SHRF MONTHLY REPORT

SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- JANUARY 2005

COMMENTARY

Year after year, for the last 8 years, SHRF has been regularly putting out this monthly newsletter containing litanies of reports on human rights violations committed by members of the ruling Burmese military junta against the civilian populations in Shan State.

Although the newsletter has been able to report only a fraction of the human rights abuses that have been taking place in Shan State, it has been used as a source of human rights information on which several other more comprehensive human rights reports have been based.

From time to time, human rights reports in this newsletter, and other reports based on it, have drawn angry responses from the junta trying to refute them, although they have never allowed any unbiased (impartial) third party to investigate the accusations.

Although at times it looked as if there would be some improvement in some respects, that has not yet been the case, and the overall human rights situation in Shan State remains as grave as before.
Gross human rights violations such as killing, rape, beating, torture, arrest and detention, etc., are still frequent occurrences.

Routine forced labour as well as occasional mass forced labour are still systematically used, and money more or less systematically extorted, by the junta’s troops.

As usual, this month’s issue contains a litany of human rights violations, and will continue to do so in the coming months as long as the situation does not improve.

2 DISPLACED WOMEN GANG-RAPED AND KILLED, ONE WAS PREGNANT, IN MURNG-KERNG

In August 2004, a 3-month-pregnant woman and her friend who went to gather banana leaves were raped and shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB514 in a forest in Murng Khun village tract, Murng-Kerng township.

Naang Thawn, aged 22, who was 3 months pregnant, and her friend, Naang Wun, aged 20, were originally from Kung Maak Ti village which had been forcibly relocated to Murng Khun village in Murng Khun village tract, Murng-Kerng township, in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

On 28 August 2004, the 2 women went together to gather banana leaves in the forest near their village to sell them for little extra money. As they were gathering leaves, a patrol of about 20-25 SPDC troops from LIB514, led by commander Maung Myint, surrounded and arrested the women.

The SPDC troops gang-raped the 2 women and later shot both of them dead in the forest about 4 kilometres east of Murng Khun village in Murng Khun village tract, Murng-Kerng township. Some time later, some SPDC troops were heard telling villagers that they had raped and killed 2 women because they were wives of Shan soldiers.

DAUGHTER RAPED AND KILLED, FATHER KILLED FOR COMPLAINING, IN KUN-HING

In October 2004, a man was killed after he tried several times to lodge a complaint against the SPDC troops of the Kun-Hing-based artillery unit who he believed had raped and killed his daughter earlier in the year, in Kun-Hing township.

In January 2004, Naang Kham (f), aged 25, from Kun-Hing town, who went alone to gather firewood in the forest near the base of the said SPDC artillery unit, was raped and killed by the SPDC troops about 1/2 mile west of their base.

On the day of the incident, some farmers who were returning from their farm saw some 3-4 SPDC soldiers taking away a person, whom they could not make out as a man or a woman because of the distance, in the area where the incident had taken place.

When Naang Kham had not returned by the time she should have, her father became worried and asked around if anyone had seen his daughter. The farmers who lived in the neighbourhood then related to Naang Kham’s father, Lung Zin-Ta, what they had seen on their way back from their farm.

When Lung Zin-Ta and some relatives and fellow villagers went to look for Naang Kham the next morning, they saw her naked body lying dead with a fracture wound in her head. She had apparently been beaten to death after being raped and sexually tortured, and a dry cell battery was still stuck in her sex organ.

Lung Zin-Ta was very sad and angry, and later complained to community leaders in several town quarters and asked them to help him file a complaint with the authorities against the SPDC soldiers who had raped his daughter.

However, the SPDC troops at the artillery unit repeatedly denied having knowledge of the incident, saying that they had known about it only after they heard from the villagers, and said that no soldiers from their unit had done anything to Naang Kham.

But Lung Zin-Ta was not satisfied and did not give up. He later managed to lodge a complaint with the MI (Military Intelligence) of the SPDC, and asked them to find out who the rapists of his daughter were, no matter how long it would take, saying he would use all the money he had to support the investigation.

At the same time, Lung Zin-Ta himself was also always finding ways to accuse the SPDC soldiers and going around and telling people that his daughter had been raped and killed by them. “It happened just near their base. How come they said they did not even know about it. I will find out who did it”, he would say.

On the night of 11 October 2004, at about 11:00 p.m., 5 SPDC troops came and took Lung Zin-Ta away. The next morning, Lung Zin was found dead under a bridge west of Kun-Hing town with his feet dangling in the water.

