HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN NORTHERN

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Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN NORTHERN KAREN TERRITORY

Human Rights violations in Northern Karen Territory
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In the southern part of Papun township, Kler La, Kaw Thaway Do,
Klay Sho Koh, Ler Joot, Wah Tho Koh, Ku Ler Doy, Maung Koh Do,
Pae Kaw Doh and Maung Sho Koh villages, each household has to pay
200 Kyat every month for ammunition basket fees. If anybody from
a family tries to run away, his or her family will be fined
double fees each month. These villagers have been forced to carry
excessive loads of ammunition and arms without being given any
food.

On October 18, 1995, Slorc battalion No. 26, commanded by Major
Myat Aung, went to Saw Wah Do area and started shooting the
villagers while they were harvesting rice in the fields. They
killed a girl and 7 men and injured 5 others. Seven huts, 27
paddy stores and also rice paddy fields were burnt down by the
Slorc troops. After that they went into Saw Wah Do village and
seized everything which belong to villagers. They killed 5 cows
on that day for their army rations. The Slorc soldiers were
ordered to destroy every rice field which was planted by Karen
villagers.

On October 22, 1995, Slorc regiment No. 233 led by Major
Win Tin Oo, under the direct command of Lt. Col. Aung Naing
Htun, a strategic commander of strategy No. 2, opened fire
on Karen villagers in the paddy fields called Mu Khee near Khaw
Mu Dae village. That area is located in Taungu district of Pegu
division. A village man named Saw Bar Balu was shot dead and all
the paddy fields were burnt down by Slorc troops. On October 23,
1995, all paddy fields and belongings of Khaw Bu Htow
villagers were destroyed by Slorc regiment No. 26 led by
Major Aye Kyaw.

On October 23, 1995, nearly 100 Karen students from Kha Layar and
Kaw Thae Dae Guin villages were arrested by Slorc troops
commanded by Lt. Col Aung Naing Htun, for porterage, sweeping
land mines and building new roads. The same day, three bulldozers
were sent to Kaw Thae Dae village to build a new road from Kaw
Thae Dae to Bu Sar Khee village. On October 25, 1995, Brigadier
Gen. Kyi Aung, commander of Southern command, ordered Major Aung
Naing Htun, a strategic commander of strategy No. 2 to forcibly
relocate all the villages between the area of Dae Lo and Ray Khat
Guin to a new location 13 miles away at Than Daung township in
Taungu district. At the moment, all the village leaders who were
forced to relocate are being forced to join basic military
training there on the orders of Brigadier Gen. Kyi Aung.

On October 25, 1995, Major Aung Naing Htun summoned the Baw Tali
Gyi village headman Khaw Thaba Phawt (50) and an old woman to
serve him as his personal servants and later the village head man
was killed, but the villagers found his dead body in the
jungle. The same day, the Kha Laela village headman's house was
dismantled by Slorc soldiers on the orders of Major Aung Naing
Htun. At the same time, all the houses from Wabo Kho, Kalay So
Khee and Ka Pudae villages were dismantled and moved to Kha Laela
village.


[Sources from Chairman of KNU Taungu district/ Translated by the
ABSDF]