"In November 1997, Physicians for Human Rights / Denmark and DanChurchAid visited Thailand to describe violations of human rights committed against Burmese refugees in their home country. We interviewed and examined people mainly from rural areas in the Shan, Karenni and Karen regions of Burma. We asked about exposure of family members to forced labour, porter service, forced relocation, arrests, physical ill-treatment incl. torture, and about killing, rape and disappearances of family members or persons from the village of the examined person. Furthermore, we asked about landmine incidents among the examinees, family members or persons from their village. If the examinee confirmed such exposure, we asked about details according to interview forms. In case the interviewed person alleged exposure to physical assaults, a physical examination was performed to assess whether there was aggreement between the reported exposure and the presence or absence of scars or other physical sequels. In total, 188 persons were examined and interviewed. 92 persons, incl 46 Shans, were examined. 61 (66%) reported exposure to two or more of the mentioned violations of human rights. 34 (37%) had fled within the last year (median 5 months) before our examination. There was no difference between the exposure to human rights violations committed against the Shans compared to the others. Those who had fled recently were as heavily exposed as the rest of the examinees. Of the 92 persons examined, it was among other things reported that 65% had done porter service, that 51% had been relocated from their villages, that 14% had been tortured, that 36% had experienced killing of family members (not from landmine explosions) and that 25% (themselves or family members) had been traumatized or killed by landmines. In all cases of reported exposure to ill-treatmen t / torture or landmine incidents we found agreement between the history and the result of the clinical examination. Furthermore, 96 persons were interviewed. Of this group, 40% had fled within the last 12 months before our examination. Those who had fled most recently had been more heavily exposed to human rights violation than the others who had fled earlier. We conclude that the 188 persons examined and interviewed represent various ethnic groups, mainly from rural areas in Burma, which have been heavily exposed to human rights violations. Our results do not indicate that the Shan people has been less exposed than other groups. We find no signs of amelioration of the human rights situation in Burma within the last year. Apart from the landmine problem, in which local guerilla groups are involved, troops from the Burmese army are responsible for all the described violations of human rights..."