Lung Zin-Ta was apparently beaten to death by the SPDC soldiers, but his family and relatives were too afraid even to mention about it, let alone to file a complaint with the authorities.

A DISPLACED VILLAGER BEATEN TO DEATH, ROBBED OF HIS FISH, IN KUN-HING

In September 2004, one of 2 villagers who were returning from catching fish was beaten to death and robbed of his fish by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB524 in Kali village tract, Kun-Hing township.

On 1 September 2004, Zaai Wan-Na (m), aged 27 and Zaai Ma-La (m), aged 31, originally from Mai Saa Lee village in Ho Yaan village tract, which had been forcibly relocated to Kali village tract in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops, went to catch fish together.

After catching fish, Zaai Wan-Na returned home a bit earlier than Zaai Ma-La and ran into a patrol of about 28 SPDC troops from Co. No. 3 of LIB524, led by commander Hla Hpe. The SPDC troops beat Zaai Wan-Na to death and dumped his body into the Nam Paang river, and took away his fish weighing more than 5 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg).

Zaai Ma-La, who returned a bit later, was in time to see the SPDC troops beating Zaai Wan-Na from a distance. He then turned around and ran away.

A VILLAGE HEADMAN BEATEN UNCONSCIOUS, MONEY AND VALUABLES STOLEN, IN MURNG-NAI

In September 2004, the village headman of Ta Kun village in Murng-Nai township was beaten until he lost consciousness in his house and his money and a precious stone ring were stolen by SPDC troops from LIB574.

On 30 September 2004, the headman had just returned from a rice mill after husking some of his rice and was unloading a sack of rice in front of his house when a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB574 came passing by his house.

When the SPDC troops saw the sack of rice, they stopped and accused the headman of preparing to take the rice to the Shan soldiers. The headman denied it, saying that he had just come back from a rice mill and was about to take the rice sack into the house when the troops came.

The SPDC troops then opened up the rice sack and found besides rice a packet of seasoning powder and about 30 pieces of dried pickled soya bean and again accused the headman of being about to take them to the Shan solders.

The headman said that he had bought the food items on his way back from the rice mill just for his own consumption, but the SPDC troops did not listen to him. They interrogated him and beat him repeatedly until he lost consciousness.

The SPDC troops then searched the headman’s house and took away 1,560,000 kyat of money and a precious stone ring worth about 200,000 kyat.

BAMBOO GATHERERS SEVERELY BEATEN IN LAI-KHA

In September 2004, 2 villagers who were gathering bamboo were beaten by SPDC troops from LIB514 so severely that both of them suffered from bruises and splits all over their backs and buttocks, in the forest in Lai-Kha township.

Lung Kham Leng (m), aged 53 and Zaai Yawd (m), aged 35, were originally from Wan Nim village in Murng Khun village tract, Murng-Kerng township. They had moved to the outskirts of Lai-Kha town some years ago and made a living gathering and selling bamboo with a mini-tractor.

On 18 September 2004, the 2 men went into the forest with a mini-tractor to cut bamboo as usual. When they had cut only about 15-20 pieces of bamboo, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from LIB514 came and searched their belongings.

The 2 villagers had brought with them enough food for 2 meals and when the SPDC troops saw their packets of rice, they suspected them of bringing some of the food for the Shan soldiers and interrogated them.

The villagers tried to explain that they had brought enough food not only for the day meal but also for the evening meal in case their mini-tractor broke down on the way and had to return late. But the SPDC troops did not listen and continued to beat them, forcing them to say where the Shan soldiers were and threatening to beat them to death if they did not comply.
The villagers kept saying that they had only come to gather bamboo and did not know anything about the Shan soldiers, and finally the SPDC troops stopped beating them and left, leaving them with bruised and bleeding backs and buttocks.

However, the villagers were too hurt and tired to continue cutting bamboo, and the SPDC troops had also taken away all their food, so they just returned home, barely managing to drive their mini-tractor back.

CIVILIAN DRIVERS BEATEN DURING FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-SART

In August 2004, 7 civilian drivers were lined up and beaten while their vehicles were being conscripted for forced labour by SPDC troops from LIB333 and IB43, in Murng-Sart township.

On 10 August 2004, 80 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based LIB333 and 70 troops from Murng-Paeng-based IB43, led by commanders Aung Htun and Win Naing Oo respectively, gathered in Murng-Sart town and conscripted 20 civilian cars to go to Murng Jawt village in Murng-Ton township.

