RAPE AND KILLING IN NAM-ZARNG ,SHAN

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Subject: RAPE AND KILLING IN NAM-ZARNG ,SHAN STATE BURMA

S.H.R.F.  MONTHLY  REPORT  --  FEBRUARY  1999

RAPE AND KILLING IN NAM-ZARNG
On 1.1.99, SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) troops of IB66
led
by
Myint Sein raped 6 women and killed one of them and a man, near Wan Wawn
and
Wan Ek villages, Nawng Kaw tract, Nam-Zarng township.
On that day, the women were carrying rice on their shoulder yokes and
walking
from their farms to their villages. But before they reached their
villages,
they met a patrol of 70-80 SPDC troops mentioned above on the way. The
troops
stopped them, forced them to put down their yokes, and interrogated
them,
accusing them of intending to husk the rice and give to the Shan
soldiers.
Commander Myint Sein took away Nang Leng Sa, aged 15, from Nawng Kaw
and
raped
her. After that, he shot her dead. When he was about to shoot her, one
of
the
civilian porters pleaded for mercy, saying that he was from the same
village
and knew that she was innocent. But the SPDC commander forced the
porter,
Sai
Mu, aged 29, to sit down near Nang Leng Sa and shot him dead as well.
After killing the 2 villagers, the commander told his troops that they
would
rest for 1 hour and they  could do whatever they like with the rest of
the
women except killing them. So the troops raped them for 1 hour and left.
It
took some time for the women to be able to stand up and walk back to
their
villages, but they could not carry their rice.
The 5 women were: (not their real names)
1. Nang Ser, aged 22, from Wan Ek village
2. Nang Peng, aged 27, from Wan Ek village
3. Nang Ing, aged 30, from Wan Wawn village
4. Nang Lu, aged 31, from Wan Wawn village
5. Nang Non, aged 33, from Wan Ed village

A MUTE SHOT IN MURNG-TON
On 25.12.98, a patrol of about 15 SPDC troops from IB65 shot a mute
person,
aged 21, at Hawng Lin village, Murng-Ton township.
The troops went into the village and shot him on sight, accusing him of
being
an informer for the resistance forces. He was hit in the stomach and was
badly
wounded. After they found out that he was a mute, the troops released
him.
However, to prevent the news that they had shot a mute person from
spreading,
the SPDC troops did not allow him to go to the hospital in Murng-Ton,
instead
they told him to go to Thailand for medical treatment.


RAPING, ROBBING AND TAKING PORTERS IN KUN-HING
On 27.1.99, a patrol of 50 SPDC troops from IB246 led by Maj Aung Shein
saw a
group of men and women villagers of Nam Pa Man village from Ka Li who
had
come
to work on their farm in Kaeng Lom area, Kun-Hing township.
The troops seized the villagers, raped the women and took the men for
porters.
Three men who had been taken away and had not yet come back were:
1. Ta Oo
2. Sarng Na-Ling
3. Wa-La
The following were the 5 women who had been raped: (not their real
names)
1. Pa Poi, aged 42
2. Nang Zing, aged 35
3. Nang Suay, aged 28
4. Nang Thun, aged 18
5. Nang Pu, aged 36
The troops took away the following things belonging to the villagers:
1. Two bicycles
2. 12 baskets of rice paddy
3. One ox (shot for meat)

FORCED LABOUR IN LAI-KHA
On 7.1.99, 100 SPDC troops from LIB515 led by commander Soe Hpyu took
37
trucks in Lai-Kha and 40 men labourers from Ta Phui and Ta Mark Larng
villages
to the deserted village of Ter Leng Hai Seng, Ter Leng tract, Lai-Kha
township.
They forced the villagers to pull apart the unused school and hospital
buildings and trucked the corrugated roof iron and lumber still in good
condition back to Lai-Kha. The materials were being used to build houses
for
the wives and children of the soldiers at the military base in Lai-Kha.
After that, the troops ordered the people in the area to provide bamboo
and
build a fence. Each family had to provide 50 fence posts, 10 pieces of
long
split bamboo to be horizontally attached to the posts as a framework of
the
fence, and 500 pieces of short split bamboo with sharp points to be used
vertically as the main body of the fence. The villagers were forced to
finish
building the fence by the end of January 1999.


