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BurmaNet News: November 27-28, 1994






************************** BurmaNet ************************** 
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
************************************************************** 
BurmaNet News: Monday-Tuesday, November 27-28 1994
Issue #73

************************************************************** 
Contents:

NATION: UNHCR SAYS ALL ROHINGYAS TO RETURN HOME BY NEXT YEAR
BKK POST: CHINA GIVES BURMA $40M INTEREST-FREE LOAN
BKK POST: BURMESE JUNTA REJECTS FORCED LABOUR CHARGES
NATION: NEW LEADER TAKES CHARGE OF KACHIN RESISTANCE GROUP
RSF: NUMBER OF BURMESE JOURNALISTS IN PRISON
REUTERS: OVER 56,000 RUN IN BURMA'S WEEKEND MARATHONS 
KRC: KAREN REFUGEE COMMITTEE MONTHLY REPORT
UNGA: HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS  AND 
          REPORTS OF SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS AND REPRESENTATIVES 

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************************************************************** 
NATION: UNHCR SAYS ALL ROHINGYAS TO RETURN HOME BY NEXT YEAR
November 28, 1994

Cox's Bazar - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
has said all of the estimated 150,000 Burmese Muslim refugees
still in Bangladeshi border camps will return home by the end
of next year.

Their return was to have been completed by next June but the
coming monsoon and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Feb-
ruary will almost certainly push the date back, an official
said on Saturday.

"The repatriation now seems likely to be over by December of
next year," said Stefano Savere, UNHCR mission chief in Cox's
Bazar, temporary home for the Burmese.

He said the repatriation was proceeding smoothly. "We are sat-
isfied with the cooperation from Bangladesh and Burma."
More than 112,000 Burmese Muslims, knows as Rohingyas, have
gone home since September 1992, government officials said.
This left about 150,000 refugees in 18 camps, mostly along the
Bangladesh Burma border.

The Rohingyas fled from west Burma's Muslim-majority Arakan
state in early 1992 to escape persecution by the Burmese army.
On average, 20,000 Rohingyas return home each month under
UNHCR supervision, officials said.

Agence France-Presse adds from Dhaka: Bangladesh Home Minister
Abdul Matin Chowdhury will pay a four-day official visit to
Burma beginning Dec 1, official source said on Saturday.
Chowdhury is expected to sign an agreement with his Burmese
counterpart on bilateral cooperation in checking drug
trafficking during the visit.

The accord aims at plugging the production and smuggling of
drugs from the "Golden Triangle" bordering Burma, Thailand and
Laos. (TN)


************************************************************** 
BKK POST: CHINA GIVES BURMA $40M INTEREST-FREE LOAN

A chinese cooperative is to give Burma a $40-million, inter-
est-free laon to buy ships, Burma's state-run media reported
yesterday.
The Yunnan Machinery Import and Export Cooperative signed the
agreement on Saturday with the inland Water Transportation
Ministry, the reports said.
The money is to be used to buy 30 vessels, 23 to be built in
the China and the rest in Burma. (BP) 

************************************************************** 
BKK POST: BURMESE JUNTA REJECTS FORCED LABOUR CHARGES
November 27, 1994

The Burmese military government has denied that it forces ci-
vilians to work against their will, citing what it calls a
tradition of local people giving their services voluntarily
for the benefit of the country.
Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, military intelligence chief, told a
teachers' meeting in Rangoon on Friday that "unscrupulous
elements and some terrorist groups" were circulating false
reports alleging forced labour.
Such reports were calculated to mislead people who had not
been to Burma and were not familiar with its customs and
traditions, Burmese television quoted Khin Nyunt as saying.
A United Nations human rights rapporteur who visited Burma
from November to 16 reported continuing human rights abuses.
Japanese Professor Yozo Yokota said that though there were
signs of some improvement, many civil and political rights
were still restricted.
"Particularly, the right to life, liberty and security of
person, freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, peaceful
assembly and association are widely ignored and seriously
violated, especially in connection with forced labour
including portering, force relocation, and political
activities including activities related to political parties
and the Nations Convention," Yokota said.
Yokota opened a new section of railway line west of Irrawaddy
and also visited a railway construction site linking the towns
of Ye and Tavoy in the southeast. Some refugees arriving on
the Thai-Burmese border have conmplained that the Ye-Tavoy
line was being built with forced labour.
Yokota, who said he would compile a full report to the UN
Commission on Human Rights, said evidence he had collected
showed there were still cases of torture, arbitrary killings,
rapes, disappearances and confiscation of private property.
(BP) 


************************************************************** 
BKK POST: LETTERS-KNU STATEMENT ON HOLDING TALKS WITH THE SLORC
November 28, 1994

Sir: together with its alliances and forces for peace at home
and abroad, the KNU has been endeavouring to establish genuine
internal peace by calling for the solving of the political
problems of the country by political means. With this basic
stand, The KNU has made the effort to initiate talks and
create an amicable start between itself and the Slorc.
Accordingly, arrangements were made with the Slorc military
attache to Thailand, Col Thein Shwe, for the meeting of KNU
and Slorc to take place at the Slorc embassy in Thailand. At
first, the Slorc give the appearance of assent but,
subsequently, as the Slorc hierarchy disapproved, the
arrangements for the meeting of advance delegations of the two
sides had to be cancelled.
Then again discussions were made Col Thein Shwe on the plan
for the KNU advance delegation to begin talks with the Slorc
authorities in Rangoon in the present of UN representatives
serving as witness.
However, according to the reply made through Col Thein Shwe on
November 11, 1994, the Slorc authorities rejected the
participation of UN representatives. They also said that the
KNU advance delegation was to meet only with the head of
Southeast Military Command, Gen Ket Sein, in Moulmein, and not
in the capital city, Rangoon.
In connection with the above matter, the KNU would like to
clarify to its allies, to the Slorc and the forces for peace
at home and abroad, as follows:
1. As the establishment of genuine peace is a political
question of the magnitude encompassing the whole country,
consultation and disposition of top leaders of the two sides
is necessary. An attitude of openness, honesty and quality is
also essential. The KNU is entirely not responsible for the
failure, up to this day, of the advance delegations of the two
sides to meet.
2. In the establishment of genuine internal peace, seriousness
in the disposition of mind is indispensable. Peace cannot be
established without it. In conclusion, the KNU would like to
state that it will continue to endeavour for the holding of
talks with a steady and honest disposition, and with the
objective of establishing s genuine and lasting peace in the
whole country. (BP)  


