Appendix 1

Appendix 1 - Detailed interviews (28 cases)

(nos. refer to Summary list of 173 cases)

(1) Name: Ya Mie (not her real name)

"One night, two friends and I were coming back from a video show. Instead of going home on the main street, we chose to walk back through the farmland. On our way, an SPDC soldier from IB49, branch 3 base in Murng Sart town approached us. He grabbed me and ordered my friends to go away. My friends were afraid, and so they ran back to the village. I knelt down and begged him not to hurt me, but he dragged me to the side of the road and raped me.

"After the incident, I gave up all hope. Though I wanted to complain to the authorities, I was afraid of the SPDC military. Before the incident, I would occasionally get a headache and feel dizzy, but after I was raped the headaches and dizziness increased. I couldn't sleep at night. When my mind wandered to what had happened, my heart would beat so hard. I was afraid of all men.

"My family didn't understand, and they didn't take care of me. They didn't accept me, and my friends looked down on me. I felt completely alone and depressed. This was in 1991, when I was in the 10th standard in Murng Sart high school. I had to take an examination soon after the rape, but my depression kept me from taking the exam. That affected everything, and my life went downhill."

(2) Name: Naang Khin (not her real name) 

On 17.6.1991, 50 SPDC troops from Co.4 of LIB 332 led by Capt. Maung Maung Soe were patrolling outside the area of Murng Pan town. The troops noticed Naang Khin coming back alone to her village. She had been at her farm. Naang Khin was coming home early to cook dinner and prepare the house before her parents got back from the farm. When the troops saw her, they began asking her many questions and took her with them. When night fell, they still did not allow her to leave. "Join us for dinner," they said. "After dinner our troops will go into the village." Naang Khin didn't eat dinner. She sat alone, sad and afraid. After they finished their dinner, the captain told her they would sleep there. "This isn't a good time to keep going," he said. 

Upon hearing this, Naang Khin broke down and cried. The captain approached and raped her, in spite of her loud screams and cries for help. "If you want to go back home and see your parents again, don't cry and scream," the Captain told her. "If you don't obey, I will shoot you right here in this jungle. You are not in your village where you're supposed to be." The troops kept her with them for 4 nights and 5 days before they finally released her outside of her village. 

During the time that Naang Khin disappeared, the villagers suspected that Burmese soldiers had taken her. They had seen the footprints of Burmese soldiers passing near their farm. When Naang Khin's parents returned from their farm and didn't find her at home, Naang Khin's 43-year-old father, Loong Sue Yae, reported his daughter's disappearance to the village headman Loong Kan Na. The village headman took her father to complain to the tract headman Loong Sa Pin Yar. Even though the village and tract headman knew about Naang Khin's disappearance, they could do nothing. They simply had to wait for her to come home. 

When Naang Khin finally returned, she told her parents what had happened. She was upset and distressed for 2-3 days. Her relatives took her to Murng Pan hospital to be checked by doctors. The doctor put her on an IV and required that she stay in the hospital for two nights and two days. After leaving the hospital, she had to stay at home for 25 days. Shortly after that, she traveled to Thailand with her relatives, Sai Mar Lar and Naang Tun Myint. Since then, she has stayed in Thailand and has gotten married here.

(3) Name: Nar Lay (not her real name)

"I lived in a small hut in the jungle with my husband and two children. There, we looked after our buffaloes and cows. One day, my husband took our two children into the jungle to hunt birds and left me alone in the hut. An SPDC soldier from LIB 333 base in Murng Sart came into our yard to steal our bananas. Although I can't speak Burmese that well, I tried to talk to him and to take our bananas back. I called out to my husband, but he was so far away at that time, he didn't hear me. The soldier grabbed me and kicked my legs
until I fell to the ground. Then he grabbed my legs. I tried to escape, but he was stronger than I am. He raped me for an hour and a half.

"When my husband came home, I told him what had happened. He was furious at me and beat me. The relationship between me and my husband and children suffered tremendously as a result of the rape. Every day, my husband and children would say 'Prostitute! If you want to sell sex, we will build you a small hut in the jungle. You can sell sex there.' I felt very hurt by those words, until finally I couldn't stand it any longer. I divorced my husband. When I went to see my children, they said, 'Whore, you are not our mother, don't come see us any more,' and drove me away. My husband said, 'You didn't control yourself. You had sex with another man. You are not longer my wife. Leave our house right now.' Eventually I decided to come to Thailand."

