SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- NOVEMBER 2005

SHRF  MONTHLY REPORT -- NOVEMBER 2005

FORCED LABOUR & EXTORTION
FORCED RELOCATION
        The most common types of human rights violations, forced labour and extortion, committed by the SPDC troops against the civilian populations in Shan State are still going on unabated, a fact that is still being blatantly denied by the junta.
        Numerous incidents of forced labour, both routine and occasional, occur every day in different places in Shan State alone, not to mention other ethnic States and the whole of Burma. Still, the Burmese junta seem to believe they can cover up this fact by denying the existence of this obvious and widespread practice.
        Some attempts to substitute forced labour with extortion of money have been made by the SPDC troops, but they often return to directly using forced labour again after some time. The schemes have only added to the burden of extortion already imposed on the people for various matters which do not concern forced labor.
        It seems that instead of making attempts to stop using forced labour, the junta has just denied its existence and counter-accused those who talk about it of telling lies, be they ILO or whoever. The junta want to use unpaid forced labour of the people while at the same time they want to be seen as not violating their human rights.
        There are several incidents of forced labour and extortion reported in a separate section of this month’s issue.
        There are also some incidents of repeated forced relocation in which people who had been allowed to return to their former villages were forced to move again; and reports on incidents of killing, sexual abuse, beating and intimidation.

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CIVILIAN GUIDE SHOT DEAD IN NAM-ZARNG
        In May 2005, a displaced person who had been forced to serve as a guide was shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from the military camp at Kaad Lur village in Haai Naeng village tract, Nam-Zarng township.
        The victim, Pi Aung, male, aged 40, was originally from Haai Naeng village in Haai Naeng village tract, which had been forcibly relocated to Kaad Lur village in the same village tract in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.
        On 5 May 2005, at about 4 o’clock early in the morning, Pi Aung was conscripted to serve as a guide by the SPDC troops stationed at Kaad Lur village. The troops ordered Pi Aung to lead them to an old village called Kung Yom (relocated) by a shortcut way.
        As they got near Kung Yom old village, the SPDC troops found a place where a small temporary camp had been set up by someone, probably the Shan soldiers, but it had been abandoned more than 10 days earlier.
        The SPDC troops then accused Pi Aung of having connections with the Shan soldiers and shot him. One bullet went through his stomach and another one hit his temple and he fell down dead on the spot.
        After that, the SPDC troops continued to shoot their guns for a short while and fired one mortar shell, making it sound as if there was a gun battle. The SPDC troops later announced that there had been a skirmish with the Shan soldiers during which a civilian guide, Pi Aung, was killed.

SEXUAL ABUSES AND ATTEMPTED RAPE IN TANG-YARN
        In July 2005, an SPDC Major from IB33 sexually abused and attempted to rape a woman at her house in Kawng Hung village in Murng Kaao village tract, Tang-Yarn township.
        In the evening of 9 July 2005, Naang Kham Mo (not her real name), aged 32, was preparing food alone in the kitchen at her house when Maj. Than Win came. When he saw Naang Kham Mo alone in the kitchen, Than Win approached her and sexually abused her, holding and caressing her body, and finally tried to rape her.
        Naang Kham Mo then struggled and screamed, and her husband, who was visiting their neighbours, and 4 other villagers came running to her help. When Maj. Than Win saw the villagers coming, he let go of Naang Kham Mo and immediately left the house.
        Maj. Than Win was the commander of a patrol of SPDC troops from IB33 who were spending the night in Kawng Hung village, and he warned the villagers not to complain to the higher authorities about what he had done, or he would take action against the whole village.

ELDERLY MAN GETS THE CANE IN KAENG-TUNG
        In June 2005, a 65-year-old man was caned by the SPDC troops of LIB314 for letting his buffalo into the land designated as their battalion base area in Kaad Pha village tract, Kaeng-Tung township.
        On 10 June 2005, a buffalo belonging to Lung Yi, aged 65, of Nawng Ngern village in Kaad Pha village tract, roamed into the said land area where there were many holes that had been dug for planting trees, and trod on the piles of earth at the mouths of 5-6 such holes, causing the earth to fall into them.
        The SPDC troops then caught the buffalo and issued an order summoning the owner to come and claim the buffalo. When Lung Yi went to claim his buffalo, he was told that he was to be punished for letting his buffalo damage military property before he could get it back.
        The SPDC troops presented 2 sets of punishment for Lung Yi to choose from: One was that Lung Yi would have to dig 100 holes for each hole damaged by his buffalo, 500 holes for the damaged 5 holes; and the other was to receive 10 lashes of caning.
        Lung Yi pleaded for mercy, saying that he was too old to endure either set of punishment and appealed to the troops for leniency. But the SPDC troops would not budge and eventually Lung Yi had to make a decision and he chose the cane.
        Immediately after the caning, Lung Yi was allowed to take his buffalo back and he managed to reach home only because his muscles were so hot and numb that he could not feel much pain.
        The next day, however, Lung Yi could not get up. The bruises on his buttocks had become badly swollen and even to slightly move or touch them caused searing pain. It took 7-8 days for Lung Yi to be able to get up and move around again.

