Update Situation (1 July), ABSDF

[absdf@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Situation Update
1 July 1995


Recent political developments have shown the true nature of SLORC's hand;=20
indefinite prolongation of Aung San Suu Kyi's detention, re-arrest of=20
political leaders and students, increased military incursions into Thai=20
territory, and brutal attacks against the people, their religion and=20
nationality.=20

Talks about peace are mocked by SLORC's activities; since the third week of=
=20
June, ten battalions of SLORC troops have been mobilised for a new series of=
=20
military offensives on area controlled by KNPP -- in direct violation of the=
=20
March ceasefire agreement. This in addition to renewed fighting against KNLA=
=20
positions.=20

In fear of the regime's persecution against civilians in the context of=20
renewed fighting, hundreds of local people have fled to the Thai-Burmese=20
border, while those who stay behind are forced into military service on=20
roads and as porters. Property confiscation by the military continues, and=
=20
the livelihood of the common people continues to grow in instability and=20
their welfare decline.

SLORC PRESSURES PARENTS AND KILLS STUDENTS

Since the beginning of 1995, SLORC troops under the command of South-eastern=
=20
Command, have been putting pressure on the parents and relatives of the=20
students who are involved in the democratic movement, to meet and "return"=
=20
their children to the legal fold. In a recent example, Maung Paw Oo, age 25,=
=20
and Maung Aung Swan, age 21, were arrested by SLORC troops on 16 May 1995=20
near Kyauk Thinbaw fishing village, Palaw Township, Tenasserim Division. The=
=20
students were on their way to meet with their parents and relatives after=20
receiving the families' invitations.=20

The two victims were then brought into a nearby fishing vessel and=20
interrogated by SLORC soldiers. There they were subject to various forms of=
=20
torture, including repeated knife incisions. Eventually they lost=20
consciousness because of the continuous cutting. On the following day, it=20
was reported that both of the students were buried alive in the boat's=20
freezing room.=20

LOCAL PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE LABOUR AT GUN POINT

The Mon have signed a peace treaty with SLORC. One of the provisions is=20
reportedly that SLORC promises to stop forced labour on Mons. However,=20
recent incidents show no slackening of systematic forced labour by SLORC.

On 28 June it was reported that Maj Tin Tun of SLORC IB 17, based in 6-mile=
=20
village, Tha Kyet Parish, had issued orders through the Tenasserim Township=
=20
LORC to local people that one person must sent for military road-building=20
from each household. Assignments were to be completed before the onset of=20
rainy season, the officer demanded.



Local people in Tenasserim Township had been forced to contribute labour for=
=20
construction this road at gun point last year. Ironically, after that part=
=20
of the road was finished, peasants had found themselves prohibited from=20
using bullock carts on the newly-paved road, thus increasing the local=20
people's hardships of transporting food and materials on a road they had=20
previously relied on.

Not only are labourers forced to contribute corvee labour from the break of=
=20
dawn till sunset but also have to bring their own food and working tools,=20
covering all their own expenses. Maj Tin Tun and his troops are in control=
=20
of the project and the labourers are under watch for the whole time to make=
=20
sure that they will not escape. About 50 soldiers led by Capt Aung Swe have=
=20
the responsibility for security of the road.=20

A peasant who was among the forced labourers said that all the peasants had=
=20
to leave their farms unattended since they were forced to work on the road=
=20
until the rainy season began. In addition, labourers had to use their=20
farming tools for SLORC labour instead of on their own fields. When SLORC=20
officials ordered rocks to be used for the construction, labourers were=20
forced to pay for the transportation trucks in order to finish the road in=
=20
time. Cost for one truck-load of rocks: 2000 kyats.

In truth - and despite the official propaganda - this road will not benefit=
=20
the local people nor facilitate their transportation. When all is said and=
=20
done, the road's real aim is to benefit SLORC through coal and diamond=20
mining projects carried out with foreign companies, and for the rapid=20
deployment of troops and supplies for the purpose of military offensives.

REFUGEES FLEE TO THE BORDER FOLLOWING MOBILISATION OF SLORC TROOPS

The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and SLORC reached a 16-point=
=20
agreement on ceasefire terms on 21 March 1995. Among those points were the=
=20
military regime's promise not to deploy new battalions of SLORC troops in=20
areas controlled by KNPP, to stop conscription of porters, to cease=20
collection of porter fees throughout Karenni State and not to establish new=
=20
outposts anywhere within Karenni State.

Despite the agreement - less than 3 months later on June 15 - Rangoon's=20
troops started collecting porter fees in SLORC-designated areas of Karenni=
=20
State. The Tatmadaw also started rounding up porters, horses and tractors=20
for corvee service.=20

Since 26 June, SLORC troops have been confiscating horses in Loikaw for=20
military transportation purposes. Normally these horses are used for pulling=
=20
horse-carts. Orders were also sent to nearby villages to provide more horses=
=20
or human beings for portering. Some 60 private vehicles were also=20
confiscated for the transportation of food, arms and ammunition.=20

Meanwhile on 28 June, 5 truck-loaded porters left Demoso along with other=20
military convoys for the area controlled by KNPP. According to an eye=20
witness, women and students were among the porters.

