[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

report - the Kayin (Karen) State



amnesty international


MYANMAR
THE KAYIN (KAREN) STATE 
MILITARIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

JUNE 1999	SUMMARY	AI INDEX: ASA 16/12/99

DISTR: SC/CO

In February 1999 Amnesty International delegates interviewed dozens of
Karen refugees in Thailand who had fled mostly from Papun, Hpa'an, and
Nyaunglebin Districts in the Kayin State in late 1998 and early 1999.  They
cited several reasons for leaving their homes.  Some had previously been
forced out of their villages by the tatmadaw, or Myanmar army, and had been
hiding in the forest.  Conditions there were poor, as it was almost
impossible for them to farm. They also feared being shot on sight by the
military because they occupied "black areas", where the insurgents were
allegedly active.  Many others fled directly from their home villages in
the face of village burnings, the military's constant demands for forced
labour, looting of food and supplies, and extrajudicial killings. All of
these people were farmers who usually grew small plots of rice on a
semi-subsistence level.

	These human rights violations took place in the context of widespread
counter-insurgency activities against the Karen National Union (KNU), one
of the last remaining armed ethnic minority opposition groups still
fighting State Peace and Development Council (SPDC, Myanmar's military
government).1  Guerrilla fighting between the two groups continues, but the
primary victims are Karen civilians.  Civilians are at risk of torture and
extrajudicial executions at the hands of the military, who appeared to
automatically assume that they supported or were even members of the KNU.
Civilians also become sitting targets for constant demands by the tatmadaw
for forced labour and portering duties.  As one Karen refugee explained to
Amnesty International, "Even though we are civilians, the military treats
us like their enemy." 

	Karen refugees described over two dozen killings of their relatives and
friends which took place in a variety of circumstances from mid-1998 to
February 1999. Extrajudicial executions of Karen civilians by the tatmadaw
typically occur during counter-insurgency activities against the KNU.  The
military  kills civilians if they are hiding in the forest, if they cannot
perform their duties as porters, or if they are suspected of being
supporters of insurgent groups.  Those who are relatives of KNU soldiers
are particularly vulnerable. 


	Most of those Karen refugees interviewed by Amnesty International were
forced by the Burmese military to act as porters for troops or work on
roads and other infrastructure projects.   Although forced labour has
decreased in central Burma, it is still being reported on a  large scale in
the seven ethnic minority states which surround the central Burman plain.
Forced portering is a particularly arduous form of forced labour, and
occurs in areas where the tatmadaw are patrolling the countryside and need
people to carry ammunition, food and other equipment.  Although men are
usually seized for portering duties, Amnesty International interviewed
several Karen women who served as porters.  Porters are beaten if they
cannot keep up with the military column or if they complain about lack of
food and rest periods.

	Another hardship suffered by Karen farmers is forcible relocation, which
the tatmadaw uses as a means of breaking up alleged support or links
between civilians and armed ethnic minority groups.   Such disruption has
caused tens of thousands of internally displaced people to seek refuge
across the border in Thailand.  There are approximately 84,000 Karen
refugees in camps there, and thousands of other displaced Karen civilians
remain on the Myanmar side of border.  Many of the Karen civilians from
Papun District and other areas interviewed by Amnesty International had
been forced off their land by the tatmadaw. Some had been hiding in the
forest, some went to relocation sites, and still others fled to Thailand.
All of these groups have lost their land, homes, and most of their
possessions.


KEYWORDS:
This report summarizes An 18 -page document (7758   words), : MYANMAR: THE
KAYIN (KAREN) STATE - MILITARIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS (AI Index: ASA
16/12/99 ) issued by Amnesty International in JUNE 1999. Anyone wishing
further details or to take action on this issue should consult the full
document.


http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.html