* To monitor human rights situations in Mon territory
and other areas southern part of
* To protect and promote internationally recognized
human rights in
human rights foundation of
monland
Human Rights 5/97 (November, 1997)
Report One
The Prachuab Mon Refugees: Nowhere to Run
Report Two,
The Forced Labour and Arbitrary Execution in Mergui
District
Some Acronyms
SLORC
- State
Law and Order Restoration Council,
SPDC
- State
Peace and Development Council,
NMSP
- New
MNRC
- Mon
National Relief Committee,
MAMD
- Mon
Army, Mergui District,
KNU - Karen National
KNLA
- Karen
National Liberation Army,
IB - Regular Infantry Battalion of SLORC,
LIB - Light Infantry Battalion of SLORC,
UNHCR
- United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
MSF
- Medicines Sans
Frontier,
Report One
The Prachuab Mon Refugees: Nowhere to Run
Unsafe Situation and Spontaneous Repatriation
Due to decade-long civil war
in southern part of
In April, 1997, the SLORC's
offensives against the KNU and MAMD have intensive and many Mon villagers in
Mergui district area were displaced and about one thousand of them fled into
Thai territory. The offensive that advanced to MAMD was jointly operated by
local SLORC troops from LIB No. 224, No. 358 and No. 432 which were under the
command of Coastal Region Military Command of Major-Gen. Sit Maung. In
launching the offensives, Brigadier Aung Khin led this military joint
operation. On 18-19 April, this operation could occupy some bases of ABSDF and
KNU in the north part of MAMD headquarters. On 23 April, the operation turned
head to MAMD bases. On 26 April, the SLORC troops could occupy one base of MAMD
troops and then hundreds of refugees poured into Thai territory. On 27 April,
the SLORC troops burnt down Chaungchi village and then retreated back to
Murntaing where they have a temporary base.
However the fighting inside
the area was not ceased down and the SLORC troops had attempted to occupy more
KNU, ABSDF and MAMD bases. Because of the constant fighting inside Burmese
territory, Thai authorities allowed the Mon and other ethnic refugees who fled
from Chaungchi area, according to Thai government's policy. About 400 refugees
were allowed to encamp inside
In May, the fighting was
intensive and more refugees fled into Thai territory. On 18 May, after SLORC
repeated offensives, many refugees fled into
On 24 May, due to intensive
military offensives by SLORC and precarious situation to defend the area, the
MAMD troops contacted SLORC to surrender. On 25 May, the SLORC held an occasion
of surrendering ceremony for MAMD and the MAMD troops also agreed to give many
hundreds of arms to SLORC. Then the SLORC officials also ordered MAMD leaders
to organize the refugees inside Thai territory to return their former villages
for another ceremony to show that the villagers in the border area also welcome
the surrender of MAMD. SLORC officials also promised to villagers that they may
help in developing the border area and provide a lot of profit to poor
villagers.
Anyhow, soon after the
surrender, the SLORC troops took bases in all former villages of the displaced
persons and began building military camps. All refugees were afraid to be repatriated,
but Thai authorities explained them they must be returned because the situation
inside Burmese territory was safe and no more fighting. The refugees, who have
experience about the human rights violation of SLORC knew how they must be
treated after return and stay under the rule of military regime, had refused to
return and requested for longer refuge inside Thai territory.
On 29 May, some MAMD
officials arrived at the temporary camp and organized the refugees to return to
their former homes. According to officials, SLORC had promised them that they
would develop the area with education, health assistance and other services. In
the meeting, most refugees insisted that they would not like to return former
villages because the Burmese troops setting up their bases. But according to
MAMD officials, SLORC officials Major-Gen. Sit Maung, met with Thai military
officials to arrange for the return of the refugees.
On 30 May, Major-Gen. Sit
Maung officially met with Thai military officials from Ninth Division and they
agreed to send those refugees back. On the following days, the SLORC and Thai
military officials made many visits to the temporary campsite and put more
pressure on refugees for a return to Chaungchi area. At the end, after several
rounds of talks and intensive pressure, the refugees had no choice except to
return. If they stayed inside Thai territory, they must be arrested as
"illegal immigrants".
On 6 June, a spontaneous
repatriation was conducted by Thai authorities. They also invited Bangkok based
UNHCR to participate in a low profile monitoring of the repatriation and did
not allow the UNHCR to inquire the detail situation in their homes and real
desire of the refugees whether they would like to return or not. While the
repatriation was conducting, about 200 refugees disappeared and fled into deep
inside Thai territory. The process of repatriated to some refugees was anyhow
succeeded.
