SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

COMMENTARY

As mentioned in the commentary section of last month’s issue of this newsletter, there has been a dramatic increase in the killings of innocent villagers, in groups as well as individually, by SPDC troops in Shan State since the fighting between Shan resistance troops and the Burmese junta troops near the border with Thailand in May and June 2002.

Extrajudicial killings of unarmed villagers by Burmese army troops in Shan State, especially in the relocation areas of central Shan State, have been taking place on a more or less regular basis with varying degrees since the mass forced relocations in central Shan State, carried out in 1996-97 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

The killings started to intensify again during the one-month long armed clashes, from late May to late June. They took place not only in the border areas where the fighting occurred, but also in areas as far away as central Shan State. 

Although it was at first thought that the killings were acts of retaliation by the SPDC troops because of the fighting, and would calm down a bit after a few months, they have continued with the same intensity up to the present.

SHRF continues to receive reports of mass killings taking place as recently as late last month and early this month. In this newsletter, among other killings, there are 2 massacres in each of which 10 people were killed, including several elderly people who were observing sabbath and women who had been raped before being killed.

RAPE AND KILLING OF 10 DISPLACED FARMERS IN KUN-HING & NAM-ZARNG

On 2 October 2002, 10 displaced farmers, including 6 men and 4 women, from Kun-Hing relocation site were beaten to death, the women raped before being killed, by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB66, near Nam Wo village (deserted) in Nam-Zarng township.

The said 10 displaced farmers were originally from Nam Wo village in Haai Laai village tract, Nam-Zarng township, which had been forcibly relocated to Kun-Hing township at the relocation site on the outskirts of Kun-Hing town in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

These farmers had been given permission by the local SPDC military authorities of Kun-Hing-based IB246 to go and cultivate their farms at their original old village, Nam Wo. On the day of the incident, while the farmers were working at their farms a patrol of SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng-based IB66 came and arrested them.
All the 10 farmers were later beaten to death by the SPDC troops; the women were raped before being killed. Their bodies were scattered in and on the edge of a farm near Nam Wo village.

The 10 victims were:

10 DISPLACED ELDERLY VILLAGERS SHOT DEAD WHILE OBSERVING BUDDHIST SABBATH, 25 OTHERS DISAPPEARED AFTER ARREST, IN NAM-ZARNG

On 21 September 2002, 10 displaced elderly villagers who were observing Buddhist sabbath were arrested from a monastery and shot dead in a group by SPDC troops from IB246, led by Capt. Pyi Pyo Wei, in Kho Lam village tract in Nam-Zarng township. 

Around noon of that day, some insurgent soldiers attacked the base of IB246 of the SPDC in Kho Lam, leaving one SPDC soldier dead and one rifle lost. That night, a patrol of 40 SPDC troops, led by Capt. Pyi Pyo Wei, from the commando unit under the direct command of Tactical Command commander, San Htun, based in Kun-Hing town, came to Kho Lam area. 

The day of the incident was full-moon day of the 10th month of the Shan lunar calendar and many elderly people were observing Buddhist sabbath when around midnight the said SPDC patrol of commandoes came via Wan Luk Pung Nam Kheo to Wan Phui village in Kho Lam village tract.

The SPDC troops arrested 7 elderly Shan men from Wan Phui village monastery and 3 other younger villagers they found at the monastery and took them to a place known as Kung Nawng Kai, some distance from the monastery, and shot all 10 of them dead in a group.

The next morning, some other SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng-based IB66 came to Wan Phui village and gave the villagers 10 sacks of rice to conduct a funeral for the dead they found at Kung Nawng Kai, whom they claimed must have been killed by the rebels.

The 10 persons killed were:

These people were displaced farmers who had been forcibly relocated to Kho Lam relocation site from their original villages during the mass forced relocation in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

About 3 days later, the same SPDC troops arrested 5 Buddhist novice monks, aged around 17-20, and 5 villagers at Wan Phui village monastery. As soon as they got outside the village the troops tied the monks and the villagers two-by-two together and took them into the forest. After 2 days and 2 nights, the 5 villagers were released.

