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SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - FEBRUARY 2006
SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - FEBRUARY 2006
SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - FEBRUARY 2006
COMMENTARY
Random killing, beating and torture have often been used to subjugate the civilian populations, especially in the rural areas, in Shan State by the Burmese juntas’ troops for decades since the military seized power and started sending more and more troops into Shan State.
Over the last decade or so, as the Burmese military expansion has dramatically intensified, especially in Shan State, the situation of human rights violations committed by the members of the military against the local communities has also been increasingly aggravated.
In addition to various other types of human rights abuses, looting robbing and extortion of money and property have become more and more rampant as the junta’s troops are being compelled to live off the land by their own policies.
These policies have in effect been depriving local communities of their means of survival in many areas, forcing them to flee to other places and neighbouring countries, especially Thailand, where they expect to find some ways to survive.
In this month’s issue, there are reports of incidents in which many villagers were randomly bullied, beaten and tortured, while being robbed of their property at their villages in central Shan State by roaming patrols of SPDC troops.
The SPDC troops, including the police, seem to be always looking for excuses to extort money, even in the name of education.
Also reported is an incident in which 3 teenage girls, including a 10-year-old, were gang-raped by SPDC troops in eastern Shan State.
A VILLAGE TRACT HEADMAN SHOT DEAD AT HIS HOUSE IN MURNG-TON
In September 2005, a village tract headman, Lung Nyo, was shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB360, at his house at Nam Galaang village in Pung Pa Khem village tract, Murng-Ton township.
On the evening of 26 September 2005, a patrol of about 10 SPDC troops from Murng-Paeng-based LIB360 came to Lung Nyo’s house in Nam Galaang village. The SPDC troops were from a contingent, temporarily stationed at Pung Pa Khem village, sent by LIB360 based in Murng-Paeng.
The SPDC troops stopped outside the house and ordered Lung Nyo to come out, saying they needed a guide. As Lung Nyo came out, holding an electric torchlight, the SPDC troops shot him and he fell down on his doorstep.
After shooting Lung Nyo, the SPDC troops immediately left the place without mentioning a word. When villagers from neighbouring houses came to look at him after some moments, Lung Nyo was lying dead on his doorstep, with 3 bullet holes in his chest and stomach.
The villagers then took care of Lung Nyo’s body and conducted a funeral rite according to their tradition and stayed at the house until morning. The body was then taken away and cremated at a place outside the village.
Although some neighbours had witnessed the incident and knew who the culprits were, no one dared to talk about it, let alone file a complaint with the authorities.
3 VILLAGERS FROM MURNG-PAN BEATEN TO DEATH IN LARNG-KHUR
In September 2005, 3 villagers were arrested in Murng-Pan township and taken to Larng-Khur township, and beaten to death by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB223 based in Murng-Pan.
On 16 September 2005, a patrol of about 80 SPDC troops from IB223, led by Maj. Zaw Myint, came to Paa Khaa, Tawng Kwaai Tai and Ho Phaai Long villages in Murng-Pan township and arrested one villager from each of the villages. The villagers arrested were:
1. In-Da (m), aged 48, of Paa Khaa village
2. Kham Lu (m), aged 50, of Tawng Kwaai Tai village
3. Lung Ung (m), aged 48, of Ho Phaai Long village
The SPDC troops accused the 3 villagers of being informers of the Shan resistance and took them away with the patrol until they reached Maak Un Lao village in Wan Haad village tract, Larng-Khur township.
The 3 villagers were interrogated and eventually beaten to death near Maak Un Lao village by the SPDC troops before they continued their patrol. When the relatives of the 3 villagers came to look for them on 19 September 2005, they found all 3 bodies of the villagers.
According to their relatives and those who knew them well, the 3 villagers killed were just simple farmers who had no connections whatsoever with any of the resistance movements.
A PEANUT FARMER TORTURED AND KILLED IN LAI-KHA
In September 2005, a farmer who was tending his peanut farm was tortured and killed by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB151, in Paang Phon village tract, Lai-Kha township.
Saw-Nan-Ti (m), aged 42, of Nam Naw village in Paang Phon village tract, Lai-Kha township, was a farmer and on the day of the incident, he was at his peanut farm about 4 miles north of Nam Naw preparing to harvest the crop.
