Special Posting: SHRF Monthly Repor (r)

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SHAN HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION: MONTHLY REPORT

August, 1998

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P.O.BOX 201, PHRASING P.O
CHIANG MAI, 50200, Thailand
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(BurmaNet Editor's Note: Victims' names have been taken out of this report.)

KILLING, RAPE, TORTURE AND EXTORTION OF FARMERS IN NAM-ZARNG

On 6.6.98, about 80-90 SPDC (State Peace and Development Council, the name
of the ruling Burmese military junta) troops from IB246 led by Maj Tu Nyein
killed several farmers at a farm 4 miles west of Kho-Lam, Nam-Zarng township.

In May 1998, many villagers who had been forcibly relocated to Kho-Lam had
asked for permission from the SPDC authorities in Nam-Zarng to go and work
on the farms outside the village. One man, 45, and some 18 of his fellow
villagers managed to get a pass from the authorities in Nam-Zarng as well
as permission from the commander of the local military camp at Kho-Lam,
Capt Han Sein, to work on the farms about 4 miles west of Kho-Lam and they
had been working on the farms from 14.5.98 until 6.6.98 when troops from
IB246 shot at them from a distance. The villagers all ran away into the
nearby forest without anyone getting hit and the soldiers left after
searching the farms for a while.

After a while, a woman, 30, and her uncle, 40, presuming the troops had
really left, went back to the farms with the intention to get their clothes
and beds from the farm hut and return to the village. However, as they
reached the hut, the soldiers came back and arrested them and beat (the
uncle) to death. (The woman) was stripped of her clothes and raped many
times before she was also shot dead in the hut. After that, the troops left
the farms and went to Kho-Lam.

On 7.6.98, the villagers at Kho-Lam heard the news and became very worried,
so that a villager who had relatives working on the farms about 4 miles
south of the village went and warned  them. On hearing about it, the
farmers became so frightened that they all returned to the village. But
when they were still about one mile away from the village they met the same
SPDC soldiers coming from the village to search the area and they were
arrested, 8 of them including the one who came to warn them.

These farmers were taken to the military camp at Kho-Lam and tortured, also
with electric shocks, until they lost consciousness for some times and one
was beaten so hard that he later died in the camp. 25 village leaders and
elders went to the troops and pleaded for mercy. Eventually, the soldiers
agreed to release them on paying 15,000 Kyat for each; the villagers had
been tied and locked up for 9 days before their release.


RAPE AND KILLING IN MURNG-NAI

On 14-15.7.98, 3 women from Nar-Kharn village, Murng-Nai township were
raped and killed, together with one man from the same village, by SPDC
troops from LIB524 led by commander Khin Hla Win.

On 14.7.98, 3 villagers of Nar-Kharn were going to their farm and met
outside the village 12 SPDC soldiers from LIB524 led by commander Khin Hla
Win who were patrolling the area. The soldiers said they needed a guide and
forced one of the villagers to go with them, saying they would release her
when they reached a crossroad, and told the other two to go back to the
village. The SPDC troops then forced the first to take them to her farm and
gang-raped her, and finally shot her dead in her farm hut.

On 15.7.98, an SPDC soldier, Tin Maung, from LIB518 secretly told the
relatives of the woman that she had been raped and killed by Khin Hla Win's
group at her farm. Her elder brother and some of her relatives then went to
Maj Khin Than Aye of IB64 and asked for permission to go and look for his
sister who had gone to her farm since the day before and had not yet
returned. The SPDC Major gave them a pass and they went to the farm only to
find her dead body in her farm hut, with no clothes on.

Also on 15.7.98, two women heard about the woman's case, they got so scared
that they decided to stop tending their farms. So they called a man to
accompany them for the last time to their farms to take their belongings
back to the village. But when they got about 3 miles from the village, they
ran into about 15 SPDC troops from LIB524 led by the same commander Khin
Hla Win who were lying in wait to ambush people like them. The troops
seized them, separated the man and the women to different places, raped the
women and killed them on the side of the road. They then brought the man to
the same spot and killed him as well, and left their bodies heaped up
together near the road.

In 2 days, 4 people from the same village just 2 miles away from the town
were raped and killed by the same SPDC commander and his troops.

