Report (r)

[ooreh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

THE GOVERNMENT OF KARENNI
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION




24 August 1997

Battle news in No. (2) District area

>>From 31 July 1997 to 11 August 1997: 17 incident of fighting between the
Karenni Army and Slorc troops. In the fighting 16 Slorc troops were killed
and one soldier belonging to LIB 102 was captured.
13 porters being used as forced labour by Slorc troops, escaped to the
Karenni Army, and 2 dead porters were found.

On 20 August 1997, at 1800 hrs, Karenni troops attacked an unknown unit of
Slorc troops at Pa Long in Loikaw Township. 2 Slorc soldiers killed and 2
G-2 rifles seized.

On 21 August 1997, at 1715 hrs, Karenni troops attacked Slorc troops of LIB
261 under the command of Lt. Major Khin Mg Htay, while the Slorc troops were
burning the buildings of lower Gay Loe village.

On 22 August 1997,  Karenni Army attacked LIB 261 again as the Slorc troops
burnt down the buildings of upper Gay Loe village. No reports of casualties.
(to be continued)
____________________________________________________________________

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY SLORC 

On 20 August 1997, Slorc troops of LIB 102 under the command of Major Win
Htwe, burnt down 25 houses of Lwe Po village including the church.

On 21 August 1997, the same troops of LIB 102 killed 5 buffaloes and 6 oxen
belonging to Bu Kho village (already burnt).

On 21 and 22 August 1997, Slorc troops of LIB 261 burnt down 70 houses of
upper and lower Gay Loe village, and destroyed 21 acres of planted rice
paddy as well as 2400 litres of brown rice.
____________________________________________________________________

Since the end of June, Slorc troops have burnt down around 265 houses in 7
villages in the No. (2) District of Karenni (Mawchi area). This is part of
the Slorc's Myay Lan Sanit campaign (uprooting the area). Slorc troops are
under orders to kill anyone found in this area without asking questions,
including children, women and old folk. Because of this Slorc offensive,
villagers are hiding in the forest and there is a serious lack of food and
medicine. They are suffering from various illnesses especially malaria,
dysentery, and diarrhoea. Children and old folk are particularly effected.
It is very difficult for the villagers to feed themselves because Slorc
troops are systematically destroying rice stores and livestock. Any rice
hidden by the villagers is often hard to retrieve as they may be staying
some distance from the stores and the area is frequently patrolled by Slorc
troops. The farmers are also being prevented from planting the new rice
paddy and so shall be unable to feed themselves in the future.
Karenni anticipate the destruction of all villages in No. (2) District
around the town of Mawchi. The area is to be cleared of villagers with no
provision for their displacement.

In June 1997, 28 victims of forced relocation died in the Pa Long
relocation camp in Loikaw Township, from dysentery. It is believed that the
illness was transmitted from the Sha Daw relocation camp where an unknown
number of people died from the same illness.
__________________________________________________________________