NEWS- DETENTION AND KILLING OF DISP

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS- DETENTION AND KILLING OF DISPLACED VILLAGERS

SHAN HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION (SHRF) MONTHLY REPORT  --  MAY 1999

DETENTION AND KILLING OF DISPLACED VILLAGERS IN MURNG-TON
On 12.4.99, about 300 displaced villagers from Central Shan State on the
western side of the river Salween, who arrived at Na Kawng Mu village in
Murng-Ton township, were stopped and detained by SPDC (State Peace and
Development Council) troops under the command of the Commander of IB225.
Those
people were from the following towns:
- Lai-Kha - - 25 men, 30 women
- Murng-Kerng - - 27 men, 33 women 
- Kae-See - - 15 men, 25 women
- Kun-Hing - - 29 men, 31 women
- Lang-Khur - - 22 men, 23 women
- Nam-Zarng - - 21 men, 19 women
For a period of 2 days, on 12 - 13.4.99, the SPDC troops picked out from
among
the crowd those who they suspected of being members of the Shan
resistance
disguised as villagers and those who they suspected of helping the
resistance
by providing food, finance and intelligence. They tortured and
interrogated
them, and eventually killed some of them.
On 14.4.99, around 9:30 a.m., more than 20 of the villagers were put on
a
truck and taken to Murng-Ton.
The rest were released on 21.4.99. Altogether 11 persons, 10 men and 1
woman,
had been reportedly killed. They were:
1. Sai Nu (m), aged 27, from Wan Paang village, Nawng Hee tract,
Nam-Zarng
township
2. Sai Saw (m), aged 30, from Kung Saang village, Kun Mong tract,
Nam-Zarng
towhship
3. Sai Aa-Ri-Ya (m), aged 26, from Kun Naa village, Haai Seng tract,
Lai-Kha
township
4. Sai Taw-Ya (m), aged 25, from Naa Awn village, Paang Saang tract,
Lai-Kha
township
5. Sai Naw (m), aged 21, from Haai Kui village, Haai Kui tract,
Larng-Khur
township
6. Sai Loon (m), aged 21, from Wan Long Tawng village, Naa Loi tract,
Murngnai
township
7. Sai Thun (m), aged 20, from Naa Keng village, Kaeng Lom tract,
Kun-Hing
township
8. Sai Yawd (m), aged 22, from Wan Khaai village, Kaeng Lom tract,
Kun-Hing
township
9. Sai Lon (m), aged 24, Nawng Wo village, Murng Naang tract, Kae-See
township
10. Sai Kham Seng (m), aged 29, from Murng-Kerng township
11. Naang Taeng (f), aged 25, from Murng-Kerng towhship
It was said that the SPDC troops in Murng-Ton had received a wireless
message
from their superiors to stop and arrest these people wherever they were.

FORCED RELOCATION OF MORE VILLAGES IN MURNG-PAN
During late March and early April 1999, SPDC troops from Murng-Pan-based

LIB520
forcibly relocated 3 villages in Murng-Pan township. The 3 villages
relocated
were Pung Kur, Nawng Yaang and Pa Khaa.
On 29.4.99, Maj Aye Thaung of LIB520 sent Capt Khin Kyaw Win with 80
troops to
Pung Kur village, Nawng Yaang tract, Murng-Pan township, to move the
villagers
to the town.
When he got to the village, Capt Khin Kyaw Win called up the village
headman
and ordered him to start moving his villagers to Murng-Pan town on
30.4.99 and
the movement had to be completed on 2.5.99. Starting from 3.5.99, anyone
found
in the area of the village would be assumed to be a "destructive
element" and
would be shot dead.
Pung Kur consists of 186 houses of mostly farming families.

On 1.5.99, Maj Aye Thaung sent about 80 troops led by Capt Than Htoo to
Nawng
Yaang village, Nawng Yaang tract, Murng-Pan township, to force the
villagers to
relocate to the town.
The villagers were ordered to move within 4 days, from 2.5.99 to 5.5.99,
and
were warned that from 6.5.99 onwards anyone who failed to move would be
shot
dead and their houses burned.
There were 85 houses of farming families in Nawng Yaang village.

On 2.5.99, Capt Kyaw Myint, with about 80 troops, was sent by Maj Aye
Thaung
to Pa Khaa village, Ho Phaai Long tract, Murng-Pan township, to forcibly
evict
the villagers from their homes. 
The villagers were ordered to move to Murng-Pan town and were told not
to
dismantle their houses but to leave them intact so that one day when the
situation became better they could come back home.
However, only 2-3 days after the villagers had moved away, the troops
came
back to the village and dismantled a big wooden house, owned by a
villager
named Loong Zaang Kaeng Tung, and took the lumber to their military base
in
Murng-Pan.