KILLING AND FORCED RELOCATION IN MURNG-TON

On 24.7.98, SPDC Commander Myint Swe of IB65 with about 80 troops came to
Mawk-Zali village, Me-Ken village tract, Murng-Ton township, and arrested
six villagers.

The SPDC troops accused them of being members of the SURA (now called the
Shan State Army - South), one of the Shan armed resistance groups still
fighting against the Burmese military junta, and tortured them until they
all died within 3 days. According to some villagers who knew them well, the
former 4 villagers were farmers who had moved from Kaeng-Kham in Kun-Hing
township to Mawk-Zali in March-April 1997, and the latter 2 were deserters
of MTA who had run away from Loi-Larng, one of the former MTA stronghold,
in 1994 and only dared to come to stay in the village in 1998 long after
the leader of the MTA, Khun Sa, had capitulated to SLORC in 1996.

On 26.7.98, Commander Myint Swe issued an order forcing the villagers of
Mawk Zali, 68 houses, to move to Me-Ken tract and Wan Mai village, and to
the town itself. The SPDC commander gave a reason for the forced relocation
as being the fact that the villagers of Mawk-Zali were supporters of SURA.
He gave only 2 days for the villagers to move, after which anyone found in
the village would be shot without any questions.


FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-PAN

On 11.7.98, SPDC Maj Aung Soe of LIB102 ordered the civilian populations to
provide labourers for weeding the soya bean and corn farms owned by the
military in Murng-Pan township.

10 persons from each village, and 10-15 villages each day, had to bring
their own food and tools to work. It had been going on for 20 days when the
information was received.

SPDC HIGHWAYMEN IN LAI-KHA

In June 1998, SPDC Maj Hla Moe of LIB515 in Lai-Kha set up a scheme to let
his soldiers rob travellers at a place called Nawng Paet west of the
military base near Wan Parn village just 3 miles from the town.

On 10.6.98,  A man from Wan Nawng village, Wan Yurng tract, who was
returning from the town market was robbed by 2 soldiers from LIB515. He
lost 4500 Kyat and 5 bottles of cooking oil.

On 19.6.98, a Palaung man from Tham Kyawng village, went to town to sell
chilli and onion. On his return, he was robbed by the 2 soldiers and lost
42500 Kyat. The 2 soldiers even used 500 Kyat to buy candy for the children
in the nearby Wan Parn village.

On 21.6.98, A man from Pan Tang village, Wan Yurng tract, came to town to
visit his relatives. When he returned, the 2 soldiers robbed him of his
money, 1600 Kyat. When they committed robbery, they were still wearing
their LIB515 badges and one soldier held a knife and the other held a spear
while wearing a holstered pistol on his waist. These 2 soldiers were seen
by many people to have been around the area almost all the time.

Owing to several robbery incidents, the road between Lai-Kha and Wan Parn
became virtually deserted for some time so that some village leaders from
Wan Parn went to complain about it to Maj Hla Moe. But the SPDC Major only
told the villagers to catch and bring the 2 soldiers alive and threatened
to shoot at the village if the 2 soldiers disappeared, "Catch them alive
and bring them here to show me. If my men disappear because of you, I will
shoot up your village", he said.

In May, when Maj Hla Moe of LIB515 and his troops were on patrol in the
areas of Tard-Mawk and Wan Heng, they met 3 mini-tractors and their drivers
who had come to collect fire-wood for another military base IB64, also
based in Lai-Kha. However, Maj Hla Moe accused them of coming to contact
the Shan resistance soldiers and seized their mini-tractors and had not
given back at the time of this report. They also arrested the headman of
Tard-Mawk and put him in jail.

STEALING AND KILLING IN KUN-HING

On 10.4.98, a couple who lived in Zone 8, Quarter 3 of Kun-Hing town, let
their 4 oxen graze in the outskirts of the town. When the oxen went near
the military base of IB246, the soldiers caught and took them to their
base. When the owners tried to claim back their oxen, the soldiers accused
them of having stolen the oxen and threatened to arrest and jail them if
the oxen got lost; they even forced them to sign a testimony. "You have
stolen these oxen. If they get lost, we will arrest and put you in jail",
said the soldiers.