HEAVY TAXES IMPOSED ON FARMERS IN LAI-KHA
On 4.1.99, SPDC's LIB442 issued an order imposing heavy taxes on
farmers
who
grew sesame, peanut and various vegetables other than rice.
The farmers were required to give 30% of their farm produce to the
military,
making life very difficult for many farmers who were barely able to
subsist
on
their vegetable farms.


DESTRUCTION OF BUDDHIST TEMPLE CAUSES DEATHS IN KAE-SEE
On 28.10.98, about 85 SPDC troops from LIB524 led by commander Htun Mya
forcibly recruited 50 civilian labourers skilled in carpentry, together
with
their carpenter tools, in Kae-See township, and 25 trucks in Kae-See and
15
trucks from Kun-Hing township. They also took 10 men from Wan Zing area
to
use
as guides.
On 29.10.98, the troops, with the trucks and labourers, went to Wan
Yawt
village, Murng Yarng tract, in Wan Zing area, Kae-See township and
ordered
the
labourers to dismantle an ancient temple there. Wan Yawt was one of the
villages that had been forcibly relocated to Wan Zing about 2 years ago
by
the
then Slorc (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops. The temple
was
a
big one and was built of teak wood, said to be 220 years old except for
the
more recent corrugated iron roof.
The troops took 218 sheets of corrugated iron and the teak lumber that
were
still in good condition by trucks to the military base at Wan Zing. Most
of

the
materials were used to build houses for military officers and their
families at
the base.
Now there were people, especially the elders, who were greatly attached
to
the
temple because they had been using it for religious as well as social
affairs
since as far back as they could remember up to the time when they were
forced
to move away from the village.
On learning the fate of their beloved temple, these people were so
shocked
and
grieved that some fell down and died while crying. Three of them died on
30.10.98:
1. Loong Kyawng Sai, male, aged 97, native of Wan Yawt
2. Loong Zarng Su, male, aged 91, native of Wan Yawt
3. Pa Kyawng Lai, female, aged 84, native of Wan Yawt


ARREST IN MURNG-PHYAK
On 5.1.99, about 60 SPDC troops of Company No.2 from IB221 led by Capt
Sein
Hla Win arrested 6 men villagers on a charge of collecting money for an
armed
opposition group SSA-E (Shan State Army - Eastern) at Murng Pak village,
Murng-Phyak township.
The 6 villagers arrested were:
1. Sai Pan-Nya, aged 28, of Murng Pak village
2. Sai Kan-Na, aged 19, of Murng Pak village
3. Loong In, aged 43, of Murng Pak village
4. Sai Saw-Na, aged 30, of Murng Pak village
5. Sai Su-Ya, aged 30, of Murng Pak village
6. Sai Peng, aged 18, of Murng Pak village


ROBBERY IN TA-KHI-LAEK (Tachilek)
On 10.1.99, a patrol of about 25 SPDC troops from LIB316 led by Capt
Myint
Thu
robbed 3 villagers of 2 buffalo at a place called Parng Mark Kawk in
Murng
Ko
tract, Takhilaek township.
The 3 villagers were from Murng Khawn village in Kaeng-Tung township,
and
were
herding 22 head of buffalo, belonging to a cattle dealer in Kaeng-Tung,
from
Kaeng-Tung to Takhilaek when Capt Myint Thu and his troops stopped them
and
took all the buffalo.
The villagers explained that the buffalo were not theirs and that they
were
only hired to drive them to Takhileak, and pleaded repeatedly for their
release. Finally, the troops agreed to let them go on the condition that
the
villagers gave them 2 buffalo. Seeing no other choice, the villagers had
to
comply.
The buffalo owner was not satisfied with the 3 villagers and demanded
that
they pay for the 2 lost buffalo, 120,000 Kyat for each buffalo.
The villagers only got 6,000 Kyat for each of the buffalo they had
driven
to
Takhilae, but had to pay 120,000 Kyat for each of the 2 buffalo that had
been
taken by SPDC troops.
The 3 villagers were:
1. Sai Hong, aged 25, from Murng Khawn
2. Sai In Wong, aged 27, from Murng Khawn
3. Ai Thwaak, aged 18, from Murng Khawn

