MONTHLY
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
TENASSERIM DIVISION
Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen National Union
October 2003
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES:
EXTORTION
LOOTING
FORCED RELOCATION
FORCED LABOUR
BURNING
MILITARY:
Military economic
SPDC military enforcement
Interview
of a farmer from Chaung Wabyin village (Theyetchaung Township)
On September 19, 2003 State
Peace and Development Council's (SPDC) troop No.265 Infantry Battalion (IB)
led by Lt. Thura Tin Soe Aung demanded 55 fowls and 50,700 bamboo spikes from
Anine Village, Mergui Township, Tenasserim division. The communities were also
forced to plant 1500 oil palms for the military plantation. This year these
farmers were ordered to pay 6 baskets of paddy rice per acre of rice plantation.
But military officer demanded them to pay in cash which cost 10000 kyat per
household. Total 430,000 kyat for the whole community.
---
On September 19, 2003 the
SPDC No.25 IB led by Maj. Nyut Sein arrived to Nyaung Chaung Wa village and
took one pig which priced 25000 kyat, alcohol (10,000 in cash) and other food
in the village. The village headman had demanded 4000 kyat from each house to
cover the expenses that they had to feed the military. Nyaung Chaung Wa (Htee
Klerhta) village situated about 45 miles in the northeast of Tavoy, and it has
20 houses.
---
On 11 October 2003, Battalion
Comdr. Lt. Col. Khin Maung Aye from No. 280 IB near Palauk in Palaw township
Mergui district demanded money from nearby villages what he named it "Land
tax" to those whoever owned land. His taxation was 5,000 kyat per acre
and if there were people who do not pay, all his land would be confiscated,
warned that commander.
---
In the month of October,
No.12 Divisional Military Training Centre's Comdr. Lt. Col. Tin Myint demanded
7 feet long readymade roofing sheet (weaved palm leaves) from Pyicha, Myitchinzu,
Lerhpadoh, Kataungni, Wagon, Maw Kakle and Pasaw Oak villages. Each village
must send 100 roofing sheets plus 500 betel nut seeds to his training centre
office. This Comdr. also demanded "Crop tax" from Pasaw Oak and Panwehpoklo
villages which cost the two communities 700,000 kyat for betel nut tax and 200,000
kyat for cashew nut tax.
---
On 2 October 2003, SPDC's
"Entertainment Troop" arrived to Palaw town. For the arrival of that
Entertainment Troop, SPDC's chairman from Palaw township demanded 10000 kyat
each from Kanetheyla, Pawkato and Kema villages and to send it to his township
office in time.
---
On 28 October 2003 Light
Infantry Division (LID) 20's Tactical Comdr. Col. Tin Maung Oo summoned Tarawat
Hta village (In the Tenasserim Riverside) headman to his frontline HQ and demanded
100 rattans from each household and the people must send to him on 31 October
without absent. If there were any delay the village headman would be put into
his confinement for 28 days.
---
The political activities of SPDC
On September 24, 2003 Maj. Mya Win, the director of artillery from Rangoon headquarters arrived to Tavoy town. He organized all the families from Artillery Battalion No.302, 304, 307 and conducted the demonstration to express they are supporting 7 steps road map, set up by Prime Minister Khin Nyunt.
Continuously on 25 September,
this military officer went to Mergui and conducted another demonstration with
Artillery Battalion No. 301, 201, 309, 306, 501 and 401 to show they agree upon
with 7-steps road map.
---
On September 28, 2003 Coastal
Region Military Command's Commander Own Myint ordered the people in Mergui district,
to assembled in Mergui's Mya Aeya football ground, for demonstration to show
that they are supporting the 7-steps road map, that was announced by Khin Nyunt,
the Prime minister of SPDC.
That commander mentioned that each household must send 2 people and if not will
be charged 500 kyat for the absent number.
---
On 28 September 2003 the
police supreme headquarters from Rangoon ordered the whole country's police
stations that they must investigate the places where the15th anniversary of
NLD had been celebrated and to report who have been attended and who served
as facilitators.
