Reports on Karenni

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

Report on the Karenni refugees

The victims
	More than 20,000 ethnic Karenni who had been living in a swath of
central Kayah State were forced to relocate into Shar Daw town by June 7,
according to the orders dated May 31 issued by Slorc IB (54), LIB (337)
and (530).
	96 villages situated between the Salween River and Pun Creek in
Karenni State were ordered to abandon their native villages and moved to
new place in order to cut all ties between the local people and Karenni
forces.
	These villages are (1) Daw kaweet (2) Daw taku, (3) Daw Einda, (4)
Daw Nawkin (5) Tee Taraku, (6) Tee Leh, (7) Naw Plu (8) Daw Tamaw (9) Leh
Dukaw (10) Daw Musay (11) Leh Da (12) Thaw Thwi Leh (13) Daw Muleh (14)
Naw Aw Lay (15) Klaw Leh (16) Tee Kaboleh (17) Su Leh (18) Daw Wan Raw
(19) Hurida (East), (20) Hurida (West) (21) Daw The Phu (22) Daw Noh Ku
(23) Daw Klaw Leh (24) Daw Kloku (25) Daw Mumar (26) Daw The (27) Daw So
Khai (28) Daw Soe (29) Daw Kraw Aw (30) Pana Leh (31) Tee Thoku (32) Tin
Lan (33) Daw Leh Ku (34) Daw Low Bu (35) Nam Loi Yin (36) Daw Ei Taw (37)
Shardaw (north), (38) Shardaw (east), (39) Tee Kuleh (40) Shardaw (west)
(41) Shardaw (south), (42) Pa Lai Lai (43) Daw Soesa (44) Daw Pu Ei (45)
Bu Law Ku (46) Si Ko Keleh (47) Daw Tama (48) Daw Tamaw (49) Daw Klawleh
Do (50) Daw thaw Bu (51) Daw Ei Lah (52) Daw The (53) Nga Moloh Soe (54)
Daw Klawleh Phu (55) Daw Miku (56) Daw Ei Sa (57) Daw kloku (58) Daw Tu
Tho (59) Daw Klai The (60) Daw Kloka (61) Daw Soe Kyai (62) Tee Kay Leh
(63) Daw Klaw Du (64) Den Lah (65) Daw Sodo (66) Daw Kloku (67) Daw Thaw
Ku (68) Daw Tama (69) Daw Tamwi (70) Daw Bolo (71) Daw Musay (72) Daw Kraw
Aw (73) Daw Lehda (74) Su Leh (75) Daw Sar Si (76) Daw Lat Leh (77) Daw He
So (78) Nam Phe Ku (79) Mana Khu (80) Daw Leh Ku (81) Tee The Ku (82) Daw
Kulee (83) Wam Loi (84) Paku Da (85) Wam Pila (86) Nam Lim (87) Leh Way
(88) Mime Lam (89) Wam Pha Gyi (90) Wam Pla (91) Wam Chat (92) Man Nob
(93) Ai Kwe (94) Sa Laung (95) Wam Aw 1, (96) Wam Aw 2. 

The orders 
	The following is the one of the orders issued by the Slorc to the
villages in the area. 

Stamped 	: township LORC
		  Shar Daw 
letter No.	: 101/0-1/Ya Ta -1 (tha wa)
Date 		: May 31, 1996

Village headman
xxxxxx village
Shar Daw South Village group

Subject:	building concentration village with the villages in Shar 
Daw township

ref	:	: letter no. 337/01/ Oo-1 dated May 30, 1996 of front 
line LIB 337.

Regarding the above-mentioned case, we were ordered to move the villagers
from the villages between Salween River and Pun Creek and villages in
southern and northern part of Shar Daw into Shaw Daw ton by June 7, 1996
inorder to restore peace, law and tranquillity in the region.  Anyone
fails to comply the order will be puished as the enemies, according to the
order.
	Thus, we inorm you to move your whole village ino Shaw Daw not
later than June 7, 1996. The moving villages will be resettleed by the
Township Lorc. 

