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select : AB99-8
No.99-8 Analytica Birmanie
STATE-SANCTIONED ATROCITIES IN BURMA: CAN IT BE STOPPED?
Below is a report of cold blooded murders, brutal rapes, pillage,
robbery, extortion, and destruction wrought by soldiers -- by definition,
armed servants of the state, or in Burma's case, of an illegal and
illegitimate military junta.
The incidents reported are just a tip of a giant iceberg since
atrocities visited upon unarmed civilians, especially in the non-Burman
areas of Burma, have been the rule since 1962, the year power was usurped
by the military.
Even now, as this report is being read, women are being raped and
killed in Shan State, villagers deprived of their homes and property,
wives deprived of husbands, and children deprived of their fathers or
mothers.
The question is how does one react to such kind of state terror and
state-sanctioned lawless acts and brutality in Burma?
Does one say that what happens so far away does not concern one, or
that it is Burma's problem? Or does one feel sorry but say that there is
not much one can do since such atrocities are the norm in "developing"
(i.e., backward) countries?
It is undoubtedly difficult for normal people living normal lives to
attempt to put right what seems an "unrightable wrong", and in such a
faraway place as Burma.
Such an attitude, although understandable, amounts to saying that
those raped, killed, cleansed from their homes, villages, fields are not
fellow human beings. It arbitrarily and callously places them in a
special, non-human category: namely, faceless victims. Thus, is justified
one's lack of concern for fellow human beings, or the redefinition by one
of human beings as being only those one knows personally or are
accquainted with.
Viewed as such, one's unconcern -- or paralysis -- for those who have
suffered (or are suffering) state terror and state-sanctioned brutality,
has to be considered as a denial, on one's part, of the humanity of
fellow human beings, even as sanctioning implicitly (or unintentionally)
such atrocities.
Surely, if one considers oneself as a member of the family of man, and
as being part of history, the history of mankind, then one should not
allow oneself to be defeated by the terrible evil that those with power,
or hold and exercise power, afflict on those without power -- ordinary
human beings like oneself, one's friends, neighbors, and so on.
As history shows, evil can be pushed back or is stopped when human
beings, ordinary people, decides to make a stand, and they stand firm
against evil. Resistance to inhumane evil, like charity, begins at home.
ANALYTICA BIRMANIE
March 1999
-----------------------------
S.H.R.F. MONTHLY REPORT -- FEBRUARY 1999
RAPE AND KILLING IN NAM-ZARNG
On 1.1.99, SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) troops of IB66
led by MYINT SEIN Sein raped 6 women and killed one of them and a man,
near Wan Wawn and Wan Ek villages, Nawng Kaw tract, Nam-Zarng township.
On that day, the women were carrying rice on their shoulder yokes and
walking from their farms to their villages. But before they reached
their villages, they met a patrol of 70-80 SPDC troops mentioned above on
the way. The troops stopped them, forced them to put down their yokes,
and interrogated them, accusing them of intending to husk the rice and
give to the Shan soldiers.
Commander Myint Sein took away Nang Leng Sa, aged 15, from Nawng Kaw
and raped her. After that, he shot her dead. When he was about to shoot
her, one of the civilian porters pleaded for mercy, saying that he was
from the same village and knew that she was innocent. But the SPDC
commander forced the porter, Sai Mu, aged 29, to sit down near Nang Leng
Sa and shot him dead as well.
After killing the 2 villagers, the commander told his troops that they
would rest for 1 hour and they could do whatever they like with the
rest of the women except killing them. So the troops raped them for 1
hour and left. It took some time for the women to be able to stand up and
walk back to their villages, but they could not carry their rice.
The 5 women were: (not their real names)
1. Nang Ser, aged 22, from Wan Ek village
2. Nang Peng, aged 27, from Wan Ek village
3. Nang Ing, aged 30, from Wan Wawn village
4. Nang Lu, aged 31, from Wan Wawn village
5. Nang Non, aged 33, from Wan Ed village
A MUTE SHOT IN MURNG-TON
On 25.12.98, a patrol of about 15 SPDC troops from IB65 shot a mute
person, aged 21, at Hawng Lin village, Murng-Ton township.
