SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- JUNE 2004

COMMENTARY

Since the Burmese soldiers came into Shan State five decades ago on the pretext of protecting it from the KMT that spilt over into Shan State from China, and later to occupy it and subjugate the people, beating, slapping and kicking have been common public relations etiquette in dealing with the people, especially in the rural areas.

The occupation of Shan State by the Burmese army can be roughly divided into three phases:

• During the 1950s, Burmese troops were deployed mostly in the border townships in northern, eastern and southern Shan State where KMT troops were active.

• After the military seized state power in 1962, more Burmese troops were sent to occupy all the towns and some strategic points in the rural areas in Shan State.

• Since 1988-89, after it had brutally crushed the nationwide democracy uprising, the Burmese army has been trying to militarize all the rural areas in Shan State by increasing the number of its battalions, enlarging the existing military bases and setting up several new military bases in remote areas, and in the process confiscating vast areas of land from the rural communities.

An increase of a brutal army means an increase of human rights violations, which have been the main causes for people fleeing to different places and neighbouring countries.

In a case reported in this newsletter, a civilian driver was so severely beaten up he broke his leg.

A WOMAN GANG-RAPED AND STABBED TO DEATH IN MURNG-SU

In late April 2004, a woman who lived in the suburban area of Murng-Su town was gang-raped and stabbed to death in the neck with a knife by a group of SPDC troops, in a forest near her cucumber garden just outside the town.

On 25 April 2004, Naang Zum, aged 18, was watering her cucumber garden when a group of about 15 SPDC troops came and forcibly took her into a nearby forest. The soldiers wore no insignias but were apparently SPDC soldiers, according to some local people who saw them entering Naang Zum’s cucumber garden.

The SPDC troops gang-raped Naang Zum and finally stabbed her in the neck with a knife and killed her, in the forest about 40 yards from her cucumber garden. Naang Zum was the daughter of Lung Kyawng Wong and Pa Kyawng Sa of Murng-Su.

A DISPLACED FARMER CONSCRIPTED AS A GUIDE AND BEATEN TO DEATH IN LAI-KHA

In March 2004, a displaced farmer who was transporting bamboo on a mini-tractor with his wife was conscripted to serve as a guide and later beaten to death by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB515, in the forest outside Lai-Kha town in Lai-Kha township.

On 24 March 2004, Zaai Wi, aged 27, and his wife, Naang Kya, aged 22, originally from Pa Moi village in Naa Mang village tract, Lai-Kha township, which had been forcibly relocated to Lai-Kha town relocation site in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops, went together on a mini-tractor to gather bamboo in the forest outside the relocation site.

On their way back, the couple met a patrol of about 45-50 SPDC troops from LIB515, led by Capt. Yan Naing Oo. The SPDC troops stopped the mini-tractor and conscripted the husband, Zaai Wi, to serve as a guide, telling his wife, Naang Kya, to drive the tractor back alone and wait for her husband at home.

After 2-3 days, when her husband had not returned, Naang Kya complained about it to the community leaders and they together went to enquire about him at the military bases. They first went to the base of LIB515, and the military authorities there denied any knowledge of the incident and said that they had not sent out any patrol during the last 2 months. The villagers next went to the base of IB64 where they only got similar answers from the authorities.

However, the villagers heard news that Zaai Wi was accused of taking rice to the Shan soldiers and interrogated by the SPDC troops who conscripted him as a guide. Since Zaai Wi could not tell the whereabouts of the Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops beat and tortured him while interrogating him until he finally died.

The villagers then searched for Zaai Wi’s body in the area. After 3 days, they found his dead body, still recognizable by the clothes he was wearing and his other physical characteristics, and came to the conclusion that he was actually beaten to death by the said SPDC troops.

A WOMAN CUT TO DEATH IN THE THROAT, IN KUN-HING

In February 2004, a woman was slit to death with a knife in the throat by the SPDC troops from an artillery unit based west of Kun-Hing town, in a bush near the road about halfway between the town and the artillery base, in Kun-Hing township.

On the evening of 28 February 2004, at about 9:30 p.m., 4 SPDC troops, led by commander Tin Soe, from the artillery unit about 1 mile west of Kun-Hing town, came into the town at quarter No. 3 and entered a house. The troops arrested a woman named Naang Kham Ing and took her away, saying that they were taking her to the military base because she had done something wrong.

The following day, Naang Kham Ing was found dead in a bush by some villagers about halfway and near the road leading from the town to the military base. Her throat was slit, and that was apparently the cause of her death.

According to the local people, some time ago the SPDC commander had courted Naang Kham Ing, frequently visiting her house. But Naang Kham Ing already had a boyfriend and she later married him.

