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KHRG #96-31
DKBA / SLORC CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS
An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
August 1, 1996 / KHRG #96-31
* SOME DETAILS OMITTED FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION *
- PART 1 OF 4 - SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTINGS FOR OTHER PARTS OF THIS REPORT -
Since its inception in December 1994, the 'Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army' (DKBA) has vowed to destroy all Karen refugee camps and force
Karen refugees back to Burma. Since early 1995, the DKBA has been
conducting cross-border raids into Thailand to attack and burn Karen
refugee camps, kidnap or kill Karen leaders and refugee camp leaders,
and loot both refugee camps and Thai villages. The DKBA allied itself
with SLORC as soon as it was formed, and SLORC has been supporting
them in the aim of terrorising refugees into returning to Burma.
Furthermore, as SLORC forces have captured more and more of the
territory directly adjacent to the Thai border, SLORC troops have also
been conducting their own cross-border looting raids and attacks, as well
as participating (particularly in early- to mid-1995) in the DKBA's
attacks. The purpose of this report is not to provide a comprehensive list
of DKBA and SLORC attacks and incursions into Thailand; as the information
in the report shows, these are so regular and widespread that it would be
difficult or impossible to do so. Instead, this report presents a
sample of the kind of attacks and incursions which have been happening in
order to give the reader an overview of the situation in which Karen
refugees are now living, and the reason why they go to bed in fear most
nights.
DKBA's main objective in driving the refugees back to Burma is to
establish a civilian support base for themselves at their Myaing Gyi Ngu
(Khaw Taw) headquarters and other locations, while SLORC would
benefit by being able to use many of the refugees in labour camps, and
screen out and execute or imprison those with anti-SLORC activity in their
past or relatives in the Karen National Union. The existence of the
refugees itself is physical evidence of the human rights abuses which
SLORC constantly denies, and SLORC does not need this embarrassment
at a time when it is attempting to gain international legitimacy; whereas if
the refugees return, SLORC could point to this as evidence of peace,
stability, and improvement.
Through the first half of 1995, DKBA vowed to burn entire camps, and in
the end they did completely burn and destroy Baw Noh, Kamaw Lay Ko
and parts of other camps in April 1995. [For background on 1995 cross-
border attacks, see "SLORC's Northern Karen Offensive" (KHRG #95-
10, 29/3/95), "New Attacks on Karen Refugee Camps" (KHRG #95-16,
5/5/95), and "Inside the DKBA" (KHRG #96-14, 31/3/96).] Many camps
were then abandoned and amalgamated into larger camps, particularly
Beh Klaw (Mae La) with a current population of at least 25,000 and Sho
Kloh, current population about 10,000. Thai security and direct
government control in these camps has been stepped up, but they are still
not secure and most refugees point out that Thai security troops would
rather hide than fight to defend refugees, and that they are only interested
in defending Thai citizens.
In late 1995 and 1996 the nature of the attacks has changed somewhat,
most likely because of changes in the relationship between SLORC and
DKBA. SLORC is now engaged in ceasefire talks with the Karen National
Union (KNU), DKBA's rival, and it may be that SLORC sees a ceasefire
deal with the KNU as the best way to get the refugees back. Most
observers agree that as soon as any ceasefire deal is signed the Thai
authorities would begin preparing for forced repatriation of all Karen
refugees. At the same time, SLORC has cut off all the cash salaries it
used to pay to DKBA soldiers (these were offered largely as an enticement to
get people to join) and has cut off many of the supplies it used to give to
DKBA, apparently having decided that the DKBA has served its purpose
for the moment and that the organisation is too unpredictable to be left too
strong. As a result, the DKBA is now much more focussed on looting and
extortion than previously, its already loose command structure has
become virtually nonexistent in some areas, and many DKBA units are
operating more like local bandit groups. Without SLORC incentives to
bring the refugees back, the DKBA forces crossing the border usually do
not even try to drive any refugees back with them anymore; most of their
attacks are focussed on looting, and their main target is often the market
sections of refugee camps or Thai Karen villages where no refugees live.
There was a large number of such attacks between late 1995 and February
1996. Then the number of attacks let up somewhat, and the Thai
government claimed that it had convinced SLORC to pull back all DKBA
forces from the border. This was not true; the DKBA forces were still
there, but now they are usually only allowed to stay in small groups near
larger SLORC units, and many are effectively under direct SLORC
command. Even so, attacks have continued and some appear to have
direct SLORC support - particularly the mortar shelling of Sho Kloh
refugee camp on 16 June (see interviews in this report), which shattered
whatever peace of mind the refugees had managed to gain since February
and threw the entire border back into a state of tension and fear. It is
unclear what will happen in the immediate future, but for now the security
situation is still tense to the point that Thai forces sometimes hold
foreign
aid organisations out of the camps due to the high risk of imminent
attacks.