************************************************************** 
NATION: NEW LEADER TAKES CHARGE OF KACHIN RESISTANCE GROUP
November 27, 1994

Burma's Kachin Independence Organizatin (KIO) has named acting
chairman Maj Gen Zau Mai to succed its late leader Brang Seng,
who passed away in August after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
The appointment, announced officially on Thursday night, was
no surprise for Burma watchers who had expected that Zau Mai,
acting KIO chairman since Brang Seng suffered the first of two
strokes in October 1993, would eventually assume leadership of
the armed ethnic resistance group. "The KIO has a collective
leadership structure and a clear line of command, so we had
been expecting for some time now that Zau Mai would succeed to
the leadership," commented a Thai official who has been
monitoring the activities of ethnic groups engaged in an
ongoing armed struggle with the Burmese government.
Zau Mai, who is currently chief of staff of the Kachin
Independence Army, was also elected prisident of the Kachin
Independence Council - the legislative arm of the Kachin
resistance movement - at a special meeting of the 17-member
central committee earlier this month. The 58-year-old general
is the first person to hold all three top posts in the KIO
(military administrative and legislative) at the same time.
Zawng Hra, the KIO's outgoing general secretary, was elected
vice chairman of the movement. He will be replaced as general
secretary by Col Zau Seng, who currently serves as chief KIO
representative to Thailand and India. Brigadiers Tu Jai and
Zau Ing remain as vice president and vice chief of staff
respectively.
Born in July 1938 in Sumprabum, Zawng Hra graduated from
Rangoon University with a BA degree in 1960. He joined the KIO
in 1963 and has been mainly involved in directing the KIO
administration. Col Zau Seng, the KIO's new general secretary
was born on May 21, 1942 in Myitkyina. Immediately after his
graduation from Rangoon University, he joined the Kachin
Independence Army and rose through the ranks to his present
post.

Reuters adds:  The Burmese military government has denied that
it forces civilians to work against their will, citing what it
calls a tradition of local people giving their services
voluntarily for the benefit of the country.
Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, military intelligence chief, told a
teachers' meeting in Rangoon on Friday that "unscrupulous
elements and some terrorist groups" were circulating false
reports alleging forced labour. Such reports were calculated
to mislead people who had not been to Burma and were not
familiar with its customs and traditions, Burmese television
quoted Khin Nyunt as saying.
Burma's rebel groups are drafting a parallel constitution in
opposition to the constitution being drafted by the ruling
junta, a senior official of the anti-military umbrella group
said yesterday. At the "Seminar on the Constitution of the
Union of Burma" held in rebel-held territory inaccessible to
the Burmese army, more than 200 delegates from 41 groups
unanimously proposed a federal system of government to be
adopted in the constitution, said Tin Maung Win, second vice
chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB). (TN)       
       
************************************************************** 
REUTERS: OVER 56,000 RUN IN BURMA'S WEEKEND MARATHONS 

    RANGOON, Nov 27 (Reuter) - More than 56,000 people took part
in Burma's biggest marathon event on Saturday, according to media
reports on Sunday.     

 Organisers staged a marathon and half-marathon, an eight-mile
(13 km) race, a wheelchair race of 13 miles (21 km), and a relay
of 36 miles (58 km). 

    Among the prizes were $10,200 in cash, a Korean-made car and
refrigerators. Rangoon held its first marathon five years ago.  
REUTER 

 Transmitted: 94-11-27 05:30:24 EST ***************** 

************************************************************** 
RSF: NUMBER OF BURMESE JOURNALISTS IN PRISON
QUARTERLY DIGEST No. 9 - OCTOBER 1994
Reporters Sans Frontieres

Worldwide Survey

Since the beginning of 1994, at least 73 journalists have been
killed and at least 140 others have been held in prison (latest
figures - 30 September 1994)

Journalists in Prison

Myanmar (Burma): 7

Source: Reporters Sans Frontieres

************************************************************** 
KRC: KAREN REFUGEE COMMITTEE MONTHLY REPORT
OCTOBER 1994


After more than six long months of cloudy weather and
intermittent 
spells of heavy rain, the sky got clearer by the end of October.
A cold north wind that now blows across the land signals the
arrival of the cold season.

In the camps, life goes on as usual. The refugees are provided
with the most basic items of need and also with basic health
care. They struggleon their part from day to day to acquire those
other items of need that are not provided.

The situation in general continues to be quiet but in certain
areas of Burma and quite close to the border in some cases,
civilians are still severely affected by war and its terrible
consequences. They are living in fear and in uncertainty. There
are confirmed reports of arrests, beatings and detention of
innocent villagers. 

Order for relocation had been given to residents of some villages
a bit distant from the Kaw Ka Reik-Myawaddy highway. The
villagers 
managed to get permission to stay on in their respective villages
at least until the end of rice harvest time.

           NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN CAMPS

     MAE SOT AREA   NORTH     

     1 Wang Ka      11 Kler Thay Lu
     2 Don Pa Kiang      12 Mae Po Hta
     3 Mae La       13 Mae Paw Moo Hta
     4 Kamaw Law Kho     14 Ka Htee Hta
     5 Kler Kho          15 Wei Gyi
     6 Sho Klo
     7 Mae Sa Lit        SOUTH
     8 Mae Ta Waw        
     9 Maw Ker      16 Per Kler
     10 Klay Mo Hta      17 Pang Sa Nok
                    18 Nat In Daung

______________________________________________________
Camp:     No. Of       Over-12 Years     5-12 Years    Under
5    Years    
     Families:   M: F:   M:   F:   M:   F:   
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
1    803  1211 1558 480  440  348  312
2    503  941  857  306  291  229  260
3    1196 1581 2163 1040 954  235  260
4    696  1177 1216 407  374  317  317
5    579  1111 1091 361  375  276  309
6    1546 2528 3184 1142 1065 613  705
7    631  997  1279 461  461  163  172
8    963  1723 1977 871  857  496  487
9    861  1741 1667 470  414  484  443
10   536  929  1013 394  348  233  211

11   183  280  321  117  102  65   46
12   218  156  250  333  81   53   46
13   396  817  897  275  259  196  215
X    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
14   488  679  836  394  416  195  249
15   129  184  136  161  141  77   102

16   588  1316 1097 455  365  172  193
17   410  690  618  263  263  149  159
18   -    -    -    -    -    -    -
___________

Camp:     Total:

1    4349
2    2884
3    6233
4    3808
5    3523
6    9237
7    3533
8    6411
9    5219
10   3128
11   913
12   919
13   2659
X    81
14   2769
15   801
16   3598
17   2142
18   300
-------------------
IN ALL    62,507

______________________________________________________
RICE AND OTHER ITEMS RECEIVED FOR THE MONTH

--------------------------------------------------------------
Rice (100 kg sacks) 6,994     3,502     350  10,846
Salt (1 kg tins)    16,700    8,210     -    24,910
Fish paste (16 kg tins)2,603  1,020     -    3,623
Blankets (40 pcs. Boxes)758   11        -    769
Sweaters (bales)    445  -    -    445
Yellow bean (Kg)    1,350     -    -    1,350

BBC  Burmese Border Consortium
COERR     Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees

______________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTION OF RICE AND OTHER ITEMS RECEIVED 

Camp:Rice Salt F.P. Blan.Sweat.Y.Beans
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
1    667  1610 232  62   33   -
2    435  1010 152  40   18   -
3    944  2400 355  92   52   -
4    576  1400 200  54   28   -
5    534  1160 186  46   25   -
6    1421 3100 501  120  82   -
     40   100  20   2    -    -
7    535  1270 192  50   25   -
8    967  1930 343  75   53   -
9    792  1740 273  68   41   -
     30   60   10   3    -    -
10   473  1080 169  42   21   1350

11   *430 *1220     *130 17   9    -
12   *447 *1380     *130 22   9    -
13   *1240 *2400    *355 33   16   -
14   *1305     *3030     *370 42   17   -
15   -    -    -    -    -    -

*For three months, i.e. November, December 94 and January
95.  


The Karen Refugee Committee expresses its sincere gratitude to
the 
Thai authorities and to the people of the Kingdom of Thailand for
the kindness   and understanding that has been shown to the
Karens and other displaced people from Burma who are in trouble
and need. The committee is fully aware that this kindness and
understanding is utterly vital for the survival and well being of
these people during their time of refuge in Thailand. This noble
gesture of goodwill is sincerely appreciated and will always be
remembered by the Karens of Burma.

The committee also expresses its sincere gratitude to the
individuals and agencies for the noble deeds that have been done
in many ways through the years to help these people who are
taking refuge in the various Karen refugee camps in Thailand.

Efforts to bring peace back to Burma is greeted with high
expectation by these people in their camps as it also is by the
people of Burma and by the world community. The future is still
bleak and uncertain but it is our ardent wish that, through the
sincere and concerted efforts of every peace loving people at
home and around the world, a practical solution to the Burma
problem could finally be found.

Yours faithfully,

[Sgd.]

Robert Htwe
Chairman
Karen Refugee Committee  



************************************************************** 
 UNGA:  HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS  AND 
          REPORTS OF SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS AND REPRESENTATIVES 


 United Nations General Assembly 

                         Distr.                        GENERAL 

                         A/49/594            28 October 1994 

                         ORIGINAL: ENGLISH 

Forty-ninth session Agenda item 100 (c) 

HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS  AND REPORTSOF
SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS AND REPRESENTATIVES 

Situation of human rights in Myanmar 

Note by the Secretary-General 

     The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the 
members of the General Assembly the interim report prepared by Mr 
Yozo Yokota, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human 
Rights on the situation of human rights in Myanmar in accordance 
with paragraph 20 of Commission on Human Rights resolution 
1994/85 of 9 March 1994 and Economic and Social Council decision 
1994/269 of 25 July 1994. 

 94-42026  (E)    111194     151194 

ANNEX 

Interim report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
prepared  by Mr Yozo Yokota, Special Rapporteur of the Commission
on Human  Rights, in accordance with Commission resolution
1994/85 and  Economic and Special Council decision 1994/269 

CONTENTS 

                         Paragraphs     Page 

I.   INTRODUCTION        1 - 4          3 

II.  CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF MYANMAR 

                         5 - 8          3 

III. SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS RECEIVED                        
                         9         6 

 I.  INTRODUCTION 

1.   On 9 March 1994, at its fiftieth session, the Commission of 
Human Rights adopted without a vote resolution 1994/85 entitled 
Situation of human rights in Myanmar. In paragraph 20 of the 
resolution the Commission decided to extend for one year the 
mandate of the Special Rapporteur to establish or continue direct 
contacts with the Government and people of Myanmar, including 
political leaders deprived of their liberty, their families and
their  lawyers and requested him to report to the General
Assembly at its  fifty-first session. The present report, which
constitutes a preliminary  report by the Special Rapporteur, is
being presented in accordance  with that request. A final report
will be submitted to the Commission  on Human Rights at its
fifty-first session. 

2.   In resolution 1994/85, the Commission, inter alia: noted
with  particular concern that the electoral process initiated in
Myanmar by  the general elections of 27 May 1990 had yet to reach
its conclusion;  deplored the fact that political leaders
remained deprived of their  liberty, in particular Nobel Peace
Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu  Kyi; expressed its grave concern
at the violations of human rights  which remained extremely
serious, including, in particular, the  practice of torture,
summary and arbitrary executions, forced labour,  including
forced portering, abuse of women, politically motivate  arrests
and detention, forced displacement, important restrictions on 
the freedoms of expression and association, and the imposition of 
oppressive measures directed at minority groups; and expressed
its  concern about the continuous problems created in
neighbouring  countries by the exodus of refugees from Myanmar. 

3.   In addition to the above, the Commission took note of the
fact  that the Government of Myanmar had acceded to the Geneva 
Conventions of 12 August 1949; signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding on 5 November 1993 with the Office of the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) concerning 
voluntary repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh; received the 
Special Rapporteur for a visit to Myanmar; and observed
cease-fires  and undertaken negotiations with several minority
groups. 

4.    On 25 July 1994, the Economic and Social Council, in its 
decision 1994/269, approved Commission resolution 1994/85. 

 II. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF  MYANMAR 

5.   On 10 August 1994, the Special Rapporteur addressed the 
following letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union
of  Myanmar: 

          I have the honour to refer to Commission on  Human
Rights resolution 1994/85 of 9 March 1994 by which my  mandate as
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in  Myanmar
was extended for a third year. For your convenience, please  find
attached a copy of resolution 1994/85. As you may be aware, at
its  most recent session, the Economic and Social Council
approved  Commission resolution 1994/85 by its decision 1994/269
of 25 July  1994. 