Some of the drivers said that they did not have enough fuel for their cars and that had made the SPDC troops angry. They ordered those who did not have enough fuel to come and line up in front of the others.

There were 7 drivers who came to the front, thinking they would be provided with the needed fuel. When the drivers had lined up, however, one of the Sergeants picked up a stick and beat them several times each, saying, “Don’t you know it is an emergency. Why aren’t you prepared to serve the military?”.

The drivers then hurried to find some fuel for their cars, borrowing money from their relatives to buy it from wherever they could get, to avoid further abuses. The drivers sustained several bruises from the beating.

VILLAGERS DETAINED, MONEY EXTORTED, IN KUN-HING

In September 2004, 8 villagers who were going to their farms were arrested and detained by SPDC troops of LIB524 and 8,000 kyat of money was extorted from each of them for their release, at a military base in Kun-Hing township.

On 28 September 2004, 8 villagers, 3 men and 5 women, from Saai Khaao village in Saai Khaao village tract, Kun-Hing township, went to their farms to harvest an early crop of rice, each bringing a little amount of uncooked rice that would last about 3 days and 2 nights since they intended to stay at their farm during the harvest.

However, before they reached their farms, the 8 villagers ran into a patrol of 30 SPDC troops from Co.2 of LIB524, led by Capt. Maung Maung Soe. The troops stopped the villagers and searched their bags and pockets.

The SPDC troops found only 2-300 kyat of money and a little amount of uncooked rice on each of the villagers. But they accused the villagers of carrying uncooked rice meant for the Shan soldiers and arrested them.

The SPDC troops took the villagers to their base in Kun-Hing town and detained them there. The villagers were then told to send word that they would be released only if their relatives and village leaders came and guaranteed their innocence.

When they arrived, however, the relatives and the village leaders were told by the military authorities that the villagers had committed an offense by carrying more food than the amount allowed, and they might have intended to give it to the Shan soldiers, so they needed to pay a fine of 1,0000 kyat each for their release.

After some negotiation during which the villagers pleaded with the authorities to reduce the fine because they could not afford that much money, the villagers were released after paying 8,000 kyat each.

A WOMAN DETAINED, MONEY EXTORTED, IN KUN-HING

In mid 2004, a woman was detained for having a toy gun in her house and 50,000 kyat of money was extorted for her release by police and SPDC troops of IB246, in Kun-Hing township.

On the day of the incident, a mixed force of 2 policemen and 2 soldiers from IB246 came to a house belonging to Pa Man (f), aged 46, in Kun-Hing town and searched the house, saying that they were informed that opium was sold in the house.

After searching the house thoroughly, the police and soldiers found no opium, but they found a homemade toy gun made of the stem of an umbrella and accused Pa Man of keeping a gun without permission.

Pa Man tried to explain that it was only a toy gun made by her son and it was not functional. But she was arrested and put in jail by the SPDC police and soldiers, and was released only after her relatives paid 50,000 kyat of money as a fine for possessing a gun.

LONG-PERIOD MASS FORCED LABOUR IN BUILDING MILITARY FACILITIES IN MURNG-NAI

In mid 2004, for more than 3 months, people in Kaeng Tawng area (sub-township) in Murng-Nai township have been forced to build more fences and dig more trenches outside the already existing ones around 5 battalion bases, by SPDC military authorities in the area.

In June 2004, after the bases of LIB574 and LIB569 in Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township were attacked by the Shan resistance forces, causing many SPDC troops to be killed and wounded, SPDC military authorities issued an order requiring people to build more fences and trenches around battalion bases in the area.

There were 5 battalion bases in the Kaeng Tawng area, and another layer of fences and trenches had to be built some distance outside the already existing ones around each of the 5 bases. The fences, made of bamboo, had to be thick and firm, and the trenches 2 elbows wide and 3 elbows deep.

Every able-bodied man from every household was required to provide free forced labour every day in building the said military facilities until they were completed, leaving only women and children to take care of their household chores.

Even so, it had taken them more than 3 months to complete building the thick and firm fences and wide and deep trenches. It coincided with the rice cultivating time of the year and the people, mostly farmers, had to face great difficulties to grow crops at the same time.

FARMERS FORCED TO REPLANT RICE IN KUN-HING

In mid 2004, farmers were forced to grow a certain kind of rice from lowland Burma and, after the seedlings had been planted, were forced to pull them out and plant them again, by SPDC troops of IB246 in Kun-Hing township.

