SHRF MONTHLY REPORT August

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- AUGUST 2004

COMMENTARY

Besides several other forms of gross human rights violations, such as killing, rape, torture, etc., the Burmese junta’s troops also regularly burn and/or destroy property of the civilian populations in Shan State.

Civilian houses have been burned down not only during forced relocations, when even whole villages were torched to ashes by the junta’s troops, but also under suspicion of harbouring members of resistance groups, often without any proof. In the latter case, a number of houses, often the best and biggest ones, were usually singled out and torched down.

Rice and sometimes also other food supplies have often been burned by the junta’s troops, mostly at remote farms of displaced farmers, to prevent the farmers from supporting the resistance groups, with complete disregard for the farmers’ own consumption.
But rice has also been burned for some other reasons. Sacks of rice were burned to ashes in the rice fields near a village in Ta-Khi

Laek on the pretext that the farmers were trying to avoid having to sell to traders buying rice on behalf of the junta.

A sawmill and a certain amount of lumber were burned to ashes in Murng-Nai, causing the owner to flee.

In addition to several cases of killing, rape and torture reported in this month’s issue, some cases of property destruction have been included to highlight one of the main causes that have reduced the once well-to-do villagers to destitution.

A DISPLACED WOMAN SHOT DEAD, HER PIG STOLEN, IN LARNG-KHUR

In June 2004, a displaced woman who tried to protect her pig was shot dead and her pig stolen by a group of SPDC soldiers from LIB525 at Nawng Long village in Haai Kuay village tract, Larng-Kher township.

The victim, Naang Mya Ung (f), aged 22, was originally from Loi Thun village in Haai Kuay village tract, Larng-Khur township, which had been relocated to Nawng Long village in the same village tract in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council).
On 9 June 2004, 4 SPDC troops from LIB525, led by a Corporal, came to Naang Mya Ung’s house and told her that their Major had ordered them to take away her pig. But Naang Mya Ung refused to give it to them, explaining that she had only one pig which she intended to sell in order to buy rice, and pleaded with the soldiers to take from those who had more than 1 pig.

However, the SPDC troops did not listen to Naang Mya Ung, but went into her pig sty and seized her pig. Naang Mya Ung then screamed for help, shouting that her pig was being stolen by SPDC troops, and the troops shot her dead, and loaded her pig on a truck and drove away.

Later when Naang Mya Ung’s parents and the community leaders tried to file a complaint with the military authorities at the base of LIB525, they were told by the guards there that their commander had gone away for almost 10 days and had not yet returned, and to come back when the commander returned.

2 MEMBERS OF PEOPLE’S MILITIA SHOT DEAD IN KUN-HING

In late April 2004, 2 members of a people’s militia who were being forced to go with a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB596 were shot dead by them in a mock battle with Shan soldiers in Wan Lao village tract, Kun-Hing township.

On 14 April 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB596, led by Capt. Ong Kyaw, requisitioned 15 members of the people’s militia from Kun Mong village tract in Kaeng Tawng area, in Murng-Nai township to join the patrol.

After patrolling many deserted villages in the relocation areas of Murng-Nai and Kun-Hing townships for about 11-12 days, the SPDC troops asked whether among the people’s militiamen there was anyone from the deserted villages in Kun-Hing that had been relocated to Kun Mong village tract in Murng-Nai.

Among the 15 members of people’s militia, 2 had been relocated to Kun Mong village tract in Murng-Nai township from Wan Lao village tract in Kun-Hing township, while the rest were natives of Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township.

The 2 militiamen were then singled out and ordered by the SPDC troops to lead the patrol, saying that they might know the ways well because they were originally from Wan Lao area which they were now patrolling.

As the patrol got near a relocated village, Naa Waai, in Wan Lao village tract, Kun-Hing township, some SPDC troops shot their guns into the sky and some of them spread out, also shooting their guns as if there was a battle of gunfire.

In the confusion, the militiamen did not know what to do and the SPDC troops shot dead the 2 men taking the lead. The SPDC troops later claimed that they had been ambushed by a group of Shan soldiers and 2 militiamen were killed in the ambush.

However, many local people did not believe that there had been an ambush because there were no Shan soldiers in the area at the time, and there were rumours that the SPDC troops in Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township were one way or another trying to kill those who had some money and dared try to defy their orders.

MINI-TRACTOR OWNER BEATEN TO DEATH DURING FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-KERNG

In March 2004, a villager who was forced to gather bamboo with his mini-tractor by SPDC troops in Murng-Kerng township was beaten to death by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB515 from Lai-Kha township.

On 22 March 2004, Zaai Pho Ma (m), aged 24, from Murng-Kerng town quarter No.5, was forced by the SPDC troops to gather bamboo with his mini-tractor for fixing fences at a military camp in Murng-Kerng township.

