SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- MARCH 2004

COMMENTARY

As the SPDC troops are being compelled to rely more and more on themselves for their daily necessities as well as for the labour which they have been putting on the shoulders of the civilian forced labourers, they have resorted to more and more extortion and stealing from the people, both systematically and randomly.

Although there have been some increases in the salaries of the government servants in other administrative departments, the welfare assistance, such as rice and cooking oil, which they had been receiving for years has stopped, putting them into an even more difficult situation than when their salaries were smaller.

These government servants, like their comrades in the army, have also resorted to various means of extortion from the ordinary people in order to make ends meet. In many cases, they work in association with their armed comrades to engage in activities of extortion as the opportunities arise.

What is most upsetting for the people is that the SPDC troops and their ‘civil’ comrades appear to be extorting from the people not only for their basic necessities and for the inevitable forced labour, but also for the entertainment of themselves and their families, and in many cases for their own enrichment.

Extortion and stealing have during the recent months become so rampant that they in turn have become one of the main causes of people fleeing to other places, adding to the numbers of IDPs and increasing the flows of refugees to Thailand. 

(Note: A particular section is given to cases about extortion and roberry in this issue.)

HUSBAND TIED UP, WIFE RAPED AND KILLED, IN LAI-KHA

On 26 November 2003, a displaced woman was raped and killed while her husband was tied up by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB64 at a remote farm in Wan Thi village tract, Lai-Kha township.

Naang Sa, aged 20, and her husband, Zaai Leng, aged 23, were originally from Zizawya Khe village in Wan Thi village tract which had been forcibly relocated in 1996-97 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

On the day of the incident, Naang Sa and Zaai Leng were transporting rice from their remote farm and were taking a rest in a farm hut when a patrol of about 40 SPDC troops from Co.3 of IB64, led by commander Myint Soe, came.

The SPDC troops seized and tied up Zaai Leng outside the farm hut and gang-raped Naang Sa in the hut. After the troops left the farm taking Naang Sa with them for some time, Zaai Leng managed to untie himself and searched for his wife, but he could not find her anywhere in the area.

Zaai Leng then returned home and reported the incident to the village leaders. After some discussion, several village elders and leaders and Zaai Leng went to the base of IB64 to inquire about his wife but were not allowed to enter by the guards at the entrance gate, who told them that there had been no troops going out over the last 2-3 days because they were having important meetings.

The villagers could do nothing further but to return quietly. However, 3 days later, Naang Sa’s body was found floating in an abandoned well locally known as Nam Waw Tawng Kuay or Nam Waw Mon in the area of the farm.

3 DISPLACED VILLAGERS SHOT DEAD AND DUMPED INTO WATER IN KUN-HING

On 21 October 2003, 3 displaced villagers who were catching fish were shot dead and dumped into the Salween river by a patrol of SPDC troops from Ta Kaw camp, in Ka Li village tract, Kun-Hing township.

The 3 victims, Zaai Thun (m), aged 16, Zaai La (m), aged 22 and Zaai Mon (m), aged 24, were originally from Long Maw village in Wan Lao village tract, Kun-Hing township, which had been forcibly relocated to Ka Li village relocation site in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

On the day of the incident, the 3 villagers were catching fish along the banks of the Salween river about 3 miles south of Ka Li village when a patrol of SPDC troops shot them dead and dumped their bodies into the Salween river.

The bodies of the 3 villagers were found stranded some distance downstream by some fellow villagers 4-5 days later. At about the same time, some SPDC troops from the unit taking security of the Salween river bridge at Ta Kaw village told villagers in Ka Li village that they had shot dead 3 Shan rebels who were catching fish in the Salween river 5-6 days ago and dumped their bodies in the water some 3 miles south of the village.

DISPLACED FARMERS SHOT AT, WIFE KILLED AND HUSBAND WOUNDED, IN LAI-KHA

Sometime in early 2003, 2 displaced farmers, husband and wife, were shot at by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB514 at a remote farm in Wan Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township. The husband escaped with a shoulder wound while the wife was killed instantly.

Pun-Nya and his wife, Ae Naang, aged 32, were originally from Pa Kaang village in Wan Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, which had been forcibly relocated in 1996-97 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

The displaced couple was temporarily staying and working at their remote farm in the area of their former village, west of Haai Seng village (also relocated), when a patrol of about 40 SPDC troops from LIB514, led by commander Htun Mya Oo, came and surrounded the farm.