(4) Name: Naang Jang (not her real name) 

Five SPDC troops led by Captain Maung Soe were patrolling the area when they saw Naang Jang and her 38-year-old mother, Ba Sar, planting sugar cane on their farm. 4 soldiers took Ba Sar to another location where all of them gang-raped her. Meanwhile, the captain raped her daughter, Naang Jang. When they were finished, the soldiers dug up the sugar cane and took the plants with them. When Ba Sar got home she told her 44-year-old husband, Loong Kham Aan, what happened. Loong Kham Aan felt angry but did not report the incident to the village headman Loong Oon till about five days later. The village headman asked, "Why didn't you complain when the case had just happened? Why did it take such a long time to let me know? The case happened so long ago I'm afraid to complain to the military."

(5) Name: Naang Cham (not her real name) 

4 SPDC troops led by Officer Soe Maung Nyo were patrolling the area. The troops saw Naang Cham resting in a small hut on her rice farm. The troops didn't ask her any questions, but approached her and raped her. After two of the soldiers had finished raping her, her 38-year-old mother, Ba Nyunt, began to scream loudly, "Burmese soldiers are raping my daughter!" When the soldiers heard her, they pointed their guns at Ba Nyunt and beat her unconscious. Then 3 soldiers raped Naang Cham again before they stole a variety of snake gourds and pumpkins from Naang Cham's farm.

Ba Nyunt reported the incident to the village headman, Loong Bhue Mar. The village headman promised to complain to the tract headman. But nothing happened. 

(24) Name: Nar Lu (not her real name) 

"I spent much of the day looking after our buffaloes. The sun was hot, and I was tired, so I went home, closed the doors to our house, and slept. While I was sleeping, an SPDC soldier from Murng Sart base, mortar Battalion scaled the walls to the house and jumped down into my room. I woke up to see the soldier standing in my room. When he saw me, he ran over and grabbed me. I shouted, but nobody came to help. Finally, the soldier raped me. After he had finished raping me, I got up quickly and found a knife to protect myself.

"In our La-Hu village, everybody works on their farms during the day, so nobody is at home. When the village headman came back from his farm late that evening, I told him all that had happened. He then complained to the SPDC local military camp commander. The commander tied up the soldier who had raped me, beat him and then put him in jail. My family has been very supportive, and has helped me not to give up. I haven't given up, and I work hard on our farm."

(53) Name: Na Shi (not her real name)

"On that day, I came back from working on the farm at 5 in the evening. On my way back to my house, I encountered an SPDC soldier from Murng Ton base. I was afraid and I didn't look at him. But he grabbed my arm and stopped me from continuing on to the village. He said, 'Stop. I'm not letting you go back,' and then he touched my breast. I was very afraid and I screamed as he dragged me to the side of the road. I knelt, begging and entreating him not to hurt me, but he didn't listen or care what I said. Then, he raped me. I was so afraid, and I lay unconscious for a while there at the side of the road. When I woke up, it was 7 o'clock. I never get home so late, and so I hurried back and found my worried children and husband anxiously waiting for me. Crying, I told them all that had happened to me. My husband visited the village headman to report the crime, but because I did not know the identification number of the battalion or the name of the soldier, we could do nothing." 

(112) Name: Naang Thwe (not her real name)

60 SPDC troops came from Lai Kha to Wan Ler village to patrol the area. When they arrived in the village, they began to search the houses in the village. At that time, most of the villagers were away at their farms, and Naang Thwe was home alone. When the captain saw that Naang Thwe's parents were not at home, he ordered her into the house, without asking her any questions. She thought that the captain would search the house, and that he simply wanted her to go with him. But when they reached the bedroom, the captain grabbed her hand, threatening her with his pistol. Pointing his gun at her forehead, he said, "If you want to die, go ahead and make a noise." He raped her from 9 in the morning until 12:30 that afternoon. 

He finally left, and when her parents came home from the farm that evening, Naang Thwe, crying, told them all that had happened. When her 57-year-old father, Lung Kham Moon heard about the incident, he reported it to the village headman, Lung Saw, and a village elder, Lung Kamg. Two days later, the three of them went with Naang Thwe to complain to authorities in Lai Kha town. Lai Kha authorities called local camp commander, Captain Maung Htwe and discussed the incident with him. The Captain then asked Naang Thwe to come to the military camp to identify the rapist. She was shown a line-up of soldiers, but when she couldn't find Captain Tun Aung among them, Captain Maung Htwe imposed a fine on each of the four villagers. Naang Thwe and Lung Kamg each had to pay 30,000 Kyat. Village headman, Lung Saw had to pay 20,000 Kyat, while her father, Lung Kham Moon paid 15,000 Kyat. If they could not pay the fines, each person would have to spend 10 years in prison.

