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BurmaNet News: June 3, 1995 [#182]
- Subject: BurmaNet News: June 3, 1995 [#182]
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 04 Jun 1995 03:46:00
Received: (from strider) by igc2.igc.apc.org (8.6.11/Revision: 1.11 ) id DAA06145; Sun, 4 Jun 1995 03:46:42 -0700
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 03:46:42 -0700
------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: June 3, 1995
Issue #182
NOTED IN PASSING:
When I got home I found that my son was sick, so I went to
the section leader, explained how I had been a porter and
asked for some money to take care of my son. So he collected
money from the people in our ward, but then he said that
money was not for me. He said "Now that money has become
public property". I got angry and told him that he was
silly. That's why he arrested me and sent me as a porter
again.
Maung Hla, an escaped porter. See <KHRG FIELD REPORTS--
6TH BRIGADE AREA>
Contents:
FBWWW: NEW WEB ADDRESS FOR FREE BURMA WEB SITE
DAB: LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON
NATION: US CONGRESSMAN URGES ASEAN TO RESIST CHINA
AGGRESSION
NATION: THREE GET LIFE FOR FAKE NOTES
NATION: LETTER--SLORC AND DRUGS
NATION: CALL BY BURMESE DISSIDENTS TO KEEP THE VOA ON AIR
NATION: SHWEE TO LEAD BURMA TRADE VISIT TO I'NESIA
KHRG: FIELD REPORTS--6TH BRIGADE AREA
----------------------------------------------------------
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INFORMATION ABOUT BURMA VIA THE WEB AND GOPHER:
Information about Burma is available via the WorldWideWeb at:
FreeBurmaWWW http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/freeburma.html
[Note new address!]
BurmaWeb: http://www.uio.no/tormodl
Burma fonts:
http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~lka/burmese-fonts/moe.html
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http://www-ala.doc.ic.ac.uk/~rap/Ethnologue/eth.cgi/Myanmar
TO ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT BURMA VIA GOPHER:
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Look under the International Political Economy section, then
select Geographic_Archive, then Asia, then Burma.
[If anyone knows the email address of the person running this gopher
or the Burma section of it, please contact BurmaNet:
strider@xxxxxxxxxxx]
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BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST
BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different
topics related to Burma. The scope of the subjects involved is simply
too broad for any one person to cover. BurmaNet is therefore
organizing a number of volunteer coordinators to field questions on
various subjects. If you have questions on any of the following
subjects, please direct email to the following coordinators, who will
either answer your question or try to put you in contact with someone
who can:
Arakan/Rohingya/Burma- [volunteer needed]
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"Attn. S. Sutcliffe"
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[Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage]
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FBWWW: NEW WEB ADDRESS FOR FREE BURMA WEB SITE
Date: 6/1/95
The Free Burma World Wide Web site has been moved to
http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/freeburma.html
This will provide you with remarkably faster and more
reliable service. Please undate your links/hotlists/
bookmarks to this URL.
We'd like to encourage people who haven't checked-in
lately to do so. You will find a dramatic speed increase.
We look forward to you enjoying the new convenience.
Free Burma thanks Jonathan and Doug at SunSITE in
North Carolina for their kind invitation. We'd also
like to thank Sun Microsystems (and to suggest to them
that they close their Rangoon office).
Free Burma will continue to serve, for a week or so,
from it's old location at http://199.172.178.200.
DAB: LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON
DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE OF BURMA
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
President Bill Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington D.C.
U.S.A.
Date: June 1,
1995
Dear Mr. President,
Burma Democracy aspirations are wholly dependent upon world-wide
network of information, as proven today. SLORC is still holding
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, our national leader, under house arrest and
exercising arbitrary detention and forced labour, in addition to
ignoring international and domestic appeals to reform and empower
the democratically elected peoples' representatives of the 1990
polls.
In light of these prevailing problems, foreign radio broadcasts
daily are held in paramount importance as the SLORC is
maintaining monopoly of state media as known world-wide.
Present day truth about Burma's agony, as called by U.S.
Congressman Bill Richardson, recently as one of retrenchment,
regression and repression is being beamed to the international
community by three main sources of information- BBC, VOA and the
Democratic Voice of Burma.
Bills concerning legislation in both the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives that could be damaging to the effectiveness of
one of the main sources of truth for the people of Burma, the
Voice of America, are on their way to you and, we, and the
democracy forces are extremely concerned over the matter.
We are aghast at the endeavours by members of both houses of
Congress pushing the bills that would definitely undermine VOA
broadcast in English and Burmese that are playing pivotal roles
in democracy efforts in Burma in this hour of dire need to
support for democracy in oppressed countries like Burma. It is
our understanding that even the most positive scenarios could
bring budget cuts that would result in elimination of numerous
VOA language services.
In this view and sight, we in the name of Burmese Democratic
Alliances, representing the people of Burma earnestly urge to
exercise your veto power, as you have pledged to do so, against
the proposed American Overseas Interest Act of 1995. Furthermore,
we urged the Senate to take serious consideration in this matter,
the impact of sharp cuts that could culminate in damaging the
ability of the VOA to serve its Burmese Audience, we have much
faith and dependence on it for their information and inspiration.
