SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - JANUARY 2006

COMMENTARY
        Even after some time, it still seemed to be quite difficult for the relatives of a victim who was forced to serve as a guide, raped and killed by the SPDC junta’s troops to relate the gruesome incident that took place in Murng-Nai some months ago to SHRF’s field workers at the Shan-Thai border. They felt a new surge of fear and horror every time they recounted it, they said.
        Refugees from Kun-Hing also sadly recounted about one of two village boys who were herding their cows being shot dead by the SPDC troops without any apparent reason, and the other boy was forced to catch a cow for them.
        The above are just two of the many incidents often taking place which clearly show  how unsafe life is, especially for women and children, in the rural areas of Shan State where SPDC troops roam.
        The SPDC troops have also often shown their complete lack of compunction in killing people before finding out who they really are. For instance, late last year, they shot dead 10 Lahu villagers in a group without knowing who there were, and a man who was searching for his cattle to provide forced labour for the military was shot dead by them without any apparent reason.
        Apart from arbitrary killing, rape, torture, arrest, detention, intimidation and land confiscation, etc., there are other types of human rights violations such as forced labour and extortion that are systematically and regularly being committed by the junta’s troops, which are causing people to flee to other places and neighbouring countries in order to survive.

                                        ------------------------

A FORCED CIVILIAN GUIDE ROBBED OF HER MONEY, RAPED AND KILLED, IN MURNG-NAI
        In mid-2005, a woman villager who was forced to serve as a guide was robbed of her money, raped and killed by a patrol of SPDC troops from Larng-Khur-based IB99, in Loi Wawt village tract, Murng-Nai township.
        On 13 June 2005, a patrol of about 15 SPDC troops from IB99, based in Larng-Khur township, led by commander Thein Oo, came to Wan Pong village in Loi Wawt village tract in Murng-Nai township.
        The SPDC troops went into the village and forced a woman villager to go with them, saying they urgently needed a guide. Naang Thawn, aged 33, had to stop what she was doing and go with the troops immediately.
        On that day Naang Thawn did not return. Early on the next day, 14 June 2005, her anxious parents and relatives went to look for her and they found her under a wooden bridge near an old village, Paang Pek (relocated), about 1 mile north of Wan Pong village.
        Naang Thawn was beaten on the head to death after being raped repeatedly by several men. Her head was fractured and there were clear signs of having been raped many times. Her gold necklace which she was wearing and the money, 20,000 kyat, which her parents knew she had in her pocket when the SPDC troops took her away, were missing.
        Although Naang Thawn’s body was later cremated by her relatives, community leaders and Buddhist monks, at a place near where she had been killed, no one dared to complain about it to the concerned authorities.

10 LAHU VILLAGERS AND MILITIAMEN SHOT DEAD IN A GROUP IN MURNG-TON
        In September 2005, 2 Lahu villagers and 8 militiamen were shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB225 at a Lahu village called 8th-Mile, as it is located 8 miles northeast of Murng-Ton, on the Murng-Ton - Murng-Sart main road, in Murng-Ton township.
        On 20 September 2005, Lahu villagers of 8th-Mile village were celebrating a new rice-harvest festival at their village according to Lahu’s tradition. About 16 members of Lahu militia from Murng-Ton town were also attending the celebration on invitation.
        At about 5 o’clock in the evening of that day, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from IB225 surrounded 8th-Mile village and shot at the Lahu militiamen and villagers attending the new harvest celebration, killing 8 militiamen and 2 villagers, and wounding 5 militiamen.
        The 2 villagers killed were both Lahu women of 8th-Mile village. They were: Na-Khaa, aged 26 and Na-Le, aged 28.
        The SPDC troops were said to be from the out-post military camp at a place called 21st-Mile, some distance northeast of 8th-Mile village. The reason for the killing was not clear. Some local people thought the SPDC troops might have mistaken the militiamen as Shan soldiers, but some thought they knowingly shot at the Lahu militiamen and the villagers.