Naang Thwe was ill for 3 months, but she recovered eventually. Her relatives were supportive, and felt sad about the incident. There was little they could do, however, because the soldiers had the guns and the power.

(119) Name: Naang Yone (not her real name)

In July 2000, 50-55 SPDC troops were patrolling the area around the original location of Ho Pai village to search for villagers who had secretly returned to tend their farms. Captain Than Maung spotted Naang Yone in the fields, and called her to come to a small hut on the farm. When they got to the hut, he asked, "Who came with you to the farm?"

Naang Yone answered, "I came with my father, but right now he is fetching water." Upon hearing that, Captain Than Maung ordered Naung Yone into the hut where he raped her at gunpoint. He raped her from 10 in the morning until 3 that afternoon. She cried and pleaded, but he didn't release her until after 3 o'clock. 

Though she reported the incident to her relatives and the village headman, they didn't dare complain to the military. They wanted to see justice done, but they knew of others who had complained about rape, and had been forced to pay a fine of 10,000 Kyat to the military. After the incident, Naang Yone kept to herself. She didn't want to see or communicate with anyone. Her family understood and took care of her.

(133) Name: Naang Yin (not her real name)

Naang Yin was the 18-year-old daughter of two shopkeepers, Lung Tha and Pa Khong. Lung Tha and Pa Khong sold dry foods in their shop, such as oil, beans, seeds, and rice. Naang Yin studied at the high school in Kaeng Tawng town, and so she spoke Burmese in addition to Shan. SPDC troops from the local military camp regularly came to the shop to sell staples they got from the military camp, and to supplement their basic provisions. The troops from IB 246, including officer San Win Po, invited Naang Yin to come to the camp to buy some basic provisions at cheaper prices. 

Naang Yin went to the camp for the first time alone in January, 2001. She arrived to find that many of the commanders, captains and soldiers were away from the camp, patrolling the surrounding area. But there were still a few soldiers at the camp, including officer San Win Po. Coming into the camp alone, she was taken by officer San Win Po and ten other soldiers. They held her prisoner and gang raped her for four days. Her parents searched everywhere for her, until, finally she was released on the fourth day. She reported the incident to the village headman, and received a medical check-up from a
relative who was a nurse. 

The village headman, worried for her safety, told her, 'If you have a place to go, you should go. If you have a place to move, you should move. You shouldn't face those soldiers again." And so Naang Yin stayed on the move, spending each night at a different relative's house. Her parents were anxious about her security, but they didn't dare complain to the military for fear of repercussions. Ten days after her release, Naang Yin's mother took her to Thailand. The people in village were angry and blamed the soldiers for what had happened. When the village headman counseled the young girls in the village, many of them would talk about what happened to Naang Yin.

(135) Name: Ar Phue (not her real name)

Note: When Me Lue was 10 years old, she had lost partial use of her leg due to an illness. As a result, she cannot walk very well.

Two years prior to being raped, Ar Phue's husband, 30-year-old Ah Kho, had been beaten to death by SPDC soldiers. He had been taken to be a porter for their troops, and Ar Phue did not know exactly where her husband had died, nor the identification number of the battalion that had killed him. Nevertheless, she was left to work on their farm alone, a half-hour walk from the village. In February, 2001, seven soldiers from LIB 359 base in Ta-Khi-Laek approached her and threatened to shoot her with their guns. Not able to speak Burmese, she couldn't understand what the soldiers were saying, and could not run away on her bad leg. The soldiers proceeded to gang rape her for an hour. A vill-ager, hearing her screams, ran over to help. Upon seeing the villager, the soldiers stopped their attack, and left the scene.

Ar Phue reported the incident to the village headman. Luckily, she did not get ill, but at the time of the interview, she was three months pregnant. Fighting between the Shan army and the Burmese army broke out two days after the rape, preventing Ar Phue from seeking medical attention. Her village is close to the Burmese camp, and she could hear bombs and shelling near by. She was forced to relocate, with her child and relatives, to further inside Shan State away from the border with Thailand. She stayed there for 4-5 days before moving to an IDP settlement on the border. She traveled to the camp with her neighbor's family, as her parents did not live in the same village.

On days it did not rain, Ar Phue left the camp to work on a tea plantation. She left earlier than the others, because her bad leg forced her to walk slowly and she wanted to get there early enough to get work. She received 3 baht for every kilogram of tea leaves she picked, and one day she earned as much as 30-40 baht for her work. At the time of the interview, there were so many people looking for jobs, that there were days when there was no work for Ar Phue to do.

