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SHRF report, July 1997
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 14:50:09 -0700
To: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: SHRF report, July 1997
Situation in kunhing, villagers massacred and beheaded (mid-june to mid-july)
After a group of unidentified Shan rebels shot dead 25 civilian Burmese
nationals on 13.6.97 at Pha Larng, Kunhing township, Slorc troops have
stepped up their military campaign against the civilian population. From
mid-June to mid-July, they have killed at least 400 people in the areas of
Sai Kao, Kaeng Lom, Kaeng Kham, Kho Lam in Kunhing township. Most of them
were villagers who had been forced to move to relocation sites along the
motor roads. These villagers are being strictly restricted to the relocation
sites, not being allowed to go farther than 3 miles to the north and 1 mile
to the south of the road. However, villagers are risking their lives to get
food to survive and are being shot to death.
Maj. Thein Soe is in command of the no.1 Tactical Command at Kho Lam and
Col. Than Htun is the commander of the no.2 Tactical Command at Kunhing.
Col. Thein Soe is known to have said to the villagers that he would be less
upset over a dead Shan than he would over a lost can of fish paste. Maj.
Gen. Pyi Zone, commander of the Operational Command Headquarter at Loilem,
sent the order to shoot people on sight to Maj. Thein Soe who in turn
relayed it to Maj. Sein Thaung. This Maj. Sein Thaung and his troops are the
ones who have been doing most of the killing, shooting people at will in
what they assume to be a free-fire zone.
On 11.7.97, car drivers from Murngpaeng and Kaengtung who came through
Kunhing and some SSA members saw along the road that branched out from the
main road to Kaeng Lom 26 corpses of villagers laid up in line with their
heads cut off and laid beside their bodies. And on 12.7.97, 17 other corpses
were seen along the road between Kaeng Lom and Kaeng Tawng, laid up in the
same manner.
From mid-June until around mid-July, Slorc troops have burnt at least 41
bullock-carts of the villagers. They have also shot not less than 70-80
cattle and let their wives and children sell the meat around Ka Li, Kunhing
and Kho Lam.
During early and mid-July, Slorc troops ordered the villagers who had been
relocated along the road from Ka Li and around Kunhing town to cut thousands
of bamboo, weave 100,000 sheets of thatch for roofing, cut many hardwood to
use as posts and build new military bases at Kunhing and Ka Li. The
villagers are not allowed to take any food with them, to prevent them from
giving food to members of the resistance. They were instead instructed to
eat to their full before they went to work all day. All the rice and paddy
which the villagers had managed to bring from their old villages were
confiscated and kept at the military bases, and rationed back to them once a
week, but not their good nutritious rice. The soldiers took the villagers
rice for themselves and rationed out poor quality rice from their supplies.
In addition to shooting cattle for meat, Slorc troops have also been
catching them alive for sale. Since there are a huge number of cattle
roaming free in the areas of Ka Li, Kho Lam, Kunhing, Kaeng Tawng, Kaeng
Kham, Ton Hoong, Nar Poi etc., the soldiers usually catch and bring them to
sell at a place 2 miles east of Ta Kaw bridge that crosses the Salween
river, at a give-away price of about 3,000 Kyat each though they are often
big and strong cart-oxen. The buyers are mostly from Murngpaeng and Kaengtung.
On 17.7.97, a group of merchants from Kaengtung went and bought 56 heads of
cattle at the place, 2 miles east of Salween bridge, for only 3,500 Kyat per
head on average. The traders fetched 7-8,000 Baht per head at the border
town of Tachilek. All were big, strong cattle; the traders did not sell even
when they were offered 20,000 Kyat per head at Kaengtung. The Slorc troops,
from the bases in Kunhing, bring the cattle to the selling place in groups
of 10 to 20 heads.
Teak and hard wood lumber from the houses in the old villages are being
taken, using forced labour and cars of the civilian population, to sell in
towns such as Ka Li, Kunhing, Ta Kaw and Murngpaeng, by Slorc troops.
killing, rape, forced relocation
On 27.5.97, Slorc troops of LIB 515 from Laikha, led by Maj. Soe Phyu, came
to Ter Leng village, Laikha township, and arrested two villagers named Sai
Tu, 22 and Pan Zik Ta, 25. The soldiers accused the villagers of being SURA
(Shan United Revolutionary Army) members because they found a grenade in the
house of each of them. They tied them up, beat and tortured while
interrogating them until eventually both of them died. They then forced
their families to move to Laikha immediately and burnt down the 2 houses.