KILLING, TORTURE, MUTILATION AND INTIMIDATION OF LAHU VILLAGERS IN
TA-KHI-LEAK
On 6.5.99, at around 10:00 at night, about 60 SPDC troops from LIB330
surrounded Naa Ke, a Lahu village in Ta-Khi-Laek township, firing their
guns
into the air and ordered all the villagers to gather in the centre of
the
village.
Many villagers were frightened and ran away, but they were shot after,
and 2
were killed. Two who were wounded were captured by the troops.
The SPDC soldiers brought the wounded 2 back to the centre of the
village
and,
accusing them of having connections with SSA-E, cut off each of their
ears.
They even threatened the rest of the villagers that whoever dared to
work as
agents for the Shan soldiers would have to face the same fate.
After that, the SPDC troops left the village, taking the 2 wounded Lahu
villagers with them. There has been no news so far of them being alive
or
dead.

KILLING, TORTURE AND INTIMIDATION OF AKHA VILLAGERS IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 6.5.99, at around 11:00 at night, about 30 SPDC troops from LIB330
surrounded Pa Laang Noi, an Akha village in Ta-Khi-Laek township,
shooting
their
guns into the air and ordered all the villagers to gather in the centre
of the
village. 
When all the villagers were gathered, the troops singled out the village
headman, Aa Te, from among the crowd and beat him to death with thick
sticks of

firewood before the eyes of the villagers. 
On seeing the appalling sight, some villagers were so frightened and ran
away.
The troops shot after them, killing 3 and wounding 1 of the running
villagers.
The SPDC soldiers then threatened the Akha villagers that whoever worked
as
agents for the Shan soldiers would have to die like their headman.

RAPE AND KILLING IN MURNG-SART
On 13.4.99, 7 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based LIB527 raped and killed
a
village girl, Nang Kawng Tip, aged 17, of Murng In village, Murng Poo
tract,
Murng-Sart township.
On that day, 3 young women of Murng In village went together to gather
wild
vegetables along the banks of Nam In stream in the vicinity of their
village.
When they saw the soldiers approaching them, they were frightened and
ran
away,
but only 2 of them managed to get away. The other one was captured by
the
troops and was raped and killed.
When the relatives of the girl learned about her being captured by the
SPDC
troops from the other 2 girls, they went to look for her only to find
her dead
body lying on the bank of Nam In stream, with every evidence of having
been
raped and killed

SHOOTING AND KILLING OF PORTERS IN MURNG-SART
On 27.4.99, SPDC troops of LIB333 shot at civilian porters who were
being
forced to serve the military, killing one and wounding 2, in the area of
Phak
Tu Murng village, in Murng-Sart township. 
On 13.4.99, about 60 SPDC troops from Murng-Sart-based LIB333 came to
Murng
Kaan and Thalaang villages and took 7 villagers from each village to
serve as
porters during, it was said by the troops, an operation against the
SSA-East
(Shan State Army - East).
After some days, because of the unbearable conditions and treatment by
the
soldiers, many of the porters ran away on 27.4.99. The troops shot after
them,
killing 1 and wounding 2. However, the wounded 2 managed to get away
with the
other 7 porters.
Only 4 porters were left with the troops, and at the time of this report
they
had not yet returned to their village.
The porter that was killed was Ai Kan-Na, male, aged 28, from Thalaang
village, Murng-Sart township.

BEATING AND TORTURE, CAUSING DEATHS, IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 29.4.99, SPDC troops from LIB334 beat and tortured 6 villagers of
Murng He
village in Murng-Yawng township. Later, 2 of them died of the injuries
from
the
beating and torture.
On that day, about 60 SPDC troops from Murng-Yawng-based LIB334 led by
Maj
Hla
Htwe were going from Murng He village to Murng Khan village, Murng-Yawng
township, when they saw on the way 6 young men who were catching fish in
Nam He
stream.
The troops then surrounded and seized the villagers, accusing them of
being
members of SSA-E (Shan State Army - East) who were looking for the guns
they
had hidden in the areas of Murng He and Murng Khan villages since 1996.
The SPDC soldiers interrogated them, beat and tortured them for several
hours.
When they could not extract any information they needed from the
villagers,
they tied them to the trees on the bank of Nam He stream and left.
When the 6 men did not return to their village of Murng He in the
evening,

their parents became worried and, accompanied by other relatives and
fellow
villagers, went in search of them. When the search team found them, they
were
still helplessly tied up to the trees, and had to be carried back to
their
village because they could not walk.
All of them suffered from fractured heads and bruises and wounds all
over
their bodies, especially on the waists and legs. After 6 days, 2 of them
died.The 2 villagers who died were:
1. Ai Phom-Ma, male, aged 25, son of Loong Pin of Murng He village
2. Ai Lao, male, aged 20, son of Loong Hong of Murng He village

