOCK ALONG THE ROAD IN KUN-HING

Since late 2001, SPDC troops of IB246 have been forcing all the people in Ka Li village tract in Kun-Hing township, including all the displaced people in the relocation sites, to guard day and night the main road between Ka Li village and Kun-Hing town.
Sometime in late 2001, the commander of Kun-Hing-based IB246, Lt. Col. San Hlaing, issued an order forcing the people in Ka Li tract to build 14 guardhouses along the main road between Ka Li and Kun-Hing. 

Each guardhouse was to be built on hardwood stilts with a bamboo floor as high as about 1-1/2 yards, and to be about 3 yards square in width. All the guardhouses were to be completely built within 3 days, after which each guardhouse was to be manned by 4 people, 24 hours a day.

SPDC troops from Co.3 of LIB524, under the command of Capt. Myint Aung, stationed at Ka Li village, were responsible to oversee the road-guarding activities. There were about 40 of them taking turns and making checking rounds every day to make sure that all the guardhouses were manned all the time and exactly 4 persons at each. 

Capt. Myint Aung was said to have warned the headman of Ka Li village tract that he would be punished if there were less than 4 persons at each guardhouse at any given time, and a fine of 100,000 Kyat of money would be charged for every missing person.
The reason for guarding the road was not disclosed to the people. According to the local people, many thought that since it coincided with rice harvesting time the SPDC troops were deliberately forcing them to do such a thing so that they would not be able to get their rice on time. However, according to recently arrived refugees, the road-guarding forced labour is still going on continuously up to the present.

PEOPLE FORCED TO SERVE AS PORTERS IN MILITARY OPERATION IN MURNG-PHYAK

On 1.12.01, 28 villagers from 4-5 villages in Nam Naang village tract, Murng-Phyak township, were forcibly taken by SPDC troops from LIB330 to be used as unpaid porters in a military operation.

A column of about 60-80 SPDC troops from Murng-Phyak-based LIB330 came to Nam Naang village tract and seized villagers they could find in Wan Kaw, Pa Yaao, Ja Nu, Yaang Mon and Kaad Naang villages. 

About 28 villagers were seized and immediately forced to carry military rations and ammunition from Naa Naang village market place and head toward Murng Tum village tract in Murng-Sart township where there was news of armed clashes between SPDC troops and Shan soldiers.

The villagers were seized unprepared at different places while doing various things so that many did not have proper clothing for the harsh job. But the troops did not allow them to get their clothes, saying that they were on a very urgent mission. 

Many porters did not have warm clothes and some did not even have footwear and had to walk barefoot for several days. Since it was the cold season, the porters had to suffer from the virtually unbearable cold, especially during the nights. 

PEOPLE SEIZED FOR PORTERS IN MILITARY OPERATION IN MURNG-PAENG

In late December 2001, over 40-50 villagers in Murng-Paeng township were forcibly conscripted to serve as unpaid porters by the SPDC troops from LIB528.
On 28.12.01, a column of about 60 SPDC troops from Murng-Paeng-based LIB528 rounded up 13 villagers from the following 3 villages in Yang Kham village tract, Murng-Paeng township, to use as porters in a military operation -- 5 porters from Kung Khaa village, 3 from Wan Naa and 5 from Wan Sen.

Many villagers from other villages and village tracts were also seized for porters by the same column so that there were over 40-50 civilian porters in all.

The civilian porters were forced to carry military rations and ammunition starting from Tong Ta village in Murng-Paeng township down to Murng Tum village tract area in Murng-Sart township where there was fighting between SPDC troops from LIB331 and SSA-S (Shan State Army - South) troops.

LAND CONFISCATION IN KAENG-TUNG

In early January 2002, over 800 acres of cultivated land belonging to the villagers of Kaeng Ka, Wan Noi and Wan Hud villages in Kaeng-Tung township were confiscated by SPDC troops of the Tactical Command Post based at Kaeng Ka village.

The area of the 3 villages - Kaeng Ka, Wan Noi and Wan Hud - has been designated to be developed into a model village by the SPDC authorities, and several acres of cultivated lands have been forcibly taken from the local people. 

The owners of the lands were forced to take 50 Kyat for each acre of their lands and sign sale agreements stating that they willingly sold their lands to the authorities at the stated price.