Representative Sam Brownback of Kansas, amongst others, stating
that Voice of America mission has come to an end and that it is
non-essential in this post-Cold War era, is talking through his
nose and senseless, given above facts and evidences.
Hence, it is extremely essential and of paramount importance that
you exercise your veto powers in order to preserve VOA for
democracy in the world and in general and Burma in particular for
it is indispensable for Burma's freedom and Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi's, our national leader, who is still held in hostage together
with 43 million Burmese by the present military dictatorship in
Rangoon.
Yours Sincerely,
(signed here)
Tin Maung Win
Vice-Chairman (2)
Democratic Alliance of Burma(DAB).
NATION: US CONGRESSMAN URGES ASEAN TO RESIST CHINA
AGGRESSION
Agence France-presse
2.6.95/ Tha Nation
A visiting United States congressman yesterday called on Asean
nations to join the United States in opposing Chinese bullying,
expansionism and human rights abuses or face a "devastating
conflict" in the decade ahead.
Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California, also predicted
the Republican-controlled Congress would sharply curtail the
decades-old peace Corps programme and, within three to four
years, stop sending young American Volunteers to wealthy
countries like Thailand.
"We face a new situation in this part of the world in
particular," Rohrabacher told a news conference . We can expect
to face a hostile and expanding and anti-democratic China in the
future."
He said great care must be taken to change China's relationship
with its people and the world, "or we may see a major conflict
erupting a decade from now."
The Tiananmen Square crackdown in 198 when China crushed pro-
democracy protests took that country further away from democracy,
he said, citing China's human rights abuses, "genocide" in Tibet
expansionism in the region and bullying in the Spratly Islands.
"Unless we deal with it now and let the Chinese know that what
they are doing.... is unacceptable, we will all pay the price,"
he said.
The Chinese regime has to know that we will not permit them to
bully their neighbours and we will not accept their gross
violations of human tights", he added.
***********************************************************
NATION: THREE GET LIFE FOR FAKE NOTES
2.6.95/ The Nation
Rangoon- Three Thais who tries to smuggle a large quantity of
counterfeit Burmese currency into the country were sentenced to
life imprisonment with labour, the Myanmar News Agency reported
yesterday.
The three, all men were arrested at Rangoon airport on April 9
when they were found with fake Burmese bank notes with a face
value of 100 million Kyats(US $ 18 million at the official rate
of exchanges, US$ 1 million at the black market rate).
The Rangoon court said the counterfeit money could have
dangerously affected currency in circulation, caused public
panic, destabilized the monetary situation and adversely affected
the State's economic and financial undertakings.__
Reuter
NATION: LETTER--SLORC AND DRUGS
1.6.95/ The Nation
Slorc and drugs
Regarding your report on US-Burma Narcotics Cooperation (May 25,
1995), General Abel of SLorc supposedly complained that Western
countries had not recognized what Burma had done to suppress
narcotics. Sen Mitch Mc Connel(R-Kentucky), before the Senate
Appropriations Committee, on March 14, 1995 has the answer.
While the American public may not be seized with the importance
of democracy in Burma, they certainly understand Burma's
importance in one statistic: more than 80 per sent of heroin
coming into this country originates from Burma. So far, the
Burmese government has failed to take any meaningful steps to
correct this particular crisis," he said.
Opium production has doubled since Slorc took power.
Despite this dismal record, narcotics suppression is possible-
provided that Rangoon has the cooperation of the people. It is no
secret that within Burma, the Kachin State had an effective
programme. But for the advent of Slorc, that important part of
Burma would be opium-free today. The Kachins did it without a red
nickel of outside assistance.
Aung Win (Bangkok)
NATION: CALL BY BURMESE DISSIDENTS TO KEEP THE VOA ON AIR
June 3
A MANNERPLAW-based Burmese dissident group has called on United
States President Bill Clinton to Veto a proposed 1995 American
foreign aid bill that would cripple the ability of the radio
station, voice of America, to nature democratic forces in the
country.
In a letter to Clinton dated June 1, the Democratic Alliance of
Burma (DAB) asked the president to save the multi-language radio
station given its importance to the Burmese democracy movement.
DAB Vice Chairman Tin Maung Win said the truth about Burma's
agony, is being communicated to the international community by
three main sources of information- British Broadcasting
Cooperation, VOA and Oslo-based Democratic Voice of Burma-
because the state media was under the tight control of the ruling
military junta.
Since the State Law and Order Restoration Council usurped the
power and ignored the results of the 1990 election they have
maintained monopolistic control over the state media.
"This has made international broadcast radio like the BBC, the
VOA and the Democratic Voice of Burma vital in providing
information to the people," said Maung Win.
"Burma Democracy aspirations are wholly dependent upon world-wide
network of information," he said.
The amended bill proposed by the Republican-controlled Senate and
House of Representatives, officially called on the American
Overseas Interest Act of 1995 to slash US$2.8 billion from
Clinton's US 21.6 billion foreign affairs budget.
The severe cut would effect a number of US diplomatic tools, such
as the United States Information agency and the United States
Agency for International Development.
According to the letter, the cut would also undermine VOA
broadcast in English and Burmese, or in the worst case scenarios
eliminate numerous VOA language services.
The letter attacked Representative Sam Brownback of Kansas, who
stated that the VOA's time had come to an end and that it is non-
essential in this post-Cold War era.