Abuses after Repatriation
It was not the end of the
story. After the refugees returned and stayed in their former villages, they
were ill-treated and blocked by the army from moving into Thai territory again.
All entrances of the village were made into check-points by the SLORC troops
and the villagers could not leave. But some villagers tried to flee into Thai
territory in secret ways.
Later, by using the secret
ways, more villagers fled into Thai territory again. According to escapees, the
SLORC has conscripted forced labour from the whole village to build their
military encampment. In each
Most of the village headmen
were the main leaders who refused to return when they were in Thai territory
and the SLORC forced them to take responsibility to build bases as revenge. The
daily work in the military camps were clearing grass, digging earth, making
fence, building barracks and etc.. Every able-bodied
person including women and children in the villages has been forced to work.
The SLORC officials promised to provide six months worth of rice to the
refugees, but only the small amount of one week worth of rice provided at the
end of June.
When they arrived in
villages, the refugees did not have any opportunity to re-build their houses
and make farms for survival because they were busy with work for the military.
If the villagers disagreed with the military, they faced severe punishment. The
SLORC officials organized some villagers to be their agents and checked opinion
of the villagers. The villagers could not trust each other as they did not know
who were agents. If anyone planned to escape and was
revealed, people feared punishment and death. Thus, the villagers are staying
in constant fear of most terrible circumstance.
On June 21, the SLORC
officials called a meeting with the villagers and ordered them to complete the
encampment as soon as possible. They also instructed the villagers to bring
their own tools and food from their homes. At the end of meeting, a villager
asked them not to use every villagers in daily basis
and allow some of them to work in re-building house and clearing land for
farms. While he was proposing his opinion, one official hit him with water
glass and warned all villagers not to make any complaint to the military. They
were also warned that to eat the rice distributed by military and work for the
military, if they did not, they would be severely punished.
At the beginning of July,
numerous villagers were arrested and SLORC attempted to force them as frontline
porters in their offensives against the KNU bases situated nearby. About 15 men
from Huayphak and 10 men from Chaungchi were arrested as frontline porters and
they were forced to carry ammunition and supplies along the military operation.
This military offensive was operated by LIB No. 358 and No. 224. Many of
villager porters were beaten and were also used as mine-sweepers in advancing
to KNU bases.
For instance,
One villager from Huayphak
area, Nai Thaung Shein (42 years old), was hit by a mine and his left leg was
cut, when the SLORC launched offensives against KNU's 4th Brigade. The villager porters brought him back to the
village, but the military did not provide special treatment for him. He was
transferred to a Thai hospital and his family has to pay for all costs of
treatment. He has five children altogether and the military did not give any
help to his family after his leg was cut.
Besides the conscription of
forced labour in building the military encampments and forced portering to the
frontline, the villagers were also forced to build the roads to connect from
one SLORC base to another. On 13 July, the whole villagers from Huayphak and
Chaungchi areas were forced to build the road from Huayphak to Chaungchi. Some
villagers from Chaungchi were also forced to build the road from Seik Mon to
Murntaing (see map).
After the refugees were
repatriated in June, there was no follow-up monitoring conducted by Thai
authorities who took responsibility sending them back, and international
organization especially UNHCR. Despite no community reconstruction assistance
was provided, they were inhumanely treated by the military. Due to the
consistent forced labour and other abuses, the villagers had tried to flee into
Thai territory again.
No Welcome Situation
inside
Starting from July 12, the
villagers from Chaungchi, who were recently repatriated, fled into Thai
territory group by group. They came by secret ways, where the SLORC have no checkpoints,
with their whole in dark mid-night. They twisted the way and climbed the
mountains, slept in jungles for some nights, and then reached into a number of
Thai owned plantation inside Thai territory. But they
were not allowed to stay in those plantation and were
drove out by the Thais. About 400 refugees have reached
They were not, however, given
protection by Thai authorities as they had been before. When they reached the
Thai border area, the Thai authorities did not allow them to regroup and they
were sent to a number of Thai owned plantation in the area by some officials
but unofficially. They were accused of being illegal immigrants and threatened
with deportation to
Among those refugees who
could speak and understand Thai language, easily fled more
deeper inside
On July 21, SLORC's LIB 358
Commander Col. Tun Wai came into Thai territory and discussed with Thai border
authorities the subsequent deportation to
After the visit of UNHCR, the
Thai authorities, the army from Ninth Division and border police, met with the
escapees and gave them three days to voluntarily
return to
Thus, those who accepted the
offer of repatriation with assurances by SLORC to be provided with several
development services and inadequate monitoring of UNHCR, have been
systematically shuffled from location to location, placed in danger, forced
into conscripted labour and have given up the relative security of the original
refugee camp for the uncertain and hazardous status of illegal immigrants. They
will, as have others before them, be forced into hazardous, low-paying work
under threat of arrest.