That had angered the jealous SPDC commander a lot, and that would have been the main motive for the killing although the killers also took away the gold necklace Naang Kham Ing was wearing, concluded some villagers. Naang Kham Ing’s husband, who was visiting friends at the time, would also have faced the same fate had he been at the house when the SPDC troops came.

VILLAGERS ROBBED, ARRESTED, TORTURED AND KILLED IN NAM-ZARNG

In late January 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB516 robbed the villagers of Loi La in Loi La village tract, Kun-Hing township, of their property; arrested and tortured 3 villagers, and later killed one of them.

On 28 January 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB516, under the command of Military Operation Management Command No. 21, came to Loi La village in Loi La village tract, Kun-Hing township, and robbed the villagers of their property, including money, valuables, food, clothes, utensils and livestock, etc., worth over 11 million kyat in all.

The SPDC troops also arrested 3 villagers in the area of Loi La village tract. They were:
1. Lung Haeng Phaw-Ka (m), aged 42, the village tract headman
2. Lung Zan-Da Yawng (m), from Kung Niu village
3. Na-Lin (m), aged 33, from Loi La village

On 29 January 2004, one of the villagers, Na-Lin, was put to death after being interrogated, tortured and beaten until he lost several teeth. The other 2 villagers were also beaten, tortured and interrogated by the SPDC troops and taken away with them to their base. What has since become of them is not yet known.

While robbing and roaming around the village, the SPDC troops randomly beat people who happened to be in their way with sticks. “There was hardly anyone in the village, men and women, young and old, who had not tasted their sticks”, complained a villager.

A HANDICAPPED WOMAN GANG-RAPED, CAUSING DEATH, IN LAI-KHA

In late 2003, a mentally handicapped woman who had been gang-raped by SPDC troops from LIB515 outside Maak Laang village in Naa Mang village tract, Lai-Kha township, died 4 days after she was raped.

Pa Ong, aged 40, originally from Khur Nim village that had been forcibly relocated to Maak Laang village in the same village tract by the Burmese troops some years ago, was a mentally handicapped woman who roamed the streets of Maak Laang village day and night. Although she was handicapped and had difficulty speaking, she could still manage to communicate with the villagers occasionally.

One night in late 2003, a group of SPDC troops from LIB515 who also roamed the streets of Maak Laang village to steal villagers’ livestock forcibly seized Pa Ong and dragged her out of the village and gang-raped her.

Pa Ong was found lying outside and brought back into the village by some sympathetic villagers. She managed to tell the villagers that she had been dragged out of the village and raped by the Burmese soldiers, using the gestures of her hands to help describe the incident. She died 4 days later.

The villagers were sure that the perpetrators were SPDC troops from LIB515 because several villagers saw them roaming the streets on the night of the incident.

A CIVILIAN DRIVER ROBBED AND SEVERELY BEATEN UP, HIS LEG BROKEN, IN MURNG-SU

In March 2004, a civilian driver and his passengers were robbed of their money and the driver was severely beaten up by a group of SPDC troops taking security at a temporary checkpoint on the Murng-Su - Tang-Yarn road in Murng-Su township. The driver’s leg was broken from the beating and he was still under treatment and could not walk when this report was received in May.

Lung Wi-Ma-La, male, was a villager of Murng Kawng village in Murng-Su township. As his village was situated on the Murng-Su - Tang-Yarn main road, he made a living running a passenger car between Murng-Su and Tang-Yarn towns.

On 17 March 2004, Lung Wi-Ma-La was stopped by a group of about 28 SPDC troops on the way and ordered to hand over 1,200,000 kyat of money. But Lung Wi-Ma-La said he did not have that much money because he only earned about 7-8,000 kyat per day transporting passengers.

The SPDC troops then accused Lung Wi-Ma-La of not wanting to give them the money and searched his car. They found the driver’s money and the passengers’ money hidden together in the car, 1,350,000 kyat in all.

The troops became angry and said, “You said you did not have money!”, and beat up Lung Wi-Ma-La so severely that his right thigh was broken.

The SPDC troops took away the money. As for Lung Wi-Ma-La, he was still in a plaster cast and still could not walk when he was seen by a passing traveller in late April.

VILLAGERS SHOT AT, THEIR MOTORCYCLES SEIZED, IN KAE-SEE

In December 2003, 5 villagers were shot at and their motorcycles taken away by the SPDC troops from IB286 at a place about 4 miles north of Kae-See town in Kae-See township.

The 5 villagers were Zaai Naw (m), aged 22, Zaai Wun (m), aged 28, Zaai Mala (m), aged 29, Zaai Tin Win (m), aged 31 and Zaai Yawd (m), aged 32, from Maak Keng village in Wan Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township.

