The BurmaNet News: June 1, 1999

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 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: June 1, 1999
Issue #1283

HEADLINES:
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CHRO: VILLAGE LIFE IN PALETWA TOWNSHIP  
SHRF: KILLING AND INTIMIDATION OF VILLAGERS 
BKK POST: BORDER- ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
BKK POST: PLODPRASOP- NO PERMITS FOR LOGS GIVEN
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CHIN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION: CAUGHT IN A CROSSFIRE - VILLAGE LIFE IN
PALETWA
TOWNSHIP
May 1999 Volume II No. 4 from: chinhro@xxxxxxxxxxx    

The following interviews were conducted in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of
Bangladesh by a human rights monitor from Images Asia in February 1999. These
Chin villagers interviewed came from 3 villages in Paletwa township, Southern
Chin State: Khan Tlang, Lung Phum and Tahai. They all fled to Bangladesh
during
the first half of 1998.Several armed opposition groups are active in that area
and as a result the Burmese Army is carrying out a brutal counter insurgency
programme against the civilian population. 

Excessive forced labour, portering and extortions are systematically
imposed on
the villagers. At the same time, these villagers have to pay taxes to the
opposition groups. In this region the tax burden is especially heavy as
several
ethnic opposition armies, Chin and Rakhine ( Arakanese ), are operating and
they are all targetting the same villages for funds. Those villagers are
caught
in a crossfire. Ironically it is because they provide funds to the
"insurgents"
that the Burmese Army conduct such harsh retaliation campaigns. Their
communities and livelihoods being destroyed, they have no choice but to
abandon
their villages. Many families seem to move first to the border area, becoming
internally displaced. 

As the situation is not substantially better along the border, they gradually
cross the international border and take shelter in the Mizoram State of India
or the Chittagong Hill tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh. It is estimated that
between
500 and 1,000 Chin refugees are scattered in the Hill tracts in Bangladesh and
are surviving in difficult conditions. A larger number have chosen to
escape to
Mizoram where it is easier to mingle ethnically and linguistically.

Story-1

Name: "Zing Par" (not her real name)
Sex: FemaleAge: 41
Ethnicity: Chin
Religion: Christian
Occupation: Slash-and-burn farmer
Marital status: Married with 3 children (2 daughters and one son) Her  husband
is sick and cannot work, she supports the family alone
Interview date: 5.2.1999

Q: When did you arrive here? 

Zing Par: We fled our village because we had to suffer too much. We were
tortured by the Burmese Army! They forced us to work for them all the time.
Even, we, the women and the girls, were forced to work in their camp, while
they took our husbands and all the men as porters during their patrol. When
our
husbands went as porters, they didn't receive any food. There is an army camp
in Khan Tlang. We don't know which battalion, but their headquarters are in
Paletwa. We, the women and children, were called to cut grass in their camp
for
the whole day, everyday. They didn't give us any food, nor any wages for our
labour. We didn't get anything from the army. Moreover, they collected rice
and
money from us. The Burmese soldiers are living off the people. We could no
longer endure this unbearable situation, so we decided to leave Khan Tlang and
flee to the border. We stayed in a village there for a while in 1997 [on the
Burma side of the border]. One night in February 1998, we were informed that
the army had surrounded our place. All the villagers decided to run away
secretly. We couldn't carry anything. We fled with only the clothes that we
were wearing and with our children. It was night time. The army was chasing us
and fired at us. The next morning we crossed the border just before the
soldiers caught up with us. Here is my husband. He is a sick man. He is
suffering from malnutrition because the army always called him as a porter and
they never gave him any food [he is very thin and cannot walk properly].He was
suffering so much. That is why he became like this. Because of the army!

Q: Did all the villagers from Khan Tlang flee? 

Zing Par: There were about 150 families. Most of them fled. Only one family is
left there because they have connection with the Army. Some fled to
Bangladesh,
but most went to Mizoram. Because in Mizoram, the people are Mizos [same
ethnic
group]. It is easier for us to get work and survive there.

Q: How often did your husband have to be a porter? 

Zing Par: Two or three times a week! We couldn't work for ourselves. Every
time, he had to carry for one day, or two days each time. Sometimes they even
called him at night.

