SHRF monthly report October 2005

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- OCTOBER 2005

COMMENTARY

Disappearance

Disappearances of members of the civilian populations in Shan State after being summoned, arrested or taken away for other purposes by members of the ruling Burmese military juntas have been regular occurrences for decades.

In most cases, although they were said to have “disappeared” because they could not be found dead or alive later, it was generally believed that they were dead, either killed or caused to die by their captors.

Victims of disappearances include men, women and children of all age. People disappear after being taken away for various  reasons, though more often they are accused by the junta’s troops of having something to do with the Shan resistance.

In one incident in this newsletter, 2 small children, aged 10 and 7, disappeared after running into a patrol of SPDC troops. Although there was no apparent reason, it was believed that the SPDC troops must have thought the 2 kids were children of the Shan soldiers and had done something to them.

Although they themselves are notorious cattle thieves, the junta’s troops are quite ready to accuse civilian cattle traders and herders of being rustlers and arrest them. In such cases, the cattle were almost always confiscated and the traders and herders often killed or disappeared.

Reported in this month’s newsletter are also incidents of theft and robbery. In addition to all sorts of extortion imposed upon the people by the SPDC military authorities, their roaming soldiers also often steal and rob the people of almost anything of value whenever they get the chance.

A SHAN ITINERANT TRADER DISAPPEARS, PROBABLY KILLED, IN MURNG-PAN

Since May 2005, a Shan itinerant trader selling traditional Shan clothes and books written in Shan has disappeared after he was arrested by SPDC troops from LIB332 in Murng-Pan township.

The trader, Zaai Chung, male, aged 37, from La-Sio town in northern Shan State, made a living by going from place to place selling traditional Shan costumes and books containing cartoons and stories written in Shan.

On 17 May 2005, the car Zaai Chung was travelling in was stopped by a group of SPDC troops from LIB332 manning a temporary checkpoint west of Murng-Pan town. There were 6 passengers in the car and the SPDC troops asked to see their ID cards.

When the troops learned from his ID card that Zaai Chung was from La-Sio, they questioned him and searched his belongings. The troops found several sets of Shan traditional clothes for both men and women in a large sack and some Shan books.

However, the SPDC troops said that they found a pistol holster among Zaai Chung’s belongings and accused him of being a member of the Shan resistance from the north who was travelling to meet his colleagues somewhere in the south.

Zaai Chung was then arrested and his belongings taken by the SPDC troops. In the evening of that day, he was seen being taken into the mountains north of Long Kaeng village by the SPDC troops, with his hands tied up behind him.

Since then Zaai Chung has not been seen again and local people believe that he was killed by the SPDC troops in the mountains. According to people who knew him, Zaai Chung was just a simple trader and they thought he must have been framed by the SPDC troops for some other reasons.

SITUATION OF DISAPPEARANCES

During early 2005, SHRF received several reports on incidents of disappearance that took place during mid and late 2004. Since those incidents have not yet been reported in any previous issues of this newsletter, they are now being reported in this month’s issue as another incident of disappearance that took place in mid 2005 (above story) has just been received by SHRF.

However, this does not mean that there was no incident of disappearance during early 2005. Only that SHRF field workers have not yet come across any of them so far.

The following are incidents of disappearance that took place during 2004:

A CIVILIAN CAR DRIVER DISAPPEARS IN LOI-LEM

In November 2004, a civilian car driver from Lai-Kha town disappeared after he was forced to drive a car into a SPDC military base in Loi-Lem township.

The victim, Zaai Kyaw Mo, male, aged 27, was from Lai-Kha town who earned a living as a hired driver. At the time of the incident, he was driving a licenceless car for an owner who lived in Tawng-Gi.

On 16 November 2004, Zaai Kyaw Mo’s car was stopped and searched by SPDC troops from IB12 manning a checkpoint in Loi-Lem township. When the troops found out that the car had no licence, they ordered Zaai Kyaw Mo to drive the car into their military base.

Since then Zaai Kyaw Mo has disappeared. When some time later his relatives made inquiries about him at the military base, the troops said that they let him go as soon as he had driven the car to the base. “We confiscated the car because it had no licence. Since the driver was only a hired hand, we let him go immediately” said the troops.

However, Zaai Kyaw Mo was still missing when this report was received in early 2005.