RAPE IN MURNG-SART
On 10.1.99, SPDC troops from LIB333 led by Capt Maung Maung raped 2
village
girls, Naang Sai, aged 17 and Naang Leng, aged 16, at Murng In village
in
Murng-Sart township.
On that day, a patrol of about 25 troops led by Capt Maung Maung saw
the 2
girls who were collecting fire-wood near Murng In village. The captain
ordered
his troops to seize both of them and raped them near the bank of Nam In
stream.
Later, the parents of both girls went to Murng Sart and complained
about
it to
the SPDC authorities there. But no one was interested in it and nothing
was

done to address the grievances of the victims.

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YAWNG
On 16.1.99, commander Sein Hla of SPDC's LIB334 issued an order to the
villagers of Murng Yu, Murng-Yawng township, demanding 4 Pyi (1 Pyi = 8
condensed-milk tins) of bean seeds from each house.
After that, the villagers were forced to grow bean for the military,
using
the
bean seeds they had provided earlier for sowing. Furthermore, the
villagers
were required to take care of all the work needed to be done at the bean
plantation, from beginning to end, until the harvested new bean reached
the
military base.

EXTORTION IN MURNG-KHARK
On 16.1.99, SPDC's IB227 ordered the villagers of Murng Nung,
Murng-Khark
township, to provide money for the military.
Each of the 65 houses in Murng Nung had to give 3,000 Kyat.
The money was said to be used to purchase a car for the military
commanders to
use in making periodical and monthly inspection rounds in the area.

PLUNDERING IN KAENG-TUNG
In December 1998, about 60 SPDC troops from IB226 led by Company No.3
commander Capt San Hla Aung came to Murng Pak village in Kaeng-Tung
township.
The troops shot and took away pigs and chickens belonging to the
villagers,
without asking or paying anything.
1. Loong Pan, aged 46, lost 1 pig
2. Sai Wun, aged 30, lost 1 pig
3. Pa Kham, aged 50, lost 2 chickens
4. Ai Seng, aged 29, lost 3 chickens

BEATING IN MURNG-PHYARK
Sometime in December 1998, 30 SPDC troops from IB221 came to Murng Lung
village, Murng Kok tract, Murng-Phyark township, and arrested 6 men
villagers.
The troops accused the villagers of gathering information for Shan
State
Army
- Eastern and interrogated them. They tortured and beat up the
villagers
for
some time before releasing them.
The 6 villagers beaten were:
1. Ai Kaw-Wi, aged 21, suffered from a stiff and painful back and waist
for
some time
2. Sarng Pan-Ta, aged 19, had a limping leg
3. Sai Seng Wan, aged 30, had a fractured skull
4. Sai Narn Hong, aged 41, lost some teeth
5. Loon Nan-Ta, aged 45, lost some teeth
6. Ai La Waeng, aged 25, lost some teeth

