Press Release No. 22/97

[Simon_Po@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

                        OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
                              KAREN NATIONAL UNION
                                     KAW THOO LEI


                                            Press Release No. 22/97
    Regarding the SLORC 1997 Major Offensive Against the KNU

              While proclaiming the slogans of "Non-disintegration of the
Union"- "Consolidation of National Unity" ----, the SLORC has been waging a
barbaric war of aggression, slaughter, desruction, rape and etc, and
perpetrating atrocities against the Karen people. 

* 20-3-97: Sergeant Tway Nge and a private from the SLORC LIB* 208, under the
command of Maj. Tay Aung raped Naw Paw Lweh, 15, of Pu-yay village which is
situated near Kyaik-don village in Kya-in-Seik-Kyi township. The crime took
place at 8 p.m. on the upper floor of her own house. The two threatened Naw
Paw Lweh's aunt with death if there was any leak of information about the
matter.

* 23-3-97: Company (1) commander from SLORC LIB 205, Capt* Thein Aung and his
whole company of soldier gang-raped Naw Aye Win, 35, and her sister Ma Thein
Za, 17, from Gar-lay-kee village of Kya-in-Seik-kyi township and, then, shot
them to death. The naked bodies of the two were left at the edge of a forest.

* 28-4-97: Saw Pa Nar, a member of the ally of the SLORC, DKBA * shot to
death Par Thay Thar, 25, from No-law-pa-law village at a place between
Too-chaw and Pa-lo villages in Thaton district.

* 29-4-97: A DKBA member Than Tun and friends burnt down the house of Maung
Aung Than of Kyauk-pya village causing a loss of property worth 500,000
Kyat*.

* 2-5-97: Intelligence officer Capt. Tin Ngwe from LIB 230 of the SLORC army
arrested without reason Saw Maung Kyaw, 38, of Ma-yan-gon village, Thaton
district and beat him up. He was seriously injured, as a result.

* 3-5-97: Captain Tin Ngwe arrested U Par Kya, 40, of Me-jaung-aing village
and took him to Maj. Thet Tin Win of Naung-ga-doke camp. At about 5 p.m, Maj.
Thet Tin Win took U Par Kya and villagers of Me-jaung-aing to the cemetery
and made the villagers dig pit in the ground. Then U Par Kya was made to lie
down in the pit and shot in front of the villagers. Again, Maj. Thet Tin Win
stabbed U Par Kyi, 50, and U Par Leh, 40, of Naung-ga-doke village with a
knife and dragged them into the village with blood dripping from the wounds
and summoned the villagers to come and take a look.

LIB = Light Infantry Battalion
Capt = Captain
DKBA = Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army
Kyat = Name of the Burmese currency

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