On 12.4.98, A man and his nephew, aged 16, who lived in Quarter 3 of
Kun-Hing town, went to collect leaves for wrapping traditional sweets
during the water festivel in the forest south of the town and met SPDC
troops at Nar-Koo. The troops accused them of being intelligence agents of
the rebels and shot both of them dead.

SOME KILLING AND LOOTING IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1998

On 25.1.98, SPDC troops from Murng Pan-based LIB332 beat up and looted the
villagers   of Nawng Mai, Nawng Long and Wan Khai in Murng Pan Township.
1.(m) lost 1 Seiko-5 wrist-watch
2.(m) lost 1 Seiko-5 wrist-watch
3.(m) lost 1 Seiko-5 wrist-watch and 4,000 Kyat
4.(m) lost 1 Seiko-5 wrist-watch 
5.(m) lost 1 Seiko-5 wrist-watch
6.(m) lost 1200 Kyat
7.(m) lost 3500 Kyat
8.(m) lost 750 Kyat
9.(m) lost 7000 Kyat
10.(m) lost 3100 Kyat 

On 16.1.98, SPDC Maj Aung Kyaw Tin of LIB525 led 15 troops and arrested 2
male villagers of San-Phak-Yan village and robbed them of 56500 Kyat, 2
chickens and 2 muskets.

After that they went to Nam-Lin village and arrested two men and released
them only after they paid 700 Kyat, and also took away 2 chickens and 2
muskets. From there they went and seized a lumberman, and he lost 3
cartloads of lumber.

On 18.1.98, the same troops continued to Nam-Lin village and took away 2
pairs of shoes and 150 viss of onion.

On 25.1.98, SPDC Maj Aye Ko of LIB517 from Murng-Pawn and leaders of a Shan
ceasefire faction, Kan-Na and Akka, led their troops to Huay-Wawn village,
Phawng-Seng tract, - ? - Township, and arrested a well-to-do village
couple. At night, the leaders and the troops raped the wife and, on
27.1.98, they robbed them of their gold and money and killed both husband
and wife. After that, the soldiers took away what they wanted of the
couple's possessions and burnt the rest. They took:
1. 30 Kyat worth of gold
2. 300,000 Kyat of money
3. 1,200 baskets of paddy
4. 20 baskets of rice
5. 3 cattle
6. 200,000 Kyat worth of goods for sale

It was said that these same troops looted many other villages along their
route of operation. They accused the villagers who they thought had money
of having connections with the rebles and extorted money.

On 9.2.98, SPDC troops from LIB513 surrounded a Buddhist monastery where
villagers were conducting religious funeral rites at Luk-Mawn village,
Murng Khun tract, Murng-Kerng Township, and fired randomly at the crowd,
killing one villager.

After that, the soldiers took away all the monastery property and robbed,
looted and burnt in several other villages in Murng Khun tract.

1. A woman from Nam-Tao village lost 1/2 Baht weight of gold and 10,000
Kyat, and her house and other possessions were burned.

2. A man from Nam-Toa village lost 20,000 Kyat, and his house and other
possessions were also burned.

3. A person from Nam-Tao village lost 20,000 Kyat and 3 necklaces.

Other villagers such as Ta-Lung, Kung-Pek and Na-Huay were also looted.

Many houses were burned and 180 paddy barns and 5 sacks of rice were burned
to ashes.


SPDC SEIZEs FRUIT-VENDORS IN TA-KHI-LAEK (TACHILEK)

On 23.6.98, police and people's militia in Ta-Khi-Laek, working under the
orders of the Chairman of District Peace and Development Council, Col Sein
Win, seized fruit-vendors who were selling fruits brought in from Mae Sai,
Thailand, such as durians, apples, oranges and grapes etc.

The police seized all the fruit-vendors they could find and loaded all the
fruits on to their trucks, saying, "This year is 'Frugal Burma Year'. Don't
you know that you must not bring expensive fruits from other country to
sell here?" Many were caught; a few managed to get away.

The fruit-vendors not only lost their fruits but also had to pay 600 Baht
each as a fine. Though the SPDC has issued an order banning the use of Thai
currency in Ta-Khi-Laek, when they collect 'tax' or numerous other 'fees'
or fine people for an offence, Baht is usually demanded. Even at the
border-crossing bridge, people who try to pay the crossing fees in Kyat are
often scolded by the officers in charge; "Don't you know what currencies
people here are using?",they would grumble and refuse to take the Kyat.

