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BurmaNet News: February 1, 1995 (r)
- Subject: BurmaNet News: February 1, 1995 (r)
- From: jhb3@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 02 Feb 1995 09:36:00
>Names of those interviewed in this report have been changed to
>
>protect them - throughout the report, false names are denoted by
>
>enclosing them in quotation marks. All other names are real. Please
>
>feel free to use this report in any way which may help alleviate the
>
>suffering of the peoples of Burma.
>
>
>
>TOPIC SUMMARY: Shootings and killings of refugees (Interview
>
>#1,2,3,4,5,7,12,13,14,16,17,18, 19,20,21,22,23,24,26), arrest,
>
>torture and detention of refugees (Int #1,6,7,8,9,10,12,20,28),
>
>disappearances (Int #15), extortion(Int #9,10,25,28), shootings in
>
>villages(Int #26), forced labour (Int #12,26), forced portering (Int
>
>#27), robbery (Int #10,11,19,24). (See list below for a more
>
>comprehensive index.)
>
>
>
> VICTIMS OF INCIDENTS IN THIS REPORT
>
>
>
>The table on the following page lists the victims of the main abuses mentioned
>
>in this report. All the Battalions listed are in #44 Light Infantry Division.
>
> IB = Infantry Battalion, LIB = Light Infantry Battalion. IB #1 and LIB #3
>hav
>e both been rotated home now, and LIB #9 arrived in August. Refugees say LIB
>#
>9 is much worse than the others. Note: all numeric dates throughout this
>repor
>t are given in dd/mm/yy format. Names enclosed in quotation marks have been
>ch
>anged to protect interviewees.
>
> Battalion
>
>No. Date Name Age Sex Incident
>Refug
>ee at No. Interview #
>
>
>
> 1 Jan/94 Pa Dee Mah 50 M Shot dead Kamaw Lay Ko IB ? 24
>
> 2 Jan/94 "Saw Po Thay" 18 M Shot at " IB ? 24
>
> 3 19/2/94 Pa Wah Mu 35 M Shot dead Tala Oh Kla IB 1 21,22
>
> 4 19/2/94 Kalay Tay 40 M Shot dead " IB 1 21,22
>
> 5 19/2/94 "Pa Kyaw" 23 M Shot at " IB 1 22
>
> 6 19/2/94 Saw Wih ? M Shot at " IB 1 21
>
> 7 28/2/94 Pa Doh 40 M Shot, wounded " IB 1 23
>
> 8 28/2/94 "Maung Tay" 40 M Shot, wounded " IB 1 23
>
> 9 28/2/94 Ta Bwey 25 M Shot, wounded " IB 1 23
>
>10 28/2/94 Thaw Aye 16 M Shot, wounded " IB 1 23
>
>11 Apr/94 "Saw Ler Wah" 32 M Arrested, detained Gray Hta LIB ? 28
>
>12 4/5/94 Kyi Way 24 M Shot, wounded Noh Pa Doh LIB 3 n/a
>
>13 May/94 "Pa Boe" 29 M Detained,tortured Noh Pa Doh LIB 3 12
>
>14 5/6/94 "Pa Htoo" 38 M Shot, wounded Don Pa Kiang LIB 3 20
>
>15 5/6/94 name unknown 19 M Arrested, detained " LIB 3 20
>
>16 3/7/94 Saw Kya Po 34 M Disappeared " LIB 3 n/a
>
>17 3/7/94 Pa Yah 28 M Disappeared " LIB 3 n/a
>
>18 July/94 Po Htoo Doh 60 M Detained,tortured Noh Pa Doh LIB 3 9,10
>
>19 July/94 "Pa Lah" 38 M Shot, wounded Gray Hta LIB ? 26
>
>20 20/8/94 Pa Noh Ter 36 M Shot dead Tala Oh Kla LIB 9 16
>
>21 20/8/94 Pa Noh Kee 36 M Shot dead " LIB 9 16
>
>22 21/8/94 Po Tha Htoo 19 M Shot at, drowned " LIB 9 16
>
>23 2/9/94 Saw Eh Say 27 M Shot at, drowned Noh Pa Doh LIB 9 4,3
>
>24 3/9/94 Kwe Tha 39 M Shot dead Ka Na Su LIB 9 17,18,19
>
>25 3/9/94 "Saw Ler Thu" 30 M Shot, wounded Don Pa Kiang LIB 9 17
>
>26 3/9/94 "Saw Bway" 34 M Robbed Ka Na Su LIB 9 19
>
>27 19/9/94 "Thein Lwin" 24 M Detained, tortured Noh Pa Doh LIB 9 6
>
>28 3/10/94 Maung Tin 38 M Disappeared Kamaw Lay Ko IB ? 15
>
>29 3/10/94 Pa Paw 50+ M Disappeared " IB ? 15
>
>30 27/10/94 Naw Koh Mit 19 F Shot at, drowned Wah Pa LIB 9 n/a
>
>31 28/10/94 Pa Klih Bo 43 M Arrested, killed Kler Ko LIB ? 13,14
>
>32 28/10/94 Pa Dee Dee 15 M Arrested, killed Kler Ko LIB ? 13,14
