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KHRG #97-03 Part 1/2 (Chin)
SLORC ABUSES IN CHIN STATE
An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
From Information Provided by the Chin Human Rights Organisation
March 15, 1997 / KHRG #97-03
*** PART 1 OF 2 - SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTING FOR PART 2 OF THIS REPORT ***
SOME DETAILS OMITTED OR REPLACED BY 'XXXX' FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
A FULL COPY OF THIS REPORT IS AVAILABLE FROM KHRG ON APPROVED REQUEST.
The Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO) was formed in 1996 to
begin independently documenting the human rights situation in Chin State
of northwestern Burma. The information in this report was collected by
CHRO and translated and organised partly with the assistance of KHRG.
We have reproduced it in this form to help give the events in Chin State as
wide exposure as possible. As can be seen by the information in this
report (see also the related reports "SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 97-A"
(KHRG #97-04, 16/3/97) and "The Situation in Northwestern Burma"
(KHRG #96-06, 30/1/96)), the Chin people (also known as Zo)
are suffering human rights abuses at the same level as people in Burma's
other conflict areas. The Chin National Front (CNF) is an armed
resistance group which continues to actively fight SLORC forces in the
area, though SLORC never includes the CNF in the list of groups which
have not signed ceasefire deals, preferring to pretend internationally that
the CNF does not exist.
Meanwhile SLORC follows a policy of oppression, extortion and forced
labour against Chin villagers and tortures or executes any of them
suspected of having any contact with the CNF. A large proportion of Chin
people are Christian, while many others (particularly in the south) are
Animist or Buddhist-Animist. There are active SLORC campaigns to
persecute Chin Christians and make them convert to Buddhism. A lot of
forced labour on infrastructure and extortion is also now being conducted
in the name of the "8th All-Burma Students' Festival", which SLORC has
declared is to be held in Haka in December 1997. Every year this Festival
results in forced labour building roads, sports facilities and other
infrastructure, and extortion of money from everyone in the region
amounting to many times the cost of the Festival. The "7th All-Burma
Students' Festival" was held in Tavoy, Tenasserim Division, in 1996 and
caused a temporarily increased military presence in the region, extensive
forced labour, extortion, and an increase in general suffering.
This report consists of incident reports and descriptions as well as
interviews with villagers and SLORC deserters. The names of those
interviewed in this report have been changed and some details omitted in
order to protect the people who have provided information. False names
are enclosed in quotes. Some names of people and places have been
replaced by 'xxxx', 'yyyy', etc. Even so, please do not pass this report in
its current form to any SLORC representative.
Abbreviations: CNF = Chin National Front, armed Chin resistance
group; SLORC = State Law & Order Restoration Council, Burma's
military junta; LIB = (SLORC) Light Infantry Battalion; IB = (SLORC)
Infantry Battalion; LORC = Law & Order Restoration Council, SLORC's
local and regional administration. While Chin State LORC and Township
LORC consist of SLORC officials and military officers, Village LORC is
the SLORC-appointed village council, who are often appointed against
their will. Village LORC heads are responsible for arranging forced
labourers, extortion payments etc. as demanded by the local SLORC military,
and they are the first to be detained, tortured or executed if all of
SLORC's demands are not completely met.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Than Tlang Township .................................................. 3
Arrest of Village Elders ..................................... 3
Attack on Nga Lang Village & Murder of Bawi Kung ............. 4
Forced Portering and Beatings of the Elderly ................. 8
Forced Road Labour and Sentry Duty ........................... 8
Matupi Township ...................................................... 9
Forced Labour Building Lailenpi Police Station ............... 9
Forced Labour on Roads ....................................... 10
Dar Ling Football Competition ................................ 11
Haka, Paletwa and Other Locations .................................... 11
Paletwa Road Labour .......................................... 11
All-Burma Students' Festival, Haka 1997 ...................... 11
Abuses in XXXX ............................................... 12
Chin Students outside Chin State ............................. 12
Conditions in Sagaing Division ............................... 12
Interviews with SLORC Deserters in Chin State ........................ 14
Map .................................................................. 17
TOPIC SUMMARY
Arrest/Detention (p.3,4,5-8,12), torture/beatings (p.4,5-8,9,12,15,16),
killings (p.4-7,16), looting/theft/extortion (p.3,4,6-8,9,11,15,16),
economic conditions (p.12-13), rice quotas (p.13), extortion for Student
Festival (p.11), harassment at Football Competition (p.11), extortion
from students (p.11,12), persecution of Christians (p.12),
'ethnic cleansing' (p.14), child soldiers (p.14-16), abuse/forced labour
of children (p.6,7,10), abuse/forced labour of the elderly (p.7,8,9,10).