Knowing she was pregnant, her neighbor's family urged her to find a husband. "If other people knew that I was pregnant with a Burmese baby," Ar Phue said, "who will like that?" She didn't want to marry a soldier, for fear of having to either worry about his safety, or endangering herself or her child by accompanying him on his forays into the jungle. "I know that we'll have a difficult time, but I don't want my child to have a step-father," she said. "Some men love only women, but not their children. If I get married it will be difficult to get a divorce."

Added to her difficulties, Ar Phue was not educated and spoke limited Shan. "I don't know how to deal with the incident," she said. After her husband died, Ar Phue had decided not to go to live with her parents. Her father had died due to illness around the same time as the attack. Her mother visited her at the camp and stayed to marry a Shan villager there. 

The village she had left, which was so close to the Burmese army camp, often fell prey to the Burmese soldiers when fighting broke out. The troops regularly forced villagers to be porters for the army, and looted village houses for livestock, food and household items. Although she didn't know exact details, Ar Phue believed that other women in her village had also been raped by Burmese soldiers.

(136) Name: Naang Shwe (not her real name)

Eighteen-year-old Naang Shwe went out to her family farm to look after their cows. At that time, SPDC troops from Co. 4 of LIB 525 led by Capt. Soe Nyint were patrolling the area and noticed Naang Shwe staying at the farm. The Captain called her to him, and when she approached he grabbed her and raped her. She cried and shouted, but he didn't release her until he had finished. She told her relatives what had happened, and her uncle, Lung Aue Zay Ya, went to complain to the village headman and village elder. A Shan police captain told Lung Aue Zay Ya not to bother reporting the incident because he expected that the villagers would lose the case, and that there would be no consequences for Capt. Soe Nyint. After the rape, Naang Shwe felt ashamed, angry and sad. Eventually, she traveled across the border to Thailand.

(138) Name: Naang Mie (not her real name)

Naang Mie lived with her parents, Lung Lao and Pa Kham Sar in Ba Sar village. In March 2001, when Naang Mie was five years old, her parents went to work on their farm, leaving Naang Mie with her twelve-year-old sister. That night, her elder sister went out to a movie. The movie finished at 9 p.m., and their house was far away from the other houses in the village. So Naang Mie was left alone.

At 7 o'clock, an SPDC soldier from IB 99 came into the house. He tied up Naang Mie's hands and legs with rope, and raped her. When her sister came home from the movies, she found Naang Mie there, tied up and crying, with her sexual organs bloody. There was no one else around. Naang Mie was too afraid to tell her sister what had happened, because the soldier had threatened to kill her if she complained to anybody. A neighbor came and took Naang Mie to the hospital that night. She summoned the courage to tell a doctor what had happened, and a nurse stitched up her ripped vagina. They gave her medicine and took photographs for their records. The doctor and nurses told the girls that they would try to report the incident. Naang Mie's parents complained to the village headman, but they were too afraid to go to the military with their grievance. They were afraid for their children's safety, and because they were often away from their house all day, they worried that the military might loot and destroy their home. Many of the villagers blamed the parents for the incident, believing that if the parents had not been away, Naang Mie would not have been raped.

(140) Name: Naang Mya (not her real name)

On April 16, 2001, 19 year old Naang Mya was alone at home, in an area regularly patrolled by SPDC troops from Co. 3, LIB 248. When Captain Hla Phey, the commander of the patrol unit saw that Naang Mya was alone, he approached her and said, " One of the soldiers from my battalion is lost. He might be hiding in your house." Claiming that he needed to search the house, he entered and ordered Naang Mya to come with him. He directed her into the bedroom, where he raped her. After the rape, he ripped Naang Mya's gold necklace off her neck and took it with him. Her gold necklace weighed 1 baht and was worth 5000 Thai Baht. Ashamed, and fearful of retaliation by the Burmese soldiers, Naang Mya did not complain to the authorities. She kept to herself, lost weight and eventually fell ill, becoming severely jaundiced. Though her relatives supported and took care of her, her fiance, 21 year old Zaai Moon, would not come to see her. As a result of the rape, they broke off their engagement. 