After he had loaded bamboo on his mini-tractor and was about to leave the bamboo forest in Murng-Kerng township, a patrol of SPDC troops from Lai-Kha-based LIB515 came and beat Zaai Pho Ma to death right near his tractor.

When Zaai Pho Ma’s relatives heard that some villagers had seen a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB515 heading for the bamboo forest, they became worried and when Zaai Pho Ma had not returned by the time he should have, they went after him and found his body lying near his bamboo-loaded mini-tractor.

Zaai Pho Ma was apparently beaten to death by the SPDC troops from LIB515 with a thick bamboo stick, which they left lying near his body, while doing forced labour for a different SPDC military unit. However, no one dared to complain about it to the authorities.

A WOMAN RAPED AND KILLED IN KUN-HING

In December 2003, a woman from Wan Lao village in Wan Lao village tract, Kun-Hing township, was raped and killed by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB246 and her body was dumped into an abandoned well.

In the afternoon of 12 December 2003, Naang Mai (f), aged 35, of Wan Lao village went alone to look at her farm as well as gather wild vegetables along the way when she ran into a patrol of about 40 SPDC troops from IB246.

The SPDC troops forced Naang Mai to go with them until night fell when they stopped for the night at a deserted village (relocated), Naa Mon, in Wan Lao village tract. Naang Mai was raped by the SPDC troops all night and her cries were occasionally heard by some other guides.

At daybreak, the SPDC troops beat Naang Mai to death and dumped her body into an abandoned well at Naa Mon and continued their patrol towards Saai Khaao village tract.

3 DISPLACED VILLAGERS, ONE MAN AND TWO CHILDREN, SHOT DEAD IN KAE-SEE

In late 2003, 3 displaced villagers, one man and 2 boys, were shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB286 at a relocated village, Pong Long, in Murng Nawng village tract, Kae-See township.

The 3 victims, Lung Ta (m), aged 47, Zaai Paang (m), aged 15 and Zaai La (m), aged 13, were originally from Pong Long village in Murng Nawng village tract which had been forcibly relocated to Paang Phon village relocation site in the same village tract in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

In September 2003, the 3 villagers were staying temporarily in a hut to look after their rice farm and their buffalos near their original village when one evening a patrol of SPDC troops came and forced them out of their hut, accused them of being Shan soldiers and shot them dead in a group.

The next morning, when their relatives from Paang Phon village came to the farm, they found the bodies of the 3 victims in a pile, all riddled with bullet holes, some distance west of the farm. They then went back to Paang Phon to tell the community leader and their fellow villagers.

The relatives of the victims and a number of fellow villagers immediately went back to the site of the incident, which was about 8 miles from Paang Phon village relocation site, and properly buried the remains of the 3 villagers.

A VILLAGER BEATEN AND TRAMPLED, CAUSING DEATH, IN LAI-KHA

In April 2004, a villager was severely beaten and trampled on during interrogation by SPDC troops from Military Operation Management Command No.21 (MOMC-21), based in Nam-Zarng, until he lost consciousness, at a place 2 miles north of Kung Sim village in Naa Poi village tract, Lai-Kha township. The villager died of internal injuries from the torture 10 days later.

In the evening of 6 April 2004, a patrol of about 45 SPDC troops from MOMC-21, based at Kho Lam village in Nam-Zarng township, stopped a villager on the way about 2 miles north of Kung Sim village in Lai-Kha township. The villager was Lung In-Ta (m), aged 47, from Kung Sim village who was going to stay overnight at his farm in the area.

The SPDC troops asked Lung In-Ta if he knew of the whereabouts of Shan soldiers in the area and when he repeatedly said he did not know, they tied him up and beat him all over, and kicked and trampled on his body until he lost consciousness.

When Lung In-Ta regained consciousness it was daybreak and he was still at the place where he had been tortured, but there was no sign of the SPDC troops. He then managed to stagger back to his village with the help of a bamboo staff.

Lung In-Ta related his plight to his wife as soon as he reached home. But he did not recover from the internal injuries he had suffered during the torture by the SPDC troops and died at his house 10 days later.

3 VILLAGERS BEATEN AND TORTURED IN KUN-HING

In January 2004, 3 villagers were accused of being Shan soldiers and beaten and tortured by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB524 at Nam Khaam village in Wan Paang village tract, Kun-Hing township.

In the early morning before dawn on 15 January 2004, a patrol of about 15 SPDC troops from LIB524, led by a 2nd Lieutenant, came into Nam Khaam village, searched some houses and arrested 3 men: Zaai Lawt, aged 30, Pi Su, aged 40 and Zaai Kaeng Surng, aged 35.