This report covers incidents in the Burma-Thai border area from Beh
Klaw refugee camp (60 km. north of the Thai town of Mae Sot) northward
to Sho Kloh (110 km. north of Mae Sot), as well as Ban Sala and Meh
S'Kup camps, about 250 km. north of Mae Sot in the area northwest of
Mae Sariang in Mae Hong Son province. The incidents covered are only
a small sampling of the cross-border incidents; as can be seen from the
Sho Kloh schoolteacher's diary and other information in this report,
border incursions are so frequent that it would be almost impossible to
compile a complete list. This report contains interviews with witnesses to
some of the incidents, summary reports, excerpts from the diary of a
schoolteacher in Sho Kloh refugee camp, and a copy of a 7 May article
written in the Bangkok Post after Thai Army sources had put forward a list
of 43 border incursions and 14 deaths which had occurred within 6
months. This list was far from complete; most of the Army's list were
attacks against Thai targets and it ignored many of the attacks against
refugees.
The names of those interviewed have been changed; all false names are
enclosed in quotes, while other names are real. Some details have been
omitted or blanked out to protect the people involved. After some of the
incidents, the people interviewed have moved to other places in fear,
effectively becoming 'refugees' from camps which are already for refugees.
In some of the accounts of looting in refugee camps, the cash and
jewellery stolen is worth a great deal; it is important to note that most of
the refugees have no such wealth, that the people targeted for looting are
generally well-off shopkeepers who form a small minority of the camp
population. The reason they have a significant amount of gold jewellery is
because this is how villagers in Burma keep their savings; 2 or 3 gold
necklaces can represent both a family's inheritance and its life savings.
In
this report two currencies are often mentioned: Thai Baht (US$1 = 25
Baht) and Burmese Kyat (US$1 = 6 Kyat at official rate, 140 to 200 Kyat
at market rate; the rate is currently wildly fluctuating).
Contents
Index of Interviews ...................................... 3
Interviews ............................................... 4
Diary of a Sho Kloh schoolteacher ....................... 20
Summary of some other incidents ......................... 23
Bangkok Post 7/5/96 list of incidents ................... 25
Index of Interviews
No. Event Subject
Date
1 11/95 Comments by a DKBA deserter on the DKBA view of refugees
2 2/12/95 DKBA attack on Sho Kloh refugee camp, killing of 2 refugees
3 26/12/95 DKBA looting attack on Sho Kloh market
4 4/1/96 DKBA attack on hospital / medical research unit in Sho Kloh
camp
5 30/1/96 Report on the DKBA attack on Mae U Su Thai Karen monastery,
killing a monk, a civilian, and a Thai policeman and
looting the monastery
6 4/96 SLORC attack on Mae S'Kup, Salween River
7 28/4/96 DKBA attack in Kamaw Lay Ko Thai Karen village
8 5/96 Theft of motorcycles, threats and extortion by DKBA in
xxxx Thai Karen village, comments on Mae U Su monastery attack
9 26/5/96 Ban Sala refugee camp attack and looting
10 26/5/96 Ban Sala refugee camp attack and looting
11 16/6/96 Mortar shelling of Sho Kloh refugee camp from Burma
12 16/6/96 Mortar shelling of Sho Kloh refugee camp from Burma
Abbreviations
SLORC State Law & Order Restoration Council, Burma's ruling military
junta
DKBA Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, allied with and supplied by
SLORC
Ko Per Baw 'Yellow headbands', common Karen name for DKBA referring to the
yellow scarves they wear
KNU Karen National Union, Karen opposition organisation and rival
of DKBA
KNLA Karen National Liberation Army, army of the KNU
Ta Bee Met 'Closed-eyes', DKBA way of referring to KNU/KNLA
Ko Per Lah 'Green headbands', a new name for KNLA soldiers in some areas,
referring to the green scarves they have been issued to
distinguish them from DKBA
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Interviews
#1.
[The following statement was made during a KHRG interview with a
DKBA soldier who fled the DKBA in November 1995:]
Q: When DKBA troops go into refugee camps and villages to take rice and
things, is this by the order of the Khaw Taw monk [U Thuzana, founder of
DKBA]?
A: They do it on their own. The officers command them to take everything
from the village. They tell them, "Consider that these things belong to you
and no one else."
Q: While you were in DKBA what did they say about the refugees?
A: They said that they resent the thought that Buddhists do not want to
come back to them. They accuse them of being foolish to stay among the
deaf and the blind. They said all sorts of abuse against them. They said
that they can attack those refugees, and that they would also shoot the Thai
troops.
____________________________________________________________________________
_
#2.
NAME: "Naw Plaw Htoo" SEX: F AGE: 38 Karen Christian
FAMILY: Married now widow, 4 children aged 4 to 12 but one already died
ADDRESS: xxxx refugee camp, Thailand INTERVIEWED: 25/2/96
["Naw Plaw Htoo"'s husband Saw Wah, age 52, Karen Christian, was
killed on 2/12/95 in a DKBA attack on Sho Kloh refugee camp. She has
since moved to another camp.]