The troops went into the village and shot him on sight, accusing him
of being an informer for the resistance forces. He was hit in the stomach
and was badly wounded. After they found out that he was a mute, the
troops released him.
However, to prevent the news that they had shot a mute person from
spreading, the SPDC troops did not allow him to go to the hospital in
Murng-Ton, instead they told him to go to Thailand for medical treatment.
RAPING, ROBBING AND TAKING PORTERS IN KUN-HING
On 27.1.99, a patrol of 50 SPDC troops from IB246 led by Maj AUNG
SHEIN saw a group of men and women villagers of Nam Pa Man village from
Ka Li who had come to work on their farm in Kaeng Lom area, Kun-Hing
township.
The troops seized the villagers, raped the women and took the men for
porters. Three men who had been taken away and had not yet come back
were:
1. Ta Oo
2. Sarng Na-Ling
3. Wa-La
The following were the 5 women who had been raped: (not their real
names)
1. Pa Poi, aged 42
2. Nang Zing, aged 35
3. Nang Suay, aged 28
4. Nang Thun, aged 18
5. Nang Pu, aged 36
The troops took away the following things belonging to the villagers:
1. Two bicycles
2. 12 baskets of rice paddy
3. One ox (shot for meat)
FORCED LABOUR IN LAI-KHA
On 7.1.99, 100 SPDC troops from LIB515 led by commander Soe Hpyu took
37 trucks in Lai-Kha and 40 men labourers from Ta Phui and Ta Mark Larng
villages to the deserted village of Ter Leng Hai Seng, Ter Leng tract,
Lai-Kha township.
They forced the villagers to pull apart the unused school and hospital
buildings and trucked the corrugated roof iron and lumber still in good
condition back to Lai-Kha. The materials were being used to build houses
for the wives and children of the soldiers at the military base in
Lai-Kha.
After that, the troops ordered the people in the area to provide
bamboo and build a fence. Each family had to provide 50 fence posts, 10
pieces of long split bamboo to be horizontally attached to the posts as a
framework of the fence, and 500 pieces of short split bamboo with sharp
points to be used vertically as the main body of the fence. The villagers
were forced to finish building the fence by the end of January 1999.
HEAVY TAXES IMPOSED ON FARMERS IN LAI-KHA
On 4.1.99, SPDC's LIB442 issued an order imposing heavy taxes on
farmers who grew sesame, peanut and various vegetables other than rice.
The farmers were required to give 30% of their farm produce to the
military, making life very difficult for many farmers who were barely
able to subsist on their vegetable farms.
DESTRUCTION OF BUDDHIST TEMPLE CAUSES DEATHS IN KAE-SEE
On 28.10.98, about 85 SPDC troops from LIB524 led by commander Htun Mya
forcibly recruited 50 civilian labourers skilled in carpentry, together
with their carpenter tools, in Kae-See township, and 25 trucks in Kae-See
and 15 trucks from Kun-Hing township. They also took 10 men from Wan Zing
area to use as guides.
On 29.10.98, the troops, with the trucks and labourers, went to Wan
Yawt village, Murng Yarng tract, in Wan Zing area, Kae-See township and
ordered the labourers to dismantle an ancient temple there. Wan Yawt was
one of the villages that had been forcibly relocated to Wan Zing about 2
years ago by the then Slorc (State Law and Order Restoration Council)
troops. The temple was a big one and was built of teak wood, said to be
220 years old except for the more recent corrugated iron roof.
The troops took 218 sheets of corrugated iron and the teak lumber that
were still in good condition by trucks to the military base at Wan Zing.
Most of the materials were used to build houses for military officers and
their families at the base.
Now there were people, especially the elders, who were greatly
attached to the temple because they had been using it for religious as
well as social affairs since as far back as they could remember up to the
time when they were forced to move away from the village.
On learning the fate of their beloved temple, these people were so
shocked and grieved that some fell down and died while crying. Three of
them died on 30.10.98:
1. Loong Kyawng Sai, male, aged 97, native of Wan Yawt
2. Loong Zarng Su, male, aged 91, native of Wan Yawt
3. Pa Kyawng Lai, female, aged 84, native of Wan Yawt
ARREST IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 5.1.99, about 60 SPDC troops of Company No.2 from IB221 led by Capt
SEIN HLA WIN arrested 6 men villagers on a charge of collecting money for
an armed opposition group SSA-E (Shan State Army - Eastern) at Murng Pak
village, Murng-Phyak township.
