Report (6)

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THE GOVERNMENT OF KARENNI
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION

Report:

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION COMMITTED BY SLORC IN KARENNI

Slorc troops of LIB No-422 which takes security for Mobye Dam, 7 miles north
east of Loikaw, had by force collected money and food from traders who
traveled between Loikaw and Inlay, they reasoned that they provided for
security for the Dam; so they separated women from men and then searched all
the women and when they did not find any valuables on them they ordered the
women to undress so that they could search more.

The Slorc has been collecting the names of  male villagers from Loilin Lay,
Tee Lan and Htee Seh Kha villages, particularly over 16 years old. Those who
were registered were forced into militia. So far the Slorc has collected
(107) villagers from Loilin Lay. Due to Slorc forced activities, the rest
villagers are worried and depressed.

Slorc authority have recently built an irrigation canal which damaged a
number of  paddy fields belonging to Daw Lo Shay, Daw Sar Kaleh, Wah Kee Kaw
Du, No Khoe and Ye Yo villages. The villagers were not paid any compensation
for the damage of their farms from Slorc.

An unknown unit of Slorc troops which withdrew from Daw Muu Kaleh village
met with some villagers from Htay Tama village who were returning back from
their farms. They asked the villagers about Karenni troops and when the
villagers could not give any information, the troops beat them and fined
each 500 Kyats (Burmese currency).

On August 25, 1997, Slorc troops of LIB No-427 came to Tha Wa village and
drove out the villagers. The villagers who were already forced to leave
their village on 18 August 1997 came back to their own village, and were for
the second time forced to leave their village again. The villagers had to
move to Mae Kyar village.

27 September 1997
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