A VILLAGER SEARCHING FOR HIS CATTLE TO PROVIDE FORCED LABOUR SHOT DEAD IN LAI-KHA
        In August 2005, a villager who went in search of his draught oxen to provide forced labour for local SPDC troops was shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from a different unit, near Kaad Kao village in Haai Seng village tract, Lai-Kha township.
        On the morning of 9 August 2005, Wa-Ya-Ma (m), aged 21, of Kaad Kao village went out of his village to find his draught oxen to be used to provide forced labour for the local SPDC troops. The SPDC troops stationed at the place called Ta Maak Laang had demanded bamboo from their village.
        Each household in Kaad Kao village was required to make 1,500 pieces of split bamboo sticks and transport them to the said military camp. The bamboo would be used to build fences around the military camp and more forced labour of the villagers would be required.
        On the day of the incident, Wa-Ya-Ma’s father had asked his son to find their draught oxen which they had let graze outside their village so that they could fulfill their forced labour duty. As Wa-Ya-Ma was standing on a bridge east of his village scanning the horizon for their oxen, a patrol of SPDC troops came by.
        The SPDC patrol comprised 14 soldiers from IB12, based in Loi-Lem township, and led by a commander with 2 stars on each of his shoulders called Htay Lwin. When they saw Wa-Ya-Ma, the SPDC said nothing, but raised their rifles and shot at him, killing him on the spot.
        When villagers of Kaad Kao village heard the news, they went to the site of the incident. They found Wa-Ya-Ma’s body lying in a pool of blood on the bridge; he had been hit by bullets in the forehead, in the chest and in the left thigh.
        Wa-Ya-Ma’s relatives and their community leaders reported to the local SPDC troops at Ta Maak Laang camp that their villager had been shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops. But the commander simply dismissed their report, saying that it could only be Shan soldiers, not the Burmese soldiers, who had shot the villager dead.

A VILLAGE BOY SHOT DEAD, ANOTHER VILLAGE BOY FORCED TO PROVIDE A COW, IN KUN-HING
        In July 2005, one of 2 village boys, aged 16 and 14, who were herding their cows was shot dead and the other forced to catch a cow for them by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB246, at an old village, Long Zaan (relocated), near Laai Kaam village in Laai Kaam village tract, Kun-Hing township.
        Wa-Lin, aged 16 and Zaai Awng, aged 14, from Laai Kaam village were rounding up their cows, which they had grazed in the area of a relocated village, Long Zaan, in order to bring them back home to Laai Kaam village which was not very far away when the said patrol of SPDC troops came by.
        On seeing the 2 boys, without saying anything the SPDC troops shot at them, killing the 16-year-old Wa-Lin on the spot. Zaai Awng was seized, accused of having served the Shan soldiers  as a guide and interrogated.
        When Zaai Awng repeatedly denied the charge, saying he and Wa-Lin had only come to gather their cows to bring them home, the SPDC troops told him to catch a cow for them and they would release him after they had got the cow.
        Zaai Awng pretended to try to catch one of the cows by running after them and when he got near a ravine at the edge of a forest some distance away from the SPDC troops, he ran down the ravine and escaped.
        When Zaai Awng got back to his village, Laai Kaam, he related the incident to the villagers. Wa-Lin’s parents and relatives then went to look for their son and found his body where Zaai Awng had told them. Wa-Lin was shot from behind; a bullet pierced his nape and out through his mouth.
        Although Wa-Lin’s parents and relatives complained about the incident to the village headman and community leaders, no one dared to report the case to the military authorities.

ARBITRARY ARREST AND EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
        In September 2005, 5 villagers of Kaad Thaai village in Kaad Thaai village tract, Kaeng-Tung township, were arrested, detained for 2 nights and money was extorted for their release by the SPDC police force in Kaeng-Tung town.
        After a fund-raising religious ceremony at a Buddhist monastery in Kaad Thaai village, 5 members of the religious affairs committee of the village, who had organized the said ceremony, were accused of embezzling charity money and arrested by the police and detained in Kaeng-Town.
        After detaining the 5 villagers for 2 nights and finding out that they were innocent, the police released them, but not before money had been extorted from the leaders and villagers of Kaad Thaai, 30,000 kyat for each of the detainees.
        A few days later, the police again arrested 5 members of the people’s militia and the headman of Kaad Thaai village, and took them to the police station in Kaeng-Tung town. These villagers were accused of providing false information that had led the police to arrest the above mentioned 5 innocent villagers, and were forced to pay a fine of 3,000 kyat each.
        However, many local people believed that the police deliberately trumped up the case in order to get a share from the charity money. “The innocent villagers should have been released without money being extorted from them”, they said. “The police knew that the monastery had gathered about 700,000 kyat of charity money from the donors during the ceremony”.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN MURNG-SU
        Since October 2005, SPDC troops of IB114 and IB115 have been forcibly using mini-tractors of Wan Saw village and money to buy fuel has been frequently extorted from all the villagers of Wan Saw, in Murng-Su township.
        Since 26 October 2005, there have been military operations in the areas of Wan Saw village, about 11 miles from Murng-Su town, and along the road between the village and the town. All 6 mini-tractors belonging to the villagers of Wan Saw have been requisitioned by the SPDC troops for military use.
        The mini-tractors have been frequently used to go to Murng-Su town and around the villages by the said SPDC troops temporary stationed at Wan Saw. Money to buy fuel for the tractors has been extorted from Wan Saw villagers several times, from 500 kyat up to 3,000 kyat each time, in accordance with their social and economic status.
        This has been going on for quite some time until many villagers, who were originally very poor farmers, have no money left and have had to sell their rice and other belongings to pay for the costs of the fuel for the tractors.
        Some villagers who were unable to find money have already fled to other places, including Thailand, and many more would be fleeing soon if the situation did not take a turn for the better, explained a refugee from the area who managed to get to the Thai border.