VILLAGE SECRETARY DISAPPEARS IN MURNG-NAI

In November 2004, a village secretary of Sen Taw village in Ton Hung village tract, Murng-Nai township, disappeared after being called away by SPDC troops from LIB524.

On 12 November 2004, 3 SPDC troops from Company No.3 of LIB524, led by Sgt. Htun Kyaw, came to Sen Taw village and ordered the village secretary, Zaai Saw-Na, to go with them, saying that their Major wanted to see him.

Zaai Saw-Na went with the SPDC troops and has disappeared since then. When his relatives made inquiries, the SPDC troops denied any knowledge of him and also denied that they had ever gone to call him in his village.

Zaai Saw-Na’s relatives searched in vain for some time for him or his body in the area. Many local people thought that he must have been taken to a different place and killed by the SPDC troops.

A VILLAGE HEADMAN AND HIS WIFE DISAPPEAR IN MURNG-SART

In October 2004, a Shan village headman and his wife disappeared after being taken away by a group of Wa troops in Murng Yawn village tract, Murng-Sart township.

The victims were Lung Seng, aged 44, the village headman of a Shan village in Murng Yawn village tract, and his wife, Naang Kya, aged 38. The Wa troops that took them away were members of the 171st Military Region of the UWSA (United Wa State Army), based in Murng Yawn.

On 9 October 2004, in the evening, the said Wa troops came and took the headman and his wife away with them on a car, saying the commander of the SPDC Tactical Command at Loi Zaang Mob wanted to see them.

Since then the couple have disappeared. When they were taken away, there were only their 2 children and the headman’s mother left at their house. Although their relatives inquired about them, the Wa leaders denied any knowledge of the incident.

2 SMALL CHILDREN DISAPPEAR IN KUN-HING

In May 2004, 2 children, 10 and 7 year olds, of a displaced couple disappeared after being taking away by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB524, in Kali village tract, Kun-Hing township.

Lung Taw-Na and Pa Ngern were a displaced couple originally from Wan Phaai village in Kaeng Lom village tract, which had been forcibly relocated to Kali village relocation site in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops. The couple managed to survive by cultivating a small plot of rice farm about 6 kilometres south of Kali relocation site.

On 9 May 2004, the day of the incident, the couple were working at their farm with their 2 children, Ai Zaai, male, aged 10 and Naang Ying, female, aged 7. Because they had run out of some basic food stuff, such as salt, chili, etc., the couple sent their 2 children back with 3,000 kyat of money to buy them.

On the way, however, the children ran into a patrol of about 25-30 SPDC troops from LIB524, led by commander Aung win, and they were taken away by the troops. Since then the children have not been seen again.

On enquiries by the couple and their relatives, the SPDC troops anywhere only said that they did not know anything about the incident.

2 TEENAGE BOYS DISAPPEAR IN MURNG-TON

In April 2004, 2 teenage boys of Wan Mai Son Khaan village in Me Ken village tract, Murng-Ton township, disappeared after being taken away from their village by the SPDC troops from IB225.

On the day of the incident, Zaai Zaai, aged 16 and Zaai Kya, aged 15, of Wan Mai Son Khaan, went into the forest at about 4 o’clock in the evening to hunt for rabbits and wild chickens. On the same evening, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from IB225 came to Wan Mai Son Khaan and for some reason deployed their troops along the northern edge of the village.

At about 10 o’clock that night, the villagers heard the SPDC troops shout at someone. Thinking that it could be their sons returning, parents of the 2 boys lit fire torches and went to have a look at the edge of the village from where the noises came.

But when they got there, they found no trace of anyone except for 2 pairs of slippers scattered here and there, which they recognized as being their sons’. Since then the 2 boys have disappeared, and the SPDC troops said that they knew nothing about it.

A VILLAGER DISAPPEARS IN NAM-ZARNG

In April 2004, a villager disappeared after being arrested and tortured by SPDC troops of No. 21 Operation Management Bureau in Kho Lam village tract in Nam-Zarng township.

Zaai Ti-Ya, aged 31, was eating a midday meal with his wife and children in his house at Um Pok village in Kho Lam village tract when a patrol of about 35 SPDC troops came and asked him about the Shan soldiers.

When Zaai Ti-Ya said he had not seen any Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops accused him of being a Shan soldier and arrested him, saying that he would have to show them where the rest of the Shan soldiers were hiding, and took him away.

