KHRG Report: Photo Evidence of SLOR

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Subject: KHRG Report: Photo Evidence of SLORC Murder in Thaton District

Status: R


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      AN INDEPENDENT REPORT BY THE KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP

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        PHOTO_EVIDENCE_OF_SLORC_MURDER_IN_THATON_DISTRICT
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                           May 1, 1993
Filename: may1_93.fot


The enclosed photo (No. C-1) was taken in Thaton District, Karen
State, at the beginning of March 1993.  It shows the remains of Pa
Boe, a Karen farmer about 30 years old from Mya Lay village.  About
the end of January 1993 SLORC troops approached Mya Lay village and
the villagers all fled.  However, Pa Boe was caught and taken as a
porter.  When the villagers returned and Pa Boe remained missing,
the village headman went and found the soldiers to plead for Pa
Boe's freedom, but the soldiers refused, saying only, "No way". 
Several days later a villager came who had been a porter with Pa
Boe, and said that he had seen the soldiers torturing Pa Boe very
severely, and that the other porters hadn't seen him after that. 
He said the soldiers had falsely accused Pa Boe of being a Karen
soldier, though he was a civilian farmer.

No further news was heard of Pa Boe.  A month later, the villagers
found his remains in the forest near Htee Si Baw village, and this
photo was taken shortly thereafter.  The remains were half buried
and partly scattered, and had clearly been there about a month. 
When the villagers pulled the large rope from the ground, both
hands came up.  They then pulled the small rope, and the head
appeared, wrapped in a sarong.  From this and the positioning of
the remains, it appears that he was tied up around the hands and
neck and died during torture.  Two big poles were lying beside the
remains, and these were likely used in the torture.

Photo C-2 shows Pa Boe's remaining family: his father, his wife,
age 30, and his 3 children.  The house in the right background is
their home.  At the time of his murder, Pa Boe's wife was almost 8
months pregnant.  In the photo she is 9 months pregnant.

The villagers held a funeral for Pa Boe and cremated his remains.