MONTHLY
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
TENASSERIM DIVISION
Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen National Union
September 2003
HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES:
FORCED
RELOCATION
KILLING
EXTORTION
LAND CONFISCATION
RESTRACTION
LOOTING
On September 19, 2003, a
20 men troop from the SPDC IB 224 led by Maj. Tun Tun entered Maw Kee IDP site
at Manorone area in the east of Mergui. One child and one adult were shot dead
while the military open fire into the IDP site. The military capture 3 families
(12 people) and sent them to Manorone forced relocation camp.
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On September 20, 2003, a squad of
soldier arrived to the Panwepoklo village, Palaw Township and killed one villager
named Saw Hei Nay 48, son of Saw Beet, without any question. This squad was
arranged by the No.12 military training school head master Col. Tin Myint.
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On September 10, 2003 a
platoon from LIB 408 had shot and killed 3 villagers who are on the bamboo rafts
in Tavoy river. The villagers were shot dead while they are trying to stop their
bamboo raft as the soldiers ordered them to stop for extortion.
The soldiers told that these 3 villagers tried to escape while they were ordered
to stop. In reality the villagers could not stop their raft at the point where
the soldiers ordered them, because of strong current.
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On September 6,2003, there happened
a skirmish between KNLA and SPDC LIB 408 near Law Ther village, Yepyu Township,
Tavoy district. In this fighting 3 SPDC soldiers were killed and the KNLA captured
3 firearms from the SPDC.
After this fighting, on September 7, 2003 a company commander Capt. Kyaw Soe
and his troop from LIB 408 arrived to Law. The village and demanded their arms,
which have lost in the fighting with the KNLA troop on 6.9.2003.
The villagers can't give them because they have no arms. Thus the SPDC Comdr:
Kyaw Soe demanded 500,000 Kyats from that village. He captured the village headman
and one villager after they have consumed 2 pigs and 6 tins of rice. This troop
also took away one motor cycle from a villager. The villagers had collected
20000 kyats from each household to pay for that ransom for the release of their
2 villagers. After receiving the money he had demanded Kyaw Soe released the
2 villagers.
On September 8, 2003 the
same group of this SPDC troop saw a villager named Saw Po Khot near by this
village and accused him as the back bone of the KNLA and prodded him with the
gun barrel and strangled his neck. Capt. Kyaw Soe had warned the village headman
"if there be another fighting like this, the villagers can't stay here
and they would be forcibly relocated to another place. You must remember what
had happened at Eindaraza village in 1996, where the army has killed the villagers."(Note.
In early 1996 the Burmese army LIB 403 captured and killed 10 villagers from
Eindaraza village after they were attacked by the KLNA. Troop). This area is
where the natural gas pipeline passed through.
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On 9, 2003 a villager from
Kyauk Shaat village in Yepyu township, Tavoy district who arrived to Thai side
said, in 1991 the LIB 409 had confiscated his 7.3 acres of cashew nut plantation
without paying any compensation, to built their battalion Head quarters buildings.
Afterwards the battalion's officer allowed their family to collect the yield
by paying 25000 Kyats per year to him. He had paid that amount since from 1991
to 2002 to able collect the crop from his plantation. But in 10/2/2003 while
his family collecting the cashew nut from that plantation the battalion adjutant
Capt. Yan Naing arrived with his followers and told him that he was not allowed
to collect the yield. At the same time U Ba Thein, a former owner of 10 acres
of cashew nut plantation was also banned to collect the yield from his own plantation
which was confiscated by LIB 409 since 1991 without getting any compensation.
There were a lot of plantations which were confiscated by the Burmese army to
build the buildings for their battalions, without paying compensation since
1991. The army officers used to gave a chance to the owners to collect the yield
from their confiscated plantations by demanding money from the owners. But currently
the officers have banned all the owners to collect the yield. Thus most of the
families lost their income and have only one way to get into Thailand and find
the way to earn for their living.
There are 140 households at Kyauk Shaat village. U Than Shein, the chairman
of village PDC ordered the villagers to build sentry post and 3 villagers have
to keep on watching there 24 hours a day. The one who absent has to hire another
villager for 500 Kyat per day to work on his behalf.
The villagers were forced to attend the people militia training from July 2003
to September 2003. If one could not attend this training had to pay 20000 kyats
to hire other villager on his behalf. The Township PDC has ordered the villagers
that those who are at the age between 14 to 40 will have to attend this training.
The village PDC used to force the villagers, who can not pay 20000kyat per year
to them for portering, forced laboring and attending the training, while they
let the villager who could gave 20000 Kyats per year were free from any demanding.
At least 18 villages were ordered by township authority to attend this course
and no one from any village must not absent for this training.
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On September 11, 2003, Kyauk
Shaat village PDC chairman Oo Than Shein, (Yebyu township area0 captured a couple
who came back from Thai side. Than Shein threaten this couple that they will
be imprisoned for 7 years if the military intelligent knew that they have had
entry illegally to Thailand. If they do not want this case to be happened they
will have to pay 40000 Kyats.
According to the information Oo Kyaw Soe and his wife Daw Nin pyu a couple who
came back from Thailand had paid 40000 kyats to this village PDC chairman to
free from MI action.
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On September 6, 2003, Yepyu Township
Peace and Development Council in Tavoy district, have confiscated 5 acres of
plantation owned by U Pai Hla Hsan without paying compensation to build Township
office. U Pai Hla Hsan is a Muslim who lives in Kalain Aung village.
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The real story of
Pa Ga Ye village under military rulling
Interview of a villager from Pa Ga Ye village on 20/9/2003
Pa Ga Ye village located
6 miles, in the east of Tavoy town. There are 400 households in this Burmese
village. Every day two villagers have to go to LIB 402 battalion as stand by
porter since this battalion set up in 1992. Each of them have to take food to
eat, sword and a pack of fire wood along with them when ever they go on their
term to standby as porter.
The villagers have to hire other people by paying 1000 kyat when ever they unable
to go and serve at their term. The one who forgets to take the firewood have
to pay 500 kyat fine to the military. The villagers also have to pay 500 Kyats
to 700 Kyats monthly demanded by village PDC. They called this 'donation for
development fund' to host the arriving authorities. The villagers paid this
money because they afraid they would be punished by the authorities.
Every three months, 10 villagers have to carry food and other supplies to the
border military out post, 50 miles in the east of Tavoy. The village PDC demands
1500 kyats from each household when ever the military demand porters from their
village. The military used to demand them to pay 30000 kyats for a porter. The
villagers who absent to pay porter fee or to serve as porter were imprisoned
by the authorities.
Every Saturday one person each from every household have to go for road side
clearing purpose on Myitta-Tavoy car road without getting any wages and the
one who absent were charged 500 Kyats.
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On September 3, 2003, the SPDC defense
headquarters (Army) ordered the Coastal Region Military Regional Commander to
search for a site to set up the head quarters of a tank and cavalry battalion.
The order included not to mind whether the place own by any person, village
or not.
Currently the Burmese armies have a plan to set up one ' tank and cavalry battalion
' in each military division, which will include 5 companies per battalion.
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On September 18, 2003, the Coastal Region Military Commander Brigadier Gen.
Ohn myint sent the order to all the military units under his command, LID 8/20/13
and No. 1/2/3 strategy command to sweep all the area along the border and IDP
site. He ordered these troops to destroy all the paddy fields and capture all
the IDP who they find in remote areas.
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