FORCED LABOUR: Portering (p.7,8,16), sentry duty (p.9,11), building
Lailenpi police station (p.9), building facilities for Students'
Festival (p.11), Zee Chaung hydro project (p.13),
Haka-Gangaw road (p.8,9,11), Haka-Falam road (p.11),
Haka-Matupi road (p.10,11), Haka-Than Tlang road (p.8,9,11),
Matupi-Min Dat road (p.10), Paletwa-Kuah Daw road (p.11),
Sagaing Division roads and railways (p.13),
Border Areas Development Programme (p.10).
_____________________________________________________________________________
Than Tlang Township
Arrest of Village Elders
Between July and September 1996, the headmen of most villages
throughout all of Than Tlang township were arrested by the SLORC Army
and accused of having contact with the Chin National Front (CNF). At
various times during these 3 months, headmen were called from Than
Tlang township to the town of Haka by Colonel Thein Lwin, Chairman of
Chin State LORC, and Major Saw Hlaing, Chairman of Than Tlang
Township LORC and commander of LIB #266 camp in Than Tlang.
Those who came to Haka were arrested and detained in Haka police
station. Those who could pay 20,000 Kyats were released immediately.
However, the leaders of at least 11 villages (the villages of Thang Zang,
Banawh Tlang, Tlang Pi, Tlang Lo, Far Rawn, Cawng Thia, Tlang Rua,
So Pum, Hriang Khan, Thau, and Tlang Te) were detained longer because
they could not pay. The following 3 interviews were conducted with some
of those who were detained.
#1.
NAME: "Pu Hmun Lian" SEX: M AGE: 45 Chin, Village LORC Chairman
ADDRESS: xxxx village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 10/96
On xx/9/96 I was invited to a meeting by Major Saw Hlaing, Than Tlang
camp commander of No. 266 LIB based in Haka. As soon as I reached
Than Tlang I was arrested and imprisoned. The Army accused xxxx and
yyyy villages of supporting CNF and of not reporting to them. They said,
"If we hear that you are continuing to support them, all of you [village
chairmen] will be jailed and fined 50,000 Kyats".
I was detained from xx/9/96 until xx/9/96 [for 2 weeks]. While in jail, I
was
only fed five handfuls of rice. When I was very hungry, I asked permission
for my family to bring me food. My family had to give the Army officers
60 Kyats each time they sent me some curry. When the curry was good, it
was eaten by the Army and I received only the rice. My family gave 5,000
Kyats to Major Saw Hlaing and I was finally released on xx/9/96. After my
release, my family had to pay back to the villagers the 10,000 Kyats they
had borrowed in order to pay all the bribes to the Army officers. We don't
know how we will be able to pay it all back.
_____________________________________________________________________________
#2.
1) NAME: "Pu Than Kio" SEX: M AGE: 40 Chin, Village LORC Chairman
ADDRESS: xxxx village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 9/96
2) NAME: "Pu Lal Ceu" SEX: M AGE: 35 Chin, Village LORC Chairman
ADDRESS: yyyy village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 9/96
Both of us were summoned by the commander of No. 266 LIB of Haka to
meet him and we reached Haka on xx July 1996. As soon as we reached
Haka we were detained at the Army camp. We were kept in the lockup
from xx/7/96 until xx/9/96 [2 months]. We were not fed properly and our
relatives from Haka had to send us food. For each meal they sent to us,
they had to pay 60 Kyats [bribe to the Army officers]. Each of our families
spent 120 Kyats per day to feed us. While we were in jail, our relatives had
to spend 6,420 Kyats just to provide us with food.
We told the Army officers that we had done nothing wrong and we pleaded
with them to be released but we got no answer and they kept us in
detention. On xx/9/96, our relatives bribed the No. 266 Battalion
Commander with 5,000 Kyats for each of us, and two days later we were
finally released.
While we were in jail our relatives had borrowed money, and now we have
to pay them back. Also, during our detention we could not work [growing
their paddy - they were detained during the rainy season] and now we are
facing many difficulties to survive. In jail, we became sick and we were not
given any medicine. After our release we were hospitalised in Haka [and
their families most probably had to pay for the medical treatment].
_____________________________________________________________________________
#3.
NAME: "Pu Sang Cem" SEX: M AGE: 40 Chin, Village LORC Chairman
ADDRESS: xxxx village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 9/96
The #266 LIB commander from Haka summoned me to meet him in Haka.