          By paragraph 20 of its resolutions 1994/85, the 
Commission called upon the Special Rapporteur to establish or 
continue contacts with the Government and people of Myanmar, 
including political leaders deprived of their liberty. Paragraph
21  urged the Government of Myanmar to cooperate fully and 
unreservedly with the Commission and the Special Rapporteur and,
to  that end, to ensure that the Special Rapporteur has
effectively free  access to any person in Myanmar whom he may
deem it appropriate to  meet in the performance of his mandate,
including Daw Aung San Suu  Kyi. 

          Accordingly, I would be most grateful to continue 
benefiting from the cooperation of your Excellencys Government so 
that I may provide the Commission and the General Assembly with a 
comprehensive assessment of the situation of economic, social, 
cultural, civil and political rights in Myanmar. In this regard,
I would  wish to visit your country again. Specifically, and
keeping in mind the  schedule of the General Assembly, I would
hope that your Government  would agree to my visit at about the
same time as last year; may I  suggest from 7 to 16 November
1994? Hoping that this would be  acceptable to your Excellencys
Government may I also follow upon  the suggestion made to me last
year in Yangon by one governmental  official that, after spending
the first days of my visit in Yangon, I  might spend some days in
the eastern part of your country towards the  frontiers? On this
last matter especially, I would certainly welcome  your specific
suggestions. On more general and substantive issues, let  me also
restate my commitment to endeavouring to accord full 
consideration to your Government's views and that, as such, I am
at  your disposal to continue our dialogue about the situation of
human  rights in Myanmar. 

6.   On 23 September, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the 
Union of Myanmar addressed the following letter to the Special 
Rapporteur: 

          I have the honour to refer to your letter of 10  August
1994, regarding your proposed visit to Myanmar. 

          I am pleased to inform you that your proposal is 
acceptable to the Government of Myanmar. It is indeed our
pleasure to  welcome you again this year to Myanmar as an
expression of our  continuing cooperation with the United
Nations.  

          I am sure that you will have the opportunity once 
again to observe at first hand the consensus reached for the
writing of  a firm and enduring Constitution in the national
political process, as  well as the achievements made in the
economic development  endeavours. 

          I shall once again try my best to make your visit in 
Myanmar most productive and meaningful. 

7.   In a letter from the Permanent Representative of the Union
of  Myanmar to the United Nations Offices at Geneva, which 
accompanied the above letter from the Minister for Foreign
Affairs,  the Special Rapporteur was informed that the proposed
dates for his  visit had been tentatively agreed to. 

8.   On October 1994, the Special Rapporteur addressed the 
following letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union
of  Myanmar: 

          I have the honour to refer to your letter of 23 
September 1994, by which you communicated your Government's 
acceptance of my proposal to visit the Union of Myanmar in
November  of this year. I am most appreciative of this
opportunity to examine  first-hand the situation of human rights
in your country and to  continue in person our dialogue on issues
and developments in this  regard. 

          With respect to the specific itinerary to be followed 
during my visit to your country in November, I would welcome
again  the opportunity of meeting with the following officials: 
Secretary of  the State Law and Order Restoration Council; the
Minister of  Information; the Attorney-General; the Chief Justice
of the Supreme  Court; and, of course, your Excellency. In
addition, I would welcome  the opportunity of meeting with the
following persons: leaders of  various political parties
participating in the National Convention,  including the Chairman
of the National League for Democracy;  representatives of the
Myanmar Red Cross Society; and, in fulfilment  of paragraph 21 of
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/85,  Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi. I would also appreciate the opportunity of  visiting again
Insein Prison with unrestricted access to all prisoners. 
Finally, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity of travelling
to the  eastern part of your country towards the frontiers where
I would hope  to meet with local authorities, visit a local
prison, tour some  development or construction sites, and meet
with such persons as I  may deem relevant to my mandate. 

          In keeping with my commitment to endeavouring to 
accord full consideration to your Government's views on the 
substantive issues raised in my mandate, including both general
and  specific allegations of human rights violations by the
Government of  Myanmar, I submit herewith a summary of
allegations, I would  appreciate receiving your Government's
responses to the following: 

          1.   Please specify the reasons, including  reference
to specific legal authority, for keeping Daw Aung San Suu  Kyi
under house arrest after 20 July 1994, and please indicate 
precisely when the Government intends to release her. 

          2.   Please describe in as much detail as possible  the
present status of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis physical health. 

          3.   Please detail the Government's position  with
regard to maintaining dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 
indicating the time-frame the Government intends to follow in
this  regard. 

          4.   Please describe in as much detail as possible  the
progress made so far in the National Convention and the drafting 
of a new constitution, indicating the anticipated schedule of
future  meetings. 

          5.   Please indicate whether or not the Burmese 
version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been 
distributed to all the delegates in the National Convention. 

          In so far as I would like to bring your Government's 
views on the attached summary of allegations to the attention of
the  General assembly during its present session, I would be
grateful of  receiving your Government's comments or specific
responses by 31  October 1994. I would also appreciate receiving
your Government's  responses to the above queries as soon as
possible. 

          The continuing cooperation of the Government of 
Myanmar in the fulfilment of my mandate is more appreciated. 

 III.     SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS RECEIVED 

9.   The following is the text of the summary of allegations
which  the Special Rapporteur submitted to the Government of
Myanmar with  his letter of 5 October 1994 as indicated above.
With due regard to  general assembly resolutions 37/14 Commission
of 16 November 1982  and 47/202 B of 22 December 1992 and
Commission on Human  Rights resolution 1993/94 of 11 March 1993,
concerning, inter alia,  the timely submission and circulation of
reports, the Special  Rapporteur reproduces below the text of his
summary of allegations  while awaiting receipt of the views of
the Government of Myanmar.  Immediately upon receipt of the views
of the Government of  Myanmar, the Special Rapporteur shall
submit an addendum to the  present report reproducing the
aforementioned views in their entirety. 