Later, on 29.9.02, another group of SPDC troops arrested 20 more villagers from Wan Phui village, ages ranging from 20 to 60, and took them away. Since their arrest up to the time of this report, the 20 villagers and the 5 novice monks arrested earlier have disappeared and their fate has not yet been known.
When village elders and community leaders tried to inquire about the disappeared at the SPDC military base in Kho Lam, the troops and officers there told them that they did not know anything, and that the SPDC troops there had not left the base at the time the incidents took place.

8 DISPLACED FARMERS RAPED AND KILLED IN A GROUP IN MURNG-PAN

On 24 September 2002, 8 displaced farmers, including 5 men and 3 women, were beaten and shot to death, the women raped before being killed, by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB502, led by Capt. Soe Naing, at Tawng Kwaai Tai village (deserted) in Tawng Kwaai village tract, Murng-Pan township.

The said 8 displaced farmers were originally from Tawng Kwaai Tai village which had been forcibly moved to Ho Phaai Long village tract by the Burmese army troops some years ago. These farmers had managed to get permission from the SPDC authorities of Murng-Pan township and, with a pass given by the township office, had been going to work at their original rice fields at their old village since May 2002.

On the day of the incident, however, the said patrol of 40-45 SPDC troops from LIB502, led by Capt. Soe Naing, came and rounded up the said farmers who were working in the fields. The farmers were kept for one night, during which the 3 women were raped by the SPDC troops, and were all killed on the next day. 

The victims were:

Where their bodies were found, the women’s were lying separately about 20-25 yards from one another with no clothes on whatsoever and there were signs of severe beating and rape on all of them. The men’s bodies were lying together but only one had bullet holes; the others had bruises and wounds all over, apparently beaten to death. The women were also beaten to death.

MUSHROOM GATHERERS SHOT DEAD IN LAI-KHA

On 7 July 2002, 3 out of 5 displaced villagers who were gathering mushrooms in the forest were shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops in the forest 4-5 miles west of Lai-Kha town.

The said 5 villagers were originally from Nawng Mai village in Wan Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, which had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Lai-Kha town in 1996 by the then SLORC troops. 

The villagers were:

On the day of the incident, the villagers went together to gather mushrooms in the forest west of Lai-Kha town. When they were roaming around in the forest, a group of SPDC soldiers appeared from somewhere and called out to them to come to them.

Some of the villagers ran as they heard the soldiers, but 2 of them, Naang Seng Hurng (not her real name) and Lung Taan Lu (not his real name), were so close to the soldiers that they dared not move. The SPDC troops shot at those who ran, killing all of them, although some did not die immediately.

The commander of the troops said to Lung Taan Lu and Naan Seng, “They must be Shan rebels, that was why they ran away from us”. Lung Taan Lu then said to the commander, “Had they known it was you ‘Bo Gyi’ (Commander), they would not have run. They might have thought you were Shan rebels so they ran, because our community leaders always warned us to keep away from them to avoid being kidnapped or forced to join them. That was why they had tried to run”.

When the SPDC troops heard that, they let Lung Taan Lu and Naang Seng go, warning them not to tell anyone about the incident, but to say they heard shots of gunfire and ran back to their village. The troops also threatened to come and kill them if they told people that it was SPDC soldiers who shot those villagers dead.

DISPLACED VILLAGERS SHOT DEAD, THEIR CATTLE STOLEN, IN MURNG-NAI

On 19.6.02, 3 displaced villagers who had gone to gather bamboo with an ox-cart were shot dead and their oxen stolen by SPDC troops of LIB518, in the forest some miles north of Murng-Nai town.