On xx/8/96, I reached Haka and I was immediately arrested and put in the
Army lockup. I was kept there for one day. On xx/8/96 I was released.
While I was in the lockup I was only fed a handful of rice. I was not told
why I was arrested nor why I was then released.
When I came back to my village three days later, I was ordered by Major
xxxx, commander of yyyy camp, to go to zzzz village. When I met him he
told me, "Because you have only been detained in Haka for one day and
one night, I have to beat you." I was badly beaten 5 times on my back with
a bamboo rod the size of my arm. I could not manage to go back to my
village by myself. The villagers of zzzz had to carry me back to my village,
which is 4 miles away. After that, I could not do any work. It was just
harvesting time and I am the only man in my family. Therefore my family
lost a lot of paddy and it is difficult for us to survive.
______________________________________________________________________________
Attack on Nga Lang Village & Murder of Bawi Kung
Hniar Ling, age 45, former village LORC chairman of Nga Lang village,
was called by the commander of Than Tlang camp for a meeting on 12
July 1996. While he was travelling to Than Tlang he was told that there
would be no meeting but that he would be arrested, so he did not attend.
Due to his absence at the meeting, the commander Saw Hlaing sent troops
to Nga Lang village in order to arrest him on 5 October 1996, but
fortunately he managed to escape. Another group of troops led by 2nd
Lt.Win Than were sent to arrest him on 9 October 1996, and this time also
he escaped because he was in his farm field. He was therefore dismissed
from his post as Village LORC Chairman of Nga Lang and replaced by
someone else. The soldiers accused him of being a member of CNF, and
this means that if he were arrested he would surely be killed. He therefore
left the village and went into hiding. His whereabouts are still unknown.
Second Lieutenant Win Than is commander of Hriphi post, Than Tlang
township, under #266 LIB based in Haka. On 9 October 1996, he led a
group of 20 troops to Nga Lang village to arrest former Village LORC
Chairman Hniar Ling. Without any warning they surrounded the village.
At about 5 p.m. that day, Bawi Kung from Haka town and his two friends
"Pa Sui" [not his real name] and D--- were on their way
back from Mizoram State [in India], and arrived at Nga Lang village
planning to spend the night there. As they were approaching the village,
the Burmese soldiers suddenly fired many rounds towards them, without
any questions or warning. Bawi Kung was wounded and later killed.
D--- was arrested, taken away along with the soldiers and
nothing is known about what happened to him. "Pa Thang" managed to
escape [see interview below]. The headman was beaten until he was bloody
and then had a plastic bag put over his head until he was unconscious.
The troops detained a Church elder and stole all the Church funds totalling
10,000 Kyat, the church bell and all the village's medicine from his house.
Other villagers were also beaten, the village was ransacked and the troops
took 16 porters and 4 horses to carry away their loot.
#4.
NAME: "Pa Thang" SEX: M AGE: 35 Chin
ADDRESS: xxxx village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 10/96
Bawi Kung was 23 and a cattle trader from Haka. He often went to
Mizoram to sell cows. This time, he came back from Mizoram along with
D---, age 18, and I. On the way back I was not feeling well
and followed my two friends at a distance. D--- was leading
and Bawi Kung was following him. Both of them were wearing white T-
shirts. Just before they arrived in Nga Lang they took a rest at a memorial
stone, and there they saw 6 soldiers on duty so they approached them. The
soldiers didn't ask anything. As they came close to the soldiers, Dawt Hlei
Thang was captured and Bawi Kung tried to escape. The soldiers shot at
him many times but they couldn't hit him. They shouted, "Don't run away.
Stop!" Then he stopped, and they shot at him and he fell down. I was
behind, and when I heard the firing I escaped and returned to Mizoram.
_____________________________________________________________________________
#5.
NAME: "Pu Piang Te" SEX: M AGE: XX Chin
ADDRESS: Nga Lang village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 10/96
"Pu Piang Te": On 9 October 1996, a platoon of Light Infantry Battalion
#266 based in Haka led by Second Lieutenant Win Than entered our
village. When I arrived from my farm, all the villagers had been gathered
together by the Army at the open ground just at the upper side of the
village. All the men were ordered to lie down on the ground and the
women and children were ordered to sit facing the sunlight. All the men
were asked questions about the leaders of CNF and those who didn't know
about CNF were beaten. Then the soldiers told them: "Ask for the help of
your God and you will see!". One of them named Pa Maung was beaten on
his right hip with their guns. He could not even get up and was
hospitalised. He is now in serious condition at the hospital.