FORCIBLE RICE PROCUREMENT IN MURNG-PHYARK
During December 1998, SPDC rice collecting team from Murng-Phyark,
escorted by
60 SPDC troops from LIB329 led by Capt Mya Win, came to Murng Tin
village
in
Murng-Phyark township and forced the farmers to give 10 baskets of rice
from
each acre of their rice fields to the SPDC.
Many farmers did not have that amount of rice and tried to ask the
authorities
to reduce the demanded amount to 3 baskets per household. But the SPDC
authorities were so adamant that some farmers had to sell their
livestock
to
buy rice to fill up their quotas.
Some of the farmers who had to sell their livestock were:
1. Loong Ya Seng, aged 49, had to sell 1 cow
2. Ai Kot Li, aged 35, had to sell 1 pig
3. Sai Laa Keo, aged 29, had to sell 1 buffalo
4. Pa Kham Sa, aged 52, had to sell 1 buffalo
5. Nang Zan, aged 30, had to sell 1 cow
6. Nan Sai Wong, aged 41, had to sell 1 pig

FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-YAWNG
In December 1998, a patrol of about 20 SPDC troops from LIB334 led by
Capt
San
Thein arrested 6 villagers from each of the villages of Hawng Zarng and

Hawng
Koey and took them to the military base at Murng-Yawng.
The villagers were forced to fix the fence of the military compound and
dig
the ground in preparation for planting soya bean for the military.
They were forced to work in this way for 3 whole days without pay and
only
fed
2 meagre meals per day.
Some of the villagers arrested were:
1. Ai Pao, aged 36, from Hawng Zarng village
2. Ai Nam, aged 31, from Hawng Zarng village
3. Ai Tun, aged 40, from Hawng Koey village
The names of the other 4 from Hawng Zarng village and 5 from Hawng Koey
village were not known.

BEATING, EXTORTION AND ROBBING IN TA-KHI-LAEK
During December 1998, there was rumours that SSA-E was going to attack
Ta-Khi-Laek town sometime in late December. That made the SPDC troops in
the
area feel so uncomfortable that they beefed up their patrolling and
pillaging
of the civilian population in Ta-Khi-Laek township.
About 12 SPDC troops from LIB526 led by Lt Than Hlaing went to Huay Lin
Lam
village, accused the villagers of preparing to help SSA troops in
raiding
the
town, and arrested 2 men who were in charge of a Nam Mae Hok river ferry
border
crossing point. The troops interrogated them and badly beat them up. The
2
men
were:
1. Ai Long Seng, aged 29, was beaten on the head, badly splitting his
scalp
2. Sai Parng, aged 21, was badly hurt on the back and waist he could
hardly
move

Ta-Khi-Leak District SPDC authorities issued an order to collect porter
fees
from the people in Ta-Khi-Laek township for stand-by money said to be
used
to
hire porters for the army if the town were attacked.
The townspeople of the 6 quarters of the town had to provide 200,000
Kyat
and
the village people of the 9 village tracts also had to provide 200,000
Kyat.

A group of 25 SPDC soldiers from Ta Lur-based LIB316 led by capt Maung
Bo,
accusing that 7 SSA troops were hiding to join in with the raid of
Ta-Khi-Laek,
ransacked Murng Laen village in Ta-Khi-Laek township.
The soldiers took from the people whatever they wanted, including gold,
money
and Buddha statues ect. The following were among those who lost their
property:
1. Sai Mi-Ling (m), aged 28, lost 1 bronze Buddha statue
2. Loong In Wong (m), aged 49, lost 1 bronze Buddha statue
3. Ai Sarm Parn (m), aged 42, lost 1 Baht weight of gold
4. Sai Parn (m), aged 25, lost 5,000 Bhat
5. Naang Kham Pan (f), aged 35, lost 2,000 Bhat

PIGS SHOT, VILLAGERS FORCED TO CARRY THE CARCASSES TO MILITARY BASE IN
MURNG-YARNG
On 19.1.99, 12 SPDC troops from LIB328 came to Murng Phen village tract
in
Murng-Yarng township and shot dead 2 pigs belonging to the villagers of
Wan
Lom
village and ordered the villagers to carry the carcasses to the military
base
in Murng Yarng.
Murng Phen was in the territory of UWSA (United Wa State Army), a
ceasefire
group  in control of the area which was supposed to be free from SPDC
troops'
oppression.
The villagers who lost their pigs were:
1. Loong Long, aged 45, lost 1 pig worth 6,000 Kyat
2. Sai Num La, aged 39, lost 1 pig worth 7,000 Kyat