In the afternoon of the same day, Saw-Nan-Ti was found dead under a tree in his farm where he used to take rest during breaks by 2 fellow villagers who had gone to look for their buffalos. Saw-Nan-Ti was soaked in blood with his hands tied and there were several wounds, signs of beating and torture, on his face and body, and a bullet hole in his left temple through his right temple.
The 2 villagers left the corpse without touching it and, after finding their buffalos, quickly returned to their village and told Saw-Nan-Ti’s relatives what they had found.
On the next day, Saw-Nan-Ti’s relatives and fellow villagers went to his farm and cremated his body, and they managed to follow the tracks of the SPDC troops back to Paang Phon village where there was an outpost camp manned by troops from IB151.
Local villagers said that they had seen a patrol of 15 SPDC troops, led by commander Aung Than Myint, leave the camp the previous day and head towards the direction of Nam Naw village. When they came back in the evening, the SPDC troops also boasted about having captured and shot dead a Shan soldier.
Although the villagers were sure Saw-Nan-Ti was killed by the said troops, since there was no news of any other killing in the area on that day, no one dared to do anything about it.
3 LISAW GIRLS, AGED 10, 12 AND 15, GANG-RAPED IN MURNG-KHARK
In September 2005, 3 Lisaw village girls, aged 10, 12 and 15, were gang-raped by 5 SPDC soldiers from IB293 on the way between their village, Nam Lin, and Murng-Khark town, in Murng-Khark township.
On 22 September 2005, at around 5 o’clock in the morning, 3 Lisaw girls, Lee Chung, aged 10, Ma Ka, aged 12 and Ta Taw, aged 15, (not their real names) of Nam Lin village went together to the town market in Murng-Khark.
At a remote spot on the way between the town and their village, the 3 girls ran into a patrol of 5 SPDC troops who seized them and raped them. The girls were raped by all 5 SPDC troops and in the process Lee Chung, who was too young to endure the ordeal, lost consciousness for about 30 minutes.
After raping the girls to their satisfaction, the SPDC troops warned them not to tell anyone at their village about the incident before letting them go, adding that they would come and kill them if the girls dared talk about it.
The girls, however, did tell their parents about their plight and although it was learned that the SPDC troops were from IB293, led by 2nd Lt. Moe Kyaw Kyaw, no one dared to complain for fear of further abuses.
BULLYING, BEATING, TORTURING AND ROBBING OF VILLAGERS IN NAM-ZARNG
In September 2005, villagers of Kaeng Kham and Phaa Sawnt villages in Loi La village tract, Nam-Zarng township, were bullied, beaten, tortured and robbed of their belongings by SPDC troops from LIB543.
On 1 September 2005, at about 7 o’clock in the morning, a patrol of 45 SPDC troops from LIB543 came to Kaeng Kham, also known as Kaeng Kham Awn, village in Loi La village tract, Nam-Zarng township.
The SPDC troops accused the villagers of supporting the Shan resistance and beat them up, causing some to lose consciousness and sustain serious injuries, and robbed them of their belongings. Some of the villagers beaten up were:
1. Lung Na-Ra-Da (m), aged 57, beaten up until he lost conscious
2. Lung Gan-Da-Ma (m), aged 44, beaten with a piece of firewood and he lost one of his teeth
3. Lung Zit-Ta (m), aged 44, slapped 3 times
4. Zin-Na (m), aged 30, slapped 3 times and kicked until he was rolling on the ground
5. Lung Nna-Ta (m), aged 52, slapped 3 times
6. Wi-Sa (m), 27, kicked until he lost consciousness
7. Nan-Ti-Ya (m), 19, beaten up until he was bruised all over
8. Naang Non (f), aged 40, slapped 3 times
9. Naang Ngern (f), aged 30, slapped 3 times
10. Naang Phe (f), aged 30, slapped 3 times
11. Naang Yaen (f), aged 14, slapped 3 times
12. Naang Zaam Ku (f), aged 18, slapped 3 times
13. Naang Yong (f), aged 30, slapped 3 times
14. Pa Naang U (f), aged 47, slapped 3 times