On 1.6.97, the same troops came again and ordered the headman Pan Ta to
move the whole village to Laikha before 3.6.97.
On 3.6.97, troops from LIB no.424 led by Maj. Myint Than, brought 35
porters from Laikha with 36 bullock-carts and came and dismantled some
parts of the houses and carted away roof iron and lumber which were still in
good condition to Laikha. They also took and shot many cattle and other
live-stock and announced that no one was to come near the village; anyone
found in or near the village would be shot on sight. During that night, 2
women, Nang Zing, 28 and Nang Pang, 40, sneaked back into the village to get
their gold which they had buried underneath the head of their beds. But they
were caught by the Slorc troops, raped and killed. On 4.6.97, all the 36
houses were burnt down by the soldiers.
Robbery, rape, killing
On 6.6.97, Loong Su, 54 and his 2 daughters, Nang Thun and Nang Kham, 29,
from Murngkerng rode a truck with other passengers and headed for the Thai
border. They carried with them 11 baht-weight of gold and 260,000 Kyat of
cash. After crossing the Salween river, they had a puncture at the crossroad
of Nar Niu -- 3 miles before the Slorc base of LIB no.519 and a few more
miles to Wan Nar village, Murngton township. They decided to walk to Wan Nar
where Loong Su's older son Ai Zing Ta, 38, had been waiting for them for
about 15 days. But when they got near the military base, they were arrested
by the soldiers. Loong Su was beaten on the head to death with his hands
tied up behind him, on 7.6.97. His 2 daughters were raped and killed on
8.6.97. The LIB no 519 base was commanded by Maj. Min Sein.
Gross violations
Gross Human Rights violations committed by Slorc during the time span from
4.2.97 to 20.6.97 in the areas of Murngnai, Laikha, Murngkerng, Kaesee,
Namzarng, Kunhing, Kho Lam, Kaeng Tawng, Kaeng Lom, Kaeng Kham, as
documented by one of the community leaders, who is also one of the victims.
These are only the facts based on hsi own knowledge. SHRF estimates that the
figures, especially of killings, are much higher.
1. 372 villages have been
deserted
2. 23,725 houses have been
deserted
3. 125,096 people have been
displaced
4. 618 houses have been burnt
down
5. 163 people have been killed
6. 87 people have not yet
returned from forced
porterage
7. 64 women have been raped and
killed. (many more have been raped but not killed.)
forced portering, rape, killing
On 8.6.97, Slorc troops from Murngpan-based LIB no.520, led by Maj. Than
Maung, arrested 17 villagers at Ter Hung village, Ton Hoong tract, Murngnai
township, who were forced to move from Ton Hoong relocation site on 4.6.97.
(1) Loong Kang Kya, 52, (male),
village headman
(2) Sai Lao, 27, (male)
(3) Sai Pan, 22, (male)
(4) Sai Tong, 31, (male)
(5) Sai Kaw Li Ya, 37, (male)
(6) Sai Su Za Ta, 24, (male)
(7) Sai Wa Ling, 32, (male)
(8) Sai Tae Za, 19, (male)
(9) Sai Nung, 20, (male)
(10) Sai Saw Ya, 17, (male)
(11) Nang Poi, 38, (woman)
(12) Nang Hla Khin, 27, (woman)
(13) Nang Seng Hawm, 22, (woman)
(14) Nang Thun Nae, 21, (woman)
(15) Nang Seng Zing, 19, (woman)
(16) Nang Thuay, 18, (woman)
(17) Nang Si Non, 17, (woman)
These people were forced to carry military things from Kaeng Tawng area all
the way to Murngpan. When they reached Murngpan, the soldiers let the 9 male
villagers go and sleep in the town while they detained the 7 women and the
headman Loong Kang Nya at their base. The women were gang-raped all night
until in the morning some could hardly walk when they were released and told
to return to their village to gather their things and move like the other
villagers. However, the headman Loong Kang Nya was later beaten to death.
killing
Since May 1997, Slorc troops LIB no.520 from MurngPan have been conducting
their 4-cuts policy in the areas of Nawng Kwai, Wo Lai and Mark Khur Zae. On
May 30, they shot dead the following villagers:
(1) Su Nan Ta, 35, son of Loong Kham Khawng & Nai Zing from Ton Hoong
circle, Murngnai township. (Su Nan Ta was a retired member of the SSA - Shan
State Army).