BEATING OF VILLAGERS IN MURNG-YARNG
On 23.1.99, SPDC troops from LIB328 arrested 2 villagers of Wan Zarng,
Murng

Luay tract, Murng-Yarng township.
They accused the 2 villagers of giving information to SHAN (Shan Herald
Agency
for News -- a periodical news journal published by one of the opposition
groups) and beat and tortured them during interrogation.
Though they were found innocent, the 2 villagers were released only on
25.1.99, after the village headman brought their parents to pay 2,000
Kyat
each
to the military for their release.
Both of the villagers suffered severe head injuries from the beating,
and
still have to receive medical treatment at the time of this report.
The 2 villagers were:
1. Sai Taan, aged 22, of Wan Zarng village
2. Sai Nan-Ta-Wun, aged 20, of Wan Zarng village

VILLAGERS FORCED TO GROW RICE FOR THE MILITARY IN NAM-KHAM
Starting from late November 1998, villagers in 3 village tracts
comprising
12
villages in Nam-Kham township were forced to cultivate rice for the
military by
SPDC's IB242. The 3 village tracts were:
1. Kun Long village tract
2. Nam Ti village tract
3. Ho Pung village tract
The 12 villages in those tracts were:
1. Kun Long
2. Nong Kawng
3. Maan Oi
4. Maan Pung
5. Nam Ti
6. Ngawn In
7. Loi Sa
8. Loi Lin Kaang
9. Ho Pung
10. Nam Ma
11. Waeng Kaang
12. Maan Mai
On 27.11.98, Capt Soe Tint from IB242 called a meeting of all the
headmen
from
the 12 villages at the monastery of Kun Long village. At that meeting,
he
told
the villagers that the army would appropriate some acres of land from
the
villagers of Kun Long and the villagers from all the 12 villages would
have
to
take the responsibility to cultivate rice for the military. Some of the
villagers that had to give up their rice fields were:
1. Thun Haan
2. Saang Mawng
3. Ya Pho
4. Sai Ai Thawn
5. Sai Ai Hawng
6. Seng Kham Sai Long
7. Mawk Kham Phaang
8. Soi Kham Zuen
9. Awng Khit
10. Yawt Kham Mawng Sai
11. Sai Ai Pi
12. Thun Kyaw
13. Mai Seng
14. Seng Kham Sai
15. Mawk Seng, and many others.
Starting from 30.11.98, 9 villagers with 9 buffalo had to plough the
fields
from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every day for 8 days. From 1.12.98, 6
mini-tractors had to plough from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for 4 days.
About
7-80,000 Kyat were collected from among the villages to supposedly pay
for
the
ploughing.
After the ploughing, about 40-80 people per day had to sow the fields
with
70-80 baskets of paddy seeds for 7-8 days.
The 12 villages would have to take turns to tend the fields until the
harvest
and until the rice reached the army base.

VILLAGERS PUNISHED FOR FAILING TO COME TO PLANT RICE FOR THE MILITARY IN
NAM-KHAM
On 6.2.99, SPDC troops from IB242 ordered 30 villagers from Kun Long
village
to come and plant rice in the military rice fields which had been
appropriated
earlier.
However, only 17 were able to come because the rest were so
hard-pressed
to
earn their living. So the troops arrested the village headman and his
assistant, and a man who they met on the way but who had nothing to do
with
the
case in point, and put them in foot-locks for 30 minutes.
After that they arrested the 13 people, 9 men and 4 women, who had
failed
to
come and foot-locked them as well. The 13 people were released only
after

they
paid the military 1,000 Kyat each. Another 4 people who were away on
that
day
were also fined 4,000 Kyat each.
The army called up villages from 3 villages on that day:
1. Kun Long village  -  30 people
2. Wan Pung village   - 30 people
3. Wan Oi village      - 10 people.