It was in the morning and the couple was sitting around a fire in the hut, cooking. Seeing smoke coming out of the hut, the SPDC opened fire without saying or asking anything. A bullet hit Pun-Nya’s left shoulder and he jumped out of the hut and escaped. The SPDC troops then ran into the farm and closer to the hut while shooting at it. Ae Naang was hit in the forehead before she could leave the hut and died instantly inside. 

Pun-Nya hid in the forest until the SPDC troops left the farm and despite his wound went back to look for his wife only to find that she was dead. He then returned to his village and recounted the incident to his relatives who went and buried his wife for him.

After his wound was healed, Pun-Nya later joined a group of displaced villagers who were going to the Thai border and was able to relate his plight to some human rights field workers.

ARREST, DETENTION AND TORTURE IN MURNG-PAN

In November 2003, a villager of Ho Phaai Long village in Ho Phaai Long village tract, Murng-Pan township, was arrested, tortured and detained for 13 days by SPDC troops of LIB332 before he was released for being innocent.

On 16 November 2003, Lung Nya-Lin-Ta (m), aged 44, of Ho Phaai Long village was arrested by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB332, led by Maj. Hpe Thein, and tortured. The SPDC troops accused him of being an intelligence agent of the Shan rebels and interrogated him, beat and tortured him.

The beating and torture continued for some time as Lung Nya-Lin-Ta denied being an agent of the Shan rebels and having knowledge of their whereabouts. The SPDC troops then took him to the military camp and detained him for further interrogation.

For 13 days, Lung Nya-Lin-Ta was detained and interrogated, and often tortured. Finally he was released only because it was evident that he was just an ordinary farmer who had nothing to do with the Shan resistance forces.

THIS SECTION IS GIVEN TO CASES ABOUT EXTORTION AND STEALING WHICH HAVE BECOME MORE AND MORE RAMPANT DURING THE RECENT MONTHS

As mentioned in the Commentary section, there have been many cases of extortion and stealing by members of the SPDC in central and eastern Shan State over the recent months, and some of the displaced persons who managed to get to the Thai border have cited extortion and stealing as the main causes of their displacement.

The following are some instances of such cases received by SHRF during the end of last year, 2003, and the beginning of this year, 2004:

DISPLACED PEOPLE FORCED TO PAY RENT FOR LANDS BOUGHT FROM THE MILITARY IN MURNG-NAI

Since August 2003, displaced people in the outskirts of Murng-Nai town are being forced to pay rent for their land by the SPDC troops of LIB518 from whom they had bought it.

About 70 families of displaced people, forcibly relocated from the surrounding villages in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops, who had bought plots of land to live on from the SPDC troops of LIB518 are now being forced to either pay rent for those lands or leave.

When they were forcibly relocated in 1997, these 70 families had chosen to buy plots of land offered by the SPDC troops of LIB518 near their military base to live on. Each plot of land cost them between 7,000 kyat and 10,000 kyat, depending on the size. They have since then built houses and lived on those lands.

However, in August 2003, the military authorities of LIB518 told the villagers that the land on which they lived formerly belonged to the military and it was now needed to build a base for members of the people’s militia that had been trained by the Burmese military, and the villagers were required to leave.

Those who did not want to leave immediately needed to pay rent on a monthly basis, said the authorities. Since then, the villagers are being forced to pay between 3,000 kyat and 6,000 kyat for each plot of land, depending on its size, every month.

MONEY EXTORTED IN LIEU OF FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-SART

Since August 2003, people in Murng-Sart township are being required by SPDC military authorities to provide money instead of regular forced labour and for other military use.

In August 2003, SPDC troops of LIB333 issued an order to village and village tract headmen and community leaders to collect money from the people in Murng-Sart township, 5,000 kyat per household per month, for military use.

The money would be used to support people’s militia training and in other matters which civilian forced labour was being regularly used, e.g., guarding the roads, clearing and maintaining the streets in the town.

The people were made to understand that if they provided the designated amount of money regularly, they would not have to provide forced labour for some of the work routinely requiring their labour.

MONEY EXTORTED FOR BOXING MATCH ENTERTAINMENT IN KAENG-TUNG

In November 2003, people in Kaeng-Tung township were forced to buy tickets for a boxing match event organized by SPDC authorities at the Golden Triangle Regional Stadium in Kaeng-Tung town to raise funds for the families of the SPDC troops of the Golden Triangle Regional Command.