"it is extremely essential and of paramount importance that you
exercise your veto powers in order to preserve VOA for democracy
in the world and in general and Burma in particular.
"for it is indispensable for Burma's freedom and Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi's, our national leader, who is still held in hostage together
with 43 million Burmese by the present military dictatorship in
Rangoon," it said.
*****************************************************************
NATION: SHWEE TO LEAD BURMA TRADE VISIT TO I'NESIA
The Nation - Regional Business
World Brief
3.6.95
Shwee to lead Burma trade visit to I'nesia
JAKARTA- The Chairman of Burma's State Law and Order Restoration
Council(SLorc) is to pay an official visit to Indonesia from June
5-8, the state secretary Murdiono said here late Thursday.
Chairman Than Shwee will be accompanied by Burma's ministers of
Foreign Affairs, agriculture, economics, transportation, and
development. The visit, will be aimed mainly at discussing
economic and trade.
Included on Than Shwee's itinerary is a trip to Bandung to visit
Indonesia's aeronautical engineers, IPTN_ AFP
************************************************************
As you may know, "SHWEE" is "interpreted as tricks or lie", in
Burmese Slang and also very popular word. Its appropriate for "Than
Shwe" to be coded his name as "SHWEE" in the news paper for their
cleverness in tricks among the international governments. Its sure
they are shamelessly tricking the Burmese people and international
community for their power, and it is convinced by the ignoring
their promise to transfer power to the elected representatives of
1990 General Election and to go back their barrack after this
Election.
If any one of you have a contact with Indonesia students, NGOs
and opposition parties, please organize them to hold a strike
against his visit to Indonesia, and it will be very great for our
democratic Struggle.
Much appreciated.
ABSDF (MTZ)
KHRG: FIELD REPORTS: 6TH BRIGADE AREA
An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
May 31, 1995 / KHRG #95-20
This report contains two elements: accounts of SLORC human rights
abuses in the Kya In Seik Gyi area, in the southern half of Karen
State about 80 km.southeast of Moulmein and 100 km. west of the
Thai border; and testimonies of porters who have escaped SLORC's
offensive against Maw Kee in the Karen National Union's Sixth
Brigade area, 60-80 km. east of Kya In Seik Gyi near the Thai
border. Maw Kee has now been captured and the SLORC troops there
are dug in, but the offensive is continuing against other targets
in the area. These events are all connected, for while the porters'
testimonies give an idea of the SLORC's behaviour in the frontline
areas of its offensives, the other stories show how SLORC behaves
50 km. behind its own lines, in areas which it already securely
holds. In other words, even if the SLORC offensive ends after
capturing new territory, the offensive against the civilians in
those areas will have only begun.
These reports have been gathered by independent human rights monitors
operating in the respective areas. Where names have been changed
to protect people, this is indicated by enclosing the false names
in quotation marks. Some details which must be omitted to protect
people have been replaced by XXXX.
TOPIC SUMMARY: Shootings/killings of villagers (Story #2), torture
of villagers (#1,2), torture of family members of suspects (#1,2),
abuse of women (#1,2), burning villages (#1), extortion (#1,8),
SLORC corruption (#1,6,8), hospital harassment of SLORC victims
(#2), blaming abuses on KNU (#2), porters from urban areas (#3-8),
killing porters (#3,7), torture of porters (#3-8), porters in
battle
telnet>
(#4).
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#1.
The following report was received from a human rights monitor
in the Kya In Seik Gyi area:
Pee Setan village, Kya In township, is 10 miles northeast of Kya
In Seik Gyi town, Karen State. Soldiers of Infantry Battalion
#62 have a camp 5 miles from the village, so they often come
to loot the village. On 21 February 1995 a mobile column from
IB #62 led by Major Ohn Myint came into the village. There was
some fighting with Karen forces who were in the village at the
time, and the SLORC troops withdrew to the Nyaung Gone quarter
of the village and burnt that part of the village down. While
the village was burning the villagers fled, including U G---,
male, age 52, a Karen Buddhist farmer. While people were running,
the SLORC troops arrested him, tied his wrists behind his back
and tortured him in many ways, kicking his head and chest with
their boots and beating him with a stick. He suffered head injuries
and his face was covered with blood. The soldiers walked on his
legs and rolled a bamboo up and down his shins (a particularly
painful form of torture). They forced his head back, put a thin
piece of cloth on his face and poured water into his nose.
The soldiers then took him to his house in the village.
In his house, they searched for belongings and arrested his wife,
Naw M---. They tied her wrists behind her back with a rope,
walked on her legs, covered her face with plastic and poured water
into her nose. Then they took U G--- and Naw M--- back to
the Nyaung Gone quarter of the village. They released her but
took him to XXXX village. The next day, the village head
along with U G---'s sister and daughters went to XXXX,
and the SLORC troops demanded a bribe of 10,000 Kyats to release
U G---. The villagers apologized to the soldiers (that there
had been fighting in the village) and paid 5,000 Kyats. Then
U G--- was released. He couldn't get back to his village because
of his injuries, so he was given treatment by the villagers at
YYYY village. He and his wife do not dare stay in their home village
any longer.