VILLAGERS WITH BARREN FIELDS FORCED TO SELL RICE IN MURNG-SU
Since the last 1-2 years, SPDC authorities in Murng-Su township have
been
diverting water from Nam Su river to the gem mines to be used in digging
gem
stones and collecting high taxes from the miners for the use of the
water.
Until then, Nam Su had been the main source of water that fed the rice
fields
in the areas of the following villages in Murng-Su township:
1. Murng Zaang
2. Ho Pung
3. Huay Hoe
4. Ho Seng
5. Nam Tawng
6. Maw Mae
7. Wan Loi
8. Loi Naa
9. Murng Awt
10. Na Wai
11. Nawng Aep
12. Pha Ya
13. Wan Saw
14. Hai Pa
15. Paang Zoi
16. Na Zaam
17. Kung Kyawng
Because of the severe shortage of water, the farmers in the areas were
not
able to cultivate the land and more than 700 acres of rice fields have
been
abandoned. However, the SPDC authorities are still demanding that they
sell
their rice quotas to them.
The farmers in the areas are obliged to sell 15,000 baskets of rice at
a
price
of 350 Kyat per basket while the market price is over 560 Kyat.

A FARMER BEATEN UP FOR TRYING TO DIVERT SOME WATER IN NAM-KHAM
On 12.2.99, a farmer named Sai Mawng Sai, aged 27, of Wan Naa village
in
Nam-Kham township, was badly beaten by 2 SPDC troops from IB242.
Sai Mawng Sai was temporarily diverting some water from the stream that
has
long fed the rice fields in the area to his field when the 2 soldiers
saw
him
and stopped him, saying they needed the water to feed the military rice
fields.
It is said that many farmers who happen to have their fields near the
military
fields virtually do not dare to go to work because the soldiers
frequently
call
and ask them to work for them.

MASS EXACTION OF LABOUR AND MATERIALS TO BUILD EMBANKMENTS IN NAM-KHAM
On 2.2.99, Chairman of the Nam-Kham Township Peace and Development
Council
called a meeting of 20 village headmen and 15 town-quarter headmen.
He told the gathered headmen that the banks of Nam Mao (Shweli) river
at
Wan
Nawng and Ho Sai villages were being washed away by the current so much
that
embankments were needed to be built in order to protect them.
He stressed that to build the embankments, labour such as men and
vehicles,
and materials such as stone, wood and bamboo were needed. He ordered
that
the
following villages provide their respective materials.
The following villages would have to provide stone:
1. Ho Sai 40 (gin) of stone
2. Wan Kham 40 (gin) of stone
3. Kawng Tap 30 (gin) of stone
4. Zae Hai 50 (gin) of stone
5. Kung Sa 50 (gin) of stone
6. Wan Nawng 50 (gin) of stone
(1 gin of stone was said to be sold for 4,000 Kyat in normal situation)
The following villages would have to provide bamboo:
1. Ngawn In 50 bamboo poles
2. Nam Ti 50 bamboo poles
3. Loi Sa 50 bamboo poles
4. Loi Lin Kaang 50 bamboo poles
5. Ho Pung 50 bamboo poles
6. Nam Ma 50 bamboo poles
7. Waeng Kaang 50 bamboo poles

8. Wan Kawng Kaat 50 bamboo poles
9. Wan Mai 50 bamboo poles
The following villages would have to provide hard wood as much as would
be
needed:
1. Haang Kaam
2. Wan Meng
3. Hin Long
4. Paang Ku
5. Maw Tawng

It was rumoured that someone higher up had appropriated 200,000 Kyat
for
the
construction of the embankments, but the Northeastern Command in Lashio
had
taken away 100,000 Kyat.