The 6 villagers arrested were:
1. Sai Pan-Nya, aged 28, of Murng Pak village
2. Sai Kan-Na, aged 19, of Murng Pak village
3. Loong In, aged 43, of Murng Pak village
4. Sai Saw-Na, aged 30, of Murng Pak village
5. Sai Su-Ya, aged 30, of Murng Pak village
6. Sai Peng, aged 18, of Murng Pak village
ROBBERY IN TA-KHI-LAEK (Tachilek)
On 10.1.99, a patrol of about 25 SPDC troops from LIB316 led by Capt
MYINT THU robbed 3 villagers of 2 buffalo at a place called Parng Mark
Kawk in Murng Ko tract, Takhilaek township.
The 3 villagers were from Murng Khawn village in Kaeng-Tung township,
and were herding 22 head of buffalo, belonging to a cattle dealer in
Kaeng-Tung, from Kaeng-Tung to Takhilaek when Capt Myint Thu and his
troops stopped them and took all the buffaloes.
The villagers explained that the buffalo were not theirs and that they
were only hired to drive them to Takhileak, and pleaded repeatedly for
their release. Finally, the troops agreed to let them go on the condition
that the villagers gave them 2 buffalo. Seeing no other choice, the
villagers had to comply.
The buffalo owner was not satisfied with the 3 villagers and demanded
that they pay for the 2 lost buffalo, 120,000 Kyat for each buffalo.
The villagers only got 6,000 Kyat for each of the buffalo they had
driven to Takhilae, but had to pay 120,000 Kyat for each of the 2 buffalo
that had been taken by SPDC troops.
The 3 villagers were:
1. Sai Hong, aged 25, from Murng Khawn
2. Sai In Wong, aged 27, from Murng Khawn
3. Ai Thwaak, aged 18, from Murng Khawn
RAPE IN MURNG-SART
On 10.1.99, SPDC troops from LIB333 led by Capt MAUNG MAUNG raped 2
village girls, Naang Sai, aged 17 and Naang Leng, aged 16, at Murng In
village in Murng-Sart township.
On that day, a patrol of about 25 troops led by Capt Maung Maung saw
the 2 girls who were collecting fire-wood near Murng In village. The
captain ordered his troops to seize both of them and raped them near the
bank of Nam In stream.
Later, the parents of both girls went to Murng Sart and complained
about it to the SPDC authorities there. But no one was interested in it
and nothing was done to address the grievances of the victims.
FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 16.1.99, commander Sein Hla of SPDC's LIB334 issued an order to the
villagers of Murng Yu, Murng-Yawng township, demanding 4 Pyi (1 Pyi = 8
condensed-milk tins) of bean seeds from each house.
After that, the villagers were forced to grow bean for the military,
using the bean seeds they had provided earlier for sowing. Furthermore,
the villagers were required to take care of all the work needed to be
done at the bean plantation, from beginning to end, until the harvested
new bean reached the military base.
EXTORTION IN MURNG-KHARK
On 16.1.99, SPDC's IB227 ordered the villagers of Murng Nung,
Murng-Khark township, to provide money for the military. Each of the 65
houses in Murng Nung had to give 3,000 Kyat.
The money was said to be used to purchase a car for the military
commanders to use in making periodical and monthly inspection rounds in
the area.
PLUNDERING IN KAENG-TUNG
In December 1998, about 60 SPDC troops from IB226 led by Company No.3
commander Capt SAN HLA AUNG came to Murng Pak village in Kaeng-Tung
township.
The troops shot and took away pigs and chickens belonging to the
villagers, without asking or paying anything.
1. Loong Pan, aged 46, lost 1 pig
2. Sai Wun, aged 30, lost 1 pig
3. Pa Kham, aged 50, lost 2 chickens
4. Ai Seng, aged 29, lost 3 chickens
BEATING IN MURNG-PHYARK
Sometime in December 1998, 30 SPDC troops from IB221 came to Murng
Lung village, Murng Kok tract, Murng-Phyark township, and arrested 6 men
villagers. The troops accused the villagers of gathering information for
Shan State Army - Eastern and interrogated them. They tortured and beat
up the villagers for some time before releasing them.