Q: How many days could he work in a month? 

The Husband: In a month, I could only stay about 5 days at home. Even in the
rainy season, when there was flood, we could not sleep, and we were forced to
cross rivers.

Q: What did you have to do at the army camp? 

Zing Par: They ordered me to carry sand from the river bank to the road.
Inside
their camp, but also outside in the village. They were building a road. The
men
had to carry for them as porters and, at the same time, the women had to work
in the army camp. Only the elderly people and the small children could stay at
home. Fathers and mothers, as well as the elder brothers and sisters had to
work. My youngest daughter here is now 12 years old. She had to carry water at
the army camp too.

Q: How did the soldiers call the workers? 

Zing Par: The soldiers came by themselves in our village, and grabbed
anyone at
random. Everyday like that!

Q: Did they ever beat anyone? 

Zing Par: Of course! When we were working, they beat us. They kicked us with
their boots. They forced me to carry sand from the river and I was too slow.
They beat me to force me to work faster.

Another Villager: Even though we were working for them, they forced us to work
very fast. When I was carrying, my head load was very heavy and I couldn't
walk
fast. Then they kicked me with their boots and hit me with a bamboo stick.
They
hit my legs and my back quite badly. I also had to repair their barracks,
fetch
water from the river and build fences around their camp.

Q: When did that happen? 

Zing Par: Since CNF started their activities. Since that time, we are
suffering
a lot.

A Villager: When we are going to our fields with a bag of rice, they accuse us
that we are carrying it to CNF, and they beat us. In the past we had to do a
little bit of labour for them, not much, but after CNF started operating, it
became continuous and serious. More and more...

Zing Par: They (the Burmese soldiers) come to check our rice. If we have 3 kg
of rice, they take 2 kg for themselves. Moreover, every month, they collect
500
Kyats from each family. They also take from us whatever animals we had, our
chickens, our pigs. They never pay for anything they take. Whenever they see
that the animal is fat enough to eat, they demand it from us. When we go and
ask for compensation, they beat us and answered to us: "This is what you have
to do! You must give us!"

A Villager: They ( the Burmese soldiers ) even said: "This is not your
country.
This is our country! If you don't want to give us, then go away from this
country!"

Zing Par: Anything they see in our house they steal. They even take our own
properties, our clothes. They stole my back-strap loom and my money. They
robbed 1,000 Kyats from me. In front of me! They came into my house and
pointed
a gun at me, and then they robbed me.

Q: What do you think about CNF? 

Zing Par: They never entered into our village. Whether they are good or
bad, we
don't know. CNF collected funds in our village through the------. We had to
pay
anyway. But we feel much worse that we had to support the Burmese Army. The
Burmese Army extorted a lot of money from us, and they also tortured people.
They always inquired about the taxes for CNF but we never told them. Those who
are suffering the most are the traders who are going to Bangladesh from
time to
time. They grabbed them, beat them and accused them: "Of course, you are
helping CNF and you are carrying their letters!"

Q: What about landmines? 

Zing Par: There were many landmines around our villages. I never heard of any
people stepping on them, but so many animals blew up, especially at night. We
had to be careful for landmines since 1988. The Burmese army usually warned us
not to walk here and there, especially along the small footpaths, not the main
paths that the army and the civilians are using for traveling [small footpaths
are used by opposition armies].

Q: What was the situation in the border village where you stayed in1997? 

Zing Par: The situation was not good there either. Several [opposition] armies
were active around there, and they all demanded money from us. But the Burmese
Army was especially bad. One day, the troops stayed overnight in the village
and ordered the people to organise a cultural night. For that, they called all
the villagers to gather at one place. One woman did not join to attend the
programme. The commander of their group, a Lieutenant, saw a light in her
house. He got angry and just fired at the house. She got killed.

Q: What do you hope for the future? 

Zing Par: For the future, I hope that we can stay here, and that we could
improve our life like other people. There is a high school here [2 hours walk
away], a market to sell some of our production and some communication with the
outside world. My children can now go to school. My daughter is now in 2nd
Standard and my son in 1st Standard.