(144) Name: Naang Tong (not her real name)

Twelve-year-old Naang Tong lived with her parents, Lung Malar and Pa Ong, in Ton Hoong village. She had had trouble with her eyes since she was a baby, and could not see very well. In April, 2001, the villagers from Ton Hoong went to worship at the temple in Ba Sar village, Kaeng Tawng, Murng Nai township. On her way to the temple, she walked with the elders of her village. On the way back, however, Naang Tong walked alone with a friend. An SPDC soldier, from IB 99, saw the two girls, grabbed Naang Tong and tried to rape her. Her friend was afraid and ran away, but Naang Tong could not run far because of her poor eyesight. She struggled away from the soldier, but tripped and fell on the ground in the dirt road. The soldier grabbed her and tried again to rape her. At that moment, a woman riding a bicycle from Ton Hoong to Ba Sar village passed by and saw what was happening. When the soldier saw the woman watching him, he released Naang Tong.

Though the soldier didn't have a chance to rape Naang Tong, her face was bruised and scarred from the blows he had inflicted, and her body was sore. She reported the incident to the village headman, and a villager took her to Kaeng Tawng hospital for medical treatment. A doctor and several nurses took photographs of her injuries to keep on record.

The family and village headman did not complain to the military, for fear of repercussions. Others had been raped in the past, and when they went to complain they were forced to pay a fine of ten chickens and one bucket of oil to the military. Many of the villagers blamed Naang Tong for the incident, claiming that she had been foolish to return to Ton Hoong without the elders.

(145) Name: Naang Nyunt (not her real name)

Naang Nyunt, an 18-year-old woman from Nong Kor village, Wan Zad tract, Ke See
township was attacked and raped in her house by Captain Soe Phue on 1.5.2001. After the incident, Naang Nyunt's father complained to the village headman, Lung Tun Hla. Together they reported the rape to Captain Thung Zaw, commander of LIB 424 based in Ke See township. As there were no eyewitnesses, other than Naang Nyunt herself, the commander said he could do nothing. 

(147) Name: Naang Phong (not her real name)

On May 18th, 2001, local camp commander, Captain Than Maung Tun, ordered fifteen women from Nam Kat village to come to the military camp to clean the camp's guardhouse. The fifteen women entered the camp, and Captain Than Maung assigned fourteen women to clean the bedrooms of the other captains, while ordering Naang Phong to clean his room. As Naang Phong entered the room to begin cleaning, Captain Than Maung followed her, closing the door behind him. He grabbed at her, and she screamed "The Captain is raping me!" He slapped her mouth with his hand, and raped her.

When she got home, she told her husband, Zaai Pan Ti, what had happened. He reported the incident to the village headman, Lung Au Li Ya, who in turn took Naang Phong and her husband to see the Captain. Naang Phong accused the Captain saying, "Yesterday, you raped me in your room." 

In response, Captain Than Maung replied, "If I raped you, why didn't you tell anyone, or call for help? If I raped you, why didn't the other fourteen women who came with you see or hear any noise or sign of a struggle?" Turning to the other fourteen women, the Captain asked, "Did anybody here see me rape this woman? If so, raise your hand." No one raised her hand, because no one had seen the rape with her own eyes. They had only seen the Captain take Naang Phong into his room. Upon that, the Captain fined Naang Phong 15,000 Kyat for causing him to "lose face."

After the incident, Naang Phong felt sad, ashamed and afraid. She was lethargic and had no appetite. Her husband and relatives understood and supported her, and she and her husband continue to live together. Two to three months after the incident, Naang Phong and her husband came to live in Thailand.

(152) Name: Naang Ang (not her real name)

On June 29, 2001, as SPDC troops were patrolling the area around the Ton Hoong relocation site, Captain Tun Oo noticed Naang Ang in the village. The Captain then ordered 30 troops, led by Captain Tan Aung, to patrol the area. A few days later, the captain ordered Lung Min, the village headman, to bring Naang Ang's husband, Zaai Maung Hla, to him. When Zaai Maung Hla arrived, the Captain said, "Today, I want you to serve as a guide for my troops for two days. Go pack your things and come back and wait here." Zaai Maung Hla could not protest, and had to do as he was ordered.

On July 4th, Zaai Maung Hla was still away from home. Knowing her husband was away, Captain Tun Oo went to see Naang Ang, and without any questions, walked right into the house. "What do you have in your bedroom? Let's go and see."

"Captain," Naang Ang said, "go and see by yourself."

At that, the Captain said, "You will go inside with me." He pulled out his pistol, aimed it at her forehead, and threatening her, he dragged her into the bedroom and raped her. He raped her for five hours, from 10 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon.

