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The Burmese Military Regime Lies to the World

By Zo T. Hmung

April 3, 1998

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has been holding the 8th =
national students festival at the Wuamthu Maung football field in Haka, =
the capital of Chin State, Burma since March 28, 1998. This festival=92s =
aim is to tell the world and the ongoing session of the UN Commission on =
Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland that there are no political crises =
in Chin State and in Burma. In preparing for the festival, the SPDC has =
committed several human rights violations:

        a.. In extending the Wuamthu Maung football field, the Burmese =
army destroyed 20 houses in early 1996. But the homeowners did not =
receive any payment or compensation for the cost of their houses from =
the authorities. Many suffer for this reason until today.=20
       =20
        b.. Unpaid forced labor of Chin people has completed the =
extension of the football field and all other preparation for the =
festival. Especially high school students in Haka were forced to work =
instead of taking class. The school dismissed students who refused to =
work at the football field.
        a.. The Army also closed the Indo-Burma roads and imposed =
curfews in all bordering villages in January so that the Chin National =
Front could not penetrate inside Haka.
        a.. From Kalaymyo to Haka, one soldier is stationed every 1/5 =
kilometer for 150 kilometers.
        a.. Chin villagers on this Kalaymyo-Hakha road are forced to =
provide food and shelter to soldiers.
        a.. Surrounding towns and villages of Haka remain under curfew, =
preventing villagers from carrying on their daily activities, including =
cultivating their lands. As a result, the people are starving.
        a.. On March 26, the Burmese army exploded bombs at Haka and =
three people died. The Army threatened civilians so that they would =
attend the festival.
The Chin National Front has issued a strong statement boycotting the =
festival. The exiled Chin community in United States also protested the =
festival in front of the Burmese Embassy in Washington, DC, on February =
20, 1998. The exiled Chin Community in India protested in New Delhi by =
staging a hunger strike from March 16-18, 1998.

In effect, in trying to prove that there are no human rights violations =
in Chin State, the Burmese Army is committing these violations on a =
large scale. As usual, the SPDC is telling lies to the world.

(Mr. Hmung hails from Chin State, Burma)=20

For further contact:

Zo T. Hmung

1218 G. Street, SE

Washington, DC

Fax. 202-543-1603

Email. Hmung@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=20


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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><B><FONT size=3D5>
<P align=3Dcenter>The Burmese Military Regime Lies to the =
World</P></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<P>By Zo T. Hmung</P>
<DIR></B>
<P>April 3,=20
1998</P></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR=
></DIR></DIR>
<P>The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has been holding the=20
8<SUP>th</SUP> national students festival at the Wuamthu Maung football =
field in=20
Haka, the capital of Chin State, Burma since March 28, 1998. This=20
festival&rsquo;s aim is to tell the world and the ongoing session of the =
UN=20
Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland that there are no =
political=20
crises in Chin State and in Burma. In preparing for the festival, the =
SPDC has=20
committed several human rights violations:</P>
<UL>
    <UL>
        <LI>In extending the Wuamthu Maung football field, the Burmese =
army=20
        destroyed 20 houses in early 1996. But the homeowners did not =
receive=20
        any payment or compensation for the cost of their houses from =
the=20
        authorities. Many suffer for this reason until today. <BR></LI>
        <LI>Unpaid forced labor of Chin people has completed the =
extension of=20
        the football field and all other preparation for the festival.=20
        Especially high school students in Haka were forced to work =
instead of=20
        taking class. The school dismissed students who refused to work =
at the=20
        football field.</LI></UL></UL>
<UL>
    <UL>
        <LI>The Army also closed the Indo-Burma roads and imposed =
curfews in all=20
        bordering villages in January so that the Chin National Front =
could not=20
        penetrate inside Haka.</LI></UL></UL>
<UL>
    <UL>
        <LI>From Kalaymyo to Haka, one soldier is stationed every 1/5 =
kilometer=20
        for 150 kilometers.</LI></UL></UL>
<UL>
    <UL>
        <LI>Chin villagers on this Kalaymyo-Hakha road are forced to =
provide=20
        food and shelter to soldiers.</LI></UL></UL>
<UL>
    <UL>
        <LI>Surrounding towns and villages of Haka remain under curfew,=20
        preventing villagers from carrying on their daily activities, =
including=20
        cultivating their lands. As a result, the people are =
starving.</LI></UL></UL>
<UL>
    <UL>
        <LI>On March 26, the Burmese army exploded bombs at Haka and =
three=20
        people died. The Army threatened civilians so that they would =
attend the=20
        festival.</LI></UL></UL>
<P>The Chin National Front has issued a strong statement boycotting the=20
festival. The exiled Chin community in United States also protested the =
festival=20
in front of the Burmese Embassy in Washington, DC, on February 20, 1998. =
The=20
exiled Chin Community in India protested in New Delhi by staging a =
hunger strike=20
from March 16-18, 1998.</P>
<P>In effect, in trying to prove that there are no human rights =
violations in=20
Chin State, the Burmese Army is committing these violations on a large =
scale. As=20
usual, the SPDC is telling lies to the world.</P>
<P>(Mr. Hmung hails from Chin State, Burma) </P>
<P>For further contact:</P>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<DIR>
<P>Zo T. Hmung</P>
<P>1218 G. Street, SE</P>
<P>Washington, DC</P>
<P>Fax. 202-543-1603</P>
<P>Email. Hmung@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
</P></DIR></DIR></DIR></DIR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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