FORCED LABOUR IN NAM-ZARNG
        Since September 2005, villagers of Loi La village in Loi La village tract, Nam-Zarng township, have been forced to provide water for a military camp on a daily basis by the SPDC troops from IB248, and since October 2005, the same villagers have been forced to grow sesame and produce cooking oil for the military by the same SPDC troops.
        Villagers of Loi La have been required to transport 4 cart-loads of water to a military camp near their village on a daily basis by the SPDC troops stationed at the camp. The troops are a contingent commanded by Maj. Kyi Win from IB248 based in Murng-Nai township.
        There are only 20 ox-carts in Loi La village which have to take turns to transport water to the said military camp, which means each cart has to fetch water for the military every 5 days on a regular basis. The water is used for drinking, cooking and bathing by the SPDC troops.
        There are only 2 places in the area where the villagers can fetch water for the SPDC troops. One is at Wan Nawng Ho Kho which is more than 4 miles from the military camp, and another is at Pung Lao which is about 3 miles from the camp, but water at this place usually dries up during the dry season.

        Since October, Villagers of Loi La have also been forced to grow sesame of a certain Japanese strain by the same SPDC troops on a 10-acre plot of land north of Loi La village.
        The villagers have to take all the responsibilities, from tilling the soil using their own buffalos up to not only the harvest, but until oil has been produced from the sesame and handed to the SPDC troops at their camp. The oil would then in turn be sent to their main base in Murng-Nai township.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
        In August 2005, people in Kaeng-Tung town were forced to build drainage ditches along the main road in front of their houses by the township SPDC authorities, despite the fact that the people have to pay regular taxes for the maintenance of the town.
        During that time, the electricity line supplying a satellite town, Nawng Kham, was cut off by the authorities with an order saying that the line would be reconnected only after all the satellite townspeople finished building the said drainage ditches in front of their houses.
        The ditches were to be 2 elbow-lengths wide and deep and completed with concrete blocks and cement. However, even after the ditches had been built by the people for some time, the electricity line had not been reconnected and the students in the satellite town had to study under candle light at night.
        Some people who knew some members of the town municipality, which was supposed to be responsible for constructing the ditches, asked why the townspeople had to build the ditches themselves using their own money while also having to pay taxes for the same purposes.
        The answer given by one of the officials was, “We don’t have enough manpower. Our salaries are not enough, so we have to also do something else to earn some extra money to support our families”.

FORCED LABOUR IN KUN-HING
        Since early 2005 up to the present, people in Wan Lao village tract in Kung-Hing township are being forced to standby on a daily basis to be ready to serve as guides when the need arises, by the SPDC troops of IB246 based in Kun-Hing.
        In March 2005, a patrol of 50 SPDC troops from IB246, led by Maj. San Maung, came to Wan Lao village tract and issued an order requiring all the villages in the village tract to keep at least one man at each village ready to serve as a guide on a daily basis.
        “Patrols of our troops will be coming to this area about 4 times a month. Whenever we come, we want to see at least one man standing ready to serve as a guide at every village we might go to”, said the commander.
        Wan Lao village tract had once been one of the deserted relocation areas in Kun-Hing township, after the mass forced relocation programs carried out during 1996 to 1998 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.
        It has only been allowed to be resettled about 3 years ago and since then only 3 main villages have been partly resettled, and most of the villagers have not yet had enough means to support themselves and are still struggling to survive.
        Under such circumstances, the required routine forced labour has been too much for many of the villagers of the newly resettled villages which have relatively small populations. They complained of having to serve the military even when they were sick and having to pay 1,200 kyat each time when they really could not go.
        The villagers also complained of having been often scolded and beaten during their guide services. They also thought that the SPDC troops were just making it impossible for them to resettle at their original villages and some have already fled to other places and Thailand.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO SERVE AS PORTERS, GUIDES, PROVIDE INFORMATION AND CHICKENS, IN KUN-HING
        In August 2005, 18 villagers of Saai Leng village in Kaeng-Lom village tract, Kun-Hing township, were forced to serve as porters as well as guides by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB66, and later villagers of Ka Li village tract were forced to provide information on a daily basis and chickens on a weekly basis.
        On 25 August 2005, at 6 o’clock early in the morning, a patrol of SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng-based IB66, that were stationed at Ka Li village in Kung-Hing township, came to Saai Leng village and conscripted 18 villagers.
        The villagers were forced to serve as porters and guides as the troops continued their patrol in the area. When they reached Murng Yaai village in Ka Li village tract the SPDC troops released the villagers and told them to tell their village leaders to come to their military camp at Ka Li on the next day, as they had things to discuss with them.
        On the next day, on 26 August 2005, the commander of the said military camp, Capt. Htun Myint Aung, issued an order requiring villagers of Saai Leng to report to the military camp on a daily basis.
        At least once per day, villagers were required to go to the camp to report on the situation in the area. Villagers were also required to bring 2 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) of chickens and 1 viss of bamboo strings (split young bamboo used for tying) for the troops at least once per week.
        One viss of chicken cost about 2,000 kyat and 1 viss of bamboo strings, 400 kyat, which meant the villagers would have to give away 4,400 kyat on a weekly basis. The villagers were also warned by the SPDC troops not to talk about the incident as forced labour because they were only asking for help.

