KNU Press Release No.44/98

[johnathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

      OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERS 
             KAREN NATIONAL UNION
            KNU Press Release No. 44/98
       Regarding Human Rights Violation by SPDC and DKBA 
                          December 12,1998

Thaton District
*20-11-98: Mang Win Pe, a troop from DKBA went into Htee-si-baw 
village and extorted a writ watch worth 19,000 kyats from Saw Maung
Nyo . On that day troops from SPDC  army IB 8 led by commander Min
Naing severely beat Saw Kyaw Thein who was a village headman of
Lah-aw-kher village and also demanded one chicken cach from every
house of that village.
 *18-11-98: Troops from SPDC army IB 8 led by
commander Min Naing arrested and severely beat Saw Maung Nu and Saw
Chit  Dah from Shwe-yaung-pay village. on 21-11-98, Saw Chit Dah could
 escape where Saw Maung Nu was still under  arrest. As a result those
troops demanded 2 goats as a ransom for his release. On that day those
troops also went into Kler-kher village and extorted 2 viss of chicken
from Pah Day and half viss of chicken each from every house.

Toungoo District 
*11-11-98: Troops from SPDC army IB 35 went into Ho-khee and Sho-hta
villages and saw villagers carrying cardamom seeds. As a result those
troops took away a total of 56 viss of cardamom from the villagers.
 *20-11-98: Troops from SPDC  army who called them selves as 
"Guerrilla Force" went into Lay-thit village and arrested village 
headman Saw Seh Boe and until these days nothing is heard a bout him . 
*21-11-98: SPDC army southern command head quarter seized (12) 
villagers trucks in Tan-ta-bin Township and forcibly used then to 
transport food supplies to the army camp at Baw-ga-li village. 
*23-11-98: Troops from SPDC army  IB 234 shot and killed an 
unidentified villager about 25 years old at Kya-soe-khee village. 
*24-11-98: Troops from SPDC army IB 39 went into Play-khee village 
and burned down all the houses. Gen. Tin Aye who was the southern 
commander ordered IB 73 and IB 78 to arrest every village headman in 
Taun-ta-bin Township. 
*27-11-98: Troops from SPDC army IB 35 went 
into Kaw-thay-doe village and forcibly gathered 30 villagers to carry 
food supplies to Bu-su-khee and Naw -soe army camps.

Nyang-le-bin District
* 21-11-98: Troops SPDC army went into Htee-nya-pate-khee area, 
Kwee-lah village tract, Kyauk-kyi Township and shot at villagers while
they were reaping paddy in their paddy fields. At that incident Saw
Moo  waw wounded and Saw Thay Hai, a 10 month old boy was killed on
the spot. Those troops burned down 6 paddy fields and 6 paddy fields
and 6 paddy field huts to gather with 200 baskets of paddy in the
thrashing ground. In addition the troops also collected the paddy
bundles which had been reaped and burned them down.

Words & Abbreviations: Kyat=Name of Burmese currency; SPDC State Peace
and Development Council (Military dictatorship of Burma); DKBA =
Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army ) (Puppet of the SPDC ) LIB= Light
Infantry Battalion; IB = Infantry Battalion.Basket = 8 gallons;
Viss=1.6 kg

(Translated, printed and distributed by Karen Information Center)