When Zaai Maung Hla came home, Naang Ang told him all that had happened. Her husband reported the incident to the village headman and a village elder. Upon hearing what happened, they said. 'The only eyewitness is Naang Ang. Though we want to report the incident, it is your word against his. We will not be able to win." They decided not to complain to the military.

At times, her husband called Naang Ang "Burmese leftovers." But family members from both sides intervened and talked through what had happened, making it clear that Naang Ang had not chosen to have sex with the Captain, but rather had been raped at gun point. In August 2001, she and her husband came to Thailand.

(155) Name: Naang Aye (not her real name)

On July 16, 2001, Naang Aye, a 16-year-old girl from Koong Sar village, Wan Nong-Koong Mong tract in Nam Zarng township, was raped by Captain Zaw Hlaing one and a half miles east of her village. She did not report the incident to authorities. 9-10 days after the rape, however, Naang Aye fell ill. She was depressed, lethargic, and had no appetite. Her relatives brought her to Nam Zarng Hospital, where she stayed for 5 days. As she still had not recovered after 5 days in the hospital, her family moved her to Loi Lem Hospital. After 10 more days of treatment and 17,000 Kyat in medical bills, Naang Aye felt well enough to return home.

(160) Name: Naang Hla (not her real name)

Naang Hla was sixteen years old, had been married three years, and was seven months pregnant when she and her husband were attacked by SPDC troops patrolling the area. Naang Hla lived with her twenty-six-year-old husband, Zaai Kue Na, in a small hut on their farm. In August, 2001 SPDC troops entered their farm and beat, tortured and interrogated Zaai Kue Na. They blindfolded him with a towel and tied him to a tree. After beating Zai Kue Na, the soldiers took Naang Hla into the hut and beat her with a stick, threatening her with their guns. They pushed at her body and face with their guns until her nose bled. Then, although she was seven months pregnant, they raped her, one after the other. In all, ten soldiers raped her while others stood outside the hut, laughing when she cried and shouted. They had tied her husband near enough to the hut to hear everything happening to his wife and to hear her cry out loudly in pain. They treated her as though she were not a human being, and raped her from 8am until 4pm. As the nightmare continued, Naang Hla lost consciousness several times.

When they had finished raping Naang Hla, the soldiers took her husband with them to be a porter for the SPDC troops. He never came back. Naang Hla knew that he must have died.

Naang Hla was left alone, sick and numb, in the small hut in the jungle. She was too dizzy to stand or walk. She had a constant headache, violent dysentery, and bled so profusely she thought she had lost the baby. Still alone four days later, Naang Hla gave birth to her child, after only seven months of pregnancy. The next day, her husband's relatives arrived from Kun Hing to take her to Thailand. They were worried about the troops patrolling the area, and by the time they arrived, they had heard about the rape and Zaai Kue Na's death.

She wanted to complain about her husband's death, and to punish the soldiers who raped her, but she couldn't. She spoke no Burmese, and did not know how to approach the authorities. Not being sure of the troop number of the soldiers, she was hesitant to report the rape or her husband's murder.

At the time of the interview, her baby was two months old and very ill. Drinking her milk gave the child violent dysentery, but Naang Hla had no money to buy milk. Too weak to work, she had no money to travel to a clinic or pay for medical attention.

(161) Name: Naang Mo (not her real name)

SPDC troops were patrolling the area near Kun Hing base, when they saw thirteen-year- ld Naang Mo with her fourteen-year-old friend, Naang Jung collecting vegetables in the forest, two hours outside Nam Kham village. They approached the girls, and Naang Jung managed to escape and run to safety. But a captain caught and raped Naang Mo and then released her near Nar Khue village early the next morning. Just outside Nar Khue village, Naang Mo put her face in her sarong and cried. Eventually, she made it back to her village and told her relatives what had happened. They wanted to complain to the local base commander, but they were afraid that, if they were to report the incident, they would be punished with fines or imprisonment. Although they wanted justice, there was nothing they could do. Naang Mo felt depressed, ashamed, and lethargic.

(162) Name: Naang Kham (not her real name)

Sixteen-year-old Naang Kham was alone at home when Capt. Kyaw Won came into the village, saying that he wanted to buy some chickens. Finding Naang Kham alone, he entered her house and raped her. She cried out loudly, and he slapped her face, leaving it badly bruised. After the incident, she did not complain to authorities, but confided in her family. She later went across the border to Thailand with her relatives.

(168) Name: Naang Tun (not her real name)

On October 24, 2001, 4 SPDC soldiers, led by Captain Soe Soe Aung, left the local military camp to buy chickens in the relocated village of Kang Oon. Arriving in the village, Captain Soe Soe Aung noticed Naang Tun alone, and asked her, "Where is your husband?"