Since I arrived in Thailand over 10 years ago, I have been staying in Sho
Kloh. 11 years now. My husband's name was Saw Wah. He was 52 years
old.
Q: What happened on 2 December 1995?
A: I don't know how the incident started. My husband's father died at 6
p.m. After that, I went to gather some people to my house. After we
finished the funeral service, the DKBA came just after 8 p.m. At that time,
my husband was standing and was about to go to our new house. When he
was standing up on the steps, suddenly the DKBA came and said "Don't
run away". They shot one bullet in the air. He was surprised and stood
without moving. The DKBA soldier shot him instantly. They shot him
straight
in the chest at his heart. With only one bullet. After a few seconds,
he fell down sitting and then his body fell over. Blood didn't come out. It
stayed inside his body. But when we carried him, he started losing blood.
About 20 DKBA came in Section 1. First they came to Aung Nyunt's
house because he had promised DKBA that he would go back to Burma.
He asked DKBA to come and get him. His house is near my house. They
were looking for Tu Ree, Naw Lu Kyaw and also Plo Wah [Plo Wah was
the Section security leader]. He [Plo Wah] was an ex-KNU soldier.
When DKBA came, they were looking for these 3 people.
They thought that my husband was Tu Ree and after they shot him, they
came up to him and they said, "I know that you are section leader." I was
thinking: "My husband was never a section leader, but you shot him
already. Why do you come to say that now? Your punishment will come
from God." They knew that my husband was not a section leader but they
couldn't see well. I was not crying but my son was crying a lot. [Note: Tu
Ree wasn't section leader either.]
DKBA also said: "No more talking. We will burn all the camp tonight." I
was really worried about that. I also worried about what would happen to
the Sho Kloh market. After they left, the Thai soldiers arrived with two
trucks. All the people had run away. Only three were still staying with
me.
My eldest son was crying. "My father died and I don't want to stay here",
said my son and I asked him "Where are you going to stay?" And he was
crying and I told him, "Don't cry anymore."
Before they came to my house, first they arrested Plo Wah. They killed
him on the other side of the river [the Moei River, i.e. the border, on the
same night; Plo Wah was Section 1 security leader, Karen Buddhist].
They said that Plo Wah was a KNU soldier. But before they killed him, they
cut the skin of his thighs and his shoulders and they put salt on the bare
wounds. After that, they killed him with a knife. Villagers saw his dead
body floating in the Moei river at Mae Salit. He was 28 or 29 years old and
had 3 children. They arrested two other people but the other young man
escaped. He was staying in Section 1. I don't know his name [his name is
Pa K---, and he is Karen Buddhist]. When DKBA asked him what he was
doing, he told them that he was going to visit some girls in the camp. But
DKBA told him that he was KNU. He said, "Please don't arrest me", but
they arrested him. He almost arrived at Khaw Taw [DKBA headquarters,
where they were taking him], but he managed to escape on the way. He
said, "If I had arrived at Khaw Taw, I am sure I would have to become a
DKBA soldier." He escaped with the help of God.
In Section 1, they also took one cassette-player from Kaw Doh's father and
one big radio/cassette player from U Daw Nyunt. They went to U Daw
Nyunt's house and said to him: "You didn't turn off the radio!" and they
took it. He couldn't do anything.
They were all speaking in Karen and were all carrying guns. When they
came to the camp, DKBA said: "KNU always say that we steal things from
the people, but actually we do not." I didn't recognize any of them, but I
heard that Pa Naw Leh also came to the camp that time. [He is a DKBA
who used to stay in Sho Kloh Section 2.]
None of them came inside our house. After they shot my husband, they
left and went to Section 2. They went to K---'s house and looked for K---
but he was not there. They pointed their guns at K---'s wife and said: "If
I
shoot you, you will die". K---'s wife said: "Please do not kill me because
my children are still young. You can take everything in my house". Then
they took everything from her house. DKBA didn't kill her. [According to
another refugee, they took earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets]. They
also took 7,000 Baht from his house. K--- was the security leader in Sho
Kloh camp. Now he has come here too. When DKBA came to his house,
he was at the monastery with the Thai soldiers. They also looked for the
section 2 leader but couldn't find him. They only shot 2 bullets in Section
2. They said they will kill all the section leaders. Then they left.
The Thai Army did nothing, they just asked me questions just after my
husband died [the same night]. They didn't shoot at DKBA because they
couldn't see them. When they came, the DKBA troops had already left.
The DKBA didn't stay long in the camp. They were there for about one
hour, maybe only 45 minutes. They came through the camp like thieves.
They came quickly and then they left.
Now we can't do anything. We have to stay like this. I have been here over
two months now. I have no money for my family. With my husband, we were
selling curries. At least here, I don't feel afraid. But my blood is still
coming to my head and I feel heartbeats in my head. [Others say that after
her husband's death, she didn't feel well and she was very anxious. Her
husband's younger brother took her to stay in a safer place.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
- [END OF PART 1 - SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTINGS FOR PARTS 2 THROUGH 4] -