Previously, when SPDC authorities confiscated lands of sizeable measure, they sometimes gave a small plot of land just big enough to build a small house on, usually about 45-50 feet square, back to each owner. This time, however, not a piece of land in the designated area was left for the original owners because of a development program to make the area a model village by the SPDC authorities.

Although they did not want to give up their lands, which had serve them as their main livelihood for generations, the local people dared not defy the order of the SPDC troops for fear of further abuses and grudgingly signed the sale agreements. 

LAND CONFISCATION IN TA-KHI-LAEK

In late 2001, former members of a surrendered group MTA (Mong Tai Army), with the help of the SPDC troops, forcibly took about 100 acres of farm and woodland cultivated by about 20 local farmers in Hawng Lerk tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township.

After gaining permission from the SPDC authorities of MIS (Military Intelligence Service) Unit No.24 in Ta-Khi-Laek, a group of former MTA members, led by a man known as ‘Zaai Dip of Taiwan’, got the Land Survey Department to measure and mark out acres of land they wanted and cleared off all the crops with tractors without even notifying the owners.
It was learned that to gain permission and protection from the MIS and to get the Land Survey Department to work for them, Zaai Dip of Taiwan and his men used large sums of “tea money”. They also got the Chairman of the village tract to sign a statement that the land formerly belonged to no one by means of tea money.

According to the local people, the lands had been part of their life for so many generations that they were greatly attached to them and felt very sad and hopeless that they had to lose them and could do nothing about it.

PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW OPIUM IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SHAN STATE

In late 2001, displaced people in relocation sites in Kaeng Tawng and Kaeng Kham areas in Murng-Nai and Kun-Hing township were told by SPDC military authorities to grow opium in their respective areas.

At the meeting held in a football ground at the camp of Co. No.3 of Kun-Hing-based IB246, in Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township, which all the village and tract leaders in the area were forced to attend, an SPDC military commander who had recently arrived from Tawng-Gi (Taunggyi) was said to have told the villagers to grow opium.
In his speech to the villagers the SPDC commander said, “You people here now don’t seem to have any kind of business with good enough income. Now we are in contact with businessmen who want to buy opium, so we will let you people grow a lot of opium so that you can generate good incomes. Those who want to go outside the relocation villages to grow opium can get a pass from the commander of this camp, the pass will be for 10 days at a time for each person. The opium seeds will also be distributed by this camp, you can come and get as much as you can grow”.

Since then, opium is being cultivated abundantly in the relocation areas of several deserted villages where previously people were not allowed to return to farm their original lands, such as Saam Kawng, Nam Naa, Saai Khaao, Nam Tao, Nam Lin, Maak Laang, Wan Huay and to the north, Ho Thi, Paang Wo, Huay Pherng and Khaai To near Kun-Hing township. A lot of people from Kun-Hing relocation sites have also been seen cultivating opium in the deserted relocation areas of the township. 

According to several sources, large areas of land, probably the largest opium cultivating areas under supervision of SPDC troops in Shan State, south of Nam-Zarng, in Murng Zid area down to Mawk-Mai township, and Wan Yurng and Nawng Leng areas in Lai-Kha township are currently under opium cultivation. The amount of opium seeds used in cultivating these areas are said to have numbered in hundreds of baskets.

In another development, in early December 2001, a Major from IB66 was said to have ordered the displaced villagers at Kho Lam village relocation site in Nam-Zarng township to grow opium. Those who were ordered to grow were not allowed to refuse, and were obliged to pay a tax of 20,000 Kyat for a certain measure of opium-growing land to the SPDC troops.

Several acres of land in the areas of several deserted villages near Kho Lam are now being used for opium cultivation on the order of an SPDC commander. The opium growing areas include at least the following deserted villages: Maak Mong Lao, Wan Pung, Nam Lin Yaao and Kai Ek (Muaytaw Phaa Sang).

Certain villagers were given the duty to collect the taxes from the opium growers. If the collected tax from an opium grower was less in ratio than the measure of the cultivated land, the collectors would be punished and their property might even be confiscated.
Among the recently arrived refugees near the Thai border, there were many who had to flee because of the forced opium cultivation. Some simply did not want to grow opium for moral reasons and had to leave the opium growing areas, while others had to flee because their crops failed and they fell into debts which they could not repay. 

Most of these people had been rice farmers all their life and did not have enough experience and skill in opium cultivation, and because the weather was bad, many opium plants died away before the harvest time, and the farmers did not know what to do.