          A.   Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary  execution 

1    Numerous communications from non-governmental sources 
continue to be received by the Special Rapporteur reporting 
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings of civilians by
Myanmar  military forces under a variety of circumstances. In the
regions of the  country with predominantly non-Burman populations
and where  insurgencies have been taking place, many of the
alleged killings are  summary executions of civilians who are
accused of either being  insurgents or collaborating with
insurgents. For example, on 5  February 1994, Myanmar Army forces
from Division No. 99, Battalion  No. 84, reportedly arrested
seven men working in a field in Paan  Township, Thaton District,
Karen State; the men were accused of  collaborating with the
armed Karen insurgents and two of them were  executed, while the
others were held to ransom and subsequently freed.  Many other
similar situations include allegations of such severe torture 
that the victims died as a result. For example, in March 1994 in
Paan  Township, Thaton District, Karen State, soldiers from the
Myanmar  Army reportedly arrested a 13-year-old boy driving
cattle outside his  village; the boy was said to have been
interrogated, tortured and killed  by the Myanmar forces. Other
examples of alleged extrajudicial  killings include the
following: on 10 March 1994, forces of Light  Infantry Battalion
No. 59 alleged arbitrarily executed Saw Soe Ghaz  Htoo (aged 35
years) in Thay Baw village, Lu Thaw Township, Papun  (Mudraw)
District; on 18 March 1994, forces of Light Infantry  Battalion
No. 59 also alleged arbitrarily executed saw Ko Pa Moo  (aged 30
years) in Thu Daz village, Lu Thaw Township, Papun  (Mudraw)
District; on 20 April 1994, forces of Light Infantry  Battalion
No. 96 are alleged to have killed the villager Pa Kloh (aged  26
years) and wounded Saw er Ker (aged 20 years) in Paw Ghem Khee 
village, Thaton District; and on 10 May 1994, in Naw KToh
village,  Thaton District, two villagers (Kyaw Soe Puy, aged 32
years, and  Than Shwe Ganoo, aged 35 years) were said to have
been arrested and  executed by the forces of the Light Infantry
Battalion No. 76. 

2.   Many of the reports from non-governmental sources have also 
described occasions where soldiers from the Myanmar Army have 
opened fire with light arms against civilians without any evident 
provocation. Such situations have frequently been reported in the 
process of attempts by the Army to arrest and detain civilians
for the  purposes of forced portering and other labour; as
villagers attempt to  avoid being arrested or to escape the
approaching troops, soldiers are  often reported to open fire. In
other situations, the Army is reported to  have killed civilians
who have disobeyed orders from the Army to  relocate their homes,
to supply goods or provide labour for little or no  compensation. 

3    In addition to the above, Myanmar Army troops are reported 
to take revenge against nearby villages after being attacked by 
insurgent forces. These collective and arbitrary punishments are
often  said to include summary executions of civilians present in
the area. On  15 December 1993, for example, following an
insurgent ambush of  Myanmar Army forces near Htee La Nay
village, Hlaing Bwe  Township, Paan District, Karen State, Army
villager working in  Army field was reportedly shot on sight.
Under similar circumstances  in May 1993, two young schoolboys
were allegedly shot in Kyint Kyo  village, Thaton Township. It
has also been reported that, in the  beginning of 1994, the
regional commanders in Thaton District  informed the civilian
headmen of the district that, in the future, five  villagers
would be killed for every soldier who died. However, it is not 
known whether these reported threats have ever been carried out. 

4.   In Shan State, different sources have alleged that, since 
December 1993, an offensive by the Myanmar Army against Khun Sa 
and the so-called Ming Tai Army has included air force strikes on 
civilian villages in the area of the insurgency. For example, on
10 July  1994, San Akhu village is reported to have been attacked
and two boys  are said to have been killed (aged 7 and 14 years)
while five other  persons were wounded. Whole villages are
reported to have been  destroyed by the Myanmar Army Forces
because of alleged  cooperation with the Ming Tai Army. As in
other cases, villagers  trying to escape the military forces are
said to have been shot on sight  upon the suspicion of being
insurgents or cooperating with them. 

     B.   Arbitrary arrest and detention 

5.   The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is 
still being held under prolonged house detention without trial;
on 20  July 1994, she passed her fifth anniversary in detention.
Seeking her  release and return to freedom in Myanmar, including
respect for all of  her civil and political rights under
international law, parliamentarians,  non-governmental
organisations and individuals from throughout the  world sent
thousands of petitions to the United Nations in the last few 
months. 

6.   Although some political prisoners have reportedly been 
released in the last year from centres of detention in Yangon,
reports  from different sources describe how an unknown number of
civilians  continue to be arrested as suspected insurgents (or
sympathizers  thereto) and how they remain detained in
countryside prisons,  especially in the regions of the country
with predominantly non- Burman populations. 

7.   Recently, the following new cases have been brought to the 
attention of the Special Rapporteur. On 27 May 1994, Army Swiss 
national displayed Army banner in front of Yangon City Hall, 
demanding the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Seven persons who 
were passively observing the protest in Yangon are reported to
have  been arrested by Myanmar intelligence officers. 

8.   On 4 July 1994 at Yangon airport, members of Military 
Branch Three reportedly arrested Khin Zaw Win (a university
student)  when he tried to board a plane for Singapore. The
report indicates that  Khin Zaw Win was studying in Singapore and
was writing a thesis on  the political situation in Myanmar; he
had been visiting Myanmar in  order to obtain more material for
his thesis. Recent reports say that he  has been transferred from
the Military Intelligence Centre to Insein  Prison, and is now
being detained in the same cell as a supporter of the  National
League for Democracy. Khin Zaw Win has allegedly yet to  have
been charged with any offence. 

9.   On 21 July 1994 in Plat Hon Pai section, Kwan Saya village, 
part of Halockhani refugee camp, soldiers from Infantry Battalion
No.  62 of the Myanmar Army attacked the camp, destroying about
50  houses and causing some 500 Mon refugees (recently
repatriated from  Thai) to flee again across the t border. The
soldiers reportedly arrested  19 men, most of whom were camp
leaders. The fate of those arrested  remains unknown. 

10.  On 4 or 5 August 1994 in Yangon, the following persons  were
reportedly arrested:  U Khin Maung Swe (aged 52 years, a 
prominent dissident Member of Parliament-elect and member of the 
Central Executive Committee of the National League for
Democracy);  U Sein Hla Oo (aged 58 years, a journalist and
opposition politician);  Dr. Htun Myat aye (a dentists who had
apparently worked for the un  Childrens Fund (UNICEF) at Yangon);
Daw San San Tin (a  translator who had apparently been working
occasionally for  UNICEF); and Daw San San Nwe (a writer) and her
daughter. It is not  known where these persons are being
detained, nor what (if any)  charges have been brought against
them. It is also reported that Khin  Maung Swe, U Sein Hla Oo and
Saw San San Nwe have all been  previously imprisoned by the
Government. 

11.  Since 1993, many reports from different sources have alleged 
widespread practice of arbitrary arrest and detention of persons
for  ransom, especially in the countryside. Civilians are said to
have been  rounded up in various public places in both urban and
rural  communities and held in detention until their relatives
could supply a  certain sum of money or goods; these detentions
are often said to be  maintained under the threat that the
detainees will be taken as Army  porters or be executed should
the ransom not be paid. 

