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SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- FEBRUARY 2003

ข้อมูลจาก Shan Human Rights Foundation  

COMMENTRY

Forced labour, a practice which has been and is still being widely and systematically used by the Burmese military, has been on the international agenda for some years now, and has resulted in Burma accepting the presence of ILO's Liaison Officers.

However, there has so far been little change in practical terms, especially in the rural areas of Shan State, where members of the Burmese military are attempting to cover up and black out the information about their mistreatment of the people with threats and intimidations. (see story # 8)

In this newsletter, there are a number of instances of forced labour still being widely and systematically used by the SPDC troops in several townships in Shan State. In Kun-Hing and Murng-Nai township, people are being used en masse in constructing roads and cultivating crops for the military, and in Murng-Sart township people still have to attend to the daily chores of the SPDC troops in the area.

In conclusion, with an army which exists just for its own interest; which sees the people it is supposed to be protecting as its enemies; which has a long tradition of using the forced labour of and foraging off the local populations; which is intransigently increasing its strength simply to hold on to power but without the means to support itself; forced labour and various other human rights abuses will continue to occur.

4 RETURNING REFUGEES ROBBED, SHOT AND DUMPED INTO THE SALWEEN RIVER NEAR PROPOSED DAM SITE IN MURNG-TON

On 28 December 2002, 4 refugees who were returning from Thailand were robbed, shot dead and dumped into the Salween river by SPDC troops from LIB519 somewhere north of Saa Laa village river crossing point in Murng-Ton township.

The 4 victims were originally from the Kaeng Kham area of Kun-Hing township in central Shan State. They had been forcibly displaced by the mass forced relocation program carried out in 1996 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops, and they had later sought refuge in Thailand up until recently when they tried to return to their original places. They were:

1. Zaai Wan-Na (m), aged 37
2. Zaai Non (m), aged 31
3. Lung In-Ta (m), aged 47
4. Naang Non Zing (f), aged 30

On the said day, they reached Saa Laa village and from there they hired a boat and went up the Salween river towards Pa Lao village. But before they reached Pa Lao village, they met a boat with SPDC troops from LIB519 on board near a place called Tang Seng, where there is a proposed dam site.

The SPDC troops stopped the villagers' boat and searched the passengers. When they found some money and gold ornaments of the villagers, the troops asked where they were going and told the boatman to leave them and return, saying that since they would later also go to Pa Lao village they could take the passengers there. As the boatman left, before long he heard 3-4 gunshots from the direction of the SPDC troops.

On the morning of 30 December 2002, villagers of Saa Laa village found the floating bodies of the said 4 victims stranded at their village river port.

DISPLACED FARMERS SHOT DEAD AT THEIR REMOTE POTATO FARM IN NAM-ZARNG

On 21 December 2003, 4 displaced farmers who were staying overnight to harvest potato at a remote farm in Nam-Zarng township were shot dead by a group of SPDC troops from IB247.

The 4 farmers were all originally from Kung Ai village in Loi La village tract, Nam-Zarng township, which had been forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Nam-Zarng town in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops. They were:

1. Lung Mon (m), aged 49
2. Zaai Nawt (m), aged 37
3. Zaai Mu-Lin (m), aged 36
4. Lung Wa-Lin (m), aged 40

These farmers had been staying and harvesting potato with their families at a farm at their old village, Kung Ai (relocated). After some days, their families returned to Nam-Zarng town with some harvested potato, leaving 4 of them to continue digging the potato since the harvesting had not been completed.

Two days after the families of the said farmers returned home, an SPDC soldier from IB66 came and enquired whether farmers who had gone to harvest potato had returned because he wanted to buy newly harvested potato. The families then told the soldier that only 4 farmers were left at the farm to continue the harvest.

These 4 farmers were later shot dead by a patrol of SPDC troops from IB247 in the farm hut at their potato farm. One of these troops, who then peddled the potatos which they had probably looted from the farm, later told the villagers that they had shot dead 4 rebels who came to stay at a potato farm after the owners had harvested and left it.

When their families returned to the farm to gather more potato, all they found in the hut were the dead bodies of the 4 farmers which had been shot dead.

 

2 DISPLACED FARMERS KILLED AND DUMPED INTO THE SALWEEN RIVER IN MURNG-PAENG

In early December 2002, 2 traveling displaced farmers were arrested, detained and later killed and dumped into the Salween river by SPDC troops from LIBH524 at Ta Saai river crossing point in Murng Pu Long village tract, Murng-Paeng township.

The said 2 displaced farmers, Lung Kan-Tha (m), aged 47 and Zaai Ku (m), aged 31, were originally from Kaeng Hin village which had been forcibly relocated to Murng Pu Long village relocation site in 1997 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.

On 30 November 2002, these 2 farmers were returning from their remote farm somewhere on the bank of the Salween river and were arrested by SPDC troops from LIB524 who were taking security at Ta Saai river crossing, and detained in the military camp there. Since then, the farmers disappeared.

On 4 December 2002, a relative from Murng Pu Long village, who was looking for the 2 farmers found their dead bodies floating at the river port of Huay Pa Lao village some miles downstream of Ta Saai river crossing.

The said relative later made some enquiries and was told by some woodcutters near Ta Saai river crossing that the 2 farmers were beaten to death and dumped into the Salween river by the SPDC troops 2-3 days ago.

 
 

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