"He is away, doing forced labor," she answered.

"I need to search your house,' he said. "You must come with me to protect against the loss of any personal property." At the house, the captain grabbed Naang Tun's hand and forced her to lie down, pointing his pistol at her head. "Don't get up," he ordered. "If you do, I'll shoot you." 

As he was raping her, she cried out loudly two or three times, screaming "Don't do this to me, Captain!" He slapped her face and threatened her again with his pistol, saying, "Do you want to die?" Afraid, she grew silent and said nothing more until he had finished raping her and left with his troops to go back to the camp.

Naang Tun reported the incident to headman Lung Kan Na and 7 or 8 elders in the village. They asked her to wait until her husband came home. He arrived home 2-3 days after the rape, and Naang Tun, crying, told him what had happened. They went with the headman and village elders to the camp. In all, 13 villagers approached to local LIB 515 military camp to talk to the camp commander, Captain Than Tun. The Captain said, "Captain Soe Soe Aung has been patrolling the area for the last 19-20 days. He's not back yet." Naang Tun insisted that she would easily recognize him, so the camp commander ordered a line-up of all his troops. 146 soldiers stood in line, but Captain Soe Soe Aung was not among them. When Naang Tun could not identify the rapist, Captain Than Tun said, "These are all the soldiers in my camp right now. I don't know who raped you, but you can't blame my soldiers and my military camp like that." Upon saying that, he sent Naang Tun to a military jail. She stayed there for one day and one night, until a village elder went to see Capt. Than Tun again. The villager apologized to the Captain, and asked that Naang Tun be released. The Captain said, "You have to pay for Naang Tun's release. You have made me feel shame, and have caused me to lose face. You must pay 20,000 Kyat." The villagers paid the money, and Naang Tun was released.

After her release, Naang Tun did not feel well. She had a headache and was dizzy and had to go to the hospital in Lai Kha town five times. Eventually, she recovered. Her family is supportive and understanding, but Naang Tun wants to see her rapist punished.

(169) Name: Naang Lawnt ( not her real name)

60-70 SPDC troops were patrolling the area around Naang Lawnt's village. When her husband, Zaai Tun, saw the troops approaching, he ran away, but the soldiers saw him leaving. They surrounded Naang Lawnt's house, and searched it thoroughly, inside and out without finding anything illegal. When they were finished searching the house, they ordered Naang Lawnt to come with them, but she didn't want to go. Officer Thein Myint slapped her face three or four times, saying, "Are you coming with us, or not?" She had no choice, and was forced to leave with the troops.

They took her first to the jungle for two nights, where both officers Thein Myint and Nyan Lin raped her. They then took her to the deserted village of Koong Ben, Hui Hey tract in Murng Kerng township. They kept her there for three nights, and then took her to the local LIB 514 camp for one last night. She was raped throughout this time, for a total of six days and nights.

Finally she was released at 7 am. Before she left, officer Thein Myint warned "If you tell anybody about this, I will come and kill you and your husband." When Naang Lawnt got home, she told her husband everything, but they were too afraid to complain to anyone.

Naang Lawnt and her husband still live together. He is understanding, and only blames the Burmese soldiers for what happened. Naang Lawnt is depressed, and frustrated that there was no way to punish to soldiers for what they did to her. She fell ill after the incident, and spent seven days in the hospital in Murng Kerng town.

(170) Name: Naang Ying (not her real name)

Naang Ying was outside the village, searching for food, when 60-70 SPDC troops passed by. They saw her working, and took her with them. They took her to the jungle for two nights and the deserted village of Koon Ban, Hui Hey tract in Murng Kerng township for three nights, and then, finally, the local camp for one night. Captain Kyaw Myint, along with 4 of his officers, gang raped her every night for those six nights. They released her at 6am on the seventh day.

When she got home, she told her parents and relatives what had happened. Her family took her to the hospital in Murng Kerng for a blood test, and her uncle, the village headman Lung Nan Ti, went to report the incident to Murng Kerng town's headman, Lung Hla Shwe. Upon hearing what had happened, Lung Hla Shwe went to discuss the incident with a Shan Captain, Shwe Hla of Company 3, LIB 515. The Captain said, "Burmese soldiers have a habit of lying. Since we didn't witness the incident ourselves, they will ask who can verify that it happened. Although Naang Ying knows which soldiers raped her, they can still claim that she is lying. I'm not saying this because I want the soldiers to go unpunished. Even though I'm an SPDC soldier, all my relatives are Shan, and I'm very sorry about what happened. I just know that it will be impossible to win this case."

