SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- NOVEMBER 2004

COMMENTARY

In closed societies under brutal dictatorships where transparency and accountability have no place, especially in a country like Burma where the ruling junta’s military battalions are required to raise their own funds, military troops and officials have virtually no qualms about preying on civilian populations in trying to enrich themselves.

When a decree or policy to crackdown on a certain newly designated illegal activity is issued, the junta’s troops are quick to take advantage and use various means to extort money even from innocent people who have nothing to do with the said ‘illegal’ activity.
For instance, after agreeing to cooperate with regional and international communities in stemming the flows of human trafficking, SPDC troops in Shan State have taken advantage of the situation and extorted money from many travellers, most of them innocent people, using threats and intimidation.

In this month’s issue, 3 such incidents which took place in Lai-Kha, Murng-Nai and Murng-Ton townships have been reported.
Many other gross human rights violations such as killing, rape and torture, etc., have also been reported like every month as they have been going on unabated.

Furthermore, the policy of rice procurement, which forcibly required farmers to sell their rice in quotas to the authorities at prices many times lower than the market rates, that had been declared suspended a year or so ago will also be officially resumed.

2 VILLAGERS RETURNING FROM CUTTING WOOD BEATEN TO DEATH IN MUNRG-TON

In August 2004, 2 villagers from Wan Mai village in Mae Ken village tract, Murng-Ton township, who were returning from cutting wood were beaten to death by SPDC troops from IB225 about 1 mile north of Wan Mai village.

On 16 August 2004, Zaai Nung (m), aged 20 and Zaai Mint (m), aged 19, went to cut wood in the forest and were returning in the evening when they ran into a group of SPDC sol diers from IB225, led by commander Aung Loon, who were camping for the night about 1 mile north of their village.

After the SPDC troops left the place on the next day, relatives of Zaai Nung and Zaai Mint, who had not returned home the other day, went in search for them and found their bodies in a bush, and believed that they had been killed by the SPDC troops that had just left the area.

CIVILIAN GUIDES SHOT DEAD DURING FORCED LABOUR IN KAE-SEE

In July-August 2004, 2 villagers were shot dead while being forced to serve as guides for several weeks by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB514 in the relocation areas in Kae-See township.

On 4 July 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB514 forced Zaai Zit-Ta (m), aged 34, from Wan Paang Loi Tawng village in Murng Nawng village tract, Kae-See township, to serve as a guide and patrol the areas of deserted villages (relocated) where people had been forced to move some years ago.

After patrolling for 28-29 days, the SPDC troops shot dead Zaai Zit-Ta near Naa Kaang old village (relocated) and continued to Murng Yaang village tract and conscripted Lung Mo (m), aged 51, from Nawng Paang village in Murng Yaang village tract, Kae-See township, to serve as a guide.

After being forced to serve as a guide for 21-22 days, Lung Mo also disappeared, believed to have been killed by the SPDC troops somewhere in the relocation areas, although his body had not been found.

3 VILLAGERS RETURNING FROM THEIR FARM SHOT DEAD IN A GROUP IN MURNG-PAENG

In July 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB43 shot dead 3 farmers who were returning from their farm in Murng Pu Awn village tract, Murng-Paeng township.

Lung Paw Murng (m), aged 53, Zaai Mu (m), aged 27 and Zaai Thu (m), aged 31, were all ordinary farmers from Huay Sawn village in Murng Pu Awn village tract, Murng-Paeng township, who had plots of rice farms in the same area some distance from their village.

On the evening of 7 July 2004, the said 3 farmers were returning home together after weeding their farms when they were shot dead in a group on the way about 1/2 mile from their farms.

According to some witnesses, the SPDC troops apparently knew the victims were just farmers returning home when the shot at them, they did not mistake them for Shan soldiers. Only 570 kyat of money in all was found when the bodies of the victims were searched.

The SPDC troops even left a letter near the bodies as if written by Shan soldiers of SSA (Shan State Army), accusing the villagers of always refusing to provide rice, chickens and pigs when they were asked for, and signed by Lt. Naw Kham of SSA.

A BOY BEATEN TO DEATH AND ROBBED OF HIS OXEN IN TANG-YARN

In July 2004, a 13-year-old boy was beaten to death and his 2 oxen were stolen by a group of SPDC troops near Murng Kaao village in Murng Kaao village tract, Tang-Yarn township.

On 2 July 2004, Zaai Khaw Law (m), aged 13, from Murng Kaao village in Murng Kaao village tract, Tang-Yarn township, was grazing his family’s 2 draught oxen in a meadow south of his village. As Zaai Khaw Law was sitting in the shade of a tree, a group of SPDC soldiers came and dragged away his 2 oxen.