They were returning home from La-Sio after buying 5 motorcycles, each riding one, when they were stopped by a patrol of about 50 SPDC troops, led by commander Yan Naing, from IB286 at a place about 4 miles north of Kae-See town in Kae-See township.

The SPDC troops demanded that the villagers pay 10,000 kyat of tax for each of their motorcycles and the villagers obediently paid the tax. However, commander Yan Naing did not seem to be satisfied with that and he demanded that Zaai Naw give him his motorcycle.

Zaai Naw did not want to give his motorcycle and argued with the SPDC commander, and the commander shot Zaai Naw with his pistol, hitting him in his left arm and his right thigh and causing him to fall down. He then randomly shot at the other 4 villagers, wounding some of them, and they all fell to the ground for cover.

The SPDC troops then left the place, taking all the motorcycles with them and leaving the villagers with their wounds in the forest. Some time after the troops left, the 5 villagers managed to stagger to Kae-See town, helping each other along the way.

Once in Kae-See town, the villagers hired a car to take them to the hospital in Tawng-Gi (Taunggyi) town. In early May 2004, some of them were still seen receiving treatment at the Tawng-Gi hospital.

ARREST AND DETENTION IN KAENG-TUNG

In February 2004, a woman who lost her national identity card was accused of having used a fake ID card and arrested and put in jail by police in Kaeng-Tung town, Kaeng-Tung township.

Naang Kham Yong, aged 36 was originally from Pung Thun quarter in Ta-Khi-Laek town, Ta-Khi-Laek township, who had moved to Kaeng-Tung town more than 10 years ago. Since then, she had bought a shop and had been making a living selling consumer goods in Kaeng-Tung town market.

Some time ago, Naang Kham Yong accidentally lost her ID card and she reported it to the township police station in Kaeng-Tung. The police authorities said they would issue her a new ID card and took 20,000 kyat of money from her.

Some time later, on 14 February 2004, however, she was taken to the police station and told that the ID card that she had lost was not a genuine one. She was then accused of using a fake ID and arrested and put in jail.

Since then Naang Kham Yong has been in jail without trial up to the time of this report.

“Naang Kham Yong was born in Ta-Khi-Laek and was issued a national ID card by the authorities when she became of age. How could it be a fake one?”, complained her relatives. “We have tried to plead for her release. We have even presented evidence from Ta-Khi-Laek that her ID was genuine, but to no avail”, they said.

PEOPLE FORCED TO PROVIDE RICE FOR SOLDIERS’ FAMILIES IN MURNG-KHARK

In March 2004, people in Murng Khark Tai, Murng Khark Nur and Murng Nung village tracts in Murng-Khark township were forced by the SPDC troops of IB227 to provide rice for their families.

Each family of rice farmer had to provide 1 big tin of husked rice and those who were not farmers were required to buy from others and collectively provide rice for the soldiers at a rate of 3 families per tin.

In order to make it seem that they bought the rice from the people, the SPDC troops said they would pay for the rice. But they paid only 10 kyat for each tin while the current price in the market was between 4,500 kyat and 5,000 kyat per tin.

The people could do nothing but to comply. Although the SPDC troops said they were just asking the people to help support their families, there was no way in which the people could refuse. People were complaining that while it was already very difficult to support their own families, they were also required to support the SPDC soldiers’ families.

EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG

In March 2004, 300,000 kyat of money was extorted from a man who had already got permission to build a house by the SPDC Municipal officials in Kaeng-Tung township.

In early 2004, Lung Naan Lee, a man who lived in No. 5 Zone in Kaeng-Tung town, had asked permission from the Municipal office to build a house, which was granted after paying the required tax money.

By mid March 2004, Lung Naan Lee had built the main structure of the house and was starting to build a small kitchen adjacent to the main building when he was visited by some 4-5 officials from the township Municipal office.

The Municipal officials said to Lung Naan Lee that he had got permission only to build a house and not a kitchen, and told him to stop building and dismantle the partly finished kitchen and threatened to put him in jail if he did not comply.

Lung Naan Lee tried to explain to the Municipal officials that he had asked for both the house and the kitchen when he applied for permission and asked them to wait until he had cleared the matter at the Municipal office.

However, the Municipal officials did not permit Lung Naan Lee to do that, and they said they had the authority to decide what was right or wrong and what needed to be done. They said that 300,000 kyat was needed to be paid to the authorities to build a kitchen, and Lung Naan Lee needed to pay the tax right away if he did not want his new kitchen destroyed.

Since the Municipal officials kept demanding that the tax be paid immediately or the kitchen destroyed, and kept threatening to put him in jail if he continued to build the kitchen, Lung Naan Lee finally complied with their demand and gave them the 300,000 kyat.

