SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- NOVEMBER 2003

COMMENTARY

Roaming Burmese soldiers taking a few chickens, killing a few pigs and shooting a few head of cattle here and there in the rural areas of Shan State may not seem very important compared to the other more severe kinds of human rights violations such as killing, rape, torture and forced labour, etc.. However, if it happens frequently, it does cause a lot of trouble for the villagers and in many cases even badly affects their very livelihood.

For a rural farmer, a few head of cattle usually mean his main tools of livelihood without which he would not be able to till his farm or use his cart for transportation. His buffalos and oxen are his friends who help him with his daily chores all year round so that depriving him of them is like taking away his arms and legs, and thus badly affecting his livelihood.

Although chickens and pigs are often raised for food and in some cases for extra income by villagers, in many cases, the owners, especially poor families, mainly or partly depend on them for their livelihood. This means that a few extra dishes for dinner for the Burmese soldiers could mean the destruction of the rice pots of poor village families.

That is, however, exactly what the Burmese army troops have been doing to the rural communities in Shan State for decades.

A special section has been given to livestock stealing and killing in this newsletter.

Also reported are some incidents of sexual abuse in one of which women were stripped and photographed.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO GUARD ROAD AND SHOT DEAD, THEIR FAMILIES ARRESTED AND DETAINED, IN MURNG-NAI

On 19 July 2003, 2 villagers who were being forced to guard a road were surrounded and shot dead by SPDC troops from LIB518, near Saai Phe village in Mai Hai village tract, Murng-Nai township.

Both villagers, Zaai Tawng (m), aged 45 and Zaai Pan-Ta (m), aged 40, were from Saai Phe village and on the day of the incident were being forced by SPDC troops of LIB518 to stand guard at the Murng-Nai - Larng-Khur main road.

At about 13:30 hrs, a patrol of SPDC troops from the same battalion, LIB518, came and surrounded the 2 men where they were standing guard and shot at them, killing both of them on the spot.

The following day, 20 July 2003, the SPDC troops arrested the headman of Saai Phe village and wives of the 2 men they had shot dead the day before -- Naang Leng, aged 41, wife of Zaai Tawng, and Naang Zing, aged 40, wife of Zaai Pan-Ta -- and detained them for 3 nights before releasing them.

It was later learned that the SPDC troops had accused the 2 men of secretly working as informers for the Shan resistance and had shot them dead.

HUSBAND SHOT DEAD, WIFE TORTURED, FARM LOOTED, IN NAM-ZARNG

In February 2002, a displaced farmer who went to fetch water was shot dead at a well by SPDC troops from Military Operation Management No.21, in the area of Kaeng Kham Awn village, Nam-Zarng township. One month later, his wife was beaten and tortured until she lost consciousness and their farm was looted by the same SPDC troops.

Lung Zi-Na (m), aged 46, who with his wife and 3 children had been staying and working at a remote farm, had gone to fetch water at a well some distance from their farm when he was shot dead by the SPDC troops. He was hit by one bullet in the head and one in the chest.

About one month later, a patrol of the same SPDC troops from Military Operation Management No.21, based at Kho Lam village, came again. This time they found the farm where Lung Zi-Na’s wife and children and 2-3 other displaced families were staying. The other families ran and escaped as soon as they knew SPDC troops were coming, leaving Lung Zi-Na’s wife, Pa Zing, who could not run because of her 3 small children.

The SPDC troops then interrogated Pa Zing about Shan soldiers. As Pa Zing kept denying any knowledge of the Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops beat and kicked her and when she fell down, they trampled on her until she lost consciousness.

When Pa Zing regained consciousness, she saw her left arm has been broken and all her belongings had been taken away by the SPDC troops. Fortunately, her 3 children were unharmed. Pa Zing then took her children to Kung Sa village in Wan Nawng village tract, Nam-Zarng township.

Pa Zing and her children stayed at Kung Sa village for some time and left for the Thai border, reaching it sometime in September 2003. When SHRF met her in October 2003, Pa Zing still looked mentally disturbed and obviously her left arm had been broken, and the oldest of her 3 children was only about 10 years old.

2 CHILDREN SHOT DEAD, CATTLE STOLEN, FARM HUTS LOOTED AND BURNT, IN LAI-KHA

In February 2002, a woman and her 2 sons on an ox-cart on their way to a remote farm were shot at by SPDC troops from IB66, killing her 2 sons right on the cart, at a place near Mark Kawk village in Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township.