The Last Incident: The
Repatriation to Halockhani Camp
Because of the human rights
abuses and intolerable situation among the MAMD members, the MAMD, itself,
split each other in November. This split also made the flee
of the refugees into
Although the SLORC gave
several kinds of promise for assistance under the banner of border area
development program before their return from
When the SLORC conducted the
conscription of forced labour in the villages, its troops also encourage the
MAMD to help them in conscripting the villagers to be labourers in all
constructions. Under the instruction of SLORC troops, some MAMD members disagreed
on their behaviour, but they have no opportunity to complaint and kept silence.
At the same time, top leaders of MAMD were offered with business opportunity by
SLORC and the ordinary soldiers were getting more dissatisfaction on those top
leaders. It was a tactic of SLORC in breaking the unity among ethnic armed
forces. Because of unkind behaviour and consistent conscription of forced
labour by SLORC and additional disunity situation also created a rebellion
among the MAMD group. A coup without blood was happened in Huayphak area while
SPDC troops were taking permanent base in Chaung Chi area.
On November 16, a group of
retired and ordinary Mon soldiers in Huayphak area under the leadership of Maj.
Sein Hla took a coup from MAMD again. These soldiers took all arms left in the
bases and brought it to another place and declared to resume fighting against
SPDC and MAMD troops. All soldiers in Huayphak area joined with this breakaway
group and moved to other place. After coup, the situation of the villagers in
the area became very unsafe and they must be accused as rebel-supporters by the
SPDC and MAMD troops.
After the SPDC and MAMD
leaders knew the incident happened in Huayphak area, they prepared to launch an offensives in a hurry to Hauyphak area. Before the
reaching of SPDC and MAMD, all about 300 villagers, including women and
children, in the area fled into Thai territory by secret ways. They were not
allowed to walk along the way that connected Huayphak and Thai territory, and
twisted the way, climbed the border mountains, slept
in the jungles and entered into Thai owned plantation in the Thai territory.
They spent for nearly two days to reach into Thai territory as they could not
use the straight way that takes about one hour walk.
When they reached inside Thai
territory, they were afraid the arrest of the Thai authorities and then deportation,
most of them continuously fled deeper inside
On 21 November, the NMSP and
MNRC were informed by the Thai authorities that those about 60 escapees were being
deported to Halockhani camp. At night time, those escapees Sangkhlaburi and the
MNRC accepted them and resettled in Halockhani camp. Before this repatriation,
about 16 refugees from four families voluntarily returned to Halockhani by
their own arrangement.
Interview
To realize how the refugees
have been suffered from spontaneous repatriation and human rights violation
inside Burmese territory, we also conducted interview with a
escapees who reached into Thai territory again in July.
Name: Nai Khaing
Sex/ Age: Male/ (53) years
Nationality/ Religion: Mon/ Buddhist
Occupation: Refugee
Native Place: Kyauktaung village, Boke Pyin township, Tenasserim Division
Temporary Home: Chaungchi village, Mergui District,
Tenasserim Division
Interview Date:
When did you arrive into Thai territory again? How did
you come and are you alone or with your whole family?
I came with my whole family
and arrived here about 5 days ago. We could not come along straight way that easily reach into Thai territory, and we twisted
the way in the north side of the mountains. We climbed the mountains and slept
for one night in forest and then climbed down into a Thai plantation.
Are you a returnee in June repatriation by the Thai
authorities? Did you really want to
return to Burmese side of the border?
Yes, I was a returnee.
Actually, we would not like to return but we were afraid of being detained by
the Thai soldiers and we didn't know how to stay inside
Many villagers disappeared
while the Thai soldiers were bringing them with trucks to Burmese side of the
border. Some of them ever knew how to travel inside
Why did you come back to
the Thai territory again?
Soon after we reached in the
village, all villagers were used by the military and we have no to build our house
or make farm. They used all men, women, children in the whole village to build
their military barrack and forced us to build the road. Before we fled here,
the soldiers also arrested the villagers to use them as porters for Burmese
Army in the frontline against the Karen troops.