>
>33 29/10/94 Saw Tah Kee 30 M Arrested, still held Noh Pa Doh LIB 9
>
>7,8,2,10
>
>34 29/10/94 Maung Kyaw Pu 27 M Arrested, still held " LIB 9
>8,7,
>10
>
>35 29/10/94 "Saw Bo Gyi" 42 M Arrested, robbed " LIB 9 11
>
>36 29/10/94 Day Wah 27 M Shot dead " LIB 9 2,3,5,12,7
>
>37 29/10/94 Ah Toe 18 M Shot dead " LIB 9 2,3,4
>
>38 29/10/94 "Naw Tee Ker" 27 F Shot at " LIB 9 3,2
>
>39 29/10/94 "Kaw Thaw" 21 M Shot at Don Pa Kiang LIB 9 2
>
>40 30/10/94 Pleh Ghaw 35 M Shot dead Kler Ko LIB 9 1
>
>41 30/10/94 "Aung Htoo" 35 M Arrested Kler Ko LIB 9 1
>
>42 8/11/94 "Maung Aye" 32 M Escaped porter " LIB 9 27
>
>43 9/11/94 "Toe Aung" 42 M Arrested,extortion Noh Pa Doh LIB 9 9,10
>
>44 9/11/94 "Naw Paw Kee" 45 F Arrested,extortion " LIB 9 9,10
>
>45 9/11/94 Mi Sho 40 F Arrested,extortion " LIB 9 9,10
>
>46 9/11/94 Ma Tay Myint 21 F Arrested,extortion " LIB 9 9,10
>
>47 9/11/94 Pu Lu 21 M Extortion " LIB 9 9,10
>
>48 26/11/94 "Htoo Klay" 48 M Arrested,extortion Tala Oh Kla LIB 9 25
>
>
>
>#1.
>
>NAME: "Aung Htoo" SEX: M AGE: 35 Karen Buddhist farmer
>
>ADDRESS: Noh Po Kee village, Pa'an District - now in Kler Ko refugee
>
>camp, Thailand FAMILY: Single
>
>
>
>We came to Thailand about 10 years ago because we were afraid of the
>
>Burmese, so we ran. They tortured people. We didn't dare stay
>
>anymore. The whole village came. Nobody lives there anymore. The
>
>Burmese never arrest us here, but in our village they shot people
>
>every time they saw them. This year I went back to Noh Po Kee on
>
>October 30th, because it's not so far. My uncle and I went to collect
>
>betelnut, and we were staying in a little field hut. He went to look
>
>for betelnut in the village while I stayed in the hut. I was cooking
>
>rice for us. Then I turned my head and I saw a Burmese soldier. Just
>
>then another soldier ran up behind me and stuck his gun against my
>
>back. He had come up running, and I hadn't seen him. There were 3 of
>
>them, but then more came. They said "Don't run away". Then they took
>
>me and the officer tied me up to a tree. They asked me, "Do any
>
>[Karen] soldiers stay here? How many?" I answered, "Sometimes many,
>
>sometimes few." They also asked about the refugees. They asked, "Do
>
>you sometimes go to the refugee camp?", and I said "No, I never go."
>
>If I said I went, they would have killed me.
>
>
>
>At 9 o'clock [a.m.] my uncle came back from the village to eat with
>
>me, and he met the soldiers along the path. I heard the sound of his
>
>shouting from over by the cliff. I also heard gunshots: "Ta! Ta! Ta!"
>
>I couldn't count them- 7, 8, or 10 gunshots, I think. I never saw him
>
>after that. The soldiers tied me up and tied one of my hands, so I
>
>couldn't walk ["Aung Htoo"'s leg is deformed from polio, and he can
>
>only walk slowly and with difficulty, leaning on a stick. He still
>
>has a mark on his wrist from the rope he was tied with.]. Then they
>
>said they would come with me and take me half way home. They carried
>
>me a short way, then they told me to go back home alone. They didn't
>
>beat me, but they would have beaten anyone else.
>
>
>
>My uncle's name was Pleh Ghaw. He was 35. When I got back here, some
>
>villagers went to look for my uncle. They found his dead body the
>
>next day [October 31]. They saw it, but I didn't ask them how many
>
>wounds there were. I couldn't go there anymore. We used to survive by
>
>growing betelnut, but now we can't, neither here [in Thailand] nor
>
>there.