Story-2

Name: "Tin Er" (not his real name)
Sex: MaleAge: Around 45 (not sure himself)
Ethnicity: Pual Nam (Chin sub-group)
Religion: Animist, now Christian
Occupation: Slash-and-burn farmer
Marital status: Married with 3 children
Interview date: 5.2.1999

Q: When did you arrive in Bangladesh? 

A: In February 1998. The Burmese Army was treating us like dogs, not like
human
beings. Their troops always took us as porters. I was a porter so often. We
even had to bring our own food along with us. They ordered to carry for 3 days
and then we were forced to stay for one month if they did not find anyone to
replace us. Just before fleeing to Bangladesh I was a porter for 10 days for
four times consecutively. In between, I had only 4 or 5 days for myself. We
had
no time to work.

Q: Have you ever been beaten? A : When we were porters or when we worked at
their rest camp, they beat us if we were too slow. They beat me when I worked
at the rest camp. Also, once, in 1997, I slid on the way because my load was
very heavy. I fell down and they beat me with a bamboo stick on my legs and in
the lower back. They even hit me on the head. 30 families fled in 1997.

Q: Did they ever kill anyone? 

A: They did kill a Khumi Chin. Many Khumi Chin [ one of the Chin tribes in
Southern Chin State] are forced to be porters. One of them was sick and
couldn't walk anymore. He fell down with his load. The soldiers ordered him to
get up and continue walking. But he couldn't. Then the soldiers killed him
with
a knife. They cut his belly open and threw his organs in the Kaladan river.
After that, the army charged all the porters 50 Kyats each to pay compensation
to the father of the killed porter. The compensation was not even paid by the
army.

Q: Did you see the killing? 

A: I didn't see the killing but it happened near our village in 1996. Our
villagers had to organize the burial of the dead body.

Another man: I saw the dead body. After they killed him on the path just
outside our village, they called us and ordered us to bury him. After the
burial, the soldiers came again to our village and demanded 10,000 Kyats from
the villagers to give compensation to his family. This Khumi porter came from
Pa Kang Wa village [Paletwa Township], a Khumi village.

Q: Did you hear about any other killings? 

A: They are especially bad with the Rakhine and the Khumis.

Another Man: Around 1989, they caught me on the way back from the market with
other people. They took us all as porters. They were searching for CNF and
Rakhine rebels. Day and night we had to walk without any sleep and without
food. One day, they grabbed a Rakhine in Turuai market to show them the way.
When he missed one junction, they became angry and they cut his neck. I saw
his
dead body. They threw it beside the road. We also heard about 6 killings done
by the soldiers of Khan Tlang camp. Six people got killed at the same time
near
our village: 4 Khumi and 2 Rakhine. We don't know why, but we saw the dead
bodies and we had to bury them all. I don't remember exactly when it happened
but I was around the time when CNF started its activities.

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SHAN HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION: KILLING, TORTURE, MUTILATION AND INTIMIDATION OF
LAHU AND AKHA VILLAGERS IN TA-KHI-LEAK
May 1999 Monthly Report from: <shrf@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

On 6.5.99, at around 10:00 at night, about 60 SPDC troops from LIB330
surrounded Naa Ke, a Lahu village in Ta-Khi-Laek township, firing their guns
into the air and ordered all the villagers to gather in the centre of the
village. Many villagers were frightened and ran away, but they were shot
after,
and 2 were killed. Two who were wounded were captured by the troops. The SPDC
soldiers brought the wounded 2 back to the centre of the village and, accusing
them of having connections with SSA-E, cut off each of their ears. They even
threatened the rest of the villagers that whoever dared to work as agents for
the Shan soldiers would have to face the same fate. After that, the SPDC
troops
left the village, taking the 2 wounded Lahu villagers with them. There has
been
no news so far of them being alive or dead.