[Note: Infantry Battalion #62 gained notoriety in July 1994 when
it attacked Halockhani refugee camp, a camp of four to six thousand
Mon refugees who had been forcibly repatriated by the Thai Army
to a site just inside Burma south of Three Pagodas Pass. The
attack on Halockhani was also led by Major Ohn Myint. At the
time, he and IB #62 were being rotated out of their station at
Three Pagodas Pass to Ye. They are now based in Kya In township,
and Major Ohn Myint has obviously not been demoted or otherwise
discouraged from continuing his burning and torturing ways.]
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#2.
NAME: "Pi Eh Wah" SEX: F AGE: 54 Pwo Karen Buddhist,
farmer
ADDRESS: XXXX village, Kawkareik township
FAMILY: Married with 2 sons and 5 daughters
NAME: "Naw Paw Htoo" SEX: F AGE: 35 Pwo Karen Buddhist,
farmer
ADDRESS: YYYY village, Kawkareik township
FAMILY: Married with 4 sons and 2 daughters
["Pi Eh Wah" used to be Village LORC chairwoman (SLORC-appointed
village head) in her village. "Naw Paw Htoo" is "Pi Eh Wah"'s
eldest daughter, and Aye Myint, age 23, is her youngest. All
of them, as well as "Pi Eh Wah"'s son "Saw Htoo Klih", were arrested
and tortured after people in her village helped two young SLORC
Army deserters to contact a Karen Army unit.]
"PI EH WAH": On December 8, 1994 the SLORC came at night. They
wanted to catch my husband U XXXX but he wasn't there, so they
caught me. I said "My husband went out to catch prawns with his
son". When my son came back they asked him "Where is your father?"
My son said "He wasn't with me, he went to the lake." The soldiers
stayed all night around our house to catch my husband. Then they
ordered my son to go look for his father. I wanted to go look
but they wouldn't let me. They told my daughter M--- to go.
She found her father in the fields, but he was afraid and wouldn't
come, so she came back alone. When she came back, first the soldiers
arrested me. Second, my son "Saw Htoo Klih", and then [my daughters]
Aye Myint and "Naw Paw Htoo". They took us away separately in
different directions. I said to them "My son and daughters don't
know anything. If there is a problem, it is with my husband and
I. If you want to do something do it to me, not to my children."
First they took me to M---'s house. There they caught Ohn
Kyi, tied him and beat him. After, he managed to untie the rope
and escaped. He ran away and never came back. Then they said
they were taking me to the monastery. When we left the house,
the commander took my son ["Saw Htoo Klih"] and tied his hands
behind his back. They took us to the school, but different parts
of the school - one up and one down. They also took Aye Myint
to the school, but then they took her to D--- village.
There they treated her badly in many ways. They put a plastic
bag over her head and poured water on it [so she couldn't breathe
- the bag may have been nylon, which becomes airtight when wet.
SLORC often uses this form of torture because it is more convenient
than constantly having to remove and replace a plastic bag].
At the school they tied me, they covered my head with plastic
and poured water on it. Then they interrogated me. They asked
about 2 soldiers: "Did you send the soldiers?" And I said "Yes,
I sent them." Then they threatened me. [2 SLORC soldiers had
deserted and asked to be taken to a Karen unit, and the villagers
had helped them.] I told them truthfully. Then they beat me,
and they covered my head with plastic and poured water up my nose.
I pleaded with them not to beat my children. I said "If you
want to beat them, please beat me instead", because I was only
worried for them. But they beat my children anyway! The soldiers
were interrogating and beating me behind the bushes while their
leader Z--- was waiting in the school. He could hear when
I was screaming. The soldiers said "Your husband fled, so we've
got you and we can do anything we want to you!" I just said,
"Don't hit my children, because they don't know anything." I
don't think the 2 soldiers who fled were from Z---'s group,
they were from #3 Company. They were simple soldiers, privates.
Their names were K--- and H---.
At 7 p.m. the troops combined together and took us toward D---
village.
The commander's name is K---. When we got to
the bridge he left my son behind, tied to the bridge. He said
to me "Go quickly!" Then I met my daughter [Aye Myint]. She
was paralysed with fear and she said she didn't want to live anymore
because the soldiers hit her and she was in alot of pain. Aye
Myint said "My life is not like other people's. They sank me
in a well, they beat me and did many things and they almost raped
me." What had the soldiers done to her? I don't know. From
8 a.m. to 3 p.m., I don't know what they did to her. At about
10 p.m. she came back to the village. We met there after we were
released. The soldiers told us to go back to our house and sleep
quietly, so we went back and slept.
"NAW PAW HTOO": When they came to my house [in another village]
they asked for my father and asked whether he was living there
or not. My husband was sick on his bed and the soldier asked
how long he'd been sick. I said "Over one month, so I never went
to my mother's house, and my father rarely comes here." I said,
"If you want to arrest me then arrest me, but please release my
sister because she is not well." My sister had a new-born baby
and she had malaria. The soldier said, "If we release her, what
will the commander say when we get back to the camp?" He was
a Sergeant. He said "Go and ask some other Sergeant to release
your sister!" They told us they were punishing us under Article
17/1, and that we were collaborating with Karen soldiers [Article
17/1 bans any contact with 'illegal' parties or organizations].
They took me along with my sister and her baby. When we arrived
at the stream the baby vomitted and my sister gave him water.