A few days later, Zaai Ti-Ya’s relatives learned that he was taken to a military camp at Kho Lam village in the evening of the same day of his arrest and they went to Kho Lam to enquire about him.

They dared not, however, go to the SPDC military camp, but to a house of their relative who happened to be living near that military camp. That relative told them that people in the area saw when Zaai Ti-Ya was taken into the camp and many of them heard his cries and screams when he was beaten and tortured in the camp for a couple of days.

After that Zaai Ti-Ya’s voice was not heard again, and no one in the area saw him again. Zaai Ti-Ya’s relatives dared not go to the military camp to make further inquiries, but returned to their village and waited in the hope that he would some day return.

But Zaai Ti-Ya has never returned since then. He has disappeared after being arrested and tortured by the SPDC troops in a military camp.

A VILLAGE HEADMAN DISAPPEARS IN LOI-LEM

In April 2004, the former headman of Paang Ood village (relocated) in Pa Laai village tract, Loi-Lem township, disappeared after being summoned to his old village by SPDC troops from IB12.

Lung Kaang Zaw, the former headman of Paang Ood, who was living in a relocation site was summoned by Capt. Than Soe of IB12 to go and see him at the site of Paang Ood old village. Lung Kaang Zaw went as summoned and has since then disappeared.

Capt. Than Soe said that he called Lung Kaang Zaw to the site of the old village just to let him show them where Paang Ood village had once really stood, how wide it was, what villages had been on the north, south, east and west of it and where the existing roads led to, etc., and he was let go immediately after that.

However, Lung Kaang Zaw has not returned and local people believe he was killed by the SPDC troops. Lung Kaang Zaw once ran into Capt. Than Soe while he was raping a woman, Naang Nyo, aged 24, in a vegetable garden, but he did not do anything and went away immediately.

Although no one lodged a complaint about the rape incident with the authorities, Lung Kaang Zaw had related his experience to his fellow villagers and it had been news going around in the area for some time, and that could be the reason for his death, said the locals.

3 CATTLE TRADERS DISAPPEAR IN KUN-HING

In March 2004, 3 cattle traders disappeared after being taken into an SPDC military base west of Kun-Hing town, Kun-Hing township.

The 3 traders, Ai Paang (m), aged 40, Ai Sa (m), aged 30 and Ai Kham (m), aged 29, were all from Paang Nim village. They made a living by going around in the area, buying cattle and reselling them to the licensed butcher in Kun-Hing town.

On the day of the incident, the 3 traders were herding 6 head of cattle, all bulls, towards Kun-Hing town and were stopped and arrested by SPDC troops when they got near the base of the artillery unit just west of Kun-Hing town.

All the 3 traders and their 6 bulls were taken by the SPDC troops into the military base. Although 2 of the bulls were known to have been killed and eaten by the SPDC troops and 4 of them were later seen having been sold to the licensed butcher, there were no signs of any of the 3 traders.

The 3 traders have disappeared since they were arrested and taken into the SPDC military camp. No one has seen them again since then and no one knows what has actually happened to them.

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SITUATION OF THEFT AND ROBBERY

Apart from various kinds of extortion imposed upon civilian populations by the SPDC troops in Shan State, theft and robbery are also rampant where they are present, especially in rural areas. Almost anything, including money, valuables, clothes, kitchen utensils, food stuff and farm produce, etc., has often been stolen from the people by roaming SPDC troops.

Sometimes there were outright robberies when the SPDC troops forcibly took things directly from the people using some kind of threats, with complete disregard for the well-being of the their victims which usually were already very poor people.

The following are some of the reports on incidents of theft and robbery received by SHRF in early and mid 2005:

VILLAGERS’ MONEY AND CLOTHES STOLEN IN MURNG-TON

In May 2005, money and clothes of Lahu villagers were stolen by SPDC troops from IB133 at Pa Sae village in Loi Kham village tract, Murng-Ton township.

On 24 May 2005, a patrol of about 20 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based IB133 came to Pa Sae village in the evening and stopped there for the night. At night, some SPDC troops came into a house and said that they suspected there was a rifle, an AK-47, hidden somewhere in the house.

The SPDC troops searched the house while keeping the owners, a Lahu couple, Ja-Pur and Na-Khaa, outside of the house. After a while, the SPDC troops left saying they did not find any rifle in the house.

After the troops left, the couple found that 3,000 kyat of money, 3 men’s long-sleeves shirts, 3 women’s sarongs and pieces of women’s upper clothing were missing among their belongings. They were sure that the SPDC troops had stolen them when they searched the house.