Signed

Chairman

cc. - Chairman State Lorc, Kayah State - Chirman District LORC, Kayah
State - Front line office, LIB 337, Shar Daw town - Chairman, Market ward,
South, middle and Aung Chan Tha - in order to assist the resettlement. 

The situation in Shar Daw
	About 10,000 villagers went to stay in Shar Daw town while most of
them either moved to Shan State or fled to Thai-Burmese border. Those who
went to Shar Daw according to the order were placed in the churches and
schools there.  There are very crowded and no food nor medicines were
provided to the arrivals.  Due to the crowed populaces and lack of medical
assistance, the diseases like diarrhea and cholera are breaking out in the
shelters. 
	When the villagers asked the permission to go back village to
carry the rice and food for themselves, three days were allowed. When they
arrived back to the shelter, all food and rice are seized by the Slorc and
later they distributed six tins per family for daily use. 
	In addition to the harsh situation in the temporary place, the
villagers faced other forms of extortion. All the household moved to Shar
Daw must register their family registration at the Immigration Department.
Every household were asked 30 kyats for one family registration to the
authorities as a bribe. Another 5 kyats per person when the villagers
returned back their village to bring the rice and food, was demanded for
the gate pass. ( Interviews with the refugees who went there and escaped
later to the border)
	
The remaining villages
	The villagers had to abandon all their properties such as house,
farms, furniture, domestic animals and silver coins which are being still
used for trade in the neighborhood. For Daw Leh Ku only, village of 22
houses, 30,000 baskets of paddy and about 100 cows and buffaloes were left
behind. ( interview with the villager from the village)
	 Traditionally, the Karenni uses for marketing and trading. They
save them in the bamboo joints at home. they could not bring along with
them when they decided to flee to the border area so that many coins were
left in the villages.  the soldiers burnt down the houses and took the
silver coins. Many eyewitnesses said they saw soldiers were using and
selling the silver coins in Shar Daw.
	So far, at least ten villages were burnt down by the Slorc and the
remaining properties were destroyed and taken by the Slorc troop.  One
hundred houses in Daw Tama and Daw Bo Leh villages including schools and
churches were gushed down on June 15, by the Slorc and about 10,000 silver
coins were taken. One villager told that he, himself left 6,000 silver
coins behind. 

The journey to the border
	Although the villages and the border is only two days walks far,
many refugees took at least five days to reach to the border. The heavy
rain on the way and Slorc's attempt to prevent the people from escaping
into Thailand made the refugee to hide and walk only in the night time. 
Troop from IB(54), based in Loikaw, IB(94) based in Shwe Nyaung (Shan
State) and LIB (530) based in Lawpita were send to the region to prevent
and arrest the fleeing villagers. Some were arrested on the way to border
and sent to the concentration camp in Shar Daw. In one case, villagers
from Htee Saw Ku were arrested while they stopped to help one women in the
group give birth on the way to the border.
	Most of the refugees arrived to the border are women and children.
No death causality was reported so far. Many pregnant women gave birth on
their way to border. 
	Some clashes were occurred between the Slorc and KNPP troops
recently.  On June 22, two fighting were occurred near Daw Ka Lu village ,
which was 10 kilometers far from the border. On June 23, a five-hour
fierce battle was broke out on the border while KNPP troops were helping
the fleeing refugees. 

Refugees in Thailand
	Over 2,000 Karenni refugees are being taken in villages of Ban Nai
Soi, Ban Mai, Ban Pang Tractor, Ban Pangkhauy and Ban Mai Pang Pung inside
Thailand with the help of foreign humanitarian organizations. They are
staying in make-shift shelters giving them little protection from the
monsoon rains. 

ABSDF News Agency
ABSDF (DAWN GWIN)