AN ELDERLY WOMAN INTIMIDATED, MONEY EXTORTED, IN KAENG-TUNG
        In July 2005, a 67-year-old woman who was visiting her daughter was threatened to be jailed and money extorted by SPDC special police for failing to report to them before 18:00 p.m. as an overnight-guest, in Kaeng-Tung township.
        Pa Naang In Kham, aged 67, was from Murng Phong village tract in Ta-Khi-Laek township. She had gone to visit her daughter who had married and gone to live with her husband at Kung Kyawng village in Kaeng-Tung township.
        On the day of her arrival, 1 July 2005, Pa Naang’s daughter and son-in-law were so busy that they failed to report to the police before 18:00 p.m. that they had a guest, which was made compulsory by the authorities, thinking that it would not matter much because their guest was only an elderly woman.
        However, when the police officers came on their inspection round that evening, they threatened to arrest Pa Naang and put her in jail for failing to report to the authorities before 18:00 p.m.
Her daughter and son-in-law tried to plead with the police to forgive them this time because their guest was their mother and just an elderly woman.
        Although at first the police officers seemed adamant, eventually they agreed to drop the case after 2,000 kyat of money was extorted from the couple. As they left, the police even warned the couple not to neglect their duty as they would not be forgiven next time.

PEOPLE FORCED TO RELOCATE AGAIN IN LAI-KHA AND KAE-SEE
        In September 2005, villagers who had been forcibly relocated in 1997-98 and had been permitted to return to their original villages only in 2002, have been forced to relocate again by the Burmese junta’s troops, in Lai-Kha and Kae-See townships.
        After members of the Shan resistance active in Lai-Kha and Kae-See townships rallied in support of the declaration of independence by the newly formed Interim Shan Government in May 2005, many people have been arrested, tortured and killed in the subsequent crackdowns by the local SPDC troops.
        After that, the SPDC authorities brought in troops from the 77th Division, based in Arakan State, to help clear up the Shan resistance forces in the areas. Since then there have been 2 battles fought between the SPDC troops from 77th Division and the Shan soldiers in Wan Pung village tract, Lai-Kha township.
        Because of that, on 14 September 2005, several villages in Wan Pung village tract were forced to move to the main village, Wan Pung, by the troops of 77th Division. The following 4 villages were among those that have been moved:
1. Wan Zan, 60 households
2. Kun Keng, 40 households
3. Si Kung, 30 households
4. Loi Saai, 25 households
        These villages had once been forcibly relocated to other places in 1997-98 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops. In 2002, some of the villagers had been permitted to return to their original villages by the SPDC troops, and now they have been forced to move again.

        On 24 September 2005, in Kae-See township, a combined force of SPDC troops from 77th Division and LIB286, based in Kae-See, also forcibly relocated villagers who had returned to their original villages back to their relocation site.
        Wan Tong and Long Yaan villages, about 50 households in both villages, and Paa Kaang village, 8 households, in Wan Tong village tract were among those that have been forced to move back to Murng Nawng village relocation site in Murng Nawng village tract, Kae-See township.