(2) Ai Kaw, 27, son of Nar Ling & Nai Pek from Kung Mong village, Kaeng Kham
circle, Kunhing township.
(3) Kung Ma La, 35, son of Pu Kyawng & Nai Kyawng of Quarter 3, Kunhing
township.
(4) Ai Lot, 25, son of Khing Su & Pa Naw of Quarter 3, Kunhing township.
Killing
On 30 May, 97, a woman named Nai Li, 60, daughter of Khing Kyawng & Nai Ing
from Wan Kung Ho Yard village, Kaeng Kham circle, Kunhing township, went
to collect bamboo-shoots in the forest. Slorc troops from Kunhing-based IB
no.246 blasted her to death with a hand grenade. Her body was left lying in
a bamboo grove.
troop movement
During 28-30 June 97, Maj. Thura Sein Thaung, one of the Tactical Command
commanders under the Eastern Military Command, led LIB no.516 and IB no.247,
over 500 strong, to search all the jungles and villages in the area of Ka Li
in Kunhing township. But nothing was said to have been found.
These two battalions -- LIB no.516 and IB no.247 -- have been newly
transfered to Kunhing from their original bases at Namzarng and Murngnai.
The commander of LIB 516 is Maj. Paw San and IB 247 is Maj. Thein Soe.
houses burned
On 3.6.97, Slorc troops of no.1 company of LIB no.514 from Kaesee, led by
Maj. Thaung Htay, burnt down 4 houses at the village Pang Po, Wan Khong
circle, Kaesee township. These houses were close to the motor road and
belonged to the following villagers:
(1) Loong Sang Thun
(2) Nai Zing
(3) Nai La
(4) Nai Mu
Killing
On 4.6.97, Slorc troops from LIB no.515 shot dead 2 villagers at Nar Kaeng
village, Murng Lerm tract, Kaesee township. The 2 villagers were:
(1) Mu Ling, 32, son of Loong Khat & Nai Ing
(2) Wi Ling, 41, son of Loong Ku & Nai Sar.
killing
On 10.6.97, Slorc troops from Kunhing-based LIB no.524 shot dead 6
villagers who were going to work on their farms, a few kilometers west of
the town.
Forced portering, killing On 10.6.97, Slorc troops from LIB no.515, led by
Maj. Soe Myint, forced some villagers at Wan Sang village, Laikha township,
who had been forcibly relocated from Wan Wawn village, to serve as porters.
The Slorc troops shot dead 1 porter at Nawng Leng village and 3 other
porters on the mountain of Loi Taeng. Another porter was shot and wounded,
who escaped and ran to Nawng Mon village. The villagers of Nawng Mon helped
him and took him to Laikha hospital. He was said to be in a critical condition.
Robbery, forced relocation On 17.6.97, Slorc troops stationed at Murng
Nawng, Kaesee township, robbed the village of Wan Khong, one of the
relocation sites in Murng Nawng area. The soldiers took everything they
wanted, they even broke boxes and chests and took all the valuables inside.
The whole village (relocation site) was again forced to move to a place
north of Murng Nawng.
Killing, looting
On 17.6.97, Slorc troops and members of people's militia shot dead 4 of the
villagers who were working at a remote farm in the forest near Wan Tong
village, north of Nam Hoo, Ho Nar circle, Murngkerng township. The 4
villagers killed were:
(1) Lai Seng Mu, 48, son of Lai Hurng Mart & Nai Soi Sa
(2) Sai Thun, 20, son of Lai Seng Mu & Nai Non
(3) Pa Mi, 60, daughter of Nai Mart (mother)
(4) Nang Lu, 15, daughter of Zang Awng & Zai Zarm
After they killed the villagers, the soldiers burnt down the 5 farm huts at
the farm. The villagers lost:
(1) 5 huts
(2) 216 baskets of rice paddy
(3) 2 bicycles
(4) 8 chests of belongings
(5) 3 muskets
(6) 1 bullock-cart
(7) 2 oxen
(8) 15 cows
(9) 1 buffalo
killing of mothers and children
On 26.6.97, Slorc troops from LIB no.515 shot dead 7 villagers at Huay Aw
village, Wan Tong circle, Kaesee township. All the victims were women and
their children.