The following were those who had not only been slapped, but were also robbed of their possessions:
1. Pa Laek (f), aged 58, lost 3 wrist watches worth 25,000 kyat, 1 torchlight worth 800 kyat and 20,000 kyat of money
2. Pa Tu (f), aged 42, lost 30,000 worth of food stuff and consumer goods
3. Zaai Za-La (m), aged 22, lost 1 musket worth 30,000 kyat
4. Lung Zan-Da (m), aged 45, lost 1 musket worth 15,000 kyat
5. Zaai Taan (m), aged 25, lost 1 musket worth 30,000 kyat
6. Zaai Aw (m), aged 43, lost 1 heavy-duty knife worth 1,800 kyat
7. Lung Su-Za-Ta (m), aged 40, lost 2 sets of fishing net worth 6,000 kyat
8. Lung Zaw-Ki (m), aged 45, lost 1 knife worth 1,500 kyat
9. Zaai Aw-Ka (m), aged 30, lost pig worth 1,500 kyat
10. Zaai Awng Paan (m), aged 30, lost 1 fishing net worth 3,000 kyat
On the same day, at about 6 o’clock in the evening, another patrol of about 60 SPDC troops from LIB543, led by Maj. Khin Maung Aye, came to Phaa Sawnt village in Loi La village tract, Nam-Zarng township. The SPDC troops accused the villagers of supporting the Shan resistance and arrested, detained and tortured them.
The following 3 villagers were among those who had been tortured:
1. Paw Thao Sa (m), aged 63, was interrogated during which a plastic bag was put over his head and water poured into it, and he was repeatedly kicked and beaten with a stick, until he lost consciousness three times
2. Lung Nan-Ta (m), aged 49, was interrogated and treated the same as Paw Thao Sa until he lost consciousness one time
3. Lung Saw (m), aged 40, was struck on the head with the blunt edge of a knife, fracturing his skull, slapped on the mouth, wrung by the neck and struck in the torso with a rifle butt until he fell down 2-3 times
VILLAGERS DETAINED, BEATEN AND ROBBED OF THEIR POSSESSIONS IN MURNG-NAI
In September 2005, several villagers of Loi Wawt village in Nawng Leng village tract, Murng-Nai township, were tied up, beaten and robbed of their possessions by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB248.
On 21 September 2005, a patrol of 30 SPDC troops from IB248, led by Lt. Thiha Kyaw, came to Loi Wawt village and robbed the villagers of their property. Several villagers were tied up while the troops searched the houses and took what they wanted, and some villagers were also interrogated, and beaten.
In-Da (m), aged 27 and Za-Rin (m), aged 30, were tied up, plastic bags put over their faces and interrogated, and beaten with sticks and rifle butts by the SPDC troops, while some of them searched and looted their houses:
1. In-Da lost 6,000 kyat of money; a pair of shoes worth 3,000 kyat; a large plastic sheet worth 6,000 kyat; one pyi of soya bean worth 1,000 kyat; one bottle of cooking oil worth 1,000 kyat and one electric torch light worth 1,000 kyat, altogether 18,000 kyat
2. Za-Rin lost 90,000 kyat of money and a shoulder bag worth 1,500 kyat, altogether 71,000 kyat
Zaai Ta (m), aged 30 and Wi-Su-Zin (m), aged 32, were also tied up while their houses were being looted by the SPDC troops:
1. Zaai Ta lost one bushel of peanut worth 3,000 kyat; 3 viss of chicken worth 4,500; one heavy-duty knife worth 2,500 kyat and 10 bottles of rice whiskey worth 3,000 kyat
2. Wi-Su-Zin lost one sewing machine worth 500,000 kyat; one pig worth 40,000 kyat; two reels of electric wire worth 20,000 kyat; three electric light bulbs worth 4,500 kyat; 12 bottles of cooking oil worth 12,000 kyat; 12 pyi of rice worth 12,000 kyat; a set of bedding worth 20,000 kyat; 18 plates and 12 spoons worth 10,000 kyat; a tape recorder worth 15,000 kyat; a rice cooking pot worth 4,000; a plastic mat worth 5,000 kyat, a box of cheroots worth 10,000 kyat and a box of beer worth 8,400, altogether 668,400 kyat worth of property
Two other villagers were also known to be among the known victims: Ku-Na (m), aged 25, lost one musket worth 15,000 kyat and Zaai Saw (m), aged 18 was forced to pay 10,000 kyat to get back his musket.