The 3 victims, Zaai Ung (m), aged 24, Zaai Thun (m), aged 29 and Naang Pun (f), aged 22, were originally from Haai Kur village in Mai Hai village tract, which had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Murng-Nai town in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

On the day of the incident, the 3 villagers went with an ox-cart to the forest north of the town to gather bamboo for repairing fences of their house and garden. When they did not return after 2 days, and their 2 draft-oxen were seen in the base of LIB 518 by some villagers, their relatives went in search for them and found their dead bodies in the bamboo forest north of the town.

On 25.6.02, SPDC troops from the same battalion, LIB518, beat to death a displaced villager, Lung Nya (m), aged 51, and took away his cow and its calf, at a place some distance outside Murng-Nai town.

Lung Nya was originally from Wan Pong village in Naa Khaan village tract, Murng-Nai township, which had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Murng-Nai town in 1997 by SLORC troops. 

He had bought a cow with a small calf and had been taking them to graze in a meadow outside the town nearly every day for about 3 months when he was killed and his cows were stolen by the said SPDC troops.

RAPE DURING 2 WEEKS OF FORCED LABOUR IN MILITARY BASE, IN LAI-KHA

From 8.8.02 to 21.8.02, 2-3 village women were raped each day by an SPDC military commander while being forced to work at the base of IB292 in Lai-Kha township.

On 3.3.02, the commander of IB292 issued an order to the village headmen in the area to provide 5-6 young women per day to ‘help’ clear grass and weed flower beds in the military compound because some senior officers would be visiting the base in the near future.

Every day, while the women were working in the military compound, normally around the main buildings, the commander called up one woman at a time to go and work around the barrack where he had his bed room, and eventually forced her into his bed room and raped her. 

Each day, 2 to 3 younger and prettier women were raped in this way and were warned not to tell anyone about it by the commander, who also threatened to send troops to shoot dead not only the women but also their parents if they dared complain about it.

One of the rape victims, Naang Thun Nae (not her real name), aged 16, was so shocked by the experience that even after she had returned home for some days she still looked sad and could still not eat and sleep properly. Finally, she related her plight to her mother and told her that she had been raped by the commander at the IB292 base on 11.8.02 when she had to go and work at the base.

Her mother then told her father about their daughter’s plight and they both complained about it to the village leaders in the area. Naang Thun Nae and her parents, Lung Thun and Pa Tem, were originally from Paang Hu village which had been forcibly relocated to Phuay Hai village in 1997 by SLORC troops. 

When the village leaders asked among the other women who had had to go for forced labour during the same time frame as mentioned above, most of them dared not speak out, but at least 2-3 courageous women did say they had been raped like Naang Thun Nae. The village leaders, however, did not dare push the case further.

2 DISPLACED WOMEN RAPED IN KUN-HING

In early January 2002, 2 displaced women who were returning from their farm were taken by a passing patrol of SPDC troops from IB246 and raped for several days and nights at Wan Lao village (deserted) in Kun-Hing township.

The 2 victims, Naang Mi Awng (not her real name), aged 27 and Naang Khin (not her real name), aged 23, were originally from Nawng Lom village in Saai Khaao village tract, Kun-Hing township, that had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Kun-Hing town some years ago by the then SLORC troops.

On 9 January 2002, the 2 women were returning from their farm in Saai Khaao tract, where they had gone to work on permission from the SPDC authorities in Kun-Hing, when they ran into a patrol of about 50-60 SPDC troops who forced them to go with them.

The patrol was from Kun-Hing-based IB246 and was heading towards Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township when they met the 2 women near Saai Khaao village (deserted) village. The troops forced the women to go with them until they reached Wan Lao village where they stopped for 4 days and 3 nights.

During those days and nights, the 2 women were raped by one soldier after another most of the time and they were slapped and kicked when they tried to refuse any soldiers approaching them. After they were released and got back home, they continued to suffer from what they had been through for quite some time and their husbands and relatives were outraged but could do nothing and dared not complain to anyone.

