Monthly Report April 1997 Shan Huma

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Monthly Report April 1997 Shan Human Rights Foundation 

Monthly Report April 1997
Shan Human Rights Foundation 
P.O. Box - 201
Phrasing P.O. 
Chiang Mai, 50200, THAILAND

MONKS TORTURED AND KILLED BY SLORC

In late March, Slorc troops No.524 LIB arrested a monk named Ven. Ein Taga,
32, at Kyawng Long monastery in Kho Lam, Namzarng township. They took him to
the abbot of Kyawng Kawng Moo monastery to disrobe him. But the abbot said
he could not do it because yen. Ein Taga was senior to him in monkhood. So
they took him out of the monastery and forcibly tore off his robe, tied his
hands and dragged him to their Kho Lam military base. They tortured and beat
him while interrogation until he was dead.

In late March 1997, Slorc troops No.246 arrested the abbot of Kaeng Kham
village temple, Kunhing township, Ven. Yan Na at his monastery, forcibly
disrobed him and took him away. While questioning him, they bound his hands
and feet and put him in a sack, tied the mouth of the sack and submerged him
in a stream. After a few minutes, they pulled him out and asked questions.
They did that several times until he was dead.

After the arrests of the monks, no one was allowed to see them, talk to them
or give them food. Some relatives, monks and community leaders who tried to
testify the innocence of the monks were slapped and beaten so that no one
dared go near them any more.

MASS KILLING AND RAPE OF RELOCATED VILLAGERS

On March 28, 1997, Slorc Major Saw Win and 100 soldiers from IB No.246 came
to Wan Phui, Kho Lam circle, Nam Zarng township, and saw 20 people moving
their things to Kho Lam. Major Saw Win and his soldiers accused them of
being SURA soldiers and they beat and killed them all. There were 14 men and
6 women.
<names and ages omitted ... supplied upon request>

* All the women were raped by Major Saw Win and his soldiers. After raping
them, they killed all the women, accusing them of being SURA soldiers' wives.

RAPE VICTIM PUNISHED

On 2. 4. 97. Slorc troops from No.45 IB which had been newly stationed at
Murnsart, led by Maj. Aung Lwin, patrolled the area of Waeng Nur village
tract and met with the headmen and community leaders and returned to their
station on the same day.

However, on 6. 4. 97, Maj. Aung Lwin and some of his soldiers came to the
village of Waeng Nur, this time in civilian clothes. He went to the house of
Nang Zarm, 18 (a Shan girl he had seen and liked on his previous trip):and,
seeing she was at home with her parents, sent her parents to another place
to get something to eat. While the parents were away, he told his men to
wait down stairs and he raped Nang Zarm who remained alone upstairs.

When her parents returned, Nang Zarm cried and complained to them that she
had been raped by the Burmese major. But Maj. Aung Lwin denied the charge
and slapped Nang Zarm until her face was swollen all over, saying that she
falsely accused him.

Before Nang Zarm's parents could bring the case to the headman of the
village circle, the major had already told the headman that he had been
dishonestly accused of rape when he was only doing his duty; that he had
come out to look around to know the area was still new to him better and had
stopped at Nang Zarm's house to get something to eat and, since there was
not enough food, he had sent her parents out for it, and Nang Zarm had
accused him of raping her. He had slapped her a few times to teach her a
lesson for telling lies. 

Though Nang Zarm's parents later came to seek help, there was no way in
which the headman could help.

RAPE AND EXTORTION

On April 1, 1997, Slorc Major Maung Kyaw Tun from LI No. 424 in Runhing
township raped Nang Than 16 years old, daughter of Sal Su Nan Tar and Nang
Aye Kham in her house in Wan Beang Khan, Wan Lao circle, Runhing township.
Before he raped her, he gave her father 50 Kyats to go out and buy a hen and
told her mother to go and take some vegetables from another house. When her
parents went out he gave the order to his soldiers to wait under the house.
He said to Nang Than, " I think in this house there are illegal things, so
I'll check inside the rooms but if anything is lost, you will think I have
taken it, so please follow me." She therefore took him inside. He raped her
and after he had finished, she ran to tell the headman and the other
villagers. They came and asked Major Maung Kyaw, but he said Nang Than was
lying and beat her unconscious. When her parents came back Major Maung Kyaw
demanded 10,000 Kyats from them for their daughter's "false" accusation.