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SITUATION OF FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION

The following are incidents of Forced Labour and Extortion committed by the SPDC troops in Shan State during mid 2005. As reported in the Commentary section, the SPDC authorities are still widely using unpaid forced labour of the people and at the same time blatantly denying the existence of the practice.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO GROW CROPS FOR MILITARY IN KUN-HING
        Since July 2005, villagers of Laai Kaam village in Laai Kaam village tract, Kun-Hing township, have been forced by SPDC troops of IB246 to grow crops for them.
        Over the last 3-4 months, people of Laai Kaam village have been forced by the SPDC troops to grow peanut, sesame and maize, etc., on 50 acres of land. The villagers were required to take responsibility for the crops until they have been harvested.
        About 40 workers per day were required to work on the land tending and looking after the crops so that the villagers had to take turns and work in rotation,  each household every 3 days.
        Since it was also the season to grow their own subsistence crops, the villagers were forced to partly neglect their own crops to give their time to working for the military unpaid. This has caused some people to flee to other places.
        According to those who have fled to the Thai border, the SPDC troops in their area have recently started to forcibly take people to serve as unpaid porters again as before, after the practice seemed to have been stopped for a short while.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN NAM-ZARNG
        In July 2005, SPDC troops of IB66 in Nam-Zarng township conscripted civilian mini-tractors to work for them unpaid and issued an order requiring villages in the area surrounding the military base to provide rice for the battalion.
        On 1 July 2005, the commander of IB66, Myo Myint Aung, ordered 2 civilian mini-tractors in Nam-Zarng to go to Kun-Hing town and transport military rations back to the base of IB66 in Nam-Zarng township.
        In doing so, the SPDC commander gave nothing to the mini-tractors which had to work for the military for virtually the whole day. The owners had to buy the fuel for their tractors with their own money and provide their own food while working for the military.
        On the same day, Commander Myo Myint Aung issued an order requiring all the villages in the village tract where IB66 was based to provide rice for the battalion. Each village was needed to provide 1 large sack of husked rice, which was said to supplement the inadequate rations of the troops.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN KAE-SEE AND LAI-KHA
        Since late May 2005, SPDC troops of No.1 Tactical Command, based at Pang Phon village, have been forcing people in the surrounding villages in Kae-See and Lai-Kha townships to report to them the situation in the area on a daily basis, without fail.
        Every day, at least one villager from each of the several surrounding villages has to go to the military base and report to the SPDC troops the situation in the area, e.g., the movements of the Shan soldiers; the activities of the Interim Shan Government; the numbers of guests staying or who had spent the night in their villages, etc..
        In June 2005, the same SPDC troops forced people in several of the surrounding villages to work for them without pay and they also extorted money and property from the people. People were forced to cut and split bamboo for making fences and weaved thatch-roofing, etc..
        The following is the list of villages and the money and property extorted from them by the said SPDC troops:
1. Nawng Leng village, Murng Yaai village tract, Kae-See township, was forced to provide 100 pieces of large bamboo; 100 pieces of small bamboo; 200 sheets of thatch-roofing; 6,000 kyat of money; 5 bottles of cooking oil and 10 chickens. After that, 10 mini-tractors of the villagers were forced to transport all the above things to the military base.
2. From Paa Kaang village, Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, 250 pieces of large bamboo; 250 pieces of small bamboo and 600 sheets of thatch-roofing, were forcibly taken away.
3. Hu Hai village, Naa Poi village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 5,000 kyat of money; 400 sheets of thatch-roofing; and 1 musket worth about 30,000 kyat was forcibly taken away.
4. Kawng Hung village, Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 7,500 kyat of money and 100 pyi of husked rice.
5. Kiu Tawng village, Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 100 sheets of thatch-roofing and 50 pyi of husked rice.
6. Khaai Pung village, Wan Thi village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 50 pieces of bamboo, 100 sheets of thatch-roofing, 2 bottles of cooking oil and 2 viss of chickens.
7. Nawng Wo village, Wan Thi village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 60 sheets of thatch-roofing, 2 bottles of cooking oil and 3 viss of chickens.
8. Nam Naw village, Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 300 sheets of thatch-roofing.
9. Wan Kung Yur village, Paang Saang village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 500 sheets of thatch-roofing.
10. Zalaai Loi village, Wan Thi village tract, Lai-Kha township, was forced to provide 500 sheets of thatch-roofing, and 1 bottle of cooking oil, and 1 musket was forcibly taken away.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN MURNG-YAWNG
        Since June 2005, SPDC township authorities in Murng-Yawng have been forcing people in all the village tracts in the township to take turns and report to them 2 times a day without fail, and to bring with them 1 viss of chicken every other day.
        The villagers are required to report not only the movements and activities of the Shan soldiers in the area, but also of the local people who are supposed to be providing the Shan soldiers with food and lodgings, etc..
        Villagers far and near have to take turns and go to the township office of the SPDC authorities and report the situation 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening, even when there is nothing to be reported.
        Villages also have to take turns to provide the demanded chickens. Villages which do not have any chickens have to collect money among the villagers and buy them from other villages and take them to the authorities without fail.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN KUN-HING
        In June 2005, 2 villagers of Wan Lao village in Wan Lao village tract, Kun-Hing township, were forced to serve as guides by the SPDC troops from LIB524 who later accused all the villagers of Wan Lao of supporting the Shan soldiers and extorted 200,000 kyat of money from them.
        On 2 June 2005, Lung Ta (m), aged 50 and Pi Zaam (m), aged 40, of Wan Lao village were conscripted by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB524 to serve as unpaid guides. The 2 villagers were told to guide the SPDC troops to the area of Nam Hu, Paang Phaad and Paang Lao old villages (all were relocated).
        When they reached the said area, the SPDC troops pointed at a place and said that it was a camp of the Shan soldiers, and asked the 2 villagers if they knew about it. The villagers said that they did not know about it, and they could see no trace of there having been a recent camp at the place indicated.
        The SPDC troops then accused the villagers of lying and slapped both of them once each on the face, and ordered them to guide them back to Wan Lao village, saying that they would have to ask the village leaders about it.
        When they got back to Wan Lao village, the SPDC troops gathered the village leaders and elders and told them that they had found a place where the Shan soldiers had been camping and accused the villagers of having provided them with food and information.
        Eventually, the SPDC troops ordered the villagers of Wan Lao to provide 200,000 kyat of money as a fine, or else they could face much heavier punishment for this grave offence. The villagers had no choice but to comply for fear of further abuses.