How did the soldiers force
the villagers to build the military encampment?
And what kind of work you have to work everyday?
Normally, the Burmese
commanders ordered to Mon soldiers to bring all villagers to worksite. They also
gave responsibility to village leaders to manage and bring the needed
labourers. Almost all villagers were conscripted to work in building their
military encampment. We went early in the morning to the designated place and
first, had to clear all trees and grasses to get a plain ground. After clearing
ground, they forced us to dig bunkers with 9 feet deep and covered with
piece of wood and earth on it. We also had to dig three long trenches inside
the base compound and later build fences outside of the camp. When I left the
village, the rest villagers were forced to build the military with hard-woods
and bamboo. All villagers were forced to cut and bring big pieces of hardwood
from the forest.
Did you have enough food
while you were working for them? Or,
did they provide some foods for village?
No. At that time, they also
use some villagers to bring rice from Murntaing village, about one day walk
from our village. When the rice arrived, they took first for their troops and
distributed very few amount to the villagers. They also told the villagers that
not to expect the rice from relief agency and if they would like to eat rice
they must go to Murntaing. They provided us only about 10 days of rice supplies
and we made rice soup and ate it for several days before we fled.
Once, they also called a
meeting with all villagers and asked to complete their military encampment. One
villager also request the soldiers to give time to
build houses and make farm. He was hit by a glass threw from the commander. They
also shout not to make any complaint and to continue building military
encampment if the villagers ate their rice.
When did you decide to
flee from the village?
On 10 July, the soldiers also
told the villagers that some of them will have to carry ammunitions and
supplies for Burmese army in the offensives against the KNU and other student
groups. I don't know where was the fighting happening.
Many villagers were afraid of being arrested to be porters and then I fled into
my old plantation and stayed there. On the next day, my sons and wife came and
joined with me. Then, we decide to flee here.
Report Two
The Forced Labour and
Arbitrary Execution in Mergui District
The Offensives and Accompanying Abuses by SLORC
Since the beginning of 1997, SLORC
had planned to launch military offensives against the rebel groups such as KNU,
MAMD, ABSDF and MDUF. which were based or active in
Mergui district, Tenasserim Division. From March through July, even in the
rainy season, the SLORC local battalions under a number of military operations
had continuously fought those rebel troops and sometimes, arranged a large offensives and occupied some border bases of the
rebel groups. In the military purposes, the SLORC troops also relocated many
villages and declared some villages as rebel bases, killed many villagers in
the places they defined as free fire zones. After their occupation of the
border bases, they also forced the villagers in building various truck roads.
In 1996, the SLORC also
planned to relocate over 40 Karen, Tavoyan, Mon and Thai (of
Most villagers refused to
stay in new resettlement sites as they would not like to abandon their farms or
plantation in their native villages. Later, at the beginning of 1997, the local
SLORC troops knew that the relocation program was not successed. Then, they
tried to organize the villagers again to return their former villages. But only
some big villages were allowed and forced all villagers from small to move into
big villages, where they mostly have military bases.
After all villagers came back
to their former villages, they had been constantly conscripted to be forced
labourers or frontline porters by the SLORC troops again. The SLORC had
continuously operated military offensives against the ethnic rebels during the
whole dry season until the end of July. Whenever the soldiers arrived into
rural villages which were recognized and declared as free fire zones, many
villagers were shot and killed by the soldiers with suspicion of
rebel-supporters.
Constant Conscription of Forced Labour
The SLORC has attempted to
complete the building of Tenasserim-Moe Taung motor road to use it as a trade
route with
After SLORC troops repealed
their order to relocate the villagers in designated places, many villagers
returned to their former homes. When all villagers gathered in the villages,
the soldiers gave order through village leaders to provide labourers in
building about 50 miles long Tenasserim-Moe-taung motor road construction or
frontline porters. The village's entrances were also blocked by soldiers and
their movement was also restricted, and had been constantly demanded to provide
labour in construction.
In Tenasserim-Moetaung motor
road, on a daily basis, at least about 500 villagers and prisoners were used to
build the embankment, lay the small crashed stones, crash the rock and build
the bridges. Every big villages in Boke Pyin and
Tenasserim townships were asked by forces to provide at least from three to
five villagers to work in this construction. Sometimes, when the troops came
into villages, they also arrested the villagers suddenly and then sent to
construction sites, without demanding order.