KNPP BRACES FOR SLORC OFFENSIVE IN VIOLATION OF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT

On June 17, two battalions of SLORC troops crossed the Salween river and=20
moved into KNPP-designated areas, one battalion massing at the confluence of=
=20
Mae Su Rin stream. On June 26, the battalion that had been stationed at that=
=20
confluence moved deeper into KNPP-designated area, while another two=20
battalions crossed the Salween river from Ywa Tit and moved into KNPP=20
territory around the Mae Su Rin confluence. It is estimated that SLORC has=
=20
moved about 2000 troops into KNPP areas.
Three columns of SLORC troops have advanced as far as the three most=20
strategic areas -- Mae Su Rin, Mae Yu and Htarnakwei -- which are controlled=
=20
by KNPP and located on the eastern bank of the Salween river.=20

At 9:00 a.m. on 30 June, full-scale fighting broke out between the KNPP and=
=20
SLORC troops when KNPP forces opened fire on the advancing troops of SLORC=
=20
after they had repeatedly ignored calls to respect the terms of the=20
ceasefire agreement, including to respect territories designated by both=20
sides in the agreement.=20

The bulk of the fighting took place at Kauk Kauk=B4s outer perimeter and the=
=20
Mae Su Rin confluence. Both places are some 20 km from Mae Hong Son,=20
northwestern Thailand. Intense fighting is still going on. Now 4-5,000 SLORC=
=20
troops have spread out and are poised for an all-out attack on Karenni=
 bases.

SLORC MOTIVES AND AIMS IN THE OFFENSIVE

SLORC gave two reasons for its preparation for new offensives which are in=
=20
direct contradiction to the ceasefire agreement signed with KNPP three=20
months ago. SLORC claimed that the current military move is aimed at:

(1) Preventing the smuggling of timbers along the Thai-Burmese border; and
(2) Controlling supposed instability along the border after the emergence of=
=20
a newly-elected Government in Thailand.

An escapee said SLORC troops declared its determination to march until its=
=20
army reaches pre-arranged destinations at the border, and are ready to=20
override any attempts by KNPP to prevent SLORC objectives. The Tatmadaw will=
=20
retaliate by any means in case of attack by KNPP troops. The KNPP Liaison=20
Office in Loikaw, capital of Karenni State, is now under watch by SLORC.

These SLORC military moves coincide with the recent tension on the=20
Thai-Burmese border between the Thai government and SLORC. The military=20
regime referred to this as the result of a "political ploy" by Thai=20
politicians to "divert" the attention of Thai people from a political crisis=
=20
at home.=20

During a speech delivered to a group of primary teachers graduating from an=
=20
ideological training course at Phaung Gyi Central Political Institute on 28=
=20
May, Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of SLORC, accused Thai politicians by=20
saying that "some Thai politicians traditionally turn to diversionary=20
tactics whenever they face an unstable political situation."

The present military manoeuvre of the SLORC indicates its failure to keep=20
its promises and started breaking the ceasefire agreement from its side.

Current fighting prompted a fresh exodus of some 1000 Karenni refugees -=20
adding to the toll of the displaced Karenni by more than 6,000 at refugee=20
camps on the Thai side of the border.

SLORC RESUMES OFFENSIVE AGAINST 4TH BRIGADE OF KNLA

Since the third week of June 1995, SLORC troops approximately 1000 strong=20
from 5 battalions -- Tavoy- and Thayetchaung-based LIBs 401, 403, 404, 405=
=20
and 409, all under South-eastern Command -- renewed a series of offensives=
=20
under the code name of "Spiritual King", which started in January 1995 in=20
the area controlled by the 4th Brigade of Karen National Liberation Army=20
(KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU). It was reportedly=
=20
known that there were 1,500 porters along with these SLORC troops.

There has been at least 6 engagements between the KNLA and SLORC troops=20
since 17 June. In this recent clash, 20 SLORC soldiers were killed while one=
=20
soldier died from the KNLA side. Skirmishes have been going on and SLORC=20
troops have been bombarding the frontline outposts of KNLA with heavy=
 artillery.

Due to SLORC shelling into Thabyu Chaung village, Thayetchaung Township,=20
Tenasserim Division, on 25 June, hundreds of villagers from Thabyu Chaung,=
=20
Kyauk Htu, Thanin Kha Pu, Sin Ku Aing and nearby villages ran for their=20
lives and hid in the jungle. SLORC troops then set the whole Thabyu Chaung=
=20
village ablaze. The majority of the population were Karen in that village,=
=20
which lies 45 km from Thayetchaung and 90 km from the Thai-Burmese border. 2=
=20
innocent villagers were hit and died on the spot after troops pursued them=
=20
and opened fire on a crowd of escapees. One of them was Saw Kyar San, age=20
22, from Kyauk Htu village.=20

Some 100 civilians ran for their lives and eventually escaped to Emara=20
village, opposite Kanchanaburi Province 12 km from the Thai-Burmese border,=
=20
on 29 June. About 500 civilians from the nearby villages left their home=20
communities in fear of SLORC`s persecution and they have been proceeding to=
=20
the Thai-Burmese border. Among the escapees are Buddhist monks, pregnant=20
women and children. =20

CONCLUSION

SLORC's cruelty affects all its citizens. No matter what the official=20
propaganda, the destruction of the economy and abuses of the people continue=
=20
solely for the benefits of the military elite. Ceasefire agreements are on=
=20
paper only; SLORC has no regard for resolving political problems by=20
political means and continues to put weight on miltiary offensives alone.



Foreign Affaris Department
Central Committee
ABSDF