The soldiers and I walked along the paddy-field dykes, but my
sister followed the stream. When the commander saw the baby
vomitting,
he allowed her to go back. He told her "If you see your father,
tell him to come to us", and they took only me. When we got to
the soldiers' place, they sent me to the medic and he gave me
an injection, then they sent me to Aunty P---'s house. I heard
they had already taken my mother to M----'s house, and I was
afraid. At 7:30 p.m. they came and took me. They kept me near
N---'s house for a long time, then my mother came and they
took us to Y---. They released us at 10 or 10:30 p.m.
The soldiers said "Go and sleep well at your home!" We were very
happy because they were releasing us. When they released my brother
they asked "Is your family now together?" "Yes", I answered.
We went to our house together with 2 village headwomen, then
the soldiers called the headwomen and went away, so for a moment
our family was alone at home. We put candles in the altar. Later
the soldiers came back, and there were soldiers around our house
and under the house. When one of our candles had burnt out and
the other was nearly gone, the soldiers called us, "Please wake
up because our commander calls you." So we thought the commander
would ask us questions. They said "Wake up quickly". My sister
[Aye Myint] couldn't get up quickly because she was still in pain.
I took a sarong and went to her. The soldier called "Is she
sleeping?" Then my sister woke up immediately and she was very
afraid. Then I heard a gunshot, and I fell down.
"PI EH WAH": She was standing and her leg was hit. My younger
daughter [Aye Myint] fell back and I saw her intestines come out.
She was hit in the leg also. She was screaming, and she rolled
over again and again until she died. The next morning, I saw
that the bullet had gone right through her body. She was laying
face down and she was dead. Aye Myint was 23 years old.
"NAW PAW HTOO": She was between me and my mother. I told her
to try not to roll on top of her baby. I said "Try not to scream,
or maybe they will come and shoot us again." The soldiers were
outside the house. When they fired, one bullet hit the frame
of the house and a splinter of wood hit me in my belly - later
the doctor removed it at the hospital.
Aye Myint had 2 children, both girls. Her husband had already
died. The villagers held a funeral for her the next morning.
"PI EH WAH": I was hit by one bullet near my breast which came
out in my back. "Naw Paw Htoo" had 6 wounds in her right leg,
and a bullet also passed right through her left leg. She also
had a bullet in her stomach [probably the wood splinter "Naw Paw
Htoo" mentioned], and later they had to operate on her stomach
to get it out. My grandchild was sleeping with us and his blanket
was torn by a bullet but luckily he wasn't hurt. The blanket
of Aye Myint's baby was also torn by a bullet but she wasn't hurt
either. My son ["Saw Htoo Klih"] laid down over me while they
were shooting, and he pretended that he was dead. When it was
silent again, "Naw Paw Htoo" called him and asked "Are you hurt?"
He said "No." She said "If you aren't hurt, please go!" After
he left, he could hear us moaning from the other side of the river,
but he couldn't come back [to warn us] because he had to run.
[His sister told him to run because being a young man, the soldiers
would accuse him of being a Karen soldier, use this as an excuse
for the shooting and probably execute him as well.]
The soldiers released us at 10 p.m., and they shot us at about
midnight. They were from #XXX Battalion. Their battalion commander
is Bo K---. The troops who shot us were with Z---,
he was the operation commander. He is a company commander. When
they called us, one soldier came in the house and 3 or more stayed
under the house. Two of them were M--- and T---. They
have 2 stripes [Corporals].
For the whole night we didn't receive any treatment. Two other
villagers looked after us and "Naw Paw Htoo"'s daughter. In the
morning the other villagers came to give us some injections.
When the doctor [probably not a real doctor, just the person in
the village who knows something about medicines and therefore
acts as a doctor] came to give the injections he was very afraid.
The villagers went to XXXX army camp and asked the soldiers
to allow us to go to hospital, but the soldiers were afraid.
Then the villagers asked the commander. They wouldn't allow us
to go in the morning. Then at 5 p.m. the commander, K---,
gave permission for us to go. He was in XXXX. He wrote
a letter [the villagers cannot be admitted to hospital without
a letter from SLORC] that said "We don't know who came and shot
them". We stayed the whole day, then at night we went to the
hospital. The next morning Bo K--- sent another letter that
said the Karen came and shot us. We didn't show them the second
letter. We suffered alot in the hospital. The police came and
interrogated us. They asked all the details about what happened.
We said we didn't know who shot us, but that the soldiers called
us that night shortly after they released us, and that's when
they shot us. The next morning the soldiers had said "Karen soldiers
came and shot", but it was SLORC soldiers who were staying in
our village. The police asked "Then why didn't the SLORC soldiers
attack the Karen soldiers the next morning?" I said "I don't
know". The commander came to the hospital and gave 1,000 Kyats for
our needs. He said he didn't know the soldiers who had shot us. He
told
the village headwoman to tell people the Karen soldiers had come
and shot us. Later the soldiers punished the village headwoman
because they said she hadn't warned them there were Karen soldiers
around. She had to give them 5 viss [8 kg.] of chicken.
About 10 days later Bo K--- came back and gave another 1,000
Kyats. I didn't want to accept it, but we needed money so I took
it [hospital patients in Burma must pay for their own medicines
from local black market people, because the military takes all
the hospital's medicine and uses it or sells it]. In the hospital
we heard that the commander Bo K--- asked the doctor to
kill us with medicine. A woman there told me she overheard them
talking while she was eating. So every time the doctor came to
give us medicine I paid him, because we worried that he would
kill us. We gave him whatever he needed, daytime or nighttime.