BEATING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 6.4.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB526 came to Yan Shin, a Lahu village
in
Murng
Ko tract, Ta-Khi-laek township and demanded 15 labourers from the Lahu
headman,
Kya Hi, to clear the bushes and other rubbish in the compound of the
military
base.
The Lahu headman refused to comply with the demand and the troops beat
him
with their rifle butts. They stopped only when the head of the Lahu
People s
Militia came to intercede.
Headman Kya Hi was sent to a clinic at Murng Ko and the wounds on his
head
had
to be treated with at least 7 stitches. 

CONTINUING FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-NAI
Since early March 1999 up to the present, SPDC troops that are stationed
in
Kaeng Tawng area of Murng-Nai township, who are often replaced by a new
group of
troops, have been forcing the civilian population in the area to work
for the
military.
Ox-carts with their owners or drivers are being forced to transport teak
lumber from Kaeng Tawng area in Murng-Nai township all the way to
Kun-Hing
town
in Kun-Hing township.
People are being forced to dig trenches encircling the miliary camps in
the
area. The trenches are approximately 4 elbow-spans in depth and 2
elbow-spans
in width.
People are being forced to construct 3 layers of fences surrounding the
military camps in the area.
Every 5 days, people are being forced to provide 5 persons to serve as
porters
for the military for a period of 5 days. 
Because of this continuing forced labour, it is very difficult for the
people
to find time to work for themselves. Excessive forced labour has long
been one
of the major causes that make people flee their native places and seek
refuge
elsewhere.

FORCED LABOUR IN KUN-HING
Since April 1999, SPDC troops of Kun-Hing-based LIB524 have been forcing
the
people in Kun-Hing township to break rocks and stones. People have to
work in
shifts of 150-160 persons, 10 days for each shift.
Though it was said that the stones were to be used in paving roads in
the
area, they were often trucked away to be sold elsewhere. They usually
truck
them away when there are enough broken stones to fill 5-6 six-wheeled
trucks. 


EXTORTION FOR NAM HAANG DAM IN MURNG-TON
On 27.3.99, SPDC Capt Sein Win from Murng-Sart-based IB49 and some
troops
came
to Naa Kawng Mu, Murng Haang tract, Murng-Ton township, and told the
village
tract headman, Loong Haeng Nying, to collect a list of villagers of Naa
Kawng
Mu who did not have rice fields.
The headman then went around the village and notified the villagers who
did

not have rice fields to gather at his house in the evening. When the
villagers
had gathered at the headman s house at 7:00 a.m., altogether 31 people,
Capt
Sein Win asked them if they wanted land on which to grow rice and most
of the
villagers answered that they did.
Capt Sein Win then told the villagers that if they really wanted rice
fields,
the government would build a dam on Nam Haang river so that the farmers
would
have water to irrigate and work on their own rice fields in the future.
On 28.3.99. Sein Win ordered the headman to provide 1 labourer from each
house
in the village, altogether 85, to clear a spread of land on the western
side of
Nam Haang river, about 1/2 mile south of Murng Haang tract. In the
evening,
Capt Sein Win again summoned the 31 villagers who did not have rice
fields and
asked again who really wanted new rice fields. 24 of them confirmed that
they
really wanted them, but 7 declined the offer on the grounds that they
did not
have any capital to start with: no money, no rice to eat during the
growing
season and no draught-animals to work with.
On 29.3.99, with the help of 15 village elders and leaders, Capt Sein
Win
measured and distributed the land, 4 acres each, and explained to the 24
villagers that the government intended to use a budget of 15,000,000
Kyat for
the construction of Nam Haang dam. But before that they would have to
start
building the dam in order to show the government as example. To be able
to do
that, each of the 24 villagers were required to provide 15,000 Kyat of
money in
advance and would be reimbursed when the government money arrived.
The villagers were really in need of cultivatable land in order to earn
a
living and they had no choice but to provide the money. Many of them had
to
borrow from their relatives from other places, some even from their
relatives
who were working in Fang district in Thailand, to pay.
So far, the money has been paid, without anyone being sure that they
would
ever get it back, but the construction of the dam has yet to begin.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-YAWNG
Over the last few months, preceding the rainy season, the SPDC s
Murng-Yawng-based LIB311 has extorted money from the people of
Maurng-Yawng
township, supposedly for the repair of the road between Murng Yawng and
Murng
Phyak so that it would be negotiable by cars during the coming 3-month
rainy
season.
Every house in the township, including all the rural villages, of
Murng-Yawng
had to provide 3,000 Kyat. But, nothing has so far been done in regard
to the
repair of the road and the rainy season has almost begun.
People are wondering where all the money, hundreds of thousands if not
millions, has gone.

EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
In late April 1999, SPDC Commander of the Golden Triangle Special
Regional
Command, Brigadier General Thein Sein and District and Township PDC
authorities
in Kaeng-Tung called a meeting of the people in the township. All the
chairmen,
headmen and leaders of the 5 zones and 10 village tracts were ordered to
attend
the meeting.
At the meeting, the civilian headmen and leaders were told to go back
and

solicit  2,000 Kyat of money from each and every house of their
respective
areas for the Township PDC to use in developing Loi Muay area into a
tourist
destination and recreation resort for the SPDC s officials in the
future.
People are complaining about them being forced to bear more and more
burdens
which have become increasingly unbearable: They had just been forced to
provide
money for improving Nawng Tung mini-lake in the centre of the town, for
laying
water pipes and repairing roads in the town, and now they were being
forced to
pay for developing a place quite far from the town. In addition, they
are
being
routinely forced to provide unpaid labourers to work for the military.
They
hardly have time to earn a decent living, let alone to find extra money
to pay
the military.

DETENTION, FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION OF REPATRIATED MIGRANT WORKERS IN
TA-KHI-LAEK
Twenty two Shan young men and women who had been forcibly repatriated to
Shan
State by the Thai police were detained and locked up by the Burmese
immigration
and police in Ta-Khi-Laek.
These people were working in Thailand when they were arrested by the
Thai
police on 10.3.99. They were repatriated to Ta-Khi-Laek on 17.3.99 by
the Thai
police and were immediately put in jail by the Burmese police.
Eighteen of them were released on 26.4.99, after being detained for more
than
one month, on paying a fine of altogether 30,000 Kyat at a Burmese
court, and
only after paying 60,000 Baht under table to the authorities.
Out of the 22 detainees, 8 were women and 14 were men. All were under 23
years
of age. Four of the men were not yet released on the grounds that they
were
under 18 years of age. Of the released 18, 16 were from Paang Hu in the
relocated area of Paang Long in Loi-Lem township and 2 were from
Kun-Hing of
whom one was a Burman national. All of them had gone to work in Thailand
since
early 1998.
During their over one month detention, they were forced to do menial
work
such
as cleaning the police station and the houses of the police officers
every
day.
Moreover, their relatives had to provide food for them which cost on
average
600 Baht per day and which added up to 24,000 Baht for 41 days of
detention.
This kind of incident is by no means new: numerous similar cases have
been
happening, mostly unnoticed, since the military took over power. But it
is
becoming worse since 1996, and people from the Karenni, Karen and Mon
States,
who have common borders with Thailand, are also facing the same plight.

DETENTION AND EXTORTION OF REFUGEE MIGRANT WORKERS IN TA-KHI-LAEK 
On 17.3.99, police and immigration in Ta-Khi-Laek township arrested and
detained 4 Shan young men who had been repatriated from Thailand by the
Thai
police.
The 4 men were from an area of Pang Long town where some of the forced
relocations have taken place, in Loi Lem township. They were working in
Thailand when they were arrested by the Thai police and repatriated to
the
Shan
border town of Ta-Khi-Laek.
They were arrested and detained by the Burmese immigration and police on
the
grounds that they had left the country illegally because all of them
were

still
under 18 years of age.
They were released on 3.5.99, after paying a fine of 5,000 Kyat each at
a
Burmese law court. They also had to pay some members of the immigration
and
the
police 2,000 Baht each to quicken the process.

ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT IN TA-KHI-LAEK 
On 24.4.99, a man who worked as an informer for SPDC Military
Intelligence
Service unit No.22 based in Ta-Khi-Laek was arrested and sentenced to a
14-year
jail term by what seemed to be a civilian law court in Ta-Khi-Laek.
This man, Sai Yi Phoo, aged 36, was a trader and was said to be working
for the
MIS for some time and was well acquainted with the commanders of the
unit, Maj
Thein Han and Capt Kyaw Lwin Moe. It was said that in addition to
collecting
intelligence for them, he also provided financial and material
assistance for
the unit.
The events that led to his arrest were as follows: On 19.2.99, a man who
worked for Sai Yi Phoo, Sai Oo, aged 25, a nephew of Capt Hla Myint of
Drug
Control Department, was arrested by the police after mailing some
letters at
the post office. He was arrested on a charge that he had posted leaflets
published by ABSDF (All Burma Students  Democratic Front -- one of the
groups
that oppose the SPDC) to ABSDF s hard-core members inside Burma.
Since he was working for Sai Yi Phoo, Sai Oo denied the charge, saying
that he
posted the letters only because Sai Yi Phoo had asked him to, he did not
know
what they were. The police then informed the MIS 22, knowing that Yi
Phoo was
working for them.
The MIS commander then sent Capt Kyaw Lwin Moe with the police and
arrested
Sai Yi Phoo at his house. Yi Phoo peacefully went with them, thinking
that Maj
Thein Han would be able to help him. But he did not have a chance to see
the
major and was instead put in jail by the police.
He was sent to court and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment: 7 years for
illegally keeping a handgun and another 7 years for keeping documents
critical
of the SPDC in his house. The defendant lawyer, who he had hired, was
not
allowed to utter a word.
In fact, as was generally known by many townspeople, he had been allowed
to
keep the handgun by the head of the MIS himself, and the documents found
in
his
house were those which the MIS had asked him to get from his brother in
Mae
Sai, Thailand. This was by no means new; he had been collecting
documents and
information of any interest for the MIS on a regular basis since 1996.
He had
been an informer for the MIS under several successive heads in
Ta-Khi-Laek,
starting from Maj Thant Zin, Maj Hpe Thant, Maj Tin Htut and finally Maj
Thein
Han.
The letters which the police had seized from Sai Oo, Yi Phoo s employee,
were
not shown as evidence. No one except the SPDC authorities knew what the
letters
contained and whether they were unlawful or not, even Sai Oo, Sai Yi
Phoo, the
lawyers and the judge himself did not appear to be aware of the
contents. The
punishment was believed to have been meted out under the directive of
the
MI-22.

SHOOTING OF LIVESTOCK IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 6.4.99, about 30 SPDC troops from Murng-Phyak-based LIB330 led by Lt
Kyaw

Htin shot for meat 2 cattle belonging to the villagers of Murng Pak,
Murng-Phyak
township.
The 2 villagers that lost their cattle were Loong In Kham, male, aged 49
and
Loong Saam Taan, aged 40.
FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 9.4.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB330 came to Wan Hai Nur village,
Murng-Phyak
township, and forcibly took away 15 villagers with them to their base. 
The troops forced the villagers to clear land for growing beans for the
military near Wan Hai Tai village for 5 consecutive days without pay.
The villagers were given each day hardly enough rice and nothing to eat
with
it.

TORTURE AND BEATING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 21.4.99, SPDC troops from LIB526 arrested 2 villagers of Saw Kong
village
Murng Phong tract (2), Ta-Khi-Laek township. They accused them of
recruiting new
soldiers for SSA-E and beat and tortured them while interrogating them.
Both of the villagers suffered serious wounds on the heads and waists
and
could not walk or stand up. They were released only after the headman
and the
village leaders testified their innocence and signed a guarantee paper
taking
responsibility for them. 
Both of them had to be hospitalized and received treatment at a hospital
in
Mai Sai town in Thailand for 3 days before they were taken back to their
village. The 2 victims were:
1. Sai Kam, male, aged 28, who suffered from a fractured head and stiff
and
painful waist
2. Sai Thai, male, aged 21, who suffered from a fractured head and
broken leg.

FORCED PORTERING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
On 30.4.99, about 60 SPDC troops from LIB331 led by Maj San Tin went to
the
following villages and dragooned 12-13 villagers from each to use as
porters
for the military. The villages were Nam Kat, Phak Hi, Paang Kaw and Maak
O in
Loi Taw Kham tract, Ta-Khi-Laek township.
With the 40-50 porters they had gathered, the troops continued to the
area of
Phak Tu Murng village where the boundaries of 3 townships, Murng-Sart,
Murng-Phyak and Ta-Khi-Laek, meet. Each porter was given only 3
milk-tins of
rice per day and nothing else. At the time of this report, the porters
have
not yet been released except for the few that have managed to escape.

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