The villagers knew the unit of the SPDC troops who were led by a commander with 2 stars on each of his shoulders and who was called Capt. Tint Swe by his soldiers. However, no one dared to complain about the incident to the authorities.

Almost every time the SPDC troops came to the village, one thing or another were stolen or forcibly taken from the villagers; at least some chickens were always taken without permission and without paying for them.

VILLAGERS’ MONEY AND VALUABLES STOLEN IN MURNG-SART

In May 2005, money and valuables of the villagers of Ja Ae Kyaw village were stolen by SPDC troops from LIB527 in Murng-Sart township.

In May, there was a contingent of SPDC troops from LIB527 who were taking road security on Murng-Sart - Murng-Ton main road, about 9 miles south of Murng-Sart. On 19 May 2005, 3 SPDC troops from the said contingent patrolled the surrounding area and came to a Lahu village.

The village was called Ja Ae Kyaw and was about 3 kilometres from the main road. The 3 SPDC troops randomly visited some houses in the village, searched 2 of the houses and took away what they wanted. There were only women in those 2 houses at that moment.

At first the SPDC troops asked to see the heads of the houses. But when the wives said their husbands were not at home, the troops went into the houses and searched, saying they might be hiding inside, and took away the money and valuables they found in the houses.

Ja Ngee (m), aged 25 and Ja Ur (m), 27 were heads of the 2 families and they together lost 30,000 kyat of money, an ancient silver belt, 30 ancient silver coins and 1/2 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) of raw opium.

VILLAGERS ROBBED OF THEIR FARM PRODUCE IN LARNG-KHUR

In April and May 2005, many vegetable farmers were robbed of their farm produce by locally based SPDC troops, at their farms about 3 miles north of Larng-Khur town, Larng-Khur township.

The farmers were mostly from Wan Long quarter in Larng-Khur town who could only go to tend their farms for a few hours during day time. Vegetables such as chilies, tomatoes, aubergines, etc., were often stolen whether the owners were present or not.

Sometimes when the owners tried to interfere, they were prevented from doing so at gun point while the SPDC troops stole as much of their vegetables as they like. The following is just one such incident.

On 29 April 2005, a group of 10 SPDC troops from IB99, led by commander Han Htun, who also brought with him 3-4 members of his family, came to one of the said vegetable farms, which was a tomato farm, and stole the tomatoes.

When the owner, Khat-Ti-Ya, tried to interfere, he was forced out of his farm at gun point and kept outside, and guarded by an SPDC soldier while the rest took as many of his tomatoes as they liked. All the tomatoes that were big enough and ready to be plucked were stolen at that time, related the owner later.

Khat-Ti-Ya had been growing tomatoes for a living during cultivating time every year for several years. Previously, he used to get 150,000-160,000 kyat from selling his tomatoes each year. This year, however, he could only get 11,600 kyat from selling his tomatoes because most of them had been stolen, which did not even cover the cultivating costs.

BURGLARY IN MURNG-NAI

In April 2005, SPDC troops from No.3 Regional Training Centre broke into a house and stole 100,000 kyat of money and gold ornaments weighing 5 baht in all, at Nam Tum Tai village in Nawng Hee village tract, Murng-Nai township.

The owner of the house was a widow, Naang Ku, aged 47, who lived alone and made a living selling food stuff and consumer goods at her house-shop where SPDC troops taking security at a bridge at Nam Tum Tai village often came to buy goods.

A contingent of SPDC troops from No.3 Regional Training Centre had been stationed at the bridge, which was not very far from Naang Ku’s house, for about a month when the incident took place. It was a Buddhist sabbath day and Naang Ku had gone to a Buddhist temple to worship, when some SPDC troops from the bridge burgled her house.

Naang Ku returned just in time to see some SPDC soldiers leaving her house and she rushed to see what had happened. She saw the door of her house was destroyed and when she went in, the box where she kept her money and valuables had been pried open with all the contents missing.

Naang Ku then went to report the incident to the commander of the SPDC troops at the bridge, who said that if it was really his troops who had stolen her property, he would make sure that she got them back.

However, that very evening all the SPDC troops left the place, saying that they had received an order to move out to another place. The troops mentioned nothing about Naang Ku’s case and Naang Ku dared not press any further for fear of reprisal.