On 6.5.99, at around 11:00 at night, about 30 SPDC troops from LIB330
surrounded Pa Laang Noi, an Akha village in Ta-Khi-Laek township, shooting
their guns into the air and ordered all the villagers to gather in the centre
of the village. When all the villagers were gathered, the troops singled out
the village headman, Aa Te, from among the crowd and beat him to death with
thick sticks of firewood before the eyes of the villagers. On seeing the
appalling sight, some villagers were so frightened and ran away. The troops
shot after them, killing 3 and wounding 1 of the running villagers. The SPDC
soldiers then threatened the Akha villagers that whoever worked as agents for
the Shan soldiers would have to die like their headman. 
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BANGKOK POST: BORDER- ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
29 May, 1999 by Temsak Traisophon and Supamart Kasem

Special economic zone would ease labour shortage
Three districts in northern Tak province heavily reliant on immigrant labour
would be declared a special economic zone under a proposal supported by the
House Committee on Economic Affairs. 
The government would be asked to allow factories in Mae Sot, Phop Phra and Mae
Ramat districts to continue hiring Burmese workers after the Aug 4 deadline,
panel chairman Tripol Johjit said yesterday. Employers would have to ensure
all
foreign labour was registered, fairly paid and provided with accommodation and
food. 

A one-stop service centre would be set up to monitor employment conditions.
The
announcement followed a request from the Tak industrial council. Council
chairman Suchart Visuwan petitioned Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart and
Mr Tripol to reverse the policy barring employment of foreign workers after
August 4. "Tak businesses are losing 25 million baht a day from factories
having to close because of the crackdown on foreign workers," Mr Tripol said.
"I have already talked to the industry minister and the labour minister and
they agree with the proposal to declare the area a special economic zone. "The
Industry Ministry will proceed with the proposal, while the House committee
will be a coordinator," he said. 

Tak has 64 factories which exported merchandise worth 6.33 billion baht during
the 1998-1999 fiscal year. 

This was expected to expand to 100 plants, with exports worth 18.52 billion
baht, in 2000-2001. 

Mr Tripol said an inquiry would determine who ordered last week's arrest of
more than 6,000 illegal foreign workers at garment factories in the four
border
districts. All relevant government agencies had denied issuing the order.
Deputy immigration chief Pol Maj-Gen Charnwut Watcharapuk, who directed the
crackdown, would probably be questioned, he said. 

A police source said Mae Sot police chief Pol Col Suthira Poonnabutr was
transferred to an inactive post at the provincial police headquarters three
days after the arrests, for allegedly not co-operating with the arresting
officers. The assistant chief of Tak's employment office Praphan Wisitchinda
rejected news reports that officials had demanded 600,000 baht a month from
factory owners or they would arrest a total of 20,000 illegal employees. 

Pol Maj Chatri Heabkham of the Mae Sot immigration office denied
allegations he
had been taking bribes from the entrepreneurs. 

He said Mae Sot immigration officers arrested and repatriated 39,232 illegal
Burmese workers last year and sent 9,130 others back home between January and
April this year.

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BANGKOK POST: PLODPRASOP- NO PERMITS FOR LOGS GIVEN
31 May, 1999 

Denies firms got nod for Burmese wood

The forestry chief yesterday denied reports that his department has approved
requests from four timber firms to import a large quantity of processed wood
from Burma via this northen border province.

Such permits would be considered only after applicants agreed to
pre-conditions
set by the Forestry Department, said Plodprasop Suraswadi during his
inspection
trip to Mae Hong Son.

"So far, we have not approved any request for permission to import logs from
Burma. The department will have to study such requests carefully first," he
said.

Mr Plodprasop was responding to reports that four Thai firms had been
permitted
to import more than two million cubic metres of wood from Burma. The firms
were
identified as Sahai Ruamrob Korea Co, Phonpana Co, SA Pharmaceutical Co and
B&F
Goodrich Co.

But Mr Plodprasop admitted he had called a meeting with representatives of the
four firms to discuss their requests.

Only B&F Goodrich did not attend the meeting where the three other firms
accepted the department's pre-conditions for the granting of log import
permits, he said.

One of the pre-conditions was that the wood to be imported must be
inspected by
Thai forestry officials before its transport into Thailand, Mr Plodprasop
said.

The forestry chief yesterday inspected forests near a border pass at Ban Nam
Piang Din. He was accompanied by Third Army commander Lt-Gen Wattanachai
Chaimuenwong, and Col Charnchai Nakprapai, head of the 7th Infantry Regiment's
special task force.
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