The tickets, in the form of invitation letters, were distributed to all the town quarters and villages in the township. Each village or town quarter was required to buy from 100 up to 500 tickets according to the size of its population, at the rate of 100 kyat per ticket.

However, during the 3-4 days when the boxing matches were actually held at the said stadium, virtually all the seats were occupied by the SPDC troops and their families. Hardly any villagers were able to get a seat among them.

Even though the people who had to pay for the event mainly to entertain the SPDC troops and their families complained about it, the organizers, the authorities of the Golden Triangle Regional Command, said that the boxing match event had been a great success and had raised a lot of funds.

MONEY EXTORTED FOR FLYING LANTERN COMPETITION IN KAENG-TUNG

In November 2003, SPDC authorities extorted money from the people in Kaeng-Tung township to organize a flying lantern contest during a Buddhist religious light festival, but the contest had not materialized after the money had been provided.

On 1 November 2003, SPDC authorities in Kaeng-Tung township called a meeting of village and community leaders and told them to collect money from the people to organize a flying lantern contest during the coming Buddhist religious light festival on the full-moon day of the 12th lunar month (8.11.03), and to make flying lanterns for their respective villages and quarters to take part in the contest.

Each household was required to give 500 kyat to the SPDC authorities to be used as funds in organizing the contest. Entrance tickets to watch the contest, that was to be held at the township sports ground, were sold in advance and many people were persuaded to buy, at the price of 3,000 kyat.

However, after money had been collected, many tickets sold out and flying lanterns made, ready to be launched, on the eve of the full-moon day, the SPDC authorities announced that the contest had been cancelled due to security reasons.

Since flying lanterns had already been made, the villagers launched them at their respective Buddhist temples and monasteries on the full-moon day. But no one dared to enquire where the money, extorted from the people and from the ticket sales, had gone.

PEOPLE FORCED TO PROVIDE FOOD AND MONEY FOR MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN TA-KHI-LAEK

In December 2003, people in Ta Lur, Murng Laen and Nam Kherm village tracts in Ta-Khi-Laek township were forced by SPDC troops from LIB316 to provide food and money for their military activities.

On 14 December 2003, a column of SPDC troops from Ta-Lur-based LIB316 ordered the village and community leaders in Ta Lur, Murng Laen and Nam Kherm village tracts to prepare packets of cooked food for their troops.

One packet of food from each house was to be gathered and sent to the military camp at Kawng Ke, about 2 furlongs east of Ta Lur, by the villagers at 9 a.m. in the morning of 15 December 2003. The troops were to patrol uninhabited jungle areas and needed the help of the people, said the order.

A few days later, on 18 December 2003, another order came from the same troops requiring the people from the same village tracts to provide money for the expenses of military patrols. Each household was to provide 80 baht of Thai money to their respective leaders who were to take it to the military camp not later than 15:00 hrs. on 20 December 2003.

In order to save time for the villagers in having to cook food, the SPDC troops would only receive help in the form of money in the long run, said the order.

EXTORTION AT CHECKPOINTS

Civilian vehicles are almost always required to pay money or in kind to the SPDC authorities manning checkpoints. The following are some of the instances:

On 22 February 2004, a civilian vehicle was accused of having dropped off illicit merchandise before it reached the checkpoint and money extorted by a combined force of SPDC various departments manning Mark Yaang checkpoint in Ta-Khi-Laek township.

When the SPDC authorities searched the vehicle of Naang Kawng Phu (f), aged 36, they did not find anything illicit. But they accused her of having dropped off some illegal goods somewhere on the way before she reached the checkpoint and extorted 5,000 kyat before they let her go.

Naang Kawng Phu tried to explain that she got only 4,000 kyat each from the 4 passengers she was carrying and she had already had to pay a few thousands kyat each at the 2-3 checkpoints on the way, and if she had to pay 5,000 kyat now there would be almost nothing left for her. But the SPDC authorities did not let her go until she had paid the money.
Since October 2003, every civilian vehicle has had to buy at least 1 bottle of tamarin juice to get a pass at each of the 3 checkpoints in Nam-Zarng, Loi-Lem and Tawng-Gi, at the rate of 300 kyat per bottle.

Mini-tractors transporting firewood have to give some of their firewood to the checkpoints in Lai-Kha and Murng-Kerng every time they pass through. Each time, at least 10 long pieces of firewood, the biggest and the straightest ones, have to be given to the checkpoints.