Two farming families were staying in 2 farm huts and working at their farms some distance from their village, Mark Kawk, when a patrol of SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng-based IB66 came and saw them and accused them of being members of the Shan resistance.

The farmers explained that they were not members of the Shan resistance but ordinary villagers from Mark Kawk village, and they had come to stay a few days and work at their farms because it took too much time going and coming every day.

The SPDC troops ordered the farmers to return to their village at once, and the farmers only had time to take what their ox-carts could carry and hurried back to their village. The troops took what they wanted from the 2 huts and burnt them down, and also took away the 2 oxen the farmers had left grazing in a nearby meadow.

Some days later, Pa Nung and her 2 sons, from one of those 2 families, drove their ox-cart and went to look for whatever was left at their farm. But as they were getting close to the farm, some SPDC troops who were guarding the road shot at them.

Pa Nung’s 2 sons were hit and died on the ox-cart, but Pa Nung jumped down and ran, and escaped back to their village. Her sons, Zaai Kam, aged 13 and Zaai Pawk, aged 11, were hit in the head and in the chest respectively. The SPDC troops also took away the 2 cart-oxen.

DISPLACED FARMER SHOT DEAD IN MURNG-KERNG

On 19 August 2002, a displaced farmer was shot dead by a patrol of local SPDC troops at a farm near Phak Phet village (relocated) in Murng Khun village tract, Murng-Kerng township.

On the day of the incident, 5 villagers from Phak Phet village, that had been forcibly relocated to Murng Khun village relocation site some years ago by the Burmese troops, were staying in a hut at a farm near their original village when a patrol of SPDC troops shot at them.

No one was hit while in the hut and the farmers jumped out and ran out of the farm in all directions. One of the farmers, Lung In-Da-Ka (m), aged 45, was hit as he reached the edge of the farm, and he fell down. The others, 2 men and 2 women, escaped into the nearby forest unhurt.

After the SPDC troops had left for some time, the farmers slowly came back to the farm to find each other. After they had gathered, the farmers looked for Lung In-Da-Ka and found his body lying at the edge of the farm, riddled with bullets from his head down to his waist. The SPDC troops seemed to have sprayed him with their guns after he had fallen down.

RAPE IN LAI-KHA CAUSES DEATH

In late 2002, a 19-year-old woman who was raped by SPDC troops from IB287, based at Wan Zing village in Kae-See township, died of her ordeal 8 days after she had been raped, at Nam Hu Hai village in Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township.

Naang Lek, aged 19, and her younger brother were scaring birds at their rice farm, about 2 kilometres east of their village, Nam Hu Hai, when a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from IB287 came and asked if they had seen Shan soldiers passing their way.

When Naang Lek and her brother said they had not seen any Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops accused them of lying and told her brother to go back to their village, and forcibly took Naang Lek away with them.

On the way, the SPDC troops accused Naang Lek of being the wife of a Shan soldier and raped her repeatedly. After one night and one day, the troops released her when they reached an old village, Zizawya Khe (relocated), and she had to stagger back to her village alone.

When she got back and related her plight to her parents at their village, she was very sick and weak. Although her parents tried their best to give her whatever best treatment available, Naang Lek did not recover and died 8 days after.

DISPLACED FARMERS DETAINED AND RAPED, FARM LOOTED, IN KUN-HING

In July 2003, a displaced farming couple was detained, and the wife raped, for 5 days and 5 nights by SPDC troops of IB246 at the military base in Kun-Hing township.

Some villagers, originally from Pa Pha village in Kaeng Lom village tract, Kun-Hing township, that had been forcibly relocated some years ago by the Burmese troops, managed to get permission from the local SPDC troops to go and cultivate rice farms near their original village, Pa Pha.

On 11 July 2003, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB246 came to Pa Pha village area and on seeing a farming couple arrested them. The couple, Zaai Law-Ka and Naang Leng (not their real names), both 38 years old, were among those who had got permission to return to farm near their original village.

The SPDC troops, however, took the couple to their base and locked them up at separate places. During their 5-day-and-night detention, Naang Leng was repeatedly raped by at least about 10-14 military officers until they were released.

Their farm was also looted by the SPDC troops on the day of their arrest. They lost 30 chickens, 3 pigs, 1 basket of rice and farming tools, among other food stuff.

DISPLACED WOMEN STRIPPED NAKED AND PHOTOGRAPHED, IN LAI-KHA

On 11 October 2002, 4 women were forced to strip naked and their pictures taken by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB287 in a farm hut near Paang Paeng village in Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township.