The villagers who were sent
by a rotation basis of their village leaders had to provide manual labour for
one or two weeks period and when other villagers came,
they could return from the work-sites. The villagers who were arrested and sent
to construction were used in the construction for several weeks and without
arriving of new substitute arrested villagers, they could not return homes.
Some villagers have to work in this construction up to two months period. In
some case, those arrested villagers were also arrested as frontline porters
when the troops needed them to use.
Besides the
Tenasserim-Moetaung motor road, the villagers were constantly used to build the
local truck roads inside their own area. If these road constructions are
completed, the local SLORC troops will accept the smooth communication from one
place to another in this area. The truck roads such as
Manawtone-Theinkhun-Tenassersim road had been built with forced labour of the villagers
nearby. According to escapees, within one week, they had to construct this road
for almost five days and only two days left to work their own jobs. After the
MAMD surrender, the truck road from Chaungchi to Murntaing was built with
forced labour of the villager returnees (see above report) and the
villagers from inside area.
Additionally, in launching
offensives against the KNU, MAMD and other groups, the SLORC had used hundreds
of civilian porters. In April, when the joint military operation consisted LIB
No. 224, No. 358 and No. 432 launched against KNU and MAMD, they used about 800
porters together with about 1,000 of their troops to carry ammunitions and
supplies. In this operation, over 10 porters died on the half way because
severe diseases or killed by the soldiers after their unsuccessful escape
attempt in this operation. (See interview)
Most porters were arrested
from three townships namely Boke Pyin, Tenasserim, and Mergui of Tenasserim
Division. On the towns, the military asked for some number of porters but when
the troops reached into rural areas, went into villages and arrested the
villagers suddenly. The troops brought those arrested porters along with them.
They forced the civilian porters to walk advance as mine-sweepers in most offensives
to occupy the KNU bases.
Again, like other porters in
the whole frontlines of
Arbitrary Execution
Since some areas in Mergui
district were declared as free fire zones, the internally displaced persons,
who did not agree to move into SLORC designated villages, were always shot and
killed by the soldiers very often. To halt the activities of KNU troops, the
SLORC military operations were launched around Tenasserim and Boke Pyin
townships' area. The displaced villagers were always suspected as rebel
soldiers or rebel-supporters and they were also killed with this main
suspicion.
The instances of the extrajudicial killings were as
below:
When two columns of
SLORC's LIB No. 224 military operation led by Col. Ye Myint Aung launch a
patrol in east side of Boke Pyin town, near Ponechaung village, in third week
of March, one Karen villager, Po Taw Ei (46 years) was shot by soldiers and
died on the spot. While he was staying in his high-land rice plantation and
dressing with civilian clothes, he was accused as rebel soldiers and the
soldiers shot to him without careful inquiry. He was shot with six bullets at
behind.
Similarly, when this LIB
No. 224 led by Maj. Than Aung launched a patrol in Manawtone area, they also
killed an elder couple of Karen in a forest, in first week of April. When more
arrest of porters in the area, many villagers fled into forest to escape and
they were also accused as rebel-supporters when the SLORC troops met them in
the forest. The man, U Kway Ni (52 years old) and his wife, Naw Day Tet (49
years old), were arrested by the soldiers in the forest east of Manawtone
village, and asked them the place of KNU bases. The couple constantly refused
that they did not know the place of KNU troops. While the soldiers were
interrogating, the couple were severely beaten by sticks, jungle boots, and gun
butts. After they did not get a satisfied answer, they shot to couple and
killed them. They also cut the bodies of the couple into three parts and left
in a plantation.
The two Thai (of Burma)
men form Theinkhun village, Tenasserim township, were also killed by military
operation of LIB No. 358 led by second commander Maj. Thein Soe in second week
of April. They were namely, Son Lin (36 years old) and Aye Ngwe (28 years old)
and while they were cutting hardwoods for their house building, they were
arrested by soldiers, and asked for MAMD and KNU troops. After these two
villagers could not give a satisfied answer, they killed them.
Interview
To realize the situation of
the local villagers in Mergui district area and their suffering because of
military offensives in their area, we also conducted an interview with a
victim, who escaped from forced portering used by SLORC's LIB No. 358 in July,
1997. He was used as a porter for nearly three months along with military
operation and he escaped into Thai territory with refugees who fled into
Name: U Bo Thar
Sex/Age: Male/ (52) years
Nationality/ Religion: Karen/ Buddhist
Occupation: Farmer
Native Place: Manawtone village, Boke Pyin township, Tenasserim Division
Interview Date:
When did the Burmese