Later the doctor said "We never kill our enemy. If we kill the
people in our hospital, then nobody will come to our hospital."
Then I felt better. At that time we were the only two patients
- everyone else had left.
The doctor took X-rays, but my daughter could feel and touch the
bullet in her leg. The doctor could see it too, but he couldn't
tell if it was an AK or G3 bullet [an AK47 bullet would be fired
by Karen troops, whereas a G3 bullet would be from SLORC troops.
The women were afraid that when the doctor found a G3 bullet
in "Naw Paw Htoo" they would be accused of being rebel collaborators.
SLORC hospitals often refuse to treat gunshot victims until they
sign a declaration claiming that they were shot by Karen soldiers.]
One week after they took X-rays, "Naw Paw Htoo" had an operation.
Her face was covered but she heard the doctor say it was a G3
bullet. After the operation, they uncovered her face and a nurse
showed her the bullet. "Naw Paw Htoo" asked whether it was from
AK or G3, but they said she didn't need to know and maybe the
doctor would tell her. Then the doctor came again and asked her
name, age, and parents' names. He said he had to correct her
admission papers. He took another 2 X-rays of her and one of me.
I didn't know if he would send them to SLORC or the village headman.
"NAW PAW HTOO": We had nightmares in the hospital. I was unconscious
twice, and once my mother was unconscious for a whole day. Dr.
Y--- said clearly that the bullet in me was a G3 bullet. He said
"It's easy to know whether this bullet came from Karen or Burmese
soldiers". After they found the G3 bullet in me the doctor came
and interrogated me. He asked all my personal details and took
them to the office. We were in hospital over one month. We left
on January 13, 1995. The doctor gave us a card to leave. When
we got home, we found out from the villagers that the soldiers
were threatening to put us in jail. So we left right away and
came to stay in a safer place, at xxxx. I still don't feel well.
____________________________________________________________________
__________
The following testimonies were given by civilian porters who escaped
SLORC troops attacking KNU territory at Maw Kee, about 100 km.
south of Myawaddy along the Thai border. SLORC has now captured
Maw Kee and has brought in enough supplies and ammunition to last
them until October (the end of rainy season), making it clear
that they plan to stay there. SLORC is now continuing its offensive
against other targets in the area.
#3.
NAME: "Maung Tin Win" SEX: M AGE: 39 Mon / Indian, port
labourer
ADDRESS: Moulmein Town, Mon State INTERVIEWED: 28/4/95
I am from Moulmein. When I was returning home from my job, a
military truck suddenly stopped in front of me, and soldiers grabbed
me and put me on the truck. I saw there were already about 16
people arrested on the truck. We were taken to Kyaik Pa Nei jetty.
We slept one night there. I don't remember the date - it was
nearly 2 months ago. I had never been a porter before. Our family
always pays all their fees and 'donations'. But this time I never
got a chance to contact my family. Later I found out that the
SLORC was sending 5 Battalions to attack Maw Kee village, so they
needed many porters. That's why the soldiers were arresting everyone
in Moulmein, Mudon, Moke Ta Ma, etc. In Maw Kee I saw Battalions
#104, #118, and #1. #2 Battalion was there but they went back.
On the way I had to carry six 81 mm. mortar shells. I had to
carry them too far. I have scars on my back. It's been a long
time now, but they're still not better. On the way, our group
carried the heaviest ammunition and the soldiers always ordered
us to move quickly, so we were very tired. One porter could not
walk anymore, so the soldiers beat him on his head and body.
It looked like they would beat him to death. His hands were crushed.
Then he was still alive, but they just left him near the path.
I saw 3 other porters like this while we were carrying the supplies
and ammunition.
>From Ka Neh Lay to Maw Kee we were cut off because of the Karen
resistance, and then I saw 4 porters die without anyone helping
them. The dying porters asked for water but we had no water bottles
- only the soldiers had them. Some porters bought water from
the soldiers. One of the hired porters [paid by villagers to
go in their place] had malaria when the Karen attacked the soldiers.
He was too weak and thirsty, and he could not get up. There
were no streams nearby. He asked water from the soldiers, but
they ignored him.. Then he offered 200 Kyats for a bottle of
water, and a soldier gave him water and took the money. The porter
drank all the water and then he seemed better. I am telling the
truth. We were all so thirsty. Later, we found a stream. If
we hadn't, I think I would have died of thirst.
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#4.
NAME: "Ko Zaw Zaw" SEX: M AGE: 24 Burman Buddhist,
trishaw driver
ADDRESS: Mon State INTERVIEWED: 28/4/95
I was arrested on March 10th at about 8 o'clock in the morning
near the railway station, then sent to Moulmein. There was a
steamer, and many porters inside the steamer. We went to Kyone
Doh, Kawkareik and Thingan Nyi Naung. At last we reached the
army base in the forest. We had to carry rice baskets and mortars
from the base. They were 81 mm. mortars - six of them each.
It weighed about 20 viss [32 kg.]. I saw battles twice. When
there was fighting they kept us in one place and told us to hide
in the bushes. If the frontline soldiers [point men] asked for
more ammo, we were sent to give it to them. It was very hard.
