KHRG Report: Feb. 94

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Status: R



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KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP COMMENTARY
February 23, 1994



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       A REPORT BY THE KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP

The Karen Human Rights Group is a small and independent organization
operating out of Manerplaw, headquarters of the Karen National Union (KNU)
and Burma's democratic forces.

Although the KHRG relies on the logistical support of the Karen National
Union, the group is independent and apolitical and focuses on human rights
abuses in Karen regions.  Whenever possible, abuses against other ethnic
peoples in Burma are also reported.

Karen Human Rights Group
PO Box 22
Mae Sot, Tak 63110
Thailand
(email sent to the KHRG at strider@xxxxxxxxxxx will be forwarded)
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There has been a lot of attention given to the Karen National
Union's recent statement that they are willing to hold talks with
SLORC on their own.  Despite the fact that the SLORC continues
to refuse the most basic requirements to make these talks a reality,
such as a neutral venue with foreign observers, many people worldwide
are assuming that the talks will occur regardless, and that the
SLORC has suddenly miraculously transformed into a responsible
entity that wants peace and development.  Many people also assume
that with "peace talks" in the works, the SLORC must have stopped
its human rights abuses.  After all, that's what any sane regime
would do.

But not the SLORC.  And those who are inclined to think otherwise
should remember the saying, "Those who do not remember the past
are condemned to relive it."  Anyone who believes that the SLORC's
recent "peace" initiatives are sincere should remember past SLORC
promises, like free and fair elections, a speedy transfer of power,
the complete end of offensive action against the ethnic peoples,
and the promises to abide by the Geneva Conventions and the International
Declaration on Rights of the Child, among other signed documents
now lying tattered, torn and ignored in Rangoon.  The current
approach some are taking, of increasingly trying to appease and
befriend the SLORC because although it is illegitimate, it definitely
appears to be entrenched, bears frightening similarity to the
appeasement and befriending of Hitler by European nations during
the 1930's.  Like the SLORC, Hitler signed countless declarations
of peace and was always full of talk about "peaceful solutions",
and the European countries continued to accept these while ignoring
his actions on the ground at a time when they could have stopped
him.  We all know the price they paid.  This is not to say that
the SLORC is about to invade the rest of Asia; but there is always
a price to be paid for appeasing a gang of thugs, be they Nazis
or Burmese Generals.  Sadly, it is the innocent people of Burma
who pay the heaviest price, now and in the future.

Some Non-Government Organizations are right now eyeing the lucrative
aid opportunities being offered them in the SLORC's Burma, despite
the fact that the SLORC makes sure that all aid ends up with the
army instead of the people, and despite the fact that by going
in at this extremely delicate political moment they could well
upset the entire national political balance in favour of SLORC.
 The message to them from every opposition group in Manerplaw
would be, "If you really intend to do this foolish thing, then
please, at least hold off until after this year."

Armed clashes are continuing, and the SLORC has not stopped nor
even slowed down its systematic human rights atrocities [see Continuing
SLORC Human Rights Abuses in Karen State, 8/2/94]  In many areas,
they have even increased; partly as a "threat" to the KNU and
an attempt to weaken their bargaining position by terrorizing
civilians away from them and dumping thousands more displaced
people into their areas to drain their resources, and partly because
as the SLORC becomes increasingly confident that a "ceasefire"
is imminent they are stepping up slavery for army "development"
projects in all areas.  This will continue to happen, even in
the event of a ceasefire.  As just one example, horrifying stories
are now emerging from the Ye-Tavoy railway, now being built by
thousands of enslaved families in southern Burma.  For more examples,
see the enclosed reports.

The SLORC's latest tool for extortion, threats and arrests is
the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA) [see SLORC


Activities in Nyaunglebin District, 22/2/94, and SLORC Activities
in Toungoo District, 23/2/94].  It appears to be an attempt to
resurrect the old mass organisation of the BSPP (Burma Socialist
Programme Party) as another tactic in SLORC's desperate struggle
to gain some visible form of legitimacy.  It is quickly becoming
the case that only USDA members are allowed a chance at jobs or
places in university.  Farmers are being told that they will only
be allowed to farm their land if they join, while if they don't
join some of their land will be confiscated.  Students who don't
join are threatened with failure, drivers with losing their licences,
and workers with losing their jobs.  Former members of the National
League for Democracy, the party which won the 1990 elections,
are being specifically terrorized into joining.  When the SLORC
held mass USDA rallies nationwide on January 22, troops everywhere
extorted money for the rally from everyone and threatened them
with arrest or fines if they didn't attend.  After the rally,
the SLORC media announced that rallies were organised in 26 main
towns of Burma and were attended by several million people, who
"unanimously supported" the 6 principles and 106 rules as laid
down by the National Convention.  This suggests that the USDA
may be used as a tool by SLORC to avoid a referendum after their
National Convention rubber-stamps the SLORC constitution.  It
could also be used as a tool to fix a future election for SLORC,
by decreeing that by joining USDA, all members have already expressed
their support for SLORC party candidates and need not vote.  But
all of that lies in the future.  For now the simple fact is that
the SLORC is still cooking up more ways to worsen the misery and
destitution of the people of Burma, and ever more of them are
being forced to flee for their lives and those of their families.
 Despite all the fancy speeches, the tiger has not yet become
a vegetarian.  Nothing has improved.