GANG RAPE OF RELOCATED VILLAGERS

On April 2, 1997, the following women were raped by Slorc troops:

Nang Hla (16 years), Nang Sai (18 years), Nang Bok (22 years), Nang Tun (25
years) 

All the women are from Nong Khan Village, Ho Yarn circle, Kunhing township,
and had been forced to move to Kunhing township.  On April 2, 	1997, they
came back to their village to take some things and Major Myint Lwin and 26
of his troops from LI No.424 came into the village. Major Myint Lwin raped
the women and told his 26 soldiers to rape them. After they had finished,
the women went back to Kunhing township. Major Myint Lwin and his soldiers
then burned down 35 houses in the village. Most of the villagers from Nong
Khan who were forced to move have been unable to find work and have fled to
Thailand.


WIVES OF ALL SEVEN HOUSES RAPED

In the area of Kaeng Kham village tract, Rushing township, there is a little
village called Wan Sop Sim which consists of only seven houses. The adult
male villagers often have to go with logging boats to work for the
logging-company in Kaeng Kham in order to earn money to support their
families. A platoon of Slorc troops from No.519, led by Sgt. Hla Phyu, is
stationed at the village. On the nights when all the men in the village have
gone away, Sgt. Hla Phyu and his men would rape the wives, house after
house. There is no adult woman left unraped in all the seven houses.

HEADMAN BEATEN, HELD FOR RANSOM

On March 21, 1997, Major Aung Kyaw gave orders to Major Hla Khin and 45-50
soldiers from Slorc LI No.44 to go to Wan Pan Hook, Wan Lao circle, Kunhing
township. About 2 miles from the village they met SURA soldiers and fought
for about one hour. 2 Slorc soldiers were killed. After that the Slorc
troops came into the village and beat the headman, accusing the villagers of
having given SURA food. Major Hla Khin then detained the headman and
demanded 20,000 Kyats from Sai Saw Na and ten other people in exchange for
the headman. On March 29, 1997, the Slorc troops burned down 30 houses in
the village.

LAND SEIZURE 1 (CONFISCATED BY SLORC)

On 2. 4. 97, Slorc troops No. 66 Battalion Commander Maj. Maung Thwe at
Murngpan seized rice fields belonged to the people, on the western side of
the town. The fields run on both sides of the road that leads to Wan Kho Lin
village and an area of about 400 yards long and 40 yards wide on either side
have been confiscated for a new quarter to expand the town. Since 6. 4. 97,
Slorc troops have divided the land into small plots of 30 yards squares and
put them on sale for 5,000 Ks a plot.

Following this, all the land along the road from the town to Wan Kho Din, a
distance of 5 miles, has now been confiscated by Slorc.

LAND SEIZURE 2 (FOR CHINESE)

In late March 1997, some Chinese, who had come from China via Kiu Khok
border town near Muse to Lashio and boarded a Takota plane to Namzarug,
wanted to buy some land in Namzarug town to set up a department store. Slorc
commander at Namzarug forced Nang Zing Mya and Loong Awng to sell their
lands to him--- two compounds adjacent to each other on the main road in
No.1 quarter in town's centre--for only 15,000 Ks each, which they did not
sell even for 50,000 Ks before. The Slorc commander then resold both the
compounds to the Chinese for 500,000 Ks.

The Chinese let Nang Zing Mya and Loong Awng dismantle and move away their
houses, taking only the land. The Chinese has now adopted a Shan name- Zai Parn.

Since March 1997, in Lashio, northern Shan State, Slorc has been
confiscating lands belonging to the people of Wan Kawng Khar (12th Quarter).
It is a long stretch of cultivated land opposite the main prison of Lashio
Long, on the other side of the main road. The lands would be sold to a
Chinese company from China to set up stores and other buildings.