For decades, it has been usual practice for the local people to conduct
cross-border trade in consumer goods, depending on the demand on each side
of the border, and it is banned on and off at the whim of the local
authorities.


RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON FARMERS IN MURNG-PAN

On 4.5.98, SPDC Commander, Thein Win, of IB66 in Murng-Pan summoned the
village and village tract headmen to the military base and told them that
no farmers were allowed to grow  more than 1 viss weight of garlic
seedlings. Anyone who failed to comply with this regulation would be
severely punnished.

Instead, the farmers must grow soya bean and yellow bean and the military
would provide  bean seeds for that. Farmers who received bean seeds must
produce 8 tins of bean from 1 tin of seeds. Those who failed to produce as
much must buy from others to fulfill it because the government would buy
back all the bean, at the full quota.

Anyone owning farmlands who failed to grow beans would face a fine of
100,000 - 150,000 Kyat. The lands would be confiscated and people from
lower Burma would be brought up to work on them.


RESTRICTION ON FARMERS IN LARNG-KHUR LEADS TO MULTIPLE SUICIDES

On 12.5.98, SPDC Commander of IB99, Aung Moe Zaw, issued an order to the
sugarcane farmers in Larng-Khur requiring them to stop growing sugarcane
after the harvest in 1998 onwards and cultivate peanut instead. They were
required to produce 10-12 tins of peanut from 1 tin of peanut seeds and
would have to sell it to the military at the full quota; thoes who prouced
less than 10 tins would have to buy from others to fill up the quota.

This has caused tremendous frustration among the long-standing sugarcane
farming communities who had relied on sugarcane plantation as their main
livelihood for generations. There were some deaths and suicides that could
be linked to this incident:
1. (m), 49, fainted as soon as he heard the news and died
2. (f), 52, stopped eating altogether after hearing the news and later died
3. (m), 27, hanged himself in his sugarcane farm, leaving behind a letter
discribing his feeling that he felt so angry and helpless when he got the
order that he was going to hang himself.
4. (m), 25 and
5. (f), 23, husband and wife, committed suicide by drowning themselves in
the Nam Taeng river. According to the villagers that knew them well, the
cause of their frustration that led to their suicide was
nothing other than the order that banned sugarcane cultivation.


CIVILIAN CAR DRIVERS SEVERELY BEATEN IN KEANG-TUNG

On 27.7.98, two men aged 21 and 19, were harshly beaten by SPDC troops from
IB224, Company 3, led by Capt Soe Yin Soe near Murng-Khark in Kaeng-Tung
Township.

The 2 men were driving a van from Murng-Yarng to Murng Khark when they were
stopped by 12 SPDC troops led by Capt Soe Yin Soe near Murng Khark. The
troops suspected them of trafficking amphetamines and searched their van
but nothing was found. The soldiers then accused them of having unloaded
the 200,000 tablets of amphetamine which they were supposed to be
transporting somewhere on the way and beat them up while asking for the
whereabouts of the drug.

However, the 2 men were just returning home after transporting some
passengers to Munrg-Yarng and knew nothing about what they were being
asked. The soldiers beat and beat them until both of them lost
consciousness. One suffered a severe head wound and the other a broken leg
and had to be hospitalized at Murng-Khark. Whether they have survived or
not is not yet known.

RESTAURANT FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN IN KEANG-TUNG

On 2.8.98, 30 SPDC troops led by Company 1 Commander Capt San Myint of
LIB314 forced a restaurant proprietor to close down his restaurant in
Kaeng-Tung town and move away, saying that they were acting on the orders
of  Lt Gen Thein Sein, the Commander of the Military Eastern Command.

The proprietor had made a contract with SLORC for the lease of the plot of
land to set up a restaurant for 20 years and the money, 25 million Kyat,
had already been paid. But now he had run his restaurant for only 4 years
and yet he was forced to shut it down and remove all his property, even the
building had to be dismantled. He was not compensated for any of the money
he paid for the lease, but lost in addition 3 million Kyats on the building.