The 6 villagers beaten were:
1. Ai Kaw-Wi, aged 21, suffered from a stiff and painful back and waist
for some time
2. Sarng Pan-Ta, aged 19, had a limping leg
3. Sai Seng Wan, aged 30, had a fractured skull
4. Sai Narn Hong, aged 41, lost some teeth
5. Loon Nan-Ta, aged 45, lost some teeth
6. Ai La Waeng, aged 25, lost some teeth
FORCIBLE RICE PROCUREMENT IN MURNG-PHYARK
During December 1998, SPDC rice collecting team from Murng-Phyark,
escorted by 60 SPDC troops from LIB329 led by Capt.MYA WIN, came to Murng
Tin village in Murng-Phyark township and forced the farmers to give 10
baskets of rice from each acre of their rice fields to the SPDC.
Many farmers did not have that amount of rice and tried to ask the
authorities to reduce the demanded amount to 3 baskets per household. But
the SPDC authorities were so adamant that some farmers had to sell their
livestock to buy rice to fill up their quotas.
Some of the farmers who had to sell their livestock were:
1. Loong Ya Seng, aged 49, had to sell 1 cow
2. Ai Kot Li, aged 35, had to sell 1 pig
3. Sai Laa Keo, aged 29, had to sell 1 buffalo
4. Pa Kham Sa, aged 52, had to sell 1 buffalo
5. Nang Zan, aged 30, had to sell 1 cow
6. Nan Sai Wong, aged 41, had to sell 1 pig
FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YAWNG
In December 1998, a patrol of about 20 SPDC troops from LIB334 led by
Capt. SAN THEIN arrested 6 villagers from each of the villages of Hawng
Zarng and Hawng Koey and took them to the military base at Murng-Yawng.
The villagers were forced to fix the fence of the military compound
and dig the ground in preparation for planting soya bean for the
military. They were forced to work in this way for 3 whole days without
pay and only fed 2 meagre meals per day.
Some of the villagers arrested were:
1. Ai Pao, aged 36, from Hawng Zarng village
2. Ai Nam, aged 31, from Hawng Zarng village
3. Ai Tun, aged 40, from Hawng Koey village
The names of the other 4 from Hawng Zarng village and 5 from Hawng
Koey village were not known.
BEATING, EXTORTION AND ROBBING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
During December 1998, there was rumours that SSA-E was going to attack
Ta-Khi-Laek town sometime in late December. That made the SPDC troops in
the area feel so uncomfortable that they beefed up their patrolling and
pillaging of the civilian population in Ta-Khi-Laek township.
About 12 SPDC troops from LIB526 led by Lt.THAN HLAING went to Huay
Lin Lam village, accused the villagers of preparing to help SSA troops in
raiding the town, and arrested 2 men who were in charge of a Nam Mae Hok
river ferry border crossing point. The troops interrogated them and badly
beat them up. The 2 men were:
1. Ai Long Seng, aged 29, was beaten on the head, badly splitting his
scalp
2. Sai Parng, aged 21, was badly hurt on the back and waist he could
hardly move
Ta-Khi-Leak District SPDC authorities issued an order to collect porter
fees from the people in Ta-Khi-Laek township for stand-by money said to
be used to hire porters for the army if the town were attacked.
The townspeople of the 6 quarters of the town had to provide 200,000
Kyat and the village people of the 9 village tracts also had to provide
200,000 Kyat.
A group of 25 SPDC soldiers from Ta Lur-based LIB316 led by Capt.
MAUNG BO, accusing that 7 SSA troops were hiding to join in with the raid
of Ta-Khi-Laek, ransacked Murng Laen village in Ta-Khi-Laek township.
The soldiers took from the people whatever they wanted, including
gold, money and Buddha statues, etc.