In Kaeng-Tung, the checkpoint at Wan Lurn village takes 3 bundles of firewood from every vehicle carrying firewood, or 300 kyat of money if the driver does not want to pay in kind. Normally, each vehicle could carry about 100 bundles, but vehicles carrying only about half that much also have to pay the same amount.

MONEY EXTORTED FROM MINI-TRACTORS IN KUN-HING

On 5 January 2004, 9 mini-tractors from Ka Li village were forced to give 5,000 kyat of money each to the SPDC troops from LIB514 who were patrolling Kaeng Lom village tract areas in Kun-Hing township.

On that day, mini-tractors that were carrying displaced farmers from Ka Li village relocation site to Kaeng Lom village tract to work on their original farms near their relocated villages were stopped by a patrol of SPDC troops and forced to pay a ‘tax’ of 5,000 kyat each, on the way in Kaeng Lom village tract.

Even though the mini-tractor drivers tried to explain that they were just transporting displaced farmers to their farms and were not going to any particular places, the SPDC troops did not listen to them but kept demanding the money, and did not let them go until they had given the money.

On that day alone, 9 mini-tractors had gone to Kaeng Lom transporting displaced farmers and all had had to pay 5,000 kyat of tax each to the SPDC troops before they were let go.

VILLAGERS ROBBED OF THEIR PROPERTY IN MURNG-NAI

On 6 February 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB336 robbed some villagers of their property at Kalaa village in Kung Keng village tract, Murng-Nai township.

In the evening of that day, a patrol of about 50 SPDC troops from LIB336, said to have come from somewhere down in lower Burma, came to Kalaa village and searched the houses, and took away what they wanted.

1. Zaai Pee (m), lost 1 pig worth 20,000 kyat

2. Pa Ku (f), lost 1 tape-recorder, 2 1-kilo-packet of seasoning powder and 1 electric torch light

3. Mu-Lin (m), lost 1 plastic mat, 3 chickens and 1 electric torch light

4. Ti-Ya (m), lost 1 tape-recorder with 12 cassette tapes, 1 head turban, 1 shoulder bag, 5 chickens and 1 electric torch light

5. Naang Mon (f), lost 2 pairs of shoes, 1 shoulder bag, 4 boxes of dried noodle packets, 2 packets of dry batteries and 7 long packets of coffee powder

A VILLAGER ROBBED OF HIS MONEY AND VALUABLES IN KUN-HING

On 12 December 2003, in the evening, a villager was robbed of his money and valuables by 3 SPDC troops from IB246 at his house in the quarter-5 of Kun-Hing town.

The victim, Lung Zin-Ta (m), lost 985,500 kyat of money, 3 kyat-weight of gold ornaments and a ruby worth 30,000 kyat when it was bought long ago.

On the next day, Lung Zin-Ta and some community leaders went to lodge a complaint with the military authorities at IB246. Even though the villagers knew the culprits and were able to mention their names, their case was not accepted.
“It is difficult because there is no evidence.”, said the military commander who received the villagers, “Because you have not seized them and showed them to us we cannot take any action now”. “Further more,”, added the commander, “you have been too ready to accuse our soldiers without any evidence. I can charge you with defaming our army and punish you for this”.

“However”, the commander continued, “I will let you go this time. Next time if you accuse our soldiers without evidence, you will be harshly punished”.

STEALING SPDC TROOPS SEIZED BY VILLAGERS IN KAENG-TUNG

In January 2004, 2 SPDC troops who were robbing people were seized by villagers and handed to their commander at the base of a military transportation unit in Kaeng-Tung town, but no action had been taken against them until late February 2004 when this report was received.

In the evening of 29 December 2003, 2 SPDC troops from the transportation unit’s base west of the main market place in Kaeng-Tung town, robbed 3 townspeople of their possessions on the way between Kyawng Long and Mahabhodhi Buddhist temples in the centre of the town.

Of the 3 victims who were stopped at gun point and robbed by the SPDC troops, Zaai Seng (m) lost 7,000 kyat of money; Zaai Dip (m) lost 2,000 kyat of money and Zaai Long (m) lost a Seiko wrist watch.

On 2 January 2004, the same 2 SPDC troops tried to rob people again at the same place. However, as the troops were robbing some people, some 7-8 other people surrounded and seized them, wresting away their guns.

The 2 SPDC troops were taken to a community leader and then handed to the commander at the transportation unit. Although the commander told the townspeople that the 2 soldiers would be punished accordingly, there was no news of them being punished until late February 2004.