FORCED LABOUR IN KAE-SEE
        Since early May 2005, people in Du Yaa and Waeng Kao village tracts in Kae-See township have been forced to work unpaid for the SPDC troops of IB287, based at Murng Nawng village in Kae-See township.
        Almost every day, 2 persons from each of all the villages in the 2 village tracts have to go to the military base and work as they are told by the SPDC troops, bringing with them their own food to eat during the day.
        The kinds of work the villagers are forced to do include working outside the military camp such as clearing and preparing lands to grow crops, growing crops, looking after crops and cutting wood and bamboo, etc..
        Inside the camp, the villagers have to do almost anything concerning the maintenance of the camp, e.g., weeding flower beds, clearing grass and other menial sanitation work. Villagers who do not work fast enough are said to be often scolded by the SPDC troops.

PEOPLE FORCED TO ATTEND OFFICIAL CEREMONIES IN KAENG-TUNG
        In June 2005, people in Kaeng-Tung township were forced to attend a road opening ceremony organized by SPDC township authorities and presided over by General Thein Sein, Secretary-1 of the SPDC.
        On 12 June 2005, a ceremony was held by the Kaeng-Tung SPDC township authorities to mark the completion of tarring of a road that had been under construction for 5-6 years. The road was the original main road from Tawng-Gi to Kaeng-Tung, about 281 miles in length.
        At least one person from each house in all the 5 town quarters and 2 village tracts, Kaeng Phawng and Loi Long, which were situated along the said road, was required to attend the ceremony. Those who failed to turn up would be fined 1,000 kyat each house.
        What had caused the most dissatisfaction among the people was that although the ceremony was actually held between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., they were required to get to the site not later than 5:00 a.m.
        Once at the site, which was about 2 miles west of the town, people were required to line up on both sides of the road and wait standing in the sun until the end of the ceremony, with soldiers, police and people’s militia guarding on all sides. “It was as if we were prisoners”, complained some townspeople later.

        Just 2 days after the above incident, on 14 June 2005, people were again forced by the SPDC township authorities to attend a ceremony to mark the opening of a new Technical Institute in Kaeng-Tung township, this time including all the students of all levels, from elementary up to college, in the township.
        The new Technical Institute was located in Murng Laab village tract, about 7 miles south of the town, and had been under construction since 2003, and was just completed in 2005. This ceremony was also presided over by SPDC Secretary-1, Gen. Thein Sein.
        On the day of the ceremony, about 60-70 civilian vehicles were conscripted to transport people to the site of the ceremony. Also this time people including the students were required to reach the site at 5:00 a.m.
        The people and the students had to stand in the open until the ceremony was finished at around 9:30 a.m., and it rained during the ceremony. Although the older students could endure the hardship of standing a long time in the rain, many child students could not, and some even fainted during the ceremony.