TRACTORS FROM KUN-HING FORCED TO WORK IN MURNG-NAI
        In July and August 2005, 16 small ploughing machines with 2 civilian ploughmen each, from Kun-Hing township, were forced by SPDC troops of Murng-Nai-based LIB569 to till rice fields for the military, in Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township.
        The SPDC troops requisitioned 6 ploughing machines from Saai Khaao village and 10 machines from Wan Lao and Kot Pung villages, all in Kun-Hing township, to come to the Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township and plough the rice fields for them.
        The machines’ owners were required to provide 2 ploughmen to handle each of the machines and provide them with food and daily necessities, as well as fuel for the machines for the duration of the ploughing, which took 12 days to finish.
        It was about 25-30 miles from the villages of the ploughing machines to the rice fields where they were forced to work and mini-tractors with trailers were conscripted by the SPDC troops to transport the ploughmen and their machines to Kaeng Tawng, and back after the work was finished.

FORCED LABOUR IN THE FORM OF EXTORTION IN MURNG-TON
        In July and August 2005, people in Murng-Ton township were forced by the SPDC authorities to buy 50 horses and mules for the military to be used in military operations in the area.
        The order was issued by the commander of Murng-Ton-based Tactical Command in late July 2005, stating that all the demanded horses and mules were to be given to the military before the end of August 2005.
        The responsibilities to provide horses and mules were divided into 11 areas as follows:
1. Murng-Ton town = 5 horses/mules
2. Wan Naa village tract = 2 horses/mules
3. Nawng Paa Yaen quarter = 3 horses/mules
4. Huay Saai new village = 3 horses/mules
5. Phaai Khe village = 3 horses/mules
6. Hawng Lin village = 2 horses/mules
7. Mae Ken village tract (4 villages) = 9 horses/mules
8. Murng Haang village = 3 horses/mules
9. Naa Kawng Mu village = 5 horses/mules
10. Huay Aw village = 3 horses/mules
11. Pung Pa Khem tract (5 villages) = 12 horses/Mules
        Altogether 50 horses and mules were to be handed over to the military by the end of August 2005. Those who were unable to find or failed to provide horses and mules would have to provide money for the SPDC troops to buy them themselves, at the rate of 200,000 kyat per head, said the order.
        Since it coincided with the time when SPDC authorities had just confiscated many unlicensed civilian cars, those former car owners were spared from this responsibility. Money to buy the demanded horses and mules was to be collected from only those who did not have or had not lost their cars, said the order.

FORCED LABOUR IN THE FORM OF EXTORTION IN KUN-HING
        Since mid 2005, SPDC authorities in Kun-Hing have been forcing townspeople of Kun-Hing town to provide money for hiring people to stand guard at the town’s 2 main entrances and keep watch in the town for fire alert.
        Money has been collected on a monthly basis from the townspeople in all the 6 town quarters which have been divided into categories according to their social and economic status. The poorest have to give 500 kyat, the less poor 300 kyat, and the least poor 200 kyat, to the authorities.
        Although standing guard and keeping watch were supposed to be on a nightly basis, many townspeople said they only saw the guards not more than 5-6 nights per month, and when there was something to be done, unpaid forced labour of the people was still used.

        Money has also been extorted from the villagers in Ka Li village tract, Kun-Hing township, to hire porters by the SPDC troops from IB246 since mid 2005.
        In July 2005, a contingent of SPDC troops from IB246 that were stationed at Ka Li village issued an order requiring villagers of Ka Li village to provide money for hiring porters on a monthly basis.
        The SPDC troops said they would not bother the villagers to serve as porters and guides, but would instead use the money to hire those who were willing to work as porters and guides. In order to do that, the villagers needed to help them with 100,000 kyat per month, they said.
        The villagers simply had no choice but to comply and since then the villagers of Ka Li have had to collect money among themselves until they get the demanded amount and give it to the SPDC troops on a monthly basis.