KNU report March 6,1997

[So_Nou@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Human Rights Violations In Karen State, Burma

Toungoon district           
 
On February 21,1997, SLORC's commander of Infantry Battalion 35,Lt. Colonel
Kyaw Swa took headman of section 2o of Toungoon town, Maung Htun Nwe, age 73,
to the front line as a guide. On February 23, when this headman could no
longer walk, this SLORC commander beat him to death at a village called Klaw
Mee Der.

Thaton district

On February 27, SLORC's Infantry battalion 51 entered Toe Teh Kee village,
summoned all the villagers and ordered them not to leave the village. Then
they arrested men and women villagers, beat them up, poured water on them and
immersed them in water for no reason.

On March 2, SLORC Light Infantry Battalion 230 and DKBA Maung Han Shwe
torched Ta Maw Daw villager, Maung Chit Tu's house worth 6000 Kyats. All the
properties in the house worth about 35000 kyats were destroyed in the fir.
They also took a pair of earrings worth 5000 kyats, 10 baskets of rice worth
5000 kyats and a saw worth 1000 kyats.

SLORC Light Infantry Battalion 230 and DKBA Maung Han Shwe demanded 500 kyats
each from the villagers who went to the forest to collect matured leaves for
their house roofs. They threatened the villagers they would shoot them if
they saw them coming to the forest to collect leaves. They set the forest on
fire so all the leaves were burned and the villagers have no leaves for the
roofs of their houses this coming rainy season.

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