The SPDC troops accused the 3 villagers of being Shan soldiers and interrogated them. During the interrogation, as the villagers kept denying the accusation, the troops severely beat them with sticks and dropped burning plastic drops on their body to forced them to confess.

The villagers were released only after daybreak when the village headman and village elders guaranteed that they were not Shan soldiers but villagers of Nam Khaam village who had always lived there.

BEATING AND MORE RESTRICTIONS IN KUN-HING

In February 2004, a farmer who was returning from his farm was accused of being late and beaten by one of the SPDC troops from IB246 manning a checkpoint at Nam Paang bridge in Kun-Hing township, and later more restrictions were imposed on the movement of farmers.

On 31 February 2004, Saang Wi (m), aged 35, from Wan Paang village in Kun-Hing township, who was returning from his farm at 5 p.m., was accused of being late and scolded by the SPDC troops from IB246 manning a checkpoint at Nam Paang bridge.

When Saang Wi said it was only 5 p.m. which was within the permitted time limit, Sgt. Sein Myint, who was in charge of the checkpoint, grabbed a stick and beat him 2 times on the back and 2 times on the buttocks before he was let go.

At his village, Saang Wi complained about it to the community leader who said he would make an inquiry into it the next day. But before he could even start his inquiry, the community leader was summoned by the SPDC troops early in the morning and told that villagers would only be allowed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to go to work outside the village, so that he could say nothing about the beating of Saang Wi by the SPDC troops.

A few months before that, Saang Wi was also slapped several times by an SPDC soldier at the same checkpoint without any apparent reason. When the community leader enquired about it, the military authorities only said that the soldier was drunk at the time of the incident, and nothing was done about it.

DISPLACED FARMERS TORTURED AND FORCED TO SERVE AS PORTERS IN NAM-ZARNG

In late 2003, 4 displaced farmers were tortured and forced to carry things for 15 days by SPDC troops under the command of Military Operation Management Command (MOMC) No.21, based at Kho Lam village in Nam-Zarng township.

The 4 farmers, Zaai Paang (m), Zaai Wi (m), Pi Awng (m) and Kan-Na (m), were originally from Kung Sim village in Naa Poi village tract, Lai-Kha township, that had been forcibly relocated to Kho Lam village relocation site in Nam-Zarng township in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

These 4 farmers had obtained a pass from the local SPDC troops and had gone to work at their farms near their original village when a patrol of SPDC troops from MOMC No.21 came and arrested them.

The SPDC troops interrogated the farmers about the whereabouts of Shan soldiers and tortured them; poking their heads with a pointed knife, covering their heads with plastic bags, kicking and beating them until they lost consciousness several times and were nearly dead.

Later, the SPDC troops tied the hands of the farmers together and forced them to go with the patrol, and at the same time made them carry their things along the way as they patrolled the outskirts of Kho Lam village tract.

When the relatives of the farmers heard the news, they complained about it to their community leader in Kho Lam who in turn reported it to the SPDC commander who had issued the pass to the farmers.

The 4 farmers were finally released after the patrol commander received a wire explaining about them from the said commander.

However, by the time they were released, the farmers had already been tortured nearly to death and forced to serve as porters with their hands tied up together for 15 days.

DESTRUCTION OF CIVILIAN PROPERTY

In addition to various other gross human rights violations, SPDC troops in Shan State also occasionally destroy the property of the people. In some cases, some ceasefire groups also destroy civilian property with the consent of the SPDC authorities.
The following are some cases of property destruction by SPDC troops and a ceasefire group, received by SHRF in late 2003 and early 2004.

12 HOUSES BURNT TO ASHES AT A RELOCATION SITE IN LOI-LEM

In January 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB513 burned down 12 houses of displaced villagers at Tawng Laang village relocation site in Sanin village tract in Paang Long sub-township, Loi-Lem township.

On 22 January 2004, a patrol of about 50 SPDC troops from LIB513, led by commander Naing Win, clashed with a small group of Shan soldiers near Tawng Laang village, about 5 miles northwest of Paang Long town, and the gun battle that ensued lasted about 10 minutes, with no casualties on both sides.

After the battle, the SPDC patrol came into Tawng Laang village and accused the villagers of harbouring Shan solders and burned down 12 houses which they claimed belonging to the Shan soldiers.

Tawng Laang village was virtually a relocation site to which villagers from surrounding villages in Sanin village tract had been forcibly relocated in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

The SPDC troops chose the best and biggest 12 houses, of which some were shop-houses selling various goods, and searched them, and took all they wanted before they torched them to ashes, leaving nothing for the displaced villagers.

