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The Nation (r)



igrant Karens under threat on military's order 
PENNAPA HONGTHONG The Nation 
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - Karen villagers forced to re-locate to another
village are under threat because they have been left without food or
shelter, they claim.
About 355 Karen villagers from Baan Suan Thurian in Hua Hin district,
located on the Tanuosri mountain range along the border between Burma and
Thailand, have been evicted from their homes since July 15. 
According to the villagers, the First Royal Army Area's Ninth Infantry
Division, ordered them to relocate to Baan Pa Mag, Pran Buri district,
located some 40 km from their village. 
They claimed that the military listed national security and watershed area
conservation as reasons for the evictions. 
'We were informed that security and watershed conservation were the reasons
why we had to leave. But we do not know now our living in the area has
adversely affected either,' said villager Janjang lan-uppatham. 
Janjang and other villagers have also suffered confusion over the military
definition of the word 'conservation', when they had been allowed to occupy
two rai of forest land per family. 
'We already have farm land in our home village, but in moving here to Baan
Pa Mag, deforestation in order to grow rice is necessary. Is this the
military's way of conserving the forest?" he wondered. 
The migrant villagers are now living on the little food they brought from
their homes and some vegetables they have grown around their small
shelters. The military promised to give 20 thangs of rice (one thang is
equivalent to 20 litres) to " villagers, they said, but only 15 thangs were
distributed. 
'I do not know what happened to the rice we were promised," Janjang added.
'However, the most important point is that the rice we have been given will
soon run out, and we do not know how we can survive in such a bad
situation," he continued, 
The military had allowed the villagers to harvest rice they grew in their
home village, but the villagers said that this crop was useless. 
'If the military do not allow us to remove the grass growing amongst it,
there is then nothing for us to harvest because grass grows faster than
rice,' he said. In addition, the villagers have had to build new shelters. 

Unfortunately, they cannot reach the deep jungle in order to collect bamboo
and bai ka por, a plant species used for roofing, because it is now the

rainy season and local creek waters run very rapidly. 
After two weeks of living in Baan Pa Mag, the villagers are spending their
days in the forest collecting food, while 
nights are endured in houses with only bamboo floors. 
"The military ordered us to finish the houses before they return to
village. I am afraid that we cannot make it," he added 
"Istill wonder why the military moved us as if we were terrorists.
Actually, we are Thais,"
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Burma rejects Amnesty youngest prisoner charge 
Associated Press 
RANGOON - Burma's military regime yesterday denied a report that alleged a
three-year-old girl had been detained to force her father to turn himself
in for reported anti-government activities. 
Amnesty International, the London  based human rights group, described the
girl on Wednesday as "the world's youngest prisoner of conscience "and
urged her immediate release
The government issued a statement yesterday calling many of the detail
untrue, 
But the regime appeared to stop short of denying that the child was In
detention. 
The government categorically rejected the allegation that a three year-old
child has been detained to force her father out of hiding," the statement
said. 
The girl was one of 19 people reportedly detained last week in a move by
authorities to stop an anti -government 

protest  In the central city of Bago, also called Pagu. 
The detentions were first reported by an exiled opposition group, the All
Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABBDF) and taken up by Amnesty
International. 
Eight of those detained were reportedly family members of one activist,
Kyaw Wunna, whom authorities had been unable to catch, 
The detained family rnembers  included his wife Ma Khin Khin Leh, and their
three year-old daughter, Thaint Wunna Khin. 
Amnesty said It feared the child might suffer serious physical and
Psychological damage during this meaningless and cruel ordeal,' 
The government said that some people were called In for questioning in
Bago' because leaflets calling for civil unrest which were printed by the
ABSDF- described as an armed terrorist group - were found hidden at Kyaw
Wunna's house and some other locations. 

-----------------
Girl,3,held but junta denies she is bait for father 

Burma's military regime yesterday denied allegations that a three year old
girl had been detained for five days to force her father to turn himself in
for anti-government activities. 
 .Amnesty international, the London  based human rights group, described the
girl on Wednesday as "the world's youngest prisoner of conscience,,. . 
The government issued a statement yesterday calling many of the details
"untrue" but it appeared to stop short of denying that the child was in
detention 
"The  Government  categorically rejects the allegation that a three-year-
old child has been detained to force her father out of hiding," the
statement said. 
The girl was one of 19 people reportedly detained last week in a move by
authorities to stop an anti-government protest in the central city of Bago,
also. called Pegu. 
The detentions were first reported by an exile opposition group, the All

Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF). 
An Amnesty International official, Donna Guest, said that Amnesty verified
the detentions through non- ABSDF sources. 
Eight of those detained were reportedly family members of one activist,
Kyaw Wunna, whom authorities had been unable to catch. They included his
wife, Ma Khin Khin Leh, and their three-year-old daughter, Thaint Wunna
Khin, who was released yesterday. 
Amnesty said it feared the child1 might suffer serious physical and
psychological damage during "this meaningless and cruel ordeal". 
"Locking up a young child - effectively holding her hostage to force her
father out of hiding - exposes the extent of the Burmese government's
ruthlessness in trying to stamp out political dissent," said Amnesty. 
The junta confirmed "some people were called in for questioning". - AP 

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