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BURMA ACTION REQUEST



Subject: BURMA ACTION REQUEST


Following text is a excerpt from the AI group 19, electronic Newsletter.

4. BURMA ACTION REQUEST
------------------------

BACKGROUND

Rahila, a woman of about 30 years of age, was taken by
SLORC soldiers to serve as a porter.  She died from
abuse following an epileptic attack.

In April 1991, Rahila (her name has been changed to
protect her relatives from retribution) was living in
the Karen State of Myanmar.  Rahila was the youngest
daughter in her family, unmarried, and an epileptic.
She worked as a day laborer.

The population of the town had dropped from 100 families
to 40 families.  Many people moved away because they did
not want to be harassed by State Law and Order
Restoration Council soldiers (called tatmawdaw) who had
a base only 3 miles away.  Villagers had to pay the
tatmawdaw twice a month so that they would not be taken
as porters to labor forcibly, carrying ammunition and
supplies for the SLORC troops.

When 25 soldiers came to Rahila's village in April 1991,
they picked out four people to take away.  The families
of three were able to pay, but Rahila had no money and
she could not pay to not be made the soldier's slave.
The village head warned tatmawdaw that Rahila was ill,
but they said they would only take her for a little
while.  She left with them, heading south, carrying rice
on her back.

Ten days later, the family heard she was dead.  One of
the porters who was with her came back and told them
that from all forced labor and exertion, Rahila had an
epileptic fit.  The soldiers kicked and punched her to
try to make her get up, but she couldn't, and then they
kicked her and punched so much she died.  Rahila died
from the soldiers' beatings.

The ruling military authorities, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) have justified the seizure
of porters on the basis of the colonial-era Towns Act of
1907 and the Village Act of 1908.  According to these
laws, those seized as porters must be "unemployed",
"physically fit to work" and be paid "a reasonable
amount".  As is the case of many others taken as
porters, Rahila clearly did not fit any of these
categories.

To express your outrage that the authorities permit such
brutality to take place, please write *politely* worded
letters either as a member of AI or in a private
capacity.  Following is a sample letter for your use.


BURMA SAMPLE LETTER

General Than Shwe
Chairman
State Law and Order Restoration Council
Nine Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon, MYANMAR


Your Excellency:

As a member of Amnesty International I am writing to
express my grave concern over an apparent pattern of
extrajudicial executions.  Amnesty International is an
independent organization that works to protect human
rights around the world and it neither supports nor
opposes governments.  Amnesty does oppose extrajudicial
executions committed by governments and by opposition
groups, because these killings violate the right to life
guaranteed by Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.

I have learned of a killing by beating of an epileptic
woman who was serving as a porter for tatmawdaw.  It
seems the forced labor and exertion caused her to have
an epileptic fit and fall to the ground while carrying
rice on her back.  Soldiers kicked and beat her to make
her get up.  She did not, and they continued beating her
until she died from their injuries to her.

I am gravely concerned that security forces apparently
feel that they may act with impunity and that SLORC has
not seemingly addressed the issue of extrajudicial
executions in Myanmar by carrying out and making public
investigations into allegations of political killings.
Extrajudicial killings are condemned by the
international community as a violation of human rights.

I urge you to issue clear orders to all members of the
security forces to emphasize that killings outside the
judicial system are unlawful and that those found
responsible will be brought to justice.  Should an
extrajudicial execution take place, please take steps to
ensure that the family be informed, that the body be
returned to the family for burial, and that a prompt and
thorough investigation take place, with the findings
made public.  Finally, I urge you to use your influence
to end the arbitrary detention of citizens to serve as
unpaid labor or porters now and to  guarantee the right
to life by safeguarding against executions which are
arbitrary, summary or extrajudicial in accordance with
international human rights standards when creating a new
constitution for Myanmar.

Respectfully yours, etc.