Villagers of Paang Paeng had been forcibly relocated to Wan Zing village relocation site in Kae-See township some years ago by the Burmese troops, and in mid 2002 were allowed to return to their original village. 

The 4 women, Naang Kham, Naang Sawm, Naang Ku and Naang Nyo (not their real names), were among those who had returned to their village, and they were weeding a rice farm some distance away when a patrol of about 35 SPDC troops from IB287 came.

The SPDC troops, whose commander was called Capt. Ye Htun by them, took the 4 women into a farm hut and forced them to take off all their clothes and photographed them from all angles. It took a long time until the women were finally released, from about 5 o’clock in the evening until about 2 o’clock in the morning.

BEATING, TORTURE AND EXTORTION IN MURNG-NAI

On 12 July 2003, a villager of Kun Mong village in Kun Mong village tract, Murng-Nai township was accused of being a Shan soldier and tortured by SPDC troops from LIB596, and later money was extorted for his release.

Zaai Ku (m), aged 24, who had just come back from Thailand, where he had gone to work for 11 months, was accused of being a Shan soldier by the SPDC troops stationed at Kun Mong village, led by Sgt. Soe Naing, and was arrested at his parents’ house.

Zaai Ku was interrogated, beaten and tortured for some time. Only after the community leader of Kun Mong village tract guaranteed that he was really a villager of Kun Mong did the SPDC troops stop torturing him.

However, 27,000 kyat of money was still extorted from his parents for Zaai Ku’s release. Zaai Ku was so severely beaten on his face and body that it took several weeks for him to be able to go about normally again.

EFFECTS OF STEALING AND KILLING OF LIVESTOCK ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF RURAL COMMUNITIES

The following are some instances of stealing and killing of villagers’ livestock by the SPDC troops in Shan State which have in many ways affected the livelihood of the villagers, as explained in the commentary section (cover page).

A VILLAGE BOY ROBBED OF HIS CHICKENS IN MURNG-YARNG

On 5 May 2003, a 13-year-old boy from Wan Kong village in Wan Kong village tract, Murng-Yarng township, who was going to sell chickens at the town market was robbed of his chickens by a group of SPDC troops from LIB328 on the way to Murng-Yarng town.

Early in the morning of that day, Zaai Taan, aged 13, was given 5 chickens by his parents to go with other villagers who were going to Murng-Yarng town market to sell them. Their village, Wan Kong, was about 6 miles from the town and when they had gone about 3-1/2 miles, they were stopped by a group of SPDC soldiers.

The SPDC soldiers, from LIB328, searched them and all the things which 6-7 of them were carrying to sell at the market. The soldiers took some vegetables from each of the other villagers and took 3 chickens from Zaai Taan.

Zaai Taan sold his 2 chickens, both hens, for 5,000 kyat at the market. The other 3 chickens, which were all cocks, that had been stolen by the SPDC troops would have fetched him 9,000 kyat because cocks could easily sell for 3,000 kyat each.

PIG SHOT, OWNER THREATENED, IN MURNG-PAN

On 7 May 2003, a group of SPDC troops from LIB332 shot and stole a pig and threatened to shoot the owner near Huay Mark Phurng village in Ho Phaai Long village tract, Murng-Pan township. 

That morning, the pig owner, Pi Ta of Huay Mark Phurng village, let his pig roam outside the village to feed on some green roots and grass when at about 10:00 a.m. he heard gunshots. Suspecting someone could have shot his pig, he ran out of the village towards the gunshots.

Pi Ta saw 3 SPDC troops outside the village, of which 2 were dragging something that looked like a carcass of a pig into the nearby forest. When he got near, the soldier that was not dragging turned his rifle towards him and he stopped.

The SPDC soldier said to Pi Ta, “Why are you running after us? We saw some Shan soldiers running away and we shot at them, and are chasing them now. Or are you also a Shan soldier? If not, go back into the village at once”, aiming his rifle as if to shoot. Pi Ta turned and ran back into the village.

In the evening, Pi Ta went out to look for his pig but it was nowhere to be found. Instead, he saw a trail of blood along which it had been dragged and a place in the forest where it was apparently cut into pieces and taken away.

LIVESTOCK SHOT, VILLAGERS FORCED TO CUT UP PORK, MONEY EXTORTED, IN LAI-KHA

On 3 June 2003, a column of SPDC troops from IB250 shot 27 chickens and 2 pigs in Naa Poi village in Naa Poi village tract, Lai-Kha township, and forced the villagers to string up the chickens and cut up the pigs, and extorted money from the village headman.

