URGENT INORMATION RELEASE
KNU Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department
12.8.99


Follow-up Information for
"SLAUGHTERED OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN TENASSERIM DIVISION"

SITUATION CONCERNING THE SPDC's OPERATION AND SLAUGHTERING OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED KAREN PEOPLE.

SPDC troop released order to the villagers at Ta Po Hki, Kawei, Hpway Plaw and its surrounding to go back to forced relocation camp at Ta Po Hta, but the villagers dare not go back because those who went to relocation camp has to give porter fees or has to serve as military porters. The villagers who fled to Tatmoo are those who live on their upon daily works. Most of the people who were killed are those who went to live at relocation camp and came back to their plantation to gather their crops to earn some money. They took along with them the recommandation pass from Relocation Camp SPDC administrator. The troop did not look at those recommendation pass issued by the SPDC administrator and otherwise killed them on the spot.

SPDC troop think that these people are related to Karen rebel in some ways.

The fleeing people who arrived to Tatmoo village according to 11.8.99 information were as follow.

 

Sr. No.
Village
Household
Adult 
Children 
Population
F
M
F
M
1 Kawei, Hpway Plaw
49
121
132
22
20
195
2 Ta Hpo Hki
107
194
104
36
50
91
3 Ta Nay Ler Hko
18
46
35
5
5
91
TOTAL
174
361
371
63
75
870

Those who were captured by SPDC troops have to serve as porter and or servants and it include many women and children. Most of the men were fully tortured and killed. The captured women have to pound rice, look after the confiscated cattle in the daytime for the military and as masseuses for the officers at nights and were raped. Men have to prepare the land for military rice plantation.

There still a lot of disappeared people and the exact numbers are still unknown.

The numbers of cattle looted by SPDC troops are still rising. According to 11.8.99 information the following cattle were looted by SPDC's troop

Sr.No
Village
Owner
Bullocks
Cow and calf
Buffalo
1
Kawei
Saw Dah Klaw
6
4
2
2
Kawei
Saw Baw
3
18
3
Kawei
Saw Aye Kyaw
1
4
Kawei
Saw Pee
1
5
Kawei
Htun Yin
1
18

 

The SPDC's troops have destroyed the following rice plantations own by the villagers by letting the confiscated cattle graze in the plantation.

Sr.No
Village
Owner
Land area
Kind of Plantation
1
Ta Hpo Hki
Saw Dah Shi
12 acre
Upland rice plantation
2
Kawei
Saw Kei Kaw
10 acre
Upland rice plantation
3
Kawei
Saw Chit Lay
10 acre
Paddy field
4
Kawei
Saw Pann Yine
20 acre
Paddy field
5
Kawei
Saw Hpo Day
7 acre
Paddy Field
6
Kawei
Saw Hpaw Lah
10 acre
Upland rice plantation
7
Kawei
Saw Dah Kyaw
12 acre
Upland rice plantation

 

People still dare not search the destroyed rice barns (store). They use to hide their barns under thickets to avoid search and destroy operation used to launch by SPDC's troop. Some destroyed rice barns caused by those troop were seen as fall and spreading under the rain.

People have seen 13 corpses according to 11.8.99 information but cannot identify who they are because those are already decayed and deform.