KAO WAO: BREAKING NEWS

BURMA ARMY OPEN FIRES ON SOCIAL GATHERING

(Kaowao, May 13, 2002)

NO PEACE AFTER SUU KYI'S RELEASE

The Burma Army marched into Taung Pauk village, Kya-Inn Seikyi Township in

Karen State and opened fire on a group of innocent civilians who had

gathered to build a house on May 12, 2002.

A crowd of Mon villagers were fired upon by the Infantry Battalion No. 77

under Army Division 88 who intruded into the cease-fire zone of the New Mon

State Party.  On May 12, about a hundred Burmese troops led by Major Myint

Lwin entered Taung Pauk (Day Thoong) village and committed rampant shooting

at a social gathering of Mon villagers who were building a house at a

traditional gathering. During the shooting the army killed two villagers and

wounded three.

The NMSP officer, from the cease-fire zone, informed that the Burma army

killed two men, Nai Lao, 31 years and Nai Lone, 30 years, and severely

wounding Nai Tun Tin.  A Mon girl Mi Than Aye, 17 years and Nai KunOo, 52

years were also wounded by the shooting and sent to the clinic operated by

the NMSP.  Nai Tun Tin who was severely wounded was sent to Kya-Inn Seikyi

hospital with the help of other villagers.

The local villagers reported the shooting as unexpected, coming about for no

apparent reason as the area is within the cease-fire zone.  The villagers

were helping out with the construction of a house in the Mon village and

within their right to gather.

As a result, the crowd did not flee when the Army approached Koh Palork (Day

Thoong).  “Before the cease-fire in 1995, we always fled from the Burmese

army when they entered our village.  This time, we thought every thing was

as usual because it was in the NMSP control cease-fire zone and we did not

run away,” reported an upset Mon villager.

Earlier to this brutal shooting, Major Myint Lwin and the Infantry Battalion

No. 77 entered Wae Saloi village on May 9, 2002 and arrested two New Mon

State Party members, seizing their arms and a walky-talky phone. On May 10,

the same troops patrolled at Bo Kadaw village and seized a walky-talky phone

from Nai Nyo, another officer of the New Mon State Party.

The area is controlled by the New Mon State Party and is under the

cease-fire zone reached in 1995.  The NMSP sent a letter to the Southeast

Military Command protesting the intrusion, the killing of civilians and

confiscation of weapons by the military troops. An aynonymous MNSP member

said the NMSO is losing its public support because it cannot protect

civilians. Observers say that the intrusion is because the army is launching

an offensive against the Karen insurgents near the area.