TOTAL compound attack in Burma

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

Press Release March 4th, 1996 Total Compound attacked in Burma On February
8th, 1996, an unknown armed group using a 107 rocket launcher attacked the
field office of the French oil company TOTAL. Confirmed reports state that
four local staffs were killed in the attack and five other were wounded. 
One French citizen was allegedly killed.  The attack took place in the Kan
Bauk area where TOTAL has set up its field office of the proposed
gas-pipeline that is due to run from the Yadana gas field, through ethnic
land and into Thailand.  According to local sources on the 12th February,
Slorc Light Infantry Battalion 273 (LIB 273), entered the Karen village of
Eindayaza close to where the attack occured and took 11 Karen civilians
including the village headman and beat them to death. Two women were also
taken by Slorc troops, stripped naked and tortured, one woman is now
unrecognizable. Two other women and one man, Naw Ser Ser, Mugar Theh Ner
and Saw Gon Ray have been arrested and are currently being held in the
local Slorc jail. It is believed that these human rights atrocities have
been conducted as retaliation for the attack on the TOTAL field office. 
There have been many substantiated reports of human rights abuses from the
pipeline area which is being recognized by the human rights community as a
result o the relationship between the French oil company and the Slorc
military who have been condemned by the international community for its
abuses against the many communities living in the area.  It was the second
attack to the TOTAL company by the unknown armed group. In the first week
of March, 1995, a group of TOTAL company staffs was attacked. Five were
killed and 11 were wounded.  ABSDF News Agency ABSDF (DAWN GWIN)