>
>
>
>[Pleh Ghaw's widow added: "Nobody told me about the body. If they
>
>told me, I feel like I would die! I thought I would go there with
>
>them, but I couldn't. If you ask them about the body they can tell
>
>you. Nobody told me anything. I couldn't eat anything, and I still
>
>can't. Nobody would tell me if he died or didn't die. We have 3
>
>children - the eldest is a girl, 15 years old. The second is a son,
>
>aged 12. The third is 11. I just have to stay here like this, and now
>
>my children are sick. We have nothing, and we can't buy anything. We
>
>just have rice that people give us. My head feels very heavy, and my
>
>eyes are dark."]
>
>
>
>[Note: the man who found the body reported that Pleh Ghaw was hit in
>
>the chest by 2 bullets. There were no visible marks of torture.]
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>#2. NAME: "Kaw Thaw" SEX: M AGE: 21 Karen Christian
>
>farmer/boat driver ADDRESS: Gker Ghaw village, Myawaddy Township Now
>
>living in Beh Klaw refugee camp, Thailand; interviewed at Don Pa
>
>Kiang camp FAMILY: Single, 2 brothers and 3 sisters
>
>
>
>I have been in Thailand for 7 years, because my father was in the KNU
>
>[Karen National Union] so we found it very hard to stay in our
>
>village in Burma. I stay in Mae La [a refugee camp also known as Beh
>
>Klaw, 60 km. north of Mae Sot] but I came up here to visit my uncle.
>
>On October 29 [1994] I went to the other side of the Moei River and
>
>went fishing. There is a place to fish a little ways from the river.
>
>That day many others had gone to fish before me [other witnesses
>
>confirm that there were 15 people fishing at the pond]. While we were
>
>all fishing at the pond at about 11:30 a.m., we heard people calling
>
>us from Noh Pa Doh on the Thai side of the river. They yelled, "Don't
>
>come back!", but we didn't hear them well and we thought they were
>
>shouting "Come back quickly!"
>
>
>
>Only four of us ran toward the riverbank to get back by canoe, but on
>
>the way the SLORC soldiers were waiting for us hidden in the bushes.
>
>When we passed them they started shooting at us. We didn't see them,
>
>but they saw us and started shooting. As we arrived at the riverbank
>
>we tried to split up. Two of us ran in one direction and the 2 others
>
>ran the other way. I was with Day Wah. I jumped and dived into the
>
>river, and Day Wah jumped in the boat. The soldiers were sitting and
>
>shooting at us from the bushes along the path. They shot at me while
>
>I was running but they didn't get me because I dived into the water.
>
>They shot Teacher Day Wah first. Two soldiers shot at him, one
>
>sitting and one standing, with a G3 and a carbine [G3 is the standard
>
>Burma Army automatic assault rifle; carbine is a bolt-action rifle,
>
>usually carried by officers or NCOs]. Day Wah was hit by a G3 bullet
>
>in the chest and he died immediately. He fell into the water while I
>
>was in the water. After they shot Day Wah I saw the 2 soldiers
>
>running back into the bushes. I tried to swim across the river with
>
>only my nose above the water and the rest of my body underwater. When
>
>I got to the other side I could see that the soldiers weren't there
>
>anymore so I got out of the water. I just sat there. I wanted to cry,
>
>I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. I just rested for a while and then
>
>came back to the village.
>
>
>
>Across the river there is bamboo, and behind that there are fields.
>
>There were 2 soldiers shooting at us, and I saw 4 others hiding in
>
>the bamboo. The other 2 villagers ran further down the river, took
>
>off their trousers and started swimming. They were one man and one
>
>woman. Then the soldiers arrived at the riverbank. The woman couldn't
>
>swim and asked the man to take her across the river, but he couldn't.
>
>He tried to help her but he let her go when the soldiers started
>
>shooting. The soldiers shot at the woman. I looked downriver and saw
>
>this while I was floating in the river. I also saw Teacher Day Wah
>
>fall into the water, and I saw 2 people with the soldiers at the
>
>riverside, one of them tied up with his hands behind his back. I saw
>
>one soldier shaking the man and shooting his gun in the air right
>
>beside the man's ear. It was the disabled man. [Saw Tah Kee: see
>
>testimony #7 by "Pi Lah Ghay", his mother.] Then they all disappeared
>
>into the bamboo.
>
>
>
>The other people who were at the pond hid in the bushes and after the
>
>soldiers left they all came back. Nothing happened to them. Day Wah
>
>was my "uncle". His sister is married to my uncle. He was 27 years
>
>old and single, and he was the teacher in Noh Pa Doh primary school.
>
>As for me, I feel bitterness and pain for what SLORC is doing to the
>
>people. I'm afraid of them. I was helping my uncle in his peanut
>
>field, but now I don't dare go anymore. There is nothing we can do
>
>about that - the weeds will just grow over everything.
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>#3.
>
john badgley
607-255-7229
fax 607-255-8438