Village Near Town Forced To Relocate

Village Near Town Forced To Relocate

A thriving village just outside a southern Shan town was forcibly relocated late last January, Maihoong reported S.H.A.N. from the border.

On 27 January, 120 households from the village of Hofailong in Mongpan Township were ordered without notice to a section just 200 meters from the town by Captain Than Maung, LIB 520, and his 70 - 80 strong company.
"The village had 150 households. Only the section with 30 households that was nearest to the town was not relocated. However it became the relocation site instead," said the reporter.

On that day, the Hofailong Tract headman, Zingna, 45, was paid a call by Capt. Than Maung, who told him to summon an ad hoc meeting of the 18-men Tract Committee that included village headmen and their secretaries "to receive the visiting commander of the local military operations command." When all the committee members arrived, they were tied up and locked up at the Battalion post. Meanwhile, the villagers were all rounded and moved to the section near the town, a location only 200 meters from the LIB 332 camp at the town entrance.

"While they were taken away all their belongings, including their furniture and livestock were looted by the soldiers," he said.

The 18 committee members together with other 37 villagers are still reported to be under arrest. Many others have fled leaving their wives and relatives behind who were interrogated and molested by the officers and men.
"To my knowledge, altogether 19 (5 married and 12 single) women, have been raped," he added.

The reason for the forced removal was said to be suspicion that the villagers were harboring members of the Shan State Army led by Yawdserk, whose 756th Brigade, commanded by Ltc. Khurhlao, was known to be active in the area.

The campaign against the Shan resistance during the last 4 years have already killed and dislocated at least 300,000 people, according to human rights reports.