(a) Ae Pu, 28, and her 11 year-old son; daughter of Loong Lon & Nai Nyo and
wife of Sang Zarm.
(b) Ae Purng, 25, and her 3 month-old baby; wife of Pan Awng.
(c) Ae Zing, 27, and her 5 month-old baby; daughter of Loong Long & Nai Sawng.
(d) Ae Kham, 24, daughter of Loong Pung Nya & Nai Ing. Ae Kham's 11 year-old
child was still in the soldiers' custody.
setting trap, killing
On 13.6.97, Slorc troops stationed at Muay Taw out-post in Murngnai
township, told the villagers that they were pulling out and ordered them to
look after their base. But Slorc troops did not go far, they just concealed
themselves in the forest. Some villagers, thinking Slorc troops had gone,
went to work at their farms. Slorc troops returned and shot dead 2 villagers
who were working in their farm:
(1) Loong Awng, 38, son of Loong Kan Na from Nam Tum Nur village, Nawng Hee
circle.
(2) Ti Ya, 42,
They were accused of supporting the rebels.
killing on suspicion
On 13.6.97, a villager named Pi Kao and 2 other villagers went and slept at
their farm hut in the forest. Slorc troops suspected them of being rebels
and forced Pi Kao's wife to guide them to where they were staying,
threatening to shoot her if she did not comply. She led them to a farm 4
miles west of Pung Kin village, Nar Ing circle, Murngpan township.
The Slorc troops shot dead 2 villagers while they were sleeping in a hut.
The 2 killed were:
(1) Sai Lae, 35, son of Khing Khawng & Pa Nang Nang.
(2) A man from Kaeng Tawng (name unknown)
However, Pi Kao, 58, son of Loong Mai & Pa Mart and his wife Nang Kawn, 52,
daughter of Loong Sai & Pa Zum were arrested and put in jail at Murngpan. Pi
Kao was said to be taken away with the back of his knee pierced with a knife.
kidnapping
On 13.6.97, Slorc troops from Ton Hoong out-post, Murngnai township, with
packed horses they dragooned from Nawng Hee tract, arrested 7 women they met
at a farm 7 miles east of Ton Hoong. The soldiers took the women to Ton
Hoong military base and held them there for one night, after which they
ordered the relatives of the women to bring money to pay for their release
-- 3,000 Kyat for each.
killing, robbing
On 21.6.97, Slorc troops from Murngnai met some villagers from Kawng Kham
(Kunhing township) with 3 ox-carts near Kaeng Tawn, Murngnai township. The
soldiers arrested all the villagers and killed all the males, and took all
the carts and their belongings. However, they later released the women.
More restriction
Since 20.6.97, in Murngnai township, Slorc authorities issued an order
banning villagers to go beyond 1 mile from their relocation sites; anyone
found beyond 1 mile would certainly be shot. Rice fields and farms located
farther than one mile have to be abandoned.
beating, stealing
On 20.6.97, 7 Slorc troops, from Murngphyak-based IB no.221, were
patrolling along Nam Long stream where people have their agricultural farms.
At one point, they came to the farm of Loong Thark Oon who came from
Murngphyak with his wife to stay and tend their farm where they grew mango
and sugar-cane, and also bred and reared chickens, about one kilometer from
Wan Pung, Murngphyak township.
The soldiers arrested Loong Thark Oon, tied him up and beat him, using a
pice of fire-wood, until his head and face bled and was swollen all over.
They then left him, taking away all his 300 chickens and 4 baskets of mango.
Forced Labour
Since January 1996, people along the proposed way from Murngpaeng to
Murngsart are being forced by Slorc troops to gather stones for building the
road. Some of the villagers that fall along the route are: Wan Yang, Nar
Khaw, Ho Pung, Yang Kham, Na Yang, Wan Sak, Ho Yang, Nar Nyawng, Zom Zaeng,
Wan Pung, Wan Pek, Wan Khum, Wan Kard, Wan Zarn and others up to Murngsart.