In June 2004, villagers of Wan Paang and Naa Sae villages near Kun-Hing town were told by SPDC troops of IB246 to grow a certain kind of rice brought up from lowland Burma. When the rice seedlings had grown big enough, the villagers planted them in the fields thinking that it was not necessary to tell the SPDC troops.

However, after about 10 days the SPDC troops came and looked at the rice fields and said that the seedlings had not been properly planted in straight rows and ordered the villagers to pull them out and plant them again in straight rows using ropes as guidelines.

Since it was necessary to hire several workers in planting rice seedlings, the villagers had to pay 2 times for planting rice in their fields. There were about 10 plots of rice fields which had to be replanted and it cost about 30,000 kyat for each plot of rice fields the first time, and even more than 30,000 kyat the second time, complained the farmers.

PEOPLE FORCED TO FIX ROADS IN LAI-KHA, KAE-SEE AND MURNG-KERNG

For several months around mid 2004, SPDC troops LIB515 based in Lai-Kha conscripted people in Lai-Kha, Kae-See and Murng-Kerng townships to work in repairing the roads joining the 3 townships.

Villagers from surrounding villages near a section of the roads under repair were conscripted to fix that section until it was completed and moved on to another part of the roads where other nearby villages were required to provide forced labourers.

When they conscripted forced labourers, the SPDC troops said they would pay a daily wage of 500 kyat per person to every villager conscripted to work on the roads. But no one had ever received any wage, and no one dared or cared to ask for it.

However, there were some village loafers who normally did not have much work to do, and they followed the SPDC troops and worked on the roads for longer periods, thinking that they would get their wages as promised.

When those labourers, some of whom had already worked for 2-3 months, tried to ask for some of their wages to buy daily necessities, they were scolded by the SPDC troops, saying, “We can’t give you your wages until the government issues money. So shut up!”.

Some labourers were even kicked in the buttocks for asking for their wages, and they had yet to receive them when a traveller came across them in August 2004.

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-PAENG

In early 2004, for a period of more than 2 months, villagers in Murng Pu Long village tract, Murng-Paeng township, had been forced to build a road by SPDC troops stationed at Murng Pu Long village.

The road was a long but narrow one, leading from Murng Pu Long village to the main motor-road near Murng Pu Awn village, because Murng Pu Long area was so mountainous and rugged that no road wide enough even for ox-carts had been constructed and it was accessible only on foot or on horses and mules.

A group of 30 villagers had to work for a stretch of 8 days before another group of villagers replaced them. Villagers from all the villages in Murng Pu Long village tract had to take turns to work in the road building and it took them more than 2 months to complete, using their own tools and providing their own food.

Routine unpaid forced labour such as building fences and clearing trenches around military camps, and providing porter services is still being used systematically and regularly by the SPDC troops in Murng Pu Long.

VILLAGERS THREATENED WITH RELOCATION, MONEY EXTORTED, IN MURNG-NAI AND NAM-ZARNG

In October 2004, several villages in Murng-Nai and Nam-Zarng townships were threatened with relocation and money was extorted by SPDC troops from IB248 based in Murng-Nai.

Several villages which had been forcibly relocated to different relocation sites in Murng-Nai and Nam-Zarng townships in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops and had been allowed to return to their original villages in 2000 by the SPDC troops, were again forced to move back to the relocation sites by SPDC troops from IB248, in October 2004.

On 23 October 2004, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB248 came to Wan Kala, Khaai Tawng Gi, Maak Laang, Loi Wawt and Loi Aai villages in Naa Khaan village tract, Murng-Nai township, and forced them to move to Naa Khaan village. These villages had once been forcibly moved to Naa Khaan village relocation site by SLORC troops in 1996 and allowed to return in 2000 by SPDC troops.

On the same day, the same SPDC patrol continued to Pong Lao, Loi La, Haai Oi, Yawn Kung Niu, Lin Leng and Kung Sa village in Wan Nawng Kung Mong village tract, Nam-Zarng township, and forced them to move to Wan Nawng Kung Mong village. These villages had once been forcibly moved to Wan Nawng Kung Mong village relocation site by SLORC troops in 1996 and allowed to return in 2000 by SPDC troops.

The SPDC troops told the villagers to move within 7 days. “After 7 days, if you are still in your village, you will know what will happen”, the troops had said. This was according to a villager who left the place on 27 October 2004.

However, according to information received some time later, the villagers were allowed to stay at their villages after paying 300,000 kyat of money to the SPDC troops. But the villagers were not sure at all that they would not be forced to move again and some had fled to other places, including the border with Thailand.