[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

KNU press release No. 9/97



                              KNU PRESS RELEASE NO. 9/97                
       REGARDING THE 1997 SLORC OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE KNU
                                        MARCH 25,1997


Human Rights violations have increased drastically against the Karen in the
northern Papun District. These violations include random arrests, forced
portering, torture, rape, looting and destruction of property, and an
alarming rise in arbitrary killings.

On 13.3.97, Slorc LIB 59 shot and killed two villagers, Saw Kaw Hay Mu (age
70) and his son, Saw Per Kaw (age 32) from Da Baw Kaw Der village.

On 14.3.97, Slorc LIB 341 arbitrarily shot and killed a villager at Pler Leh
Der village (Age and name unavailable)

On 15.3.97, Slorc LIB 341 entered Klo Tho Hta village and killed three
villagers. Saw May Ha (age 48) from klo Tho Hta, Saw Bo Lweh (age 42)
visiting from Thay Keh Mu Der village, and Saw Pah Klay Day (age 40) visiting
from Hsa Law Pu village. They also arrested Saw Po Nya Kay (age 43) and
forced him to leave with them.

On 16.3.97, Slorc LIB 341 shot and killed Po Htaw Ku Tha (age 30) from Lay Pu
Der village. 
                   Slorc LIB 53 and LIB 439 attacked See Day village and
burned down five (5) houses in the northen part of the village.

On 17.3.97, Slorc LIB 341 arrested Maung Pan Shwe from Lay Pu Der village and
forced him to leave with them.
                   Slorc LIB 53 and 439 continued their destruction of See
Day village. They burned down an additional fifteen (15) houses in the
western part of the village. They also burnt a Karen Bramaso temple. In the
evening, they completed their destructio by burning down the remaining
houses, barns, plantations and any rice field found near the village.

On 18.3.97, Slorc LIB 57 and LIB 59 entered Naw Yo Hta village. They shot and
killed three villages. Saw Maw Ray Heh (age 50), his daughter, Naw Hla Sein
(age 26) and his nephew, Saw Maung Say (age 32). They wounded his son, Saw Yo
Tha (age 22) and his youngest daughter, Naw Paw Eh wa (age 10). These two
managed to later escape.
                    Slorc LIB 53 and 439 destroyed another barn in See Day
village. This barn contained the village harvest of 240 baskets of rice. They
then continued onto Baw Lay Der village and burned down twenty(20) houses.

On 19.3.97, Slorc LIB 53 and 439 entered Kleh Mu village and burned down
nineteen (19) houses, one Christian church, and twenty (20) rice fields. They
occupied the village until 22.3.97 burning and destroying in their path.

Slorc troops operating in the northern Papun area have been capturing women
and children to be used forcibly as porters. On 21.3.97, thirty (30) of these
captive porters escaped and were sheltered by KNU troops. Among the escaped
porters, one woman was pregnant. These porters were captured from the Mone
Township, Ta Kaw Pwa village, Way Sweh village, Po Thaung Zu village, and Pa
Na Wah village.
        






______________________________________________________________________________
| SalaThai, Bangkok, Thailand - A FirstClass Network - Tel: (662) 679-8382   |
|      BBS: (662) 679-8380 (18 lines)   http://www.icn.net/SalaThai.html     |
|    Please address any problems and questions to postmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxx    |
______________________________________________________________________________