Human
Rights Violation Record |
| Human
Rights Abuses |
MONTHLY
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
TENASSERIM DIVISION
Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen National Union
June 2004
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES:
FORCED
LABOR
TORTURE
RAPE
LOOTING
On
June 23, 2004, the People's Militia from Mhyitchinsu, in Palaw Township,
Mergui district led by Maung K'Lu and five soldiers went to Wathoh Payo
Kwee and asked each house in the village to make 150 strips of bamboo
and stipulated that this bamboo strip must be 3 feet long. On June 26,
2004, the village had to take them to MaungK'Lu's house.
---
On
May 30, 2004, the Burmese army from Light Battalion Infantry No. 558,
led by Lieutenant Soe Aung, based in Theindaw village (Tenassarim Township)
had captured Oo Kyaw Lwin and Oo Kyi Shwe saying that they had contact
with the KNU. These two people were tortured and beaten by Lieutenant
Soe Aung. He then shot Oo Kyi Shwe in the head. This man was taken to
the Tenasserim hospital, but he was dead when he arrived at the hospital.
---
The Burma Army No. 101, Column 1, led by Colonel Maung Lwin Oo, based in Tenasserim Township area. On June 26, 2004, Colonel Maung Lwin Oo, with his troops came to Manoroue village area at Lay Law K'Tei Hkee (the area where villagers were hiding) saw Saw Randy's hut and they shot at it. Saw Randy's wife Naw Aung Thein Me was still in the hut, so she was hit on her hand. The troops entered the hut and raped Naw Aung Thein Me and killed her immediately. They also cut off her ear lobes to take her ear rings. They also took some other things from the hut. It was estimated that the possessions were worth 9,000kyat.
Two groups of the People's Militia from Pawat village mistakenly opened fire at each other in Pawat Plaw Pa Htaw village, in Tenasserim township, Mergui district, during night of June 5, 2004. During their fighting, two villagers were injured by a stray shell. After the accident one of the militants raped a woman in the village.
The
village's headman reported the case to No. 2 Tactical Command office.
After that No.2 Tactical Commanding HQ asked No. 101 Infantry Battalion
to investigate the case. The Commander arrived to the village and asked
Oo Kyaw Win, the leader of those militants, about the rape case but
he didn't reveal any thing. No militant was taken action.
---
Burmese
troops from No. 558 Infantry Battalion, No.1 Column led by Major Hton
Lay Aung and 50 soldiers based in Taket Sweh Plaw. On June 22, 2004,
they came to Wathoo Hta village and looted the house of Maung Mwi. They
took two necklaces and 400,000Kyat cash.
On June 25, 2004, the same troops came to Wathoo Hta village and looted
the shop of Saw Klauk, taking the things in the shop and their food.
These possessions were estimated to be worth 600000kyat. House possessions
worth 100,000kyat were taken from the house of Saw So Pi. Also a boat
generator worth 350,000kyat was taken from Saw Noe Pay.
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According to the SPDC's Ministry of Forestry's Survey Department estimation of population is 1,373,707 in Tenasserim division in 2001. The major ethnic groups are Burman, Karen, Mon, Merguian and Tavoyan. The area is 16735.55 square miles.
The majority of the population makes a living by subsistence agriculture and people in mountainous regions using shifting upland farming techniques. Fishing and hunting supplement villagers' diets. To the west in Kaserdoh township there are large gardens of betel nuts plantations. To the south in Ta Naw The Ri or Tenasserim township there are rubber and oil palm plantations. All large oil palm plantations are in the hands of the government and foreign companies or multi-national companies. In general, agriculture is backward and transport are very difficult.
The northernmost township of Lerdohsoe is the site of the Yadana gas pipeline. Villagers here were relocated to make way for the natural gas pipeline project and to make the area secure. Due to the gas pipeline and other infrastructure project in the area, the Burma army strength in the district has been steadily built up from four battalions in mid 1991 to 29 by 1997.
Displacement by mass forced relocation program started from the construction of Yadada gas pipeline, and followed by a massive relocation exercise in late 1996, which was thought to be due to the consolidation of the area by the new Coastal Regional Command, took place around the Mergui/Palaw area.
The combination of the gas pipeline, the various road projects, lignite and tin mines, the oil palm plantations and the fishing and tourism opportunities in the Mergui archipelago make this region very attractive to the SPDC to secure and develop for their own.
In 1997 Burmese troops made and offensive against the KNU's Mergui-Tavoy District HQ in the east of the division on the Thai-Burmese border and overran it and occupied some parts of the district.
According to Committee for Internally Displaced Karen Peope's Mergui-Tavoy district, 122 Karen villages were destroyed, 86 were forcibly relocated while 31 villages remain unaffected by forced relocation program or Burmese troop's offensive. After 1997, 74 percent of Karen populations are in forced relocation sites, 9 percent are hiding in the jungle as internally displaced people while 17 percent become refugees and as externally displaced people or illegal immigrants in Thai villages on the border.
Human rights abuses are systematically carry out by the Burma army against the Karen population and other ethnic groups or civilian for decades and so far. Notably extra judicial killing, torture, forced labour, forced portering, forced relocation, extortion, rape, destruction of properties, land confiscation, culture/literature oppressions and other etc.