They beat us from the back and forced us to go. The hardest
job was carrying 25 gallons of water from the stream up the hill
[to the encampment]. They treated us like animals, not like human
beings. They never accepted that we could not do something.
We must do everything. Sure they beat us - if we were tired,
if we couldn't carry, if we were sick or so on. Every day they
beat at least 3 or 4 porters. Soldiers checked the porters every
morning and night. If some porters were late or tried to talk
to each other, the soldiers beat the whole group of us. The soldiers
were very young but very rude. They had no respect at all for
age. They never called the elderly porters "U" [common respectful
form of address to a middle-aged or older man].
We were all in one group. The curry was jackfruit, with not enough
rice. If we asked for more they beat us. We got 3 pieces of
boiled jackfruit for each meal. The soldiers ate tinned fish,
tinned beef and dried fish. For every meal they had at least
beans with their rice. We didn't get anything. The porters had
to pay 5 Kyats just to get a cheroot from the soldiers. One soldier
said we were supposed to get 8 Kyats per day [about US$0.07 at
market rate]. But I never saw anybody receive any money from
them. I served them nearly 2 months just for jackfruit. If I'd
stayed any longer I would have died. That's why I ran away from
them.
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#5.
NAME: "Ko Maung Gyi" SEX: M AGE: 24 Burman Buddhist, day
labourer
ADDRESS: Kawkareik Town, Karen State INTERVIEWED: 28/4/95
FAMILY: Married with 2 children
I was arrested near the cinema hall. Many people were arrested
there, by #104 Battalion. Sixteen porters were arrested with
me. It was more than 20 days ago. My family didn't know. I
asked permission to tell my family before we went, but they refused.
The soldiers said it would just be a few days to carry supplies
and cheroots. We slept one night at Thingan Nyi Naung on a truck,
then one night at an army base. Then the porters had to start
carrying supplies. I carried biscuits and cheroots. In Maw Kee
we made fences, bunkers and trenches. I don't know their officers'
names. The one in charge, the soldiers just called him "Ga-tone"
["Baldie"]. We just got jackfruit and salt to eat. The soldiers
got tins of fish, beans and beef. It was worse than living like
cows. We had no extra clothes. We slept on the ground, with
no blankets. We slept in the rain for 4 or 5 days. If we were
sick, we were ignored. They beat us many times. Beat and smash.
I told the soldier that my leg was in pain, then he smashed me.
So I said "I work for the soldiers but the soldiers beat me.
Why?" Then 3 soldiers came and they all beat, kicked and punched
me. I think they do it because they want everyone to be afraid
of them. My leg was stiff. They didn't allow me to rest. My
shoulder also hurt from carrying logs. I just wanted to go back
home. I am married with two kids. So I ran.
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#6.
NAME: "Maung Hla"
SEX: M AGE: 20 Burmese Indian Muslim, trishaw driver
ADDRESS: Kawkareik Town, Karen State
INTERVIEWED: 28/4/95
FAMILY: Married with an infant son
I was arrested in Kawkareik 20 days ago. The Section LORC leaders
[town ward administration] and militiamen arrested me at night
because I had a dispute with the Section leader. They sent me
to #97 Battalion. The next morning #104 Battalion took me to
Thingan Nyi Naung. Our group of 11 porters had to carry supplies
to Maw Kee. My load was a basket of dried fish. 5 porters escaped
along the way. At Maw Kee, my duties were cutting down bamboo,
making fences, digging the ground, collecting jackfruit and carrying
water.
I have been a porter twice now. The previous time was last month
near the Thai border with the same #104 Battalion. I ran away
and reached a Karen refugee camp - I can't remember its name.
Two days later the village [camp] authorities handed me over
to the Thai Police. They took me to Mae Sot and made me cross
the [Moei] river to Myawaddy. When I got home I found that my
son was sick, so I went to the section leader, explained how I
had been a porter and asked for some money to take care of my
son. So he collected money from the people in our ward, but then
he said that money was not for me. He said "Now that money has
become public property". I got angry and told him that he was
silly. That's why he arrested me and sent me as a porter again.
Unfortunately I ended up with #104 Battalion again and they
remembered me. The soldiers tied me up with a rope and beat me. Then
they warned me not to run away again.
The soldiers scold and beat us, and the officers say nothing to
them about it. The officers say "You porters are bad and disobey
the rules. That's why the soldiers beat you." Some porters have
been hired [hired by villagers to go in their place]. They have
money so they don't have to work, they just sit and play cards
with the soldiers. We only got jackfruit to eat and one plate
of rice, not enough. There were many jackfruit trees in the village.
The soldiers said there was no extra food for the porters. If
a porter asked for one extra cup of water, the soldiers beat him.
They beat for any reason they want. It is no joke! We can die
from their beatings. The Captains said nothing to the soldiers
while they beat us, they just watched.
Now I will go back to Kawkareik. I know they will arrest me again,
but I have no choice. I'll discuss it with my wife and if she
agrees we'll move somewhere else.
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#7.
NAME: "Min Htoo" SEX: M AGE: 26 Burman Buddhist, port
labourer
ADDRESS: Moulmein Town, Mon State INTERVIEWED: 28/4/95
I was arrested in Moulmein on March 9th, at night. I was arrested
by #104 Battalion soldiers. They sent me to Kyaik Pa Nei jetty.