KILLING AND THEFT AT KHO LAM

On March 3, 1997, Slorc troops from LI 99 came to Wan Phung, Kho Lam circle,
Nam Zarng township, and killed the old parents of Zai Mar Lar: Loong Seng
Tar and his wife Pa Noom. They also stole 80,000 Kyats, 15 Baht of gold in
the house and took two oxen, and one horse. Zai Mar Lar then fled to Thailand.
On March 3 , 1997, Slorc troops from LI 99 came to Wan Phui, Kho Lam circle,
Namsarng township, and killed Sai Kham and burned down his house. His wife
Nang Hla her family then fled to Thailand.

On March 5, 1997, while Sang Jai (24) and Nang Seng La (19) of Wan Klang,
Kho Lam circle, Namsarng  township, were being forced to move from their
homes, Slorc troops came into their house and took all their money and gold.
They lost more than 200,000 Kyats, and 18 baht of gold and two oxen. They
therefore fled to Thailand.

RELOCATION

On March 9, 1997, Slorc troops No.64 IB ordered villagers from Wan Nong Dee,
Wan Thi circle, Laikha township, to move to Laikha.

VILLAGE BURNED, HEADMAN BEATEN

On March 30, 1997, 30 Slorc troops came into Wan Mai Si Lee village, Ho Yarn
circle, Kunhing township, and asked why the village had not moved like other
villages. They then accused the villagers of giving food to the Shan Army
and then they burned down the village. The villagers lost all their things.
They took Loong Pain Nyar, the headman of the village, and beat him
unconscious three times and took 10,000 Kyats and two oxen from them. Most
of the villagers therefore fled to Thailand.

ABBOT DISROBED, BEATEN

On March 20, 1997 Major Aung Kyaw Tun and 60 of his troops (from IB No.44)
Kunhing township, went to Jong Saai Khao temple, at Saai Khao village, south
of Kunhing, to search the place. When they saw a radio in the temple, they
said " That radio is from SURA" and beat a monk called Vi Seng Tar (age 30)
who had bought the radio from China. The troops forced Vi Seng Tar to
disrobe and beat him unconscious three times and then took him one mile to
the south of Jong Saai Khao temple. A Slorc officer called U Than Saw was
about to killed the monk, when the monk begged him to untie his hands so
that he could grant him forgiveness before he died. When they untied the
rope the monk ran away from them. They shot after the monk but missed. The
monk went back to Keng Tong village and fled to Thailand.

MULTIPLE KILLINGS AT KHO LAM RELOCATION SITE

On February 22, 1997, SURA troops arrived near Kho Lam relocation site,
Namzarng township. The Slorc troops suspected that the SURA troops had
entered the relocation site, so they shot 9 villagers at the site dead:
Loong Su (30 years old) and his wife Nang Nu (42), and their four children
and one nephew; and Hla Soe (35) and one other man.

On March 8, 1997, one of the relocated villagers, Ai Per (age 43), was
asleep at his house in Kho Lam relocation site. Slorc troops went into his
house and took him to the centre of the relocation site and shot him dead.

On March 28, 1997, Ven. Ein Taga, the abbot of Kho Lam temple, aged 38,
returned to his temple at 04:00 P.M. after visiting Bindaya in central Shan
State. On the same day at 09:00 P.M., the Slorc troops went to Kho Lam
temple and hit Ven. Ein Taga and forced him to disrobe. Then he was taken to
the local Slorc post where he was killed.

On March 30, 1997, two villagers from Kho Lam relocation site, Loong Koong
Mard (age 45) and his two friends Ai Shwe (age 30) and Ai Sum (age 42) went
fishing to feed their families. Slorc troops saw the 3 men and shot them dead.

On April 3, 1997, in the evening, three women from Kho Lam relocation site
went out to find vegetables outside the site. Only twenty minutes after they
had left their neighbors heard three gun shots. The next morning five
friends of the women went to look for them. When the Slorc troops saw the
five villagers, they shot them dead.

On April 4, 1997, one woman and seven men from Kho Lam relocation site went
back to their old
village, Par Son, to get paddy which they had hidden the year before, when
they had been relocated, When Slorc troops saw the 8 villagers in their old
village they killed the seven men and raped the women.

On April 10, 1997, two women from Kho Lam relocation site went out to Wan
Lin (30 minutes' walk north of Kho Lam) to sell " Khao Karb" (made from
rice). When they had finished selling this, they came back to Kho Lam
relocation site. Slorc troops saw them on the road back from Wan Lin and
shot them.