Zaai Khaw Law then ran after them and tried to get back his oxen. But the SPDC troops beat and kicked him down into a ditch and continued to drag away the oxen.

A friend of Zaai Khaw Law, Zaai Laek, from the same village, who happened to be near the meadow at the time saw when the SPDC troops were beating Zaai Khaw Law and ran back to the village to tell the villagers.

When some villagers rushed to the meadow, they saw Zaai Khaw Law lying in a ditch, dead. They could still see the SPDC troops who were dragging away the oxen, but too far to make out which military unit they belonged to, and no one dared to go after them.

DAUGHTER GANG-RAPED, FATHER BEATEN, OXEN STOLEN, IN HO-PONG

In July 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB249 beat up a villager until he lost consciousness and gang-raped his daughter until she too lost consciousness and stole away their oxen, in Murng Pawn village tract, Ho-Pong township.

On 7 July 2004, Lung Kan-Tha, aged 57 and his daughter, Naang Khawng, aged 31, of Tham Zaang village in Murng Pawn village tract, Ho-Pong township, went to gather firewood in the forest with an ox-cart and ran into a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from IB249, led by Capt. Thein Kyaw.

The SPDC troops stopped the villagers, accused them of having transported rice for the Shan soldiers and interrogated them. Lung Kan-Tha was beaten up until he lost consciousness and Naang Khawng was gang-raped until she lost consciousness.

When the villagers regained consciousness, they found their cart but with no oxen. Apparently the SPDC troops had stolen them away. Father and daughter helped each other and managed to walk back to their village and related their plight to the village leaders.

When the village leaders reported the incident to the battalion commander of IB249, he said that Capt. Thein Kyaw had gone to attend training for 3 months and had not yet come back, so the villagers must have made a mistake. The villagers did not know what to say or do further.

3 PALAUNG WOMEN RAPED, INCLUDING A 12-YEAR-OLD, IN NAM-ZARNG

In August 2004, 3 Palaung women were raped by SPDC troops from IB66 near Maak Mong Lao village in Nam-Zarng township.
The 3 victims, E Oo, aged 12, E Suay, aged 25 and Me Zoi, aged 40, were all villagers of Maak Mong Lao village in Nam-Zarng township.

On 14 August 2004, the said 3 women were raped by 3 SPDC troops from IB66, led by a Sergeant, locally known as “Sara Kalaa”, near their village.

Although the village leaders of Maak Mong Lao village had lodged a complaint with the SPDC military authorities at Kho Lam village in Nam-Zarng Township, no action had yet been taken concerning the case up until October 2004 when this report was received.

BEATING, EXTORTION AND DETENTION ON FALSE ACCUSATION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN LAI-KHA, MURNG-NAI AND MURNG-TON

When a decree or policy to crack down on illegal activities is issued, corrupt officials, especially in closed societies under dictatorship like Burma, often take advantage of it and prey on innocent people to enrich themselves. The following 3 stories are some of many such incidents.

In September 2004, SPDC troops of IB64 arrested 8 travellers, accused them of intending to go to Thailand, beat them up, extorted money from them and locked them up in the military base for 3 days and 2 nights, in Lai-Kha township.

On 19 September 2004, 8 travellers, 5 men and 3 women, from different areas of Lai-Kha township who were leaving Lai-Kha town on a car, owned and driven by Zaai Kyaw Taan (m) of Murng-Pan, were stopped, accused of going to Thailand and arrested by SPDC troops of IB64 manning a checkpoint.

When the travellers said they were not going to Thailand but were visiting Tawng-Gi, the capital of Shan State, the SPDC troops beat some of them up and extorted 2,000 kyat of money from them and put them in a jail in the base of IB64 for 3 days and 2 nights.

(Lai-Kha town is in central Shan State and quite far away from the Thai border. There are still 6-7 townships between Lai-Kha town and the border and still the SPDC troops accused them of going to Thailand and molested them. They wanted to take advantage of the human trafficking ban and make money, but had forgotten that Lai-Kha was too far a town to be a heading point to Thailand)

A similar incident had also taken place earlier in Murng-Nai township, but it was the driver who was arrested and detained, and money was extorted for his release.

In April 2004, a car owner from Murng-Ton who had visited his relatives in Ton Hung village tract, Murng-Nai township, was arrested on leaving the area by a force of SPDC police manning a checkpoint and detained for 10 days, and released only after 2,300,000 kyat of money had been extorted from his relatives.