RAPE AND BEATING, CAUSING PERMANENT DISABILITY, IN MURNG-NAI

On 26.6.02, a vegetable gatherer was raped by an SPDC Sergeant form LIB324 near Waeng Kao village in Kaeng Tawng area, Murng-Nai township, and was beaten with a rifle butt so severely that one of her legs became permanently disabled.

Pa Thuay (not her real name), aged 39, was from Waeng Kao village and was gathering wild vegetables outside her village when an SPDC soldier came upon her and forced her to sit down. The soldier was a Sergeant from the SPDC troops of LIB324 that were stationed at Waeng Kao.

The soldier forced Pa Thuay at gun point to lie down and started to rape her. She tried to shout 2-3 times for help but no one seemed to have heard her voice, and the soldier raped her to his satisfaction. When the soldier finished, he said to Pa Thuay, “Why did you shout?”, and beat her with his rifle butt severely several times at her waist, hip and thighs.

The beating was so severe that Pa Thuay could not get up even after the soldier had left for a long while, and had to lie and shout for help until some villagers found her and took her home. Although she was treated traditionally at her home one of her legs could not be cured, and up to the time of this report she still has to drag it along when she walks.

AKHA VILLAGER SLAPPED AND ROBBED OF HIS CHICKENS IN MURNG-YARNG

On 17 July 2002, an Akha villager was slapped 3 times and robbed of his chickens by SPDC troops from LIB328 near Wan Nam village 2 miles north of Murng-Yarng town, Murng-Yarng township.

On the day of the incident, an Akha couple, Aa Li, aged 39 and his wife, Aa Mi, aged 32, who had their house and 3 children at Yaang Kawk village in Murng-Yaang township, were going to the market in Murng-Yarng town to sell their chickens and buy some basic commodities for their family.

Before they reached the town, the Akha couple met 3 SPDC troops from LIB328, who were coming from the direction of Yaang Lao village, near Wan Nam village, 2 miles north of the town. The troops stopped them and demanded 2 chickens for free.

When Aa Li refused to give them the chickens, explaining that they needed to sell them to buy their basic necessities, the SPDC troops slapped him 3 times, shouted insults at him and forcibly wrested away the bamboo basket in which he was carrying 4 chickens on his back.

The Akha couple got very frightened and let the troops take the chickens, and quickly ran away from them before they could abuse them further and take also the other 3 chickens the wife was carrying, which they eventually managed to sell at the market.

FARMERS FORCED TO HARVEST THEIR UNRIPE RICE TO GROW RICE FOR THE MILITARY IN MU-SE

In late September 2002, farmers in Ze Laan tract in Mu-Se township were forced by SPDC township authorities to reap their rice far before the proper time and prepare the fields for growing another crop of rice for the military, causing losses to the farmers.

In order to conduct a rice seeds sowing demonstration in honour of Gen. Khin Nyunt, Secretary No.1 of the SPDC, who would be visiting during the end of Buddhist Lent, Capt. Ant Maw, head of Mu-Se Township Peace and Development Council, issued an order requiring farmers in Ze Laan sub-township to prepare their rice fields in time for that purpose.

The rice fields were to be ready for sowing seeds by the time of Gen. Khin Nyunt’s visit. The farmers had to reap their rice well before it was ripe, clear the fields and plough the earth using their own mini-tractors and fuel, so that they were ready for sowing when Khin Nyunt arrived.

From the time the order was issued up to the time the work was finished, for more than 10 days, SPDC authorities concerned and members of township police force watched over the farmers every day to make sure they did as told and did it fast enough to be ready in time.

About 250 villagers were conscripted each day from the villages in the area and forced to reap the rice and clear the rice fields. Anyone who failed to go would have to pay 1,000 kyat per day to hire someone else to go for them. Many mini-tractors of the local villagers were also conscripted and forced to till the ground without providing any fuel for their engines. Several acres of rice fields had been affected in this way and many farmers lost their crop.