XXXX
"Pu Piang Te": We were ordered to bury the body of Bawi Kung
immediately. They wouldn't allow us to carry his body to Haka, which is
his native place [according to Chin tradition, a dead person should be
buried at his native place - Bawi Kung was from Haka]. They added:
"When you finish burying him, you must put a fence around his grave [if
there is a fence around a grave, nobody can touch or go inside the fence].
Nobody is allowed to enter the tomb. If you don't follow my order, your
village will be burned down."
That night, they took 15 chickens and 200 eggs and whatever else they
liked, including rice, from the villagers. About 20 children, 5 to 10 years
of age, were missing because they had run to hide. We requested the
commander's permission to search for them because their parents were so
worried about their missing children, but they did not allow us to go
outside. The parents of the children were crying the whole night long.
Villager #2: Early the next morning, the villagers went to bury his [Bawi
Kung's] body. They secretly checked the body and found not only gunshots
but also marks of knife stabbings and they saw pieces of intestine hanging
out of his belly. Win Than forced them to bury him immediately. After that
the troops left for Khua Bung.
"Pu Piang Te": In the morning on 10 October 1996, they took 16 porters
and 4 horses and left for Khua Bung at 10 a.m. After they left, the children
who were hiding came back. Some families had nothing left to eat because
their rice had been stolen. XXXX.
_____________________________________________________________________________
#6.
NAME: "Pu Lian Ham" SEX: M AGE: XX Chin
XXXX
_____________________________________________________________________________
#7.
NAME: "Van Ceu" SEX: M AGE: XX Chin
ADDRESS: Nga Lang village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 10/96
["Van Ceu" was taken as a porter when the troops left Nga Lang village.]
Troops of Light Infantry Battalion #266 led by Second Lieutenant Win
Than entered Nga Lang village on 9 October 1996 and tortured all the
villagers in our village. They took whatever they liked. A cattle trader was
shot dead in our village. They took 16 porters and four horses from our
village to carry their rations, weapons and things in order to go on to Khua
Bung village, which is 14 miles away from our village. The oldest porter
was 62 and the youngest was 16. Most of us were about 30 to 40 years of
age. We started at 10 a.m. and reached Khua Bung at 7 p.m. We had to
carry rice, eggs, and meat which they had taken from the villagers, and we
were ordered to walk in line alternating with the soldiers to protect them
from bullets. We carried about 30 kilograms each, and they fed us nothing
on the way.
The soldiers told us that portering is compulsory for the villagers twice a
month throughout the whole region. "Phun Uk" and I were beaten when
we could not walk like the others because our loads were too heavy. They
beat others as well, but not as much as us.
_____________________________________________________________________________
#8.
NAME: "Hla Thang" SEX: M AGE: 29 Chin farmer
ADDRESS: Nga Lang village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 10/96
When a platoon of soldiers led by 2nd Lt. Win Than arrived, I managed to
escape from the soldiers and went into hiding in the jungle. They tortured
the villagers and took all their belongings such as rice, money, cattle etc.
They stole two tins of rice and 3,600 Kyats from my box and other things
worth approximately 2,500 Kyats were also taken [from his house].
_____________________________________________________________________________
Forced Portering and Beatings of the Elderly
#9.
NAME: "Pu Ar Ceh" SEX: M AGE: 63 Chin
ADDRESS: xxxx village, Than Tlang township INTERVIEWED: 9/96
"Pu Lian Peng", aged 62, from our village, and I are very old but we want
to stay active, so on 23 August 1996 we went together to the outskirts of
the village to cut some bamboo. We met Major XXXX and 40 soldiers.
We were questioned by Major XXXX in Burmese language about the
situation. We told him that we could not speak Burmese. That Major said:
"You are under the control of the Burmese. Why can't you speak
Burmese?" Then each of us was beaten five times with the bamboo we had
just cut. After that, we were taken back into our village and we were forced
to carry the Army's cooking equipment from there to yyyy village, 4 miles
away. We weren't given anything for this. I felt very weak because of
exhaustion. When I asked the soldiers to give me medicine, I was told, "We
have no medicine for you." As we were not able to carry anymore, we
were sent back to our village.
After the villagers heard about our beatings they were very afraid, so each
time the Army comes to the village they run away and hide in the jungle.
_____________________________________________________________________________
- [END OF PART 1 - SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTING FOR PART 2] -
______________________________________________________________________________
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