TARD MAWK RELOCATION SITE BURNED TO THE GROUND

On April 4, 1997, Slorc troops from LIB No.151 fired M 79 grenades into Tard
Mawk relocation site. Three villagers died and three villagers were wounded.
On April 8, 1997, 150 Slorc troops came into Tard Mawk relocation site and
ordered all the villagers to move to Laikha township within two days. On
April 10, 1997, the Slorc troops from LIB No.151 burned down all the over
1,000 houses in Tard Mawk relo cation site.

OVER 1,000 CHILDREN BEGGING NEAR PARNG PHONE

On April 12, 1997, a Shan villager named Loong Ti and his wife, who had been
working at a construction site in Thailand (having been forcibly relocated
from their homes in Laikha township last year), went back to Shan State from
Thailand to go and collect their old father and mother who were staying in
Parng Phone relocation site inside Shan State. When they travelled along the
road to Parng Phone, they reported seeing over 1,000 children begging and
about 50 older people begging outside the site. Loong Ti and his wife had
very little money, so spent only 2 days at the side before bringing only
their father Loong Won Na (age 80) back with them. On their way back, the
car they were riding in broke down and they had no food for two days.
Because of this, their old father Loong Wan Na collapsed, and then died in
Murng Ton hospital.

A FATHER OF 5 KILLED WHILE SERVING AS PORTER

In early April, Slorc troops (from Arakan State) seized more than 10
villagers, young and old, Ton Hoong village, Ton Hoong tract, Namzarng
township, to use as porters. After they were taken away for 4 days, a porter
named Sai Awng Sa, 26, escaped and returned to tell that one of his fellow
porters villager Sai Kan Na, 36, son of Loong Kaw Ling & Nai Yawd, was
accused of trying to escape and shot dead by Slorc troops in a forest about
5-6 miles west of Ton Hoong. They were taken from their relocation site at
Kho Lam in Namzarng township and all the rest of the porters have, a few at
a time, escaped and returned to their places lately.

Sai Kan Na's widow Nang Yawd, 35, daughter of Loong Mu & Nai Mung, and their
five daughters-ages: 16, 14, 10, 8, 6 -- have fled and arrived at Thailand's
Fang district sometime in mid - April. Since arriving 10 days earlier (at
the time she was interviewed), Nang Yawd had been able to find work for only
2 days earning 70 baht a day.

KILLINGS AT RANDOM

In early April, Slorc troops (said to be from Arakan State who had come to
control Murng Taw & Murng Tha areas during the early days of Khun Sa's
surrender, and had now been sent to engage in campaigns launched against
SURA --- No.537 LIB and other unidentified Burmese troops, because they
usually tore off the insignias and numbers of their battalion during these
operations), while patrolling the village tract of Kho Ood, Namzarng
township, they spotted some villagers who were trying to hide in the forest
west of a deserted village of Ho Nar, 2-3 miles west of Nar Law village, and
shot at them, instantly killing 4 people -
(1) Pi Thark Awn, 45, a secretary of Wan Nang village;
(2) Zit Ta Awn, 34, from Nar Law;
(3) Another man, name unknown;
(4) Nang Ying, 16, from Nar Law.

These people had gone to collect their things from their old village and
hide them in the forest, and were about to return to their relocation site
near the motor road near Kho Lam in Namzarng township. Their corpses were
dragged to the same spot and piled up together.

On 10. 4. 97, about 100 Slorc troops (55th division) shot dead 2 villagers
at a place about a quarter mile north of Wan Ter Zrang village which had
been forced to move the day before.

Sai Aw Ta, 22, son of Loong Kaw Li & Pa Thuay and Sai Mu Ling, 30, son of
Loong Ta & Nai Kham from Wan Ter Zarng, Nar Poi tract, Namzarug township,
were killed.

Sai Sarng Aw, 27, son of Loong Saw & Nai Ing, who was with them and had also
been shot at, ran away and escaped. After 7-8 days he came back to Kho Lam
(where they have been relocated) and related about the incident. For fear of
being shot at, the relatives of the dead dared not go to bury the corpses
but left them to the mercy of scavengers.

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