When the car owner, Zaai Murng, was to return to Murng-Ton after visiting his relatives in Murng-Nai, some of his relatives who were going to Nam-Zarng and Murng-Ton asked him to take them with him, altogether 14 of them.

But when the car reached a police checkpoint on leaving Ton Hung village in Murng-Nai township, they were stopped and all the 14 passengers were ordered to get down and return to Ton Hung village.

The driver-owner was accused of trying to traffic people to Thailand and was forced to drive his car to the police station, where he was locked up in a jail and told to pay a fine of money if he wanted to be released.

The driver was released only after 2,300,000 kyat of money had been extorted from his relatives and by that time he had already been detained in jail for 10 days.

Another similar incident had also taken place in September 2004 in Murng-Ton township when a young woman was accused of trying to traffic another young woman to Thailand and arrested, detained and money extorted.

On 1 September 2004, Naang Non, aged 19, of Wan Naa village in Wan Naa village tract, Murng-Ton township, was arrested on account of trying to traffic another woman, a daughter of a policeman, of about the same age, to Thailand and was given a 3-year jail term. The police told Naang Non’s parents to bring 700,000 kyat of money for her release.

According to those who were close to Naang Non and knew the story well, Naang Non was just taking her friend to visit Naa Kawng Mu and Pung Pa Khem villages when a patrol of 5 policemen came after them and arrested Naang Non.

Naang Non and the policeman’s daughter had been friends for about one year. The policeman’s daughter often visited Naang Non at her house, sharing food and eating meals together. Since Naang Non often visited her relatives at Naa Kawng Mu and Pung Pa Khem villages one or two times every month, one day the policeman’s daughter asked Naang Non to take her to those villages when she visited them.

One evening Naang Non told her friend, the policeman’s daughter, that she was going to visit Naa Kawng Mu and Pung Pa Khem villages early next day. On the next day, 1 September 2004, the two friends took a passenger car and left Murng-Ton early in the morning.

At around noon, a patrol of 5 policemen from Murng-Ton came after them and arrested Naang Non and took them back to Murng-Ton. The police accused Naang Non of trying to traffic the policeman’s daughter to sell in Thailand and charged her with human-trafficking, and put her in jail.

Naang Non’s parents had not yet been able to find the 700,000 kyat of money needed to bail her out when this report was received in late September 2004.

A FISHERMAN ARRESTED AND BEATEN IN MURNG-NAI

In August 2004, a villager who was catching fish was arrested, detained at a military base and beaten by SPDC troops from LIB574 in Ton Hung village tract, Murng-Nai township.

On 10 August 2004, Ai Wi (m), aged 40, of Ton Hung village in Ton Hung village tract, Murng-Nai township, was catching fish in a stream when a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB574, led by Maj. Kyaw Tay Ya, came and arrested him.

The SPDC troops took Ai Wi to their base and interrogated him, beat him and detained him there, saying that they would kill him in 2 days if he did not cooperate and give them the answers they wanted.

When Ai Wi had not returned by the time he should have, his relatives and their community leaders tri ed to find him but did not know where he was, so they reported it to the police. After receiving some money from Ai Wi’s relatives, the police found out that he was being detained at the base of LIB574.

Ai Wi was later released, but only after some money had been extorted from his family and relatives by the SPDC troops.

DISAPPEARANCE IN NAM-ZARNG

In August 2004, a villager who was arrested by SPDC troops from the Military Intelligence (MI) unit at Kho Lam village, Nam Zarng township, disappeared after some time in detention.

On 7 August 2004, Zaai Phaw-Ka, male, aged 35, of Kaad Lur village in Nam-Zarng township was arrested by SPDC troops from the MI unit stationed at Kho Lam village relocation site, in Nam-Zarng township.

Some time after his arrest, Zaai Phaw-Ka’s relatives tried to enquire about him, but they could not get any information about him and could not find him anywhere else.

Zaai Phaw-Ka has since then disappeared up to the time of this report.

FORCED LABOUR AND BURNING OF PROPERTY IN NAM-ZARNG

In August 2004, 2 farm huts with the owners’ belongings in them were burned down and the 2 owner-farmers were forced to clear the sides of a road for a distance of 4 miles by SPDC troops in Kho Lam village tract, Nam-Zarng township.

On 23 August 2004, the SPDC troops stationed at the outpost camp, called ‘4-mile-camp’, in Kho Lam village tract, Nam-Zarng township, burned down 2 far m huts that were not far from their camp and punished the owners by forcing them to work.

The 2 farm huts respectively belonged to 2 local farmers: Wi-Zin-Ta (m), aged 45 and Kawn Zing (m), aged 40, of Haang Naa village in Kho Lam village tract, Nam-Zarng township.

