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UNWGIP; Oral intervention delivered



Subject: UNWGIP; Oral intervention delivered by CHRO

17th Session of United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations
Intervention Delivered by David Cung Bik Ling
(26th - 30th July, Geneva)
Agenda: Item 4

Respected Madam Chairperson and Distinguished Delegates:

I am Cung Bik Ling from Chin Human Rights Organization.

Since the Burmese Army took State power in 1962, the military regime has 
persistently committed grave human rights violations against Chin indigenous 
people. In 1988, new military dictatorship, the State Law and Order 
Restoration Council (now re-named the State Peace and Development Council - 
SPDC) was established. Under the new military dictatorship, human rights 
violations are rampant and the situation has become even worse than before.

Last year at the Working Group - and this year at the Human Rights 
Commission - the permanent representative to Geneva from the Burma Military 
regime stated that the regime has implemented many development projects 
within the areas inhabited by indigenous peoples. Contrary to his statement, 
the regime committed gross violations of human rights under the name of 
"Border areas development". For example, in April and May 1999, the Burmese 
army, in the Thantlang area of Chin State, forced over 5000 villagers 
including men and women, the old and young, pastors, teachers and students 
to build a road between Vuangtu village and ThanTlang town from dawn to 
11:00 PM, allowing them to stop for lunch and dinner. The army officers 
ordered them to complete the road before the monsoon season that starts in 
late May. Nothing was provided for the villagers.

On May 5th 1999 , a very tired man, Pu Za Kung, needed to rest for a moment. 
He was beaten and killed on the spot by the army for resting without 
permission. On May 11th 1999, the forced laborers were ordered to dynamite a 
rocky section of the road's path. Then, they were forced to pick up the 
rocks and stones on the road while boulders were still rolling down from 
above. Villagers told the army that they were unwilling to pick up the 
stones until they had stopped moving; but the army refused, beating them and 
forcing them to pick up the stones. The boulders hit and crushed 5 persons. 
Their friends saw this happen and went to rescue them, but the army ordered 
not to remain where they were and ordered, "don't help them, if they are 
killed by the stones it is for the country". As a result of this forced 

labor, over 30 families fled to India as refugees.

Madam Chairperson,

The military regime expanded the army from 186,000 soldiers (1 hundred and 
86 thousand) in 1988 to 450'000 (4 hundred and 50 thousand) in 1999. But the 
regime could not feed them, so that the armies deployed all over the country 
have had to find food for themselves, which they have taken from the local 
populations. Now the Burmese army numbers over 30,000 (30 thousand) in Chin 
State as compared to only 1000 in 1988. The army extorts money from 
villagers by every means possible. In some cases, the army has confiscated 
cultivated land. For instance, the army confiscated 6000 acres of cultivated 
land without compensation in Haikhawl village in Chin State. On account of 
increasing Burmese army deployment in Chin State, forced portage for the 
army personnel also is increasing. For instance, a villager now refuged in 
Bangladesh said that he was forcibly called in sixty times last year to 
provide portage services to the army. He could no longer tolerate this and 
therefore fled from Burma.

Madam Chairperson,
In accordance with information released by Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 
religious persecution against Chin Christians is increasing as follows:

· To commemorate the centenniel of Christianity in their homeland, the 
people of Thantlang put up a cross on their hill. The Burmese Army ordered 
them to pull it down. When they refused, soldiers arrested six pastors and 
destroyed the cross.

· This is the latest occurrence in a long line of acts committed against 
Chin people by the Buddhist military authorities. Churches have been turned 
into army camps, pastors have been beaten, and Christians have been forced 
to register as Buddhist in the census.

Madam Chairperson:

Therefore, I would like to request governments and the international 
community to exercise pressure on the military regime in order to stop human 
rights violation against Chin Indigenous Peoples, as well as against all 
indigenous peoples in Burma.

Thank you, Madam Chair


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