---
On 19 September 2003 a section (about 10 men) from No.25 IB arrived to Htee Klerhta village about 45 miles in the northeast of Tavoy. They accused a couple (Saw Baw and Naw Lah Po) as if they were KNU backbone and looted away whatever they saw from the couple's house which worth 30,000 Thai baht and 120,000 Burmese Kyat. While the soldiers were randomly looting their belongings in their house, the couple fled away in fear and escaped. Now they are hiding in the jungle and dare not to go back to their village for fearing of the SPDC's troops.
To control the cattle trading in the area, the Coastal Region Military Commander had order its ten township chairmen that
1. To summon all the cattle
owners to the township headquarters with the list of the cattle they own and
register each cattle and take1000 kyat per head as registration fee.
2. If the cattle lost the owner must inform to the related township office within
7 days. If they absent to report, the office must charge 2000 kyat per head
as punishment.
3. The owner have to sign on agreement paper that, if they want to hire or sell
their cattle to the other person or want to move their cattle to another location,
they must take permission paper from the nearest police station. The fee of
a permission paper must be 500 kyat. If the cattle were found without permission
paper it will be regarded as the cattle without owner and will be seized by
the government.
On 26 September 2003, Coastal
Region Military Command (CRMC) No. 3 Strategic Commander Col. Kyaw Zwa came
and set up his frontline HQ at Myitta area 35 miles in the east of Tavoy. He
has decided and set up his frontline HQ at Kameik village 6 miles in the north
of Myitta village and he forced out all the Kameik villagers to move to the
edge of Klerhpu village. According to one of the Klerhpu villagers, the Commander
did not allow the people to take along with them the housing materials. The
people had to collect bamboo from the nearby forest and built their new houses
at the new site.
In 1997 February the SPDC troops have launched a major offensive to KNU's Mergui/Tavoy
district headquarters. The SPDC's troops accused Karen population in the area
as the backbone of KNU and had been forcibly relocated Kameik village as it
did to other Karen villages in the eastern areas of Tavoy. Since that time about
40 households from Kameik village were relocated to a place two miles in the
west of Klerhpu village. In 2000-2001, 20 families among these villagers with
about 100 people fled to Thai-Burma border as they could not stand various kinds
of oppressions. The Kameik village left only 20 households.
So far these people were not allowed to go back and tend their orchard plantations around their deserted village. The people are facing unemployed and difficulties in their daily lives. Most of them have to work as wages earners, and work as cattle traders to Thai-Burma border market.
They also have to serve
as military porters every three months. Their boats were forced to transport
military supplies once a month in rainy season, they have to serve as people
militia 3 months per year. Every month the SPDC's village headman demanded them
500-1000 kyat to feed the arriving SPDC troops. Those who unable to serve in
forced labour duty has to hire a person on his behalf and those who had no money
to pay for various extortions were forced to serve as military porter to the
frontline.
---
On 20 October 2003 the SPDC
military officer forced the people from Pyicha, Myitchinzu, Lerhpadoh, Wagon,
Mawkakle, Kataungni and Pasaw O village, which situated 50 miles in the south
of Tavoy to work as domestic labours. The people were forced to work at No.
280 IB, No. 12 Divisional Military Training Center, and No. 309 Artillery Battalion
HQ. Each village was ordered to send 30 people every week on one-day duty.
---
On 3 November 2003, No.
1 Strategic Command's Comdr. Col. Soe Thet ordered people along the Tenasserim
river valley in Taninthayi Township to clear the roadside between Taninthayi
and Theindaw. As the locals are facing food problem at this season, they requested
the Comdr. to let them free to search for food for their families. But, the
Comdr. said no one must avoid his order.
---
On 12 October 2003 a 30
men troop from SPDC's LIB 432 which was led by Maj. Htun Htun arrived to Manorone
up stream and burnt down 2 internally displaced people's houses and 30 basket
of rice which belong to Naw Na Moo and Saw Klishaw. In their return they called
along with them Naw Aye Myint and her two children, and Hpati Htun Thein and
then tied them in Htee Nya Ou village monastery compound. Manorone is a relocated
village about 35 miles in the southeast of Mergui town.
---
MILITARY
On 9 October 2003, No. 280
IB Comdr. Lt. Col. Khin Maung Aye ordered all the villages along Tavoy-Mergui
car-road in Palaw township to attend "people militia" training. The
more populated villages must be sent 30 people and the smaller villages 15 people
respectively. The communities requested to reduce the number of demanded attendants
but in vain. The training will be held at Chaw Htoe village in Palaw Township.