We were kept in a steamer for one night. Then to Kyone Doh.
We went to Kawkareik and Thingan Nyi Naung by trucks. Then we
walked. We carried supplies like rice and ammunition to Maw Kee.
We had two meals per day: one plate of rice and some jackfruit.
There were plenty of jackfruits in the villages. Sometimes the
soldiers gave us salt. The soldiers were from 104 Battalion.
They ordered us to dig bunkers and trenches around their camp.
My hands were torn open, so one day I told them I could not do
it that day. Then a soldier beat me again and again, at least
10 times. I saw porters beaten every day. They beat us every
day. The porters who tried to escape were beaten very severely.
During a short battle near Ka Neh Lay, supplies were cut off.
All the porters got very thirsty and hungry, so some porters
asked for water. The soldiers scolded them and beat them so badly
that two of them died. One of the men killed was in his 50's,
and the other was about 30. Also, four or five porters couldn't
walk anymore and were left laying there when we left. I'm telling
the truth. I ran away because I couldn't work anymore. They
always beat us, and the food was very bad. We ate boiled jackfruit
every day with not enough rice. If we were sick, the soldiers
didn't allow us to rest. They beat us with sticks. I tell you
the truth. Now I don't know how I will go home.
____________________________________________________________________
__________
#8.
NAME: "Win Hlaing" SEX: M AGE: 31 Burmese Muslim, day
labourer
ADDRESS: Kawkareik Town, Karen State INTERVIEWED: 28/4/95
Three weeks ago I was arrested at my house by the section [LORC]
leaders and militiamen. They said I had a debt of 600 Kyats for
porter fees [protection money which everyone has to pay to SLORC
to avoid being taken as a porter, although many people are taken
even after paying]. Usually we have to pay 35-40 Kyats per month
for porter fees, but sometimes after 10 days they come and demand
it again. Sometimes they even make us pay again every 3 or 4
days. They said it was my duty for the country, so I must go
with the soldiers. I said I was afraid, so please excuse me from
this. Then the militia arrested me and sent me to the cells of
#97 Battalion. I had to carry potatoes, onions, dried fish and
cheroots for them. Then at Maw Kee I had to make fences and dig
trenches. The soldiers always beat us. I was beaten twice.
One time I asked for a second cup of water so a soldier kicked
me in the chest. The food was only jackfruit, salt and a plate
of rice - not enough. I was thin, but I got even thinner at Maw
Kee. Jackfruit again and again - every day was jackfruit. They
gave us jackfruit to eat, then they beat us. Sometimes it was
very hard to stand up anymore. They used bamboos to beat us.
When we left Ka Neh Lay I saw 6 porters laying on the ground
groaning with bad wounds from beatings. Some of their hands were
broken. [These are the porters who asked for food when supplies
had been cut off - see "Min Htoo"'s testimony.] If you send me
back to Maw Kee, I will die. When I get home now, I will pay
my porter fees regularly. Whenever the section leader asks we
must pay 40 Kyats. Sometimes he asks several times per month.
When we were in Moulmein, sometimes we had to pay 4 times a month,
150 Kyats each time. I don't know where the money goes, but if
a person joins the SLORC administration he gets rich. My neighbour
is that kind of man.
[At this point "Ko Maung Gyi" added: "In Kawkareik, Tha Dun is
very famous. He was poor before he became a SLORC committee member,
but within 5 years he became a rich man. Now he has retired."]
The SLORC doesn't care about anybody. They think they can run
everything. In Kawkareik, when they need porters the militia
surrounds the slum area. Then they arrest the poor. They never
arrest the rich. The authorities just go to the rich and demand
money, about 2,000 Kyats. The rich man will never be a porter.
But the poor and the jobless like us are always afraid of them.
------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS SOURCES REGULARLY COVERED/ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:
------------------------------------------------------------
ABSDF-DNA: ALL BURMA STUDENT'S DEMOCRATIC FRONT [DR. NAING
AUNG]
ABSDF-MTZ: ALL BURMA STUDENT'S DEMOCRATIC FRONT [MOE THEE ZUN]
AMNESTY: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
AFP: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
AW: ASIAWEEK
Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt. EQUALS US$1 (APPROX),
BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
BF: BURMA FORUM
BKK POST: BANGKOK POST (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI
BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN
CPPSM:C'TEE FOR PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND
FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW
GOA: GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA
IRRAWADDY: NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
KNU: KAREN NATIONAL UNION
Kt. BURMESE KYAT; UP TO 105-120 KYAT-US$1 BLACK MARKET
100 KYAT US$1-SEMI-OFFICIAL
6 KYAT-US$1 OFFICIAL
MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN
MNA: MYANMAR NEWS AGENCY (SLORC)
THE NATION: A DAILY NEWSPAPER IN BANGKOK
NCGUB: NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA
NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-RUN NEWSPAPER,RANGOON)
NMSP: NEW MON STATE PARTY
RTA:REC.TRAVEL.ASIA NEWSGROUP
RTG: ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT
SCB:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP
SCT:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST
SLORC: STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL
TAWSJ: THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
UPI: UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
----------------------------------------------------------