Anyone who failed to gather a stated amount of stone in a given time was
punished.
47 villages in murng-pan forcibly relocated
On May 26, 1997, the Slorc ordered 47 villages in the township of Murng-pan
to move. Villagers were given 12 days to move. It was not specified where
they should move to. The Slorc soldiers who gave the orders said that it was
to stop villagers giving support to Shan troops in the area. Village tracts
that were ordered to move include Ta Tae, Nar Law and Nawng Yarng. The
headman of the Nawng Yarng village tract, Pay Ti, aged 38, was killed by
Slorc troops during the move.
Taking an average of 40 houses per village, this means that over 2,000
houses, totalling at least 10,000 people have been forced from their homes.
Refugees from the area interviewed at the Thai border said that 70% of the
relocated villagers have fled to Thailand for survival.
Forced relocation
On 8.7.97, at about 2200 hrs., a group of unidentified rebels attacked the
police checkpoint at the western gate of Murngpan, on the road to Larngkhur.
One police lieutenant named Myo Htun, 34, was killed in the attack. The
rebels launched some grenades from the checkpoint into the police station
and seriously wounded another policeman.
Soon after that incident, all the villagers in the village tracts of Tong
Zu, Huay Zoi, Nar Wawn, Nam Maw Kung, Nawng Lur, Nawng Kwai, Woe Lai and
Mark Khur Zae, have been forced to move to the town of Murngpan.
Since the raid at the police checkpoint on 8.7.97 night, Slorc troops has
imposed a 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. night curfew in the town of Murngpan,
anyone found in the streets during curfew hours would be shot on sight.
Shan Human Rights Foundation.
situation in murngton township, southeastern shan state
1. Villagers who live in the Murng-ton area now need to ask for a written
permit from the Slorc if they want to go outside their village. Without a
permit they will be fined 4,000 Kyat.
2. On May 13, 1997, Slorc troops from IB no.277 camp at Murng Harng came and
patrolled around Mae Ken village. They saw Nang Kham, age 13, the daughter
of U Lu and Nang Baht near the village. They chased her, then took her into
the forest where they raped and killed her.
3. On May 16, 1997, Nang Aw, age 22, daughter of Sai Lu and Nang Nu, went to
cut some wood outside her village of Huay Aw. Maj. Aye Thaik and his troops
found and captured her, then raped and killed her.
4. On June 15, 1997, Lung Tan Mor, the headman of Huay Aw, went to his rice
farm to give some food to his farm workers. As he was leaving his house,
some Slorc troops arrived. They saw him carrying a lot of rice packs and
beat him till he became unconscious.
children tortured
On June 6, 1997, some Lahu villagers from Mae Ken took their children,
Mamako, age 8 and Jar Hae, age 12 to the house of Slorc Corporal Zaw Zaw at
Murng-sart, and left them there so that the children could go to the local
school. The day before, the wife of Slorc Maj. Aung San Oo had arrived and
was staying at Zaw Zaw's house. She had kept her purse and 2 rings in a box.
When the two children arrived, her rings and purse disappeared, and she
accused Mamako of the thief. Mamako denied it, but the Slorc soldiers there
kept interrogating her. She cried and continued to deny the charge, so they
put kerosene on her body, and burned her to make her confess, but Mamako
refused to do so and just cried. Then they threatened her with a gun and a
knife, questioning her again and again. Finally the child fainted. When she
came round, she was again threatened by one of the soldiers. At that time
Jar Hae arrived, so the soldiers caught him too and placed plastic sheeting
over his head so that he would confess. Finally both children were sent the
local police station. After two days and three nights the soldiers informed
the Lahu headman of the children's village. The Lahu headman then informed
the relative of one of the children, called Jar Bo (a teacher). When Jar Bo
went to see the children at the police station he was told they might be
sent to Taunggyi. They then arrested Jar Bo too and forced him to stay in
the police station for one night and gave him two days to find 70,000 Kyat.
If he could find the money, the children would be released, if not he would
be imprisoned again. At the time of this report Jar Bo was still searching
for the money to give them.
Lahu, Wa & Palaung Human Rights Committee
(18 June 1997)