As punishment, Wi-Zin-Ta and Kawn Zing were forced by the SPDC troops to clear the sides of the road between Haang Naa and Kho Lam villages, which was 4 miles in distance.

FORCED LABOUR AND ROBBERY IN KUN-HING

In August 2004, SPDC troops from IB296 robbed the villagers of Naa Keng and Nam Paa Man villages in Kaeng Lom village tract, Kun-Hing township, of their property and forced 2 villagers of Naa Keng to serve as unpaid guides and porters.

On 14 August 2004, a patrol of about 36 SPDC troops from IB296, led by commander San Lin, came to Naa Keng village in Kaeng Lom village tract, Kun-Hing township, and forcibly took 10 chickens, 2 viss of cooking oil (1 viss = 1.6 kg) and 1/2 basket of husked peanut from the house of a villager named Lung Saw.

After taking his property, the SPDC troops told Lung Saw to ask the village headman if he wanted money for the price of his property and, on leaving the village, forced the following 2 villagers to go with them to serve as guides: Lung Ti (m), aged 44 and Lung Kum-Ma (m), aged 45.

When the SPDC patrol reached Nam Paa Man village in the same village tract, it was after 6 o’clock in the evening on the same day. They forced the village headman to provide them with a pig and 1/2 basket of husked rice.

Apart from that, the SPDC troops went into a shop-house belonging to Lung Ta and Pa Suay, and took 10 bottles of whiskey and a box of canned beer and a lot of small items of food and cookies without paying for them.

The troops even threatened the owners, saying, “We know you open this shop to support the Shan rebels, and you trade in opium and methamphetamine. This is better than arresting you and putting you in jail. Thank us for that”.

The SPDC troops left Nam Paa Man village on the same night, forcing the guides they conscripted from Naa Keng to carry their loot, and returned towards their camp at Ta Kaw village, at the bridge on the Salween river.

The 2 civilian guides-porters were rele ased only when they reached the main road leading to Ta Kaw village, a short distance to the east, after carrying heavy loads for several miles during the night.

In September 2004, another patrol of SPDC troops from IB296 also robbed the villagers of Saai Leng village in Kaeng Lom village tract, Kun-Hing township, of their chickens and forced 2 of the villagers to serve as unpaid guides.

On 1 September 2004, a patrol of about 35 SPDC troops from IB296, led by Capt. Maung Win, came to Saai Leng village in Kaeng Lom village tract, Kun-Hing township, and forcibly took away 15 chickens, weighing about 7 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg), from the villagers.

The chickens belonged to 5 villagers, each of whom lost 3 chickens. On leaving Saai Leng village, the SPDC troops forced 2 of the villagers to go with them to serve as guides.

FORCIBLE RICE PROCUREMENT TO START AGAIN IN MURNG-TON

In August 2004, SPDC township authorities in Murng-Ton told all the village and village tract headmen in Murng-Ton township that the Burmese military junta would resume the rice procurement policy again as before starting from early next year.

On 1 August 2004, all the village and village tract leaders in Murng-Ton township were summoned to a meeting in Murng-Ton and were told by the SPDC township authorities that they had received an order from higher-up requiring farmers in the area to sell their rice quotas to the authorities as before, starting from February 2005.

Ironically, the SPDC authorities even added that because they did not buy rice from the farmers during 2004, they heard that the price of the rice had come down and the farmers could not sell their farm produce at reasonable prices.

Therefore, they would start buying rice again as before. As for the size of the quotas and the rate of the prices, when the time for rice procurement was near, a meeting would be held to inform the farmers, said the authorities.

In fact, it was the restrictions and regulations imposed on farmers and traders by the SPDC authorities that had put the farmers into a very difficult situation for years.

EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG

In August 2004, SPDC towns hip authorities in Kaeng-Tung issued an order requiring all the primary, middle and high schools in the township to collect money from their students for the funds to organize the 1st term-end student tournament.

The tournament was held from 5 August 2004 up to 19 September 2004. Each student was required to contribute to the tournament funds according to their grades: 500 kyat for primary schools; 600 kyat for middle schools; and 700 kyat for high schools.

There were 8 primary schools, 7 middle schools and 6 high schools in Kaeng-Tung township - not including small and remote primary schools - with an average number of not less than 200 students at each school . Owners of sizable shops in the town were also required to provide large-bottles of drinking water free of charge for the duration of the tournament.

Football games among girl students of high schools were virtually compulsory. Members and officials from all the SPDC departments unfailingly attended to watch them, including Gen. Khin Zaw himself, the commander of the Special Golden-Triangle Regional Command.