---
On 29 September 2003, Sergeant
Lwin Myo Aung from No. 559 LIB who was assigned to Pawa village area in Bokpyin
township was drunk at midnight. Though he was drunk he ordered a militiaman
Naing Win from Lethiet to go and search for more whisky for him. Naing Win told
him that it is too late and the shops were closed. The sergeant told him that
he did not obey the order and hit him on the face. The fist landed on Naing
Win's right eye and the eye ball broken. For this Lethiet's militia leader Than
Aye reported the case to No. 1 Tactical Command Comdr. and requested to detach
him from Lwin Myo Aung command.
---
In Coastal Region Military Command, the military officers have planned to lend the money to their military units to invest in business to assure the military stability. On September 22, the Regional Commander informed the military units under his control that 30 million kyat could be lent to any division and 20 million to Strategic Command and Tactical Command.
The Coastal Region Military
Command headquarters has had joint share with fishery companies and trading
companies at the amount of 25 million and they will profit 750000 per month,
the source said. They also have a share with U than Aung who is operating betel
nut trading and cashew nut milling, they would get 200,000 kyat profit each
month.
---
On September 9, 2003, Light Infantry Division 13's Tactical Commander Lt. Col. Tin Maung Win led the opening ceremony of 3/2003 military-training course at Mergui district, Tenasserim high school. In this training there were 31 trainees from various departments, 637 from ordinary civilian and ten from military families. There were 678 trainees and the duration will be one month. Currently the military forced the civilians to attend the military training courses.
In the morning of September
29 2003, vice chairman of Kawthaung district, Col. Kyaw Soe led the opening
ceremony of No.3/2003 military basic training course at Kawthaung. In this training
there were 625 trainees. 96 were from various departments, 250 from Union Solidarity
and Development Association (USDA) members and 279 from civilians, the duration
of this training will be one month.
---
Interview of a farmer from Chaung Wabyin village (Theyetchaung Township)
14.10.2003
A man from Chaung Wabyin village in Theyetchaung Township, Tavoy district, Tenasserim division who arrived to Thai-Burma border on 14 October 2003 said that he and other villagers who live on "mangrove palm" plantations have to pay heavy taxes to SPDC's township authorities every year.
From mangrove palm the villagers produce raw sugar and roofing leaves. For their product they have to pay 2 tins of raw sugar per 100 bunches of "palm bud" from which they collect the palm sap, they have to pay 10 sheets of finished roofing material from every 100 sheets they have produced. More over they have to pay 1000 kyat per acre per year as land tax for their mangrove palm plantations through the village authority without fail on every yearend.
Every year Theyetchaung township authorities had informed them to pay for necessary taxes for their livelihood. They were warned by the authorities that who fail to pay would be suspended from their rights to work on their plantation; their plantations would be confiscated, and will be sold out to those who could pay the maximum price.
Since from the years of Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP military government era) every farmers who work on any kind of land or plantation had only rights to work and do not had the rights to own the land they are working in or given by their ancestors. The authorities used to confiscated any kind of land or plantation, the owner will never get any compensation. Even the house in the plantation was taken said that Chaung Wabyin villager who lost his and house.
At Chaung Wabyin village the authorities do not demand military porters for two years. Before they had demanded forced porters every month to transport military supplies to the military outposts on Thai-Burma border. But since from the last two year and up to now they demanded only twice a year, one time at the early rainy season and one time at the early dry season. As Chaung Wabyin village has about 450 households they demanded 200 persons per trip. People who fail to participate in his turn have to hire other person on his behalf by paying 20,000 kyat for 7 days trip.
Chaung Wabyin village authorities have collected 100 kyat from each household for Pyi Thu Sit (SPDC's people militia) fund. They also collected 100 kyat for the village authorities traveling expenditure, 100 kyat for village development fund, and 100 kyat to host arriving officers-every month. The villagers had to pay it as compulsory duty.
This man said that he come
to see his son and daughter who are working inside Thailand to ask for some
money to buy rice and other necessary food stuff for his family who remained
along with him in the village.
---