VILLAGER’S SAWMILL BURNT TO ASHES, LUMBER STOLEN, IN MURNG-NAI

In March 2004, a villager’s sawmill was burned down after the lumber in it had been stolen by SPDC troops of LIB576, in Kun Long village tract in Kaeng Tawng area, Murng-Nai township.

In 2003, people in Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township had been encouraged by the SPDC military authorities in the area to set up sawmills and engage in the lumber business, saying that the military would buy their lumber and they could also use or sell some of it elsewhere.

In late 2003, a villager named Za-La had set up a sawmill and by March 2004 had sold 486 Hoppus tons of lumber to the Burmese military at the rate of 60,000-80,000 per ton, on credit. He had also managed to stockpile 640 tons to build his own house and 731 tons to sell elsewhere.

However, on 27 March 2004, while Za-La and his workers were away, SPDC troops from LIB576 stole most of his lumber and trucked it to their base and, putting the bark and the sawed-away parts of the logs into it, burned the sawmill.

A few days later, SPDC troops from LIB576, sent by their commander, told Za-La that his sawmill had been burned down by the Shan soldiers 2-3 days ago, and there was no lumber left. Za-La lost all his lumber and sawmill, and he was not at all sure if he would ever get paid for the lumber he had sold on credit to the military.

VILLAGERS’ RICE BURNT TO ASHES IN TA-KHI-LAEK

In November-December 2003, sacks of unhusked rice were burned to ashes in the rice fields before the farmers could transport them to their barns, by SPDC troops from LIB316, at Phuay Hai village in Murng Laen village tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township.

It was harvesting season and the farmers were threshing and transporting their rice from the fields to the barns at their houses in the village. After threshing, the farmers put their rice in gunny sacks and piled them up in the fields before taking them home.

Sometime in late November and early December 2003, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB316 came into the rice fields at Phuay Hai village and burned to ashes piles of rice sacks they found there, accusing the farmers of trying to hide the rice in order not to have to sell it to the traders doing purchasing on behalf of the military.

According to the farmers, the rice sacks that had been burnt were still in the fields simply because they had not finished transporting them, and not for any other reason. Although the farmers and their community leaders lodged a complaint with the SPDC authorities in Ta-Khi-Laek township, nothing had been done for them.

Among the farmers whose rice sacks had been burnt, Zaai Yi Wun (m), aged 46, lost 9 sacks of rice which he had not yet finished transporting, although he had already taken home some of them.

GRANARIES BURNT, FARM LOOTED, IN MURNG-PAN

In late 2003, granaries containing 48 baskets of rice were burnt down and a farm looted by SPDC troops from LIB520, at a remote farm in Ho Phaai Long village tract, Murng-Pan township.

Lung Pan-Ta (m), aged 47, Pa Noo (f), aged 43 and their son, Zaai Wun, aged 22, of Pa Khaa village in Ho Phaai Long village tract, had managed to produce 64 baskets of rice at their remote farm, which they stored in bamboo granaries before taking home.

The farmers had finished transporting only 20 baskets of their rice back to their village when a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from LIB520, led by commander Thein Maung, came to their farm and burned down the granaries with the remaining 48 baskets of rice in them.

The SPDC troops also looted the farm, taking as much as they liked of various kinds of vegetables being grown there, including cucumbers, beans, peas, chilies, aubergines, etc., and broke up the fences enclosing the farm to let cattle and wild animals in to destroy what was left in it.

VILLAGERS’ RICE FARMS DESTROYED IN MUNRG-TON

Sometime around mid 2003, members of a ceasefire group destroyed several acres of rice paddy of the villagers of Huay Aw village in Murng Haang village tract, Murng-Ton township, saying that the land had been given them by SPDC authorities to grow orange.

Several rice farms along the road between Naa Kawng Mu village tract and Murng Jawt village tract in Murng-Ton township were destroyed with 2 tractors by members of UWSA (United Wa State Army), a ceasefire group with the SPDC, stating that they were within the area of land they intended to use to cultivate orange plantations.

The rice farms belonged to the villagers of Huay Aw in Murng Haang village tract, Murng-Ton township, and the rice plants had already started to grow to a certain size when the Wa troops ploughed them away with 2 large tractors.

The following 4 villagers were among the farmers who lost their rice farms:
1. Pa Kham (f), lost a farm that had been grown 3/4 basket of paddy seeds
2. Kaw-Lin-Ta (m), lost a farm that had been grown 1 basket of paddy seeds
3. Naang Yaen (f), lost a farm that had been grown 1/2 basket of paddy seeds
4. Saang Aw (m), lost a farm that had been grown 1 basket of paddy seeds

Although the UWSA troops had ploughed the land and destroyed the rice farms in a hurry as if they were to grow oranges immediately, up until early 2004 the land was still seen covered with wild grass by passersby and nothing had yet been planted on it.