The following were among those who lost their property:
1. Sai Mi-Ling (m), aged 28, lost 1 bronze Buddha statue
2. Loong In Wong (m), aged 49, lost 1 bronze Buddha statue
3. Ai Sarm Parn (m), aged 42, lost 1 Baht weight of gold
4. Sai Parn (m), aged 25, lost 5,000 Bhat
5. Naang Kham Pan (f), aged 35, lost 2,000 Bhat
PIGS SHOT, VILLAGERS FORCED TO CARRY THE CARCASSES TO MILITARY BASE IN
MURNG-YARNG
On 19.1.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB328 came to Murng Phen village
tract in Murng-Yarng township and shot dead 2 pigs belonging to the
villagers of Wan Lom village and ordered the villagers to carry the
carcasses to the military base in Murng Yarng.
Murng Phen was in the territory of UWSA (United Wa State Army), a
ceasefire group in control of the area which was supposed to be free from
SPDC troops' oppression.
The villagers who lost their pigs were:
1. Loong Long, aged 45, lost 1 pig worth 6,000 Kyat
2. Sai Num La, aged 39, lost 1 pig worth 7,000 Kyat
BEATING OF VILLAGERS IN MURNG-YARNG
On 23.1.99, SPDC troops from LIB328 arrested 2 villagers of Wan Zarng,
Murng Luay tract, Murng-Yarng township.
They accused the 2 villagers of giving information to SHAN (Shan
Herald Agency for News -- a periodical news journal published by one of
the opposition groups) and beat and tortured them during interrogation.
Though they were found innocent, the 2 villagers were released only on
25.1.99, after the village headman brought their parents to pay 2,000
Kyat each to the military for their release.
Both of the villagers suffered severe head injuries from the beating,
and still have to receive medical treatment at the time of this report.
The 2 villagers were:
1. Sai Taan, aged 22, of Wan Zarng village
2. Sai Nan-Ta-Wun, aged 20, of Wan Zarng village
VILLAGERS FORCED TO GROW RICE FOR THE MILITARY IN NAM-KHAM
Starting from late November 1998, villagers in 3 village tracts
comprising 12 villages in Nam-Kham township were forced to cultivate rice
for the military by SPDC's IB242. The 3 village tracts were:
1. Kun Long village tract
2. Nam Ti village tract
3. Ho Pung village tract
The 12 villages in those tracts were:
1. Kun Long
2. Nong Kawng
3. Maan Oi
4. Maan Pung
5. Nam Ti
6. Ngawn In
7. Loi Sa
8. Loi Lin Kaang
9. Ho Pung
10. Nam Ma
11. Waeng Kaang
12. Maan Mai
On 27.11.98, Capt.SOE TINT from IB242 called a meeting of all the
headmen from the 12 villages at the monastery of Kun Long village. At
that meeting, he told the villagers that the army would appropriate some
acres of land from the villagers of Kun Long and the villagers from all
the 12 villages would have to take the responsibility to cultivate rice
for the military. Some of the villagers that had to give up their rice
fields were:
1. Thun Haan
2. Saang Mawng
3. Ya Pho
4. Sai Ai Thawn
5. Sai Ai Hawng
6. Seng Kham Sai Long
7. Mawk Kham Phaang
8. Soi Kham Zuen
9. Awng Khit
10. Yawt Kham Mawng Sai
11. Sai Ai Pi
12. Thun Kyaw
13. Mai Seng
14. Seng Kham Sai
15. Mawk Seng, and many others.
Starting from 30.11.98, 9 villagers with 9 buffalo had to plough the
fields from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every day for 8 days. From 1.12.98, 6
mini-tractors had to plough from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for 4 days.
About 7-80,000 Kyat were collected from among the villages to supposedly
pay for the ploughing.
After the ploughing, about 40-80 people per day had to sow the fields
with 70-80 baskets of paddy seeds for 7-8 days. The 12 villages would
have to take turns to tend the fields until the harvest and until the
rice reached the army base.
VILLAGERS PUNISHED FOR FAILING TO COME TO PLANT RICE FOR THE MILITARY IN
NAM-KHAM
On 6.2.99, SPDC troops from IB242 ordered 30 villagers from Kun Long
village to come and plant rice in the military rice fields which had been
appropriated earlier.