Her family was understanding and supported Naang Ying. She was frustrated, because she wanted to punish the rapists, but she could do nothing.

(171) Name: Naang Seng (not her real name)

When 60-70 SPDC troops entered Nar Lein village, the men of the village ran away in fear of being forced to be porters for the SPDC, leaving only women in the village. Captain Kyaw Myint approached Naang Seng's house and saw that the fourteen-year-old girl was alone at home. Ordering his troops to stand guard outside the house, Captain Kyaw Myint dragged Naang Seng into the bedroom and raped her. She cried loudly, and he slapped her. 

After the troops left the village, her family came back. Naang Seng told them what had happened, but they were too afraid to complain to authorities. Two days after the incident, Naang Shwe, Naang Seng's older sister, took her to the hospital in Murng Kerng for a medical exam. Afraid and depressed, Naang Seng couldn't sleep for five or six nights. She wanted to punish the captain, but could do nothing.

(172) Name: Naang Khei (not her real name)

On 28.11.2001 Naang Khei was gathering wild vegetables on her farm one mile from her
village. Capt. Tun Yin and Lt. Than Maung saw that Naang Khei was alone there. They aimed a gun at her and walked toward her. She thought that the 2 officers might want to steal the villagers' vegetables from the farm. But after they reached her, they ordered her to put both her hands up and searched her whole body. When they didn't find anything, they ordered her to go to a pile of straw on the farm. Naang Khei didn't go at first, but they pointed their gun at her back and forced her forward. When they arrived at the straw pile one pointed his gun at her while the other raped her. Then they switched. In all, it took 2-1/2 hours before they let her go back home. When she arrived home, she told her husband and parents about the incident. Together with her parents and her 33-year-old husband, Sai Kaw, Naang Khei went to report the incident to the village headman Loong Saw. The village headman then accompanied the four of them to complain to Co.3, Commander Capt. Kyaw Kaeing in Murng Boo Long tract base. Naang Khei told him all the things that happened to her. The Commander said that it was good for him to know. He told the five of them to come again tomorrow at 8:30 am. On 29.11.2001 at 8:30 am, the five of them arrived at the military camp. The Commander asked Naang Khei to identify the rapist. "Look carefully at their faces, and point out the ones who raped you," he instructed. She was shown a line-up of soldiers, but she couldn't find Captain Tun Yin and Lt. Than Maung among them. Naang Khei told the Commander that Capt. Tun Yin and Lt. Than Maung were not among the 48 soldiers. "I would recognize them," she said. 

The Commander said, "These are all the soldiers in Co.3. We are all here together 49 soldiers including myself. This means you wanted my military branch to be blacklisted." He started to send all five of them to prison. But the village headman intervened and asked for forgiveness. Instead of prison, the Commander imposed a fine on each of the five villagers. Within five days, Naang Khei and the village headman each had to pay 10,000 Kyat, her husband had to pay 5,000 Kyat and her parents were required to pay 7,000 Kyat each. This came to a total of 39,000 Kyat.

(173) Name: Naang Ku (not her real name)

On 4.12.01, Capt. Myint Maung Htwe from Co. 4, LIB 524, was on a regular patrol of a relocation area to which villagers were relocated in early 2001. When the captain saw Naang Ku alone at home in the relocation site, the captain went up to her house and asked, "I see you're alone at home. Where are your parents?" 

"My father is away doing forced labour and my mother and my elder sister went to work on the farm," Naang Ku answered 

"Last night, who came to your house? Did you have a guest?" 

"Nobody came," she said. The captain, saying he would find out whether or not a guest had stayed there, asked Naang Ku to let him see the house and bedrooms. He ordered her inside with him, drew and aimed his gun at her and ordered her to lie down. When she refused, he grabbed her hand and forced her to lie down. Twice Naang Ku shouted, "The captain is raping me!" The captain slapped her face and her mouth and continued to rape her. 

"If you scream or tell your parents or relatives what happened, I will come and shoot all of you dead," he threatened as he was leaving her house. In the evening time, when her parents and her relatives came back home from work, she told them about the incident. They didn't report the incident to anyone. The next morning her mother brought her to Kun Hing hospital for a medical check up. After the incident, her parents didn't want to stay in the relocation site any longer. They moved to Murng Ton and later to Thailand. They arrived in Thailand on 26.12.01.