In the afternoon of the day of the incident, when there were mostly only old people and children in the village as most villagers had gone out to work at their farms, a column of over 30 SPDC troops from IB250, based at Loi-Kaw town in Karenni State, came into Naa Poi village and asked to see the headman.

When they learned the headman was not in the village, the commander of the SPDC troops ordered his troops to shoot some chickens and pigs in the village. As the troops spread out in the village and shot at any chickens and pigs they could find, all hell broke loose with the sounds of gunfire, chickens, pigs and dogs bursting out all over the village.

When the noises died down, there were 27 chickens and 2 pigs lying dead in the village. The SPDC troops then ordered the villagers to string up the chickens and cut up the pigs, which took 2-3 hours to finish.

As the SPDC troops prepared to leave, the village headman returned to the village. The commander of the troops called up the headman and said to him, “Why weren’t you in the village when we came? You should have known we were coming and be prepared. We need some more food to continue our long journey, and because you were not available we had to shoot all these ourselves. You need to help pay for the cost of the bullets used here, so collect 50,000 kyat and make it ready for us to pick up on our way back”.

DISPLACED VILLAGERS ROBBED OF THEIR PIGS IN MURNG-KERNG

On 4 June 2003, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB514 took away all the 15 pigs in a pig sty of displaced villagers outside Murng-Kerng town relocation site, Murng-Kerng township.

The pigs’ owners, Lung Kham Ai and his niece, Naang Thuay, were originally from Loi Saang village in Yaang Loi village tract, Murng-Kerng township, which had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Murng-Kerng town in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

At the relocation site, Lung Kham Ai made a living raising pigs at a pig sty, which had to be kept some distance away from the residential area of the site because of the smell, where he also grew corn and soya bean.

On that day, a patrol of about 40 SPDC troops from LIB514 came and saw the pig sty when no one was there and, claiming it belonged to Shan soldiers who had run away on seeing them coming, seized all the 15 pigs in it. Some of the troops conscripted a mini tractor in the town and carried all the pigs to their base.

Lung Kham Ai, who had gone home for some reasons, came back to his pig sty just in time to see from a distance the tractor leaving with pigs on it, and saw that there was no pig left in the sty when he got near it.

Lung Kham Ai went straight back home and told his relatives about it. His niece, Naang Thuay, who owned 5 of the 15 pigs, was shocked and cried until she fainted and a traditional doctor had to be called in to treat her. Although later they tried, they could not get back any of their pigs.

A VILLAGER’S BULL SHOT FOR MEAT IN MURNG-PAENG

On 21 June 2003, a bull ox belonging to a villager was shot and cut up by a group of SPDC troops from LIB360 in a meadow outside Maak Kaa village in Yaang Kham village tract, Murng-Paeng township.

Kan-Tha-Wong (m), aged 46, of Maak Kaa village, had let his 3 cattle graze in a meadow outside his village and in the afternoon only 2 of them returned home. So he went out to the meadow in the evening to find it.

On the way, Kan-Tha-Wong met a group of SPDC troops from LIB360 carrying a lot of meat and 4 cow legs on shoulder poles coming from the direction of the meadow. As he reached the meadow, he saw a newly cut piece of cow hide and a cow head which he very well recognized as his missing bull ox’s.

Kan-Tha-Wong carried the head of his bull ox back to his village and reported the incident to the village headman. The next day, he and some village leaders brought the head of the bull to the SPDC township office in Murng-Paeng town and lodged a complaint with the authorities.

Although the authorities had listened to their case and said they would make careful investigation and take necessary steps, no action had yet been taken until mid August 2003 when this report was received.

A DISPLACED FARMER ROBBED OF HIS OXEN IN LAI-KHA

On 26 June 2003, a group of SPDC troops from IB64 forcibly took away 2 oxen in front of the owner who was letting them graze near Phuay Hai village in Ta Mark Laang village tract, Lai-Kha township.

The owner, Lung Lu (m), aged 54, was originally from Nam Tawng village in Wan Lur village tract, Lai-Kha township, which had been forcibly relocated to Phuay Hai village in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

Lung Lu usually took his draught oxen outside the village to graze when they were not working. On the day of the incident, while Lung Lu was grazing his oxen as usual, a group of 5 SPDC troops from IB64, led by commander Hla Aung, came and, pointing their guns at him, forcibly dragged the oxen away towards their military base.

When Lung Lu and some village leaders went to complain about it to the commander of IB64, he said none of his troops had left the military base on the said day and accused the villagers of trying to defame the Burmese military, and ordered the cow owner to pay 1,500 kyat as a fine.