However, only 17 were able to come because the rest were so
hard-pressed to earn their living. So the troops arrested the village
headman and his assistant, and a man who they met on the way but who had
nothing to do with the case in point, and put them in foot-locks for 30
minutes.
After that they arrested the 13 people, 9 men and 4 women, who had
failed to come and foot-locked them as well. The 13 people were released
only after they paid the military 1,000 Kyat each. Another 4 people who
were away on that day were also fined 4,000 Kyat each.
The army called up villages from 3 villages on that day:
1. Kun Long village - 30 people
2. Wan Pung village - 30 people
3. Wan Oi village - 10 people.
VILLAGERS WITH BARREN FIELDS FORCED TO SELL RICE IN MURNG-SU
Since the last 1-2 years, SPDC authorities in Murng-Su township have
been diverting water from Nam Su river to the gem mines to be used in
digging gem stones and collecting high taxes from the miners for the use
of the water.
Until then, Nam Su had been the main source of water that fed the rice
fields in the areas of the following villages in Murng-Su township:
1. Murng Zaang
2. Ho Pung
3. Huay Hoe
4. Ho Seng
5. Nam Tawng
6. Maw Mae
7. Wan Loi
8. Loi Naa
9. Murng Awt
10. Na Wai
11. Nawng Aep
12. Pha Ya
13. Wan Saw
14. Hai Pa
15. Paang Zoi
16. Na Zaam
17. Kung Kyawng
Because of the severe shortage of water, the farmers in the areas were
not able to cultivate the land and more than 700 acres of rice fields
have been abandoned. However, the SPDC authorities are still demanding
that they sell their rice quotas to them.
The farmers in the areas are obliged to sell 15,000 baskets of rice at
a price of 350 Kyat per basket while the market price is over 560 Kyat.
A FARMER BEATEN UP FOR TRYING TO DIVERT SOME WATER IN NAM-KHAM
On 12.2.99, a farmer named Sai Mawng Sai, aged 27, of Wan Naa village
in Nam-Kham township, was badly beaten by 2 SPDC troops from IB242.
Sai Mawng Sai was temporarily diverting some water from the stream that
has long fed the rice fields in the area to his field when the 2 soldiers
saw him and stopped him, saying they needed the water to feed the
military rice fields.
It is said that many farmers who happen to have their fields near the
military fields virtually do not dare to go to work because the soldiers
frequently call and ask them to work for them.
MASS EXACTION OF LABOUR AND MATERIALS TO BUILD EMBANKMENTS IN NAM-KHAM
On 2.2.99, Chairman of the Nam-Kham Township Peace and Development
Council called a meeting of 20 village headmen and 15 town-quarter
headmen.
He told the gathered headmen that the banks of Nam Mao (Shweli) river
at Wan Nawng and Ho Sai villages were being washed away by the current so
much that embankments were needed to be built in order to protect them.
He stressed that to build the embankments, labour such as men and
vehicles, and materials such as stone, wood and bamboo were needed. He
ordered that the following villages provide their respective materials.
The following villages would have to provide stone:
1. Ho Sai 40 (gin) of stone
2. Wan Kham 40 (gin) of stone
3. Kawng Tap 30 (gin) of stone
4. Zae Hai 50 (gin) of stone
5. Kung Sa 50 (gin) of stone
6. Wan Nawng 50 (gin) of stone
(1 gin of stone was said to be sold for 4,000 Kyat in normal situation)
The following villages would have to provide bamboo:
1. Ngawn In 50 bamboo poles
2. Nam Ti 50 bamboo poles
3. Loi Sa 50 bamboo poles
4. Loi Lin Kaang 50 bamboo poles
5. Ho Pung 50 bamboo poles
6. Nam Ma 50 bamboo poles
7. Waeng Kaang 50 bamboo poles
8. Wan Kawng Kaat 50 bamboo poles
9. Wan Mai 50 bamboo poles
The following villages would have to provide hard wood as much as
would be needed:
1. Haang Kaam
2. Wan Meng
3. Hin Long
4. Paang Ku
5. Maw Tawng
It was rumoured that someone higher up had appropriated 200,000 Kyat
for the construction of the embankments, but the Northeastern Command in
Lashio had taken away 100,000 Kyat.
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