12.  The information has also reached the Special Rapporteur
that,  on 15 July 1994 in Insein Prison, Thet Khine died four
days after a  failed suicide attempt. It has been alleged that
the prison authorities  placed Thet Khine in the prisons Medical
Unit after his attempted  suicide, choosing not to take him to a
hospital facility outside the  Prison; he died in the prisons
Medical Unit. Thet Khine was arrested  in 1989 and had been
sentenced to 20 years imprisonment together  with other political
prisoners. 

     C.   Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading 
treatment 

13.  Numerous allegations, often in considerable detail, have
been  received from various sources alleging that forces of the
Myanmar  military, intelligence and security services and police
continue to  torture persons in detention or otherwise subject
them to cruel,  inhuman or degrading treatments and punishments.
Such treatment  seems to be routinely employed during the
interrogation of persons  who have been arrested or held on
suspicion of real or perceived anti- government activities.
Allegations include subjection to severe  beatings, shackling,
near suffocation, burning, stabbing, rubbing of  salt and
chemicals in open wounds and psychological torture,  including
threats of death. Other reported methods of torture include 
forcing victims to consume large quantities of water or pouring
hot  liquids down victims noses or throats. 

14.  The Special Rapporteur has continued to receive information 
from many sources indicating that rape occurs on a wide scale;
reports  of so-called gang rapes by entire groups of Myanmar
military  personnel are not uncommon. The victims are mostly
reported to be  women belonging to minority populations, although
allegations of  homosexual rape have also been received
(including, e.g., the written  testimony of a 13-year-old boy
from Thaton Township, Thaton  District, Karen State). Women
serving as porters or otherwise as  forced labourers are
especially vulnerable and are often said to be  victims of rape.
It is also reported that rape is being used as a  punishment for
joining indigenous womens groups. Some of the  reported rapes are
said to have lead to death as a consequence of  continuous rape
or be infections caused by rape. Reports also describe 
situations where women who have resisted rape, or screamed during 
rape, have been killed. Furthermore, rape is also alleged to be
used as  a method of forcing women from ethnic minorities to
marry soldiers  from the Myanmar Army; the children of these
marriages are  subsequently considered to be of Burmese
nationality. 

15.  An especially severe incident which has been brought to the 
attention of the Special Rapporteur reportedly occurred on 2
August  1993 in Won Mon village, Won Tse village circle, Laikha
Township  in Southern Shan State, when Myanmar Army soldiers from
Infantry  Battalion No. 64 were said to have entered the village
in search of a  defector:  they alleged arrested 12 women (ages
15 to 35 years) and  took them to a nearby farm for
interrogation, whereupon the women  were gang-raped. 

     D.   Forced labour 

16.  In his 15 August 1994 statement to the United Nations 
Subcommittee on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of 
Minorities at its forty-sixth session, Ambassador U Tin Kyaw
Hlaing  of the Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations
Office at  Geneva stressed the following:  In Myanmar, voluntary
contribution  of labour to build shrines, temples, roads,
bridges, etc. is a long- established tradition going back
centuries. While the Special  Rapporteur observes that uncoerced
contribution of labour for the  public good can hardly be
described as a violations of human rights, it  is to be noted
that numerous reports from a wide variety of sources still 
characterize most of the contributed labour as being conducted
under  various threats of violations of personal integrity rights
or property  rights. In general, reports of such forced labour
may be divided into  three categories:  forced portering, other
forced labouring and different  kinds of obligatory guard duty. 

17.  As has been previously reported by the Special Rapporteur, 
much of the forced portering in Myanmar has occurred in
connection  with military campaigns against insurgent forces in
various of the  states of the Union of Myanmar. Although
cease-fire talks between the  Government and the main insurgent
groups were agreed upon in late  1993 and early 1994, reports on
forced portering for the Army still  flow in from different
sources. For example, in May 1994 the  Myanmar Army is said to
have arrested hundreds of persons in  Tachilek in Shan State in
order to use them as Army porters in the  battle against Khun Sa
and the Ming Tai Army. Porters were reported  to have been
forcibly recruited from all public places and also from  private
homes in the areas of Kalaw, Taunggyi and Tachilek. Fighting 
between the Myanmar military and the Ming Tai Army is reported to 
have been intense with high casualty figures on both sides,
including  the deaths of many porters caught in the cross-fire.
The Myanmar  authorities have also reportedly failed to protect
civilians from being  forced to porter for the Ming Tai Army.
Moreover, the Myanmar  Army has allegedly regularly been taking
internally displaced persons  from a camp established by the
Myanmar Army at Loi Hsa Htoong  near the border with Thai for
purposes of portering military materiel  as needed. 

18.  Forced portering has been reported especially in the areas
of  conflict in the Karen, Karenni, Shan and Mon regions. Persons
taken  for portering are reported to have been rounded up by the
military in  various places, such as schools, buses and market
places. Convicts are  also said to be used as Army porters,
especially at the front lines of the  fighting. Reports indicate
that porters are forced, under very poor  conditions, to carry
heavy loads of Army materiel and supplies for the  troops. They
are said to be given very small or spoiled food rations,  little
water and no medical care if ill or wounded. Large numbers of 
porters are reported to have died from ill-treatment, illness and 
malnutrition. Irrespective of their condition, those who can no
longer  respond to the heavy physical demands of portering are
reportedly  routinely abandoned without food, or simply executed
on the spot.  Porters who attempt to escape are reportedly shot. 

19.  Allegations have also been made that elderly persons, women 
and children have been taken as Army porters. These persons are
often  said to be used as human shields in military operations. 

20.  Of a similar nature to forced portering in support of
military  activities, the Special Rapporteur has received
information alleging the  use of civilian labour, under coercive
measures, for other purposes.  Reports indicate that the villages
near Army camps are obliged to  supply daily workforces to assist
with the construction of Army  barracks, fences, land clearance,
wood-cutting operations, agricultural  projects and other
activities in direct support of the Army camps. 

21.  In connection with certain large development projects 
initiated by the Government of Myanmar, some of them with the 
assistance of foreign aid, it has been alleged that civilians
have been  forced to contribute non-recompensed labour. Such
projects include  the building of hospitals, roads, railways, gas
pipelines, bridges, and  fisheries. Reports indicate that people
from villages in the areas of  various projects are frequently
obligated to contribute their labour and  other resources, often
under threat of violation of their personal  integrity rights. 