VILLAGERS ROBBED OF THEIR PROPERTY IN KUN-HING
In September 2005, villagers of several villages in Ngaa Teng village tract, Kun-Hing township, were robbed of their property by a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB543 based in Nam-Zarng.
On 5 September 2005, a patrol of 50-60 SPDC troops from LIB543, led by Maj. Aung Ne Win, came to Kun Mi village in Ngaa Teng village tract, Kun-Hing township, and robbed several villagers of their belongings.
Zaai Ti (m), aged 35, was one of the victims and he lost 2 muskets worth 40,000 kyat; 2 wrist watches worth 80,000 kyat; 2 knives worth 6,000 kyat; 2 pairs of shoes worth 5,000 kyat; 1 leather jacket worth 40,000 kyat; 1 electric torch light worth 1,500 kyat; 1 briefcase with 40,000 kyat of money in it and 8 bottles of digestive medicine worth 40,000 kyat, altogether 252,500 kyat.
On the same day, the same SPDC patrol continued to robbed many villagers of several other villages in Ngaa Teng village tract. The following are just some known victims:
1. Lung Zit-Ta (m), aged 50, of Wo Long village, lost 20,000 kyat of money
2. Lung Pha (m), aged 50, of Wo Long village, lost 2 chickens worth 3,000 kyat
3. Wi-Zit-Ta (m), aged 30, of Son Saang village, lost 1 chicken worth 1,500 kyat
4. Lung Phaw-Ka (m), aged 51, of Son Saang village, lost 1 musket worth 40,000 kyat
5. Naang Lawng (f), aged 25, of Kun Yom village, lost 4 bottles of beer worth 4,000 kyat; 2 packets of matchboxes worth 12,000 kyat; 2 boxes of dried noodle worth 90,000 kyat; 2 cartons of cigarettes worth 9,500 kyat; 10 packets of shampoo worth 2,000 kyat; 2 glasses worth 1,200 kyat; 5 packets of salt worth 1,500 kyat; 5 bundles of cheroots worth 2,000 kyat; 5 bottles of rice whiskey worth 2,500 kyat; 10 eggs worth 1,000 kyat; 1 chicken worth 3,000 kyat and 1 tape recorder worth 15,000 kyat
6. Zaai Zaai (m), aged 35, of Naa Paao village, lost 1 musket worth 30,000 kyat; 1 wrist watch worth 15,000 kyat; 2 long-sleeve shirts and 1 warm jacket worth 35,000 kyat in all; 2 pairs of trousers worth 14,000 kyat; 15 cassette tapes with songs worth 15,000 kyat; 1 heavy-duty knife worth 3,500 kyat and 2 electric torch light worth 2,500 kyat
A WOMAN TIED UP AND ROBBED OF HER BELONGINGS AT HER FARM IN KUN-HING
In August 2005, a woman farmer was tied up to a post of her farm hut and robbed of her money and valuables at her farm east of Ka Li village in Ka Li village tract, Kun-Hing township, by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB246.
Pa Maad, aged 45 and her 2 children, Naang Suay (f), aged 12 and Zaai Mawng (m), aged 10, were at their rice and peanut farm, about 3 miles east of Ka Li village, when a patrol of 5 SPDC troops from IB246, led by Sgt. Kyi Min, came and asked Pa Maad if she had seen Shan soldiers in the area.
When Pa Maad said she had not seen any Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops accused her of lying and tied her up to one of the posts of her farm hut. But instead of continuing to interrogate her, the troops searched the hut and stole what they wanted.
Before they left, the SPDC troops released Pa Maad and warned her and her children not to tell anyone about it, otherwise they would come back and kill them all. Pa Maad, however, did tell their village leaders, but no one dared to do anything about it.
Pa Maad lost 13,775 kyat of money; 2 Baht weight of gold ornaments; bedding and some new clothes.
MONEY EXTORTED FROM BARBERS FOR SINGING IN KAENG-TUNG
In September 2005, money was extorted from 3 barbers by members of the SPDC police force for singing and playing guitars during their free time at a barber shop in Kaeng-Tung town.