MONEY EXTORTED FROM DISPLACED PEOPLE IN MURNG-TON

During late March and early April 2004, displaced people from Lai-Kha and Murng-Kerng townships were detained and money extorted from them by some SPDC Immigration personnel at Pung Pa Khem village in Murng-Ton township.

On 30 March 2004, about 50 displaced people from Lai-Kha and Murng-Kerng townships, who had just arrived at Pung Pa Khem village in Murng-Ton township, were gathered in an empty house near the Immigration Office by some Immigration Officers.

The Immigration Officers told the displaced people who were heading for Thailand that if they paid 35,000 kyat each a guide would provide them with a safe passage to the Thai border. Among the displaced people, Zaai Thun and his 4 friends paid the money to them on the same night.

The next morning, Zaai Thun and his friends were accompanied by a guide, a man assigned by the Immigration Officers, until they safely reached a UWSA (United Wa State Army) checkpoint where they had to pay 100 baht each and crossed into Thailand.

According to Zaai Thun and his friends, there were many who wanted to come to Thailand but they did not have enough money to pay the Immigration Officers, and they did not know what had become of those remaining in detention by the Immigration after they left.

DISPLACED PEOPLE ROBBED OF THEIR VALUABLES IN MURNG-PAN

In late March 2004, a group of displaced people were robbed of their money and valuables by the SPDC troops from LIB520 at a house in Murng-Pan town, Murng-Pan township.

On 21 March 2004, a group of 38 displaced people were stranded in Murng-Pan when the truck carrying them broke down and they had to spend a night in a hut in the compound of the house of the truck owner who happened to be from Murng-Pan.

These people were mostly from Murng-Kerng, Ho-Pong, Nam-Zarng and Kun-Hing townships who had been displaced by the forced relocations carried out by the Burmese army troops in the areas some years ago, and they were heading for Thailand.

At night, 3 SPDC troops from LIB520, led by commander Myint Oo, came into the hut where the displaced people were sleeping and robbed them of their money and valuables.

According to the displaced people, altogether they lost at least over 600,000 kyat of money, 4 baht-weight of gold ornaments, 8 wrist watches, 3 pairs of boots and 2 pairs of trousers.

EXTORTION IN TA-KHI-LAEK

During late April and early May 2004, SPDC authorities in Ta-Khi-Laek township extorted money from the people by forcing them to buy tickets for a music concert said to be organized to raise funds for a government sponsored organization.

During the period from 28 April 2004 to 1 May 2004, many people in Ta-Khi-Laek township had been forced to buy tickets at a rate of 300 baht per ticket for a music concert that would be staged on 2 May 2004.

According to the SPDC authorities, the concert, in which several popular singers from Rangoon would perform, was organized to raise funds for the ‘Mother & Child Care’ organization headed by Dr. Khin Win Shwe, wife of the Prime Minister of the Burmese military junta, Gen. Khin Nyunt.

Police officers responsible for selling the tickets were posted at several checkpoints on the main roads and not only the drivers but every traveller was required to buy a ticket before they could pass through those checkpoints.

Owners of shops, hotels, business companies and casinos were also required to buy several tickets. It did not matter whether people went to the concert or not, the main aim was to get as much money as possible, said the authorities.

MONEY EXTORTED FROM A COW OWNER IN SEN-WI

In April 2004, money was extorted from a farmer by SPDC troops from LIB568 after they hit his pregnant cow with a truck at Ho Murng village in Zae Oo village tract, Sen-Wi township.

On 22 April 2004, some SPDC troops from LIB568, led by commander Aung Soe, who were transporting lime on a truck ran into a pregnant cow near Ho Murng village in Sen-Wi township. The troops then found the owner of the cow, Lung Saang Zing (m) of Ho Murng village, and demanded 10,000 kyat from him as a compensation.

The SPDC troops said that the cow had caused a delay to their journey and some damage to the truck. Therefore, the cow owner was required to pay for the damage, and if the lime on the truck got wet in rain because of the delay, the cow owner would also be responsible.

Having heard that instead of getting compensation for his lost cow, he would even have to pay the SPDC troops, Lung Saang Zing offered to take the case to the authorities in Sen-Wi town and let them decide who would have to pay whom.

The SPDC troops, however, did not agree to that proposal but kept demanding the 10,000 kyat compensation and threatened to strike any villagers’ cows which happened to be on the road with their truck if the authorities in the town knew about this case.

Finally, Lung Saang Zing had to comply with the troops’ demand for fear of them really striking with their truck villagers’ cows which were traditionally let loose to roam the meadows in the area most of the time.