22.  Many reports of considerable detail have been received 
alleging a variety of violations of human rights on a massive
scale in  connection with the construction of a railway between
the city of Ye in  Southern Mon State and the city of Tavoy in
Tenasserim (Taninthari)  District. The Government reportedly
began construction of the railway  in November 1993. According to
reports received, each family from  the villages along the line
and also from surrounding areas is obliged  to supply one worker
for 15 days at a time in rotating shifts. Almost all  the
civilian families in Ye Township, Thanbyuzaya Township and  Mudon
Township of Mon State, as well as Yebyu Township, Tavoy 
Township, Launglon Township and Thayet Chaung Township of 
Tenasserim District, are said to have been forced to contribute
labour  for the railways construction. The workers are reportedly
required to  bring their own food, provide their own shelter,
ensure their own  health and medical needs, use their own tools
and, in some cases, also  supply materials for the construction
of the railway. Allegations have  also been made that the
military supervising the construction of the  railway demands
money for the use of bulldozers available at  construction sites;
the fuel needed for use of the bulldozers is also said  to be
sold by the military. Despite articles in the official government 
press stating that wages have been paid to local persons
participating  in ground-levelling and other work associated with
the construction of  the railway (e.g., an article published in
the 31 July 1994 edition of the  New Light of Myanmar), reports
received consistently estimate that  over 100,000 persons have
had to contribute their labour for the  railway project without
any compensation. Elderly persons, children  and pregnant women
are also reported to have been seen as labourers  along the
railway. Several persons are also reported to have died from 
illness and accidents caused by poor conditions at construction
sites.  Forced labour is said to be concentrated in seven main
control centres  from Ye to Zimba. Each of the aforementioned
centres is alleged to  control 7,000 to 8,000 forced labourers
daily. The land along the  railways route is said to have been
confiscated from its owners  without compensation. Myanmar Army
battalions (especially Light  Infantry Battalion Nos. 343, 407,
408, 409 and 410, together with  regular Infantry Battalion Nos.
61 and 104) are reported to be  responsible for the construction
of the railway. The railway is expected  to be completed sometime
during 1996. 

23.  As other examples of forced labour allegedly being used in 
relation to major development projects, information has been
received  relating to a road project started in December 1993
between Bo Pyin  and Lay Nya in Mergui/Tavoy District. Every
family from the villages  along the road have reportedly to
participate in its construction by  building 10 feet of the road.
Forced labour is also said to be used in the  construction of an
international airport at Bassein and a new military  airfield in
Laboutta Township. In addition, many other smaller  development
projects in urban areas, such as the restoration of tourist 
sites in Mandalay, are reported to rely upon forced labour. 

24.  Another form of forced labour which has been reported to the 
Special Rapporteur alleges the requirement of lengthy guard duty
by  civilians along roads and railways in many of the regions
where  insurgencies have been taking place. Reports indicate that
civilians  from nearby villages are often required to serve 24
hour guard duties  without compensation and on threats of
violations of their personal  integrity rights. In addition, such
guard duty is often said to include  contribution of physical
labour for reparations to the roads and  railroads. Furthermore,
some reports allege that civilians used for such  duties, in
particular women and children, are also required to sweep  roads
for land-mines; it has been alleged that villagers have been 
forced to walk or ride in carts in front of military columns in
order to  detect mines. 

     E.   Violations of the freedom of movement 

25.  Reports continue to be received alleging the forced
relocation  and internal displacement of persons on a wide scale: 
in the past six  years, it has been estimated that over 1 million
persons have been  forcibly relocated, without compensation, to
new towns, villages or  relocation camps or have been internally
displaced owing to armed  conflict with various insurgent groups.
In the regions of the country  with predominantly non-Burman
populations and where insurgencies  have been taking place, the
inhabitants of small vis are still said to be  forced to relocate
to larger villages or to temporary relocation camps  for purposes
of enabling government forces better to control the  populations.
In those cases when the inhabitants of a village refuse to 
relocate, they are said to be first threatened in various ways
prior to  being forcibly evicted and having their homes
destroyed. 

26.  Forced relocations and evictions have also been reported in 
connection with major development projects. According to several 
non-governmental sources, the gas pipeline project from the
Martaban  Gulf to Thailand led to the forcible relocation of
villages in  Mergui/Tavoy District in December 1993:  villagers
around Bsaw  Law were allegedly forced to move to Kaleingung;
villagers around  Shwetapi were allegedly forced to move Huan
Gui; and villagers in the  Baw Law Gui area were allegedly forced
to move to Ye Byu. All the  relocation sites are said to be along
a government-controlled road near  to the coast. 

27.  In connection with the reports of forced relocations of 
persons residences, information has been received by the Special 
Rapporteur that other restrictions are placed on the liberty of 
movement of relocated persons. For example, some persons are said
to  have been placed in relocation camps which are surrounded by
high  fences and guarded by Government forces. Reports allege
that a curfew  from 0600 to 1800 hours is in effect in these
camps, despite the fact  that the official curfew order was
lifted by the Government of  Myanmar on 10 September 1992.
Persons held in the relocation  camps, or who are otherwise
apparently required to remain within the  confines of the
villages to which they have been forcibly relocated, are 
reportedly prohibited from returning to tend to their farms or to
collect  property which they were forced to leave behind. In some
places,  persons needing to go outside a village or a camp (e.g.,
for purposes of  work) are reported to need special permission,
which is issued for one  day at a time against a fee, from the
local Army headquarters. In  certain rural areas, persons are
reportedly prohibited from spending  the night in temporary
shelters at their farms. 

28.  While most reports concerning alleged violations of freedom 
of movement detail incidents of forced relocation, the Special 
Rapporteur has also received reports alleging forced assembly and 
participation in public meetings organized by the Government.
Such  reports have mostly related to meetings of the Union
Solidarity  Development Association organized since the beginning
of 1994 in  different parts of Myanmar (e.g., Toungoo, Monywa,
Mandalay and  Lokaw). People from the surrounding areas were
reportedly forced to  attend these meetings under various
threats, such as deprivation of  electricity or water supplies,
monetary fines or physical abuse.  Students are said to have been
told by their teachers that if they failed  to attend the rallies
they would each receive 15 lashes of a cane. The  Union
Solidarity Development Association rally held on 7 February  1994
in Prome town in Pegu District is reported to have been preceded 
by chaos when large numbers of people who had been brought into 
fenced compound the night before were not allowed to leave the 
compound for purposes of going to the toilet:  in the hysteria
which  accompanied a fight between civilians and security forces,
2 men are  reported to have been trampled to death while over 20
other people  were said to have been wounded. 