The victims were 3 young men who earned their living as barbers at a shop on a main road in the centre of the town. These young men used to play guitars and sing together as their pastime when there were few or no customers to attend to.
It was in the afternoon when there were no customers and the 3 barbers were playing guitars and singing when a police officer, Aung Kyaw Lat, and 2 policemen came into the barber shop and scolded them. “Do you think this is your house? Why are you making noises and disturbing other people?”, said the police.
The police told the barbers to pay a fine of 1,000 kyat each for causing public disturbance. The barbers said they were only singing in a low voice just to pass their time while there were no customers and begged the police to forgive them because they did not earn much income as barbers.
But the police said the barbers had broken the law and insisted that they pay the fine or be arrested. The barbers had no choice but to comply and each gave the police 1,000 kyat of their hard-earned money for fear of being arrested.
EXTORTION IN THE NAME OF EDUCATION IN MURNG-TON
In late 2005, villagers of Pung Pa Khem village in Pung Pa Khem village tract, Murng-Ton township, were required to provide 1,800,000 kyat of money by the SPDC military authorities for the construction of a concrete fence for a newly set up school in the village.
In September 2005, the commander of Murng-Ton-based IB65, Min Aung, came to Pung Pa Khem village and called a public meeting. At the meeting, he told the villagers that Pung Pa Khem village tract would soon be made a township.
A new high school had already been set up, but it still lacked proper fencing to look good as a characteristic of a town, he said, and required the villagers to provide 1,800,000 kyat of money to build a concrete fence around the school compound. “The government will take responsibility for the rest of the costs”, he added.
The villagers had to collect money among themselves for some time until they could gather the demanded amount of money. Further more, the villagers were required to be grateful to the commander for telling them to build the fence, and to say that since this commander came to the area, the Burmese soldiers had done a lot of good things for the people.
EXTORTION IN THE NAME OF EDUCATION IN KUN-HING
Since late 2005, people in Wan Lao village tract in Kun-Hing township have been required to provide money for the education of their children who attended the school set up by the SPDC authorities in the area.
Since mid 2005, a school was set up by the SPDC authorities at Wan Lao village and villagers in the area were encouraged to send their children to learn at the school. By late 2005, there were 136 students attending and 4 teachers working at the school.
The students were from 3 villages in the area: Wan Lao, Long Maw and Kot Pung villages. Wan Lao had about 100 families of which 76 sent their children to school; and 37 out of 56 families in Long Maw and 23 out of 38 in Kot Pung also sent their children.
In September 2005, an order was issued by the SPDC authorities requiring parents of the students to provide money for their children’s education, which would be used to pay the teachers’ salaries. Parents of each student needed to pay 4,000 kyat in a single installment for one year.
Most of the villagers could not afford to pay that much money in just a single payment because they had to depend only on subsistence agriculture for their living with virtually no extra incomes, so they asked the authorities to let them pay in 3 separate installments over one year period.
The authorities said that they believed the villagers were able to pay that little amount of money all at once, but to be reasonable they would let it be 2 times and that was the ultimatum. The villagers had no choice but to try their best to save up the money so that their children could study.
STEALING OF LIVESTOCK IN NAM-ZARNG
In September 2005, a villager’s buffalo was shot dead and stolen by a patrol of SPDC troops from Murng-Nai-based IB248 near Kung Niu village in Wan Nawng village tract, Nam-Zarng township.
On 7 September 2005, a patrol of 15 SPDC troops, led by commander Tin Htut, from the camp at Loi La village in Loi La village tract, Nam-Zarng township, which was occupied by a contingent sent from IB248 based in Murng-Nai, came to the area of Kung Niu village in Wan Nawng village tract, Nam-Zarng township.
The SPDC troops shot dead a buffalo, belonging to villagers of Kung Niu, at a place some distance east of the village and cut it up and took away all the meat, leaving a pile of bones for the owners to see when they came to find their buffalo.
Although the villagers knew who had stolen their buffalo, and that the meat had been dried in the camp at Loi La village and some of it had already been sent to the base of IB248 in Murng-Nai, they could do nothing about it.
Teenager killed but perpetrator still missing