     F.   Violations of the right to property 

29.  Many reports received by the Special Rapporteur allege 
various kinds of violations of property rights, especially by the 
Myanmar military forces. These reports include allegations of
regular  looting of villages in the countryside, the arbitrary
and unlawful  institution of a wide variety of fees for various
purposes and the  application of military orders against
civilians requiring them to  provide specified goods without
adequate compensation. 

30.  Myanmar Army troops are frequently reported to have  entered
villages and to have confiscated, without compensation, 
different kinds of valuables in the forms of non-perishable
personal  property, food supplies and livestock. Among the goods
reportedly  confiscated are many items which cannot be said to be
necessary for  purposes of providing public security, for example
womens sarongs,  jewellery, tape-recorders and alcohol. 

31.  Various kinds of fees are said to be regularly demanded from 
both individuals and villages as a whole. The most widespread fee
is  said to be the porter fee which is allegedly demanded each
month  from every family:  in towns, the fees are reported to be
about 100  kyats per month, while in the countryside they are
reported to be  between 200 and 400 kyats per month. Recent
reports have also  alleged the application of other kinds of
fees, such as courier fees and  taxes on tools, carts and other
goods. As noted above, villagers in the  areas of development
projects are also said to be forced to participate  in the
funding of these projects; fines are also reportedly assessed if
a  family is unable to supply the demanded amount of forced
labour or a  minimum amount of demanded goods. People who are
unable to pay  assessed fees or fines are reportedly threatened
with being taken away  to be used as Army porters or for other
purposes of long term and  heavy forced labour. 

32.  Reports received in the last several months allege that the 
Myanmar Army has started to demand compensation from local 
villagers for vehicles and other military property damaged by
land- mines. Fines of 100,000 kyats are said to have been
demanded from  the village closest to the place of an incident,
with 50,000 kyats being  demanded from as many as 10 or 13 of the
surrounding villages. For  example, in Thaton Township a truck
was reportedly destroyed by a  land-mine on 29 January 1994: the
two nearest villages, Tor Klor  Khee and Tor Klor Po Khee, were
said to have been fined 300,000  kyats by Myanmar Army Infantry
Battalion No. 120. Village headmen  in Thaton Township have also
reportedly been forced to sign  documents taking all
responsibility for security in the area and to pay  fines of
50,000 kyats if shelling by insurgent forces occurs or to pay 
fines of 100,000 kyats if Army trucks are damaged by land-mines. 

33.  Other reported incidents of compensation being required 
from villagers following loss of property by the military include 
reports of cases where owners of cattle which have been killed by 
Army land-mines close to Army camps have had to pay compensation 
for the destroyed land-mines. In one reported incident, villagers
had to  pay compensation to members of the Armed forces for the
bullets  fired at them when, in fear of being taken as porters,
the villagers tried  to escape the soldiers. 

34.  Farmers are also said to have been forced to sell parts of
their  crops to government-related agencies for prices well below
market  price, in addition to paying the fixed government tax on
these crops.  As a result, it has been reported that some farmers
no longer cultivate  their fields in order to avoid the constant
confiscations of their crops or  the obligations to sell parts of
their crops well below market value. In  addition, reports have
also described how soldiers sometimes  deliberately destroy rice
paddies and other crop fields. For example, on  21 February 1994,
Light Infantry Battalion No. 32 led by Captain Myo  Lwin Thet
Lwin, allegedly burned down the houses of four villagers in 
Taree Hta Gaun village in Kya In Seik Gyi Township, Dooplaya 
District, destroying in the process the stored crops of rice,
betel nut  and pepper. 

35.  With respect to real property, reports indicate that Myanmar 
military forces frequently confiscate land in all parts of the
country,  without paying any compensation. Such confiscations
have been  reported in relation to the realization of development
projects, the  creation of State farms, or for the personal
benefit of military  commanders. For example, in Tacheilek, Shan
State, it has been  alleged that senior members of the Myanmar
Army confiscated paddy  fields, divided them into blocks and sold
them back to farmers or to  officers under their command. 

     G .  The situation of refugees from Myanmar  

36.  According to information received by the Special Rapporteur, 
approximately 75,000 refugees from Myanmar are estimated to live
in  camps inside Thailand along the border with Myanmar. An
unknown  number of persons, possibly as many as 100,000 are said
to be  internally displaced on the Myanmar side of the border.
These persons  are reported to have fled their villages in fear
of ill-treatment, forced  portering, forced labouring or other
human rights violations. Some  200,000 Muslim refugees from the
northern Rakhine State are still in  Bangladesh after fleeing
their homes in Myanmar. Many of them  reportedly allege that they
were forcibly relocated or that their land  was confiscated for
government construction projects, prawn  cultivation or timber
projects during 1990-1992. 

37.  Recently, thousands of Mon refugees were repatriated from 
Loh Loe in Thailand to Halockhani inside Myanmar. On 21 July
1994,  the refugee camp inside Myanmar was reportedly attacked
and partly  destroyed by approximately 300 soldiers of the
Myanmar Armys  Infantry Battalion No. 62 under the command of
Deputy Battalion  Commander Lt. Col. Ohn Myint. Fifty refugees
were said to have been  taken hostage by the troops while all the
Mon refugees (approximately  5,000 to 6,000 persons) in the camp
fled back into Thailand. Although  reports indicate that most of
the hostages were later released (after  allegedly having been
used as human shields and porters), 19 of those  taken hostage
are still believed to be detained. 

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NEWS SOURCES REGULARLY COVERED/ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:

 AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
 AFP: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
 AW: ASIAWEEK
 AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
 Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt.=US$1 (APPROX), 
 BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
 BI: BURMA ISSUES
 BKK POST: BANGKOK POST (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
 BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI
 BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN
 CPPSM: C'TEE FOR PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND 
 FEER: FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW
 IRRAWADDY: NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
 JIR: JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
 KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
 Kt. BURMESE KYAT; 150 KYAT=US$1 BLACK MARKET
                   100 KYAT=US$1 SEMI-OFFICIAL
                   6 KYAT=US$1 OFFICIAL
 MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN
 NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
 NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-OWNED NEWSPAPER, RANGOON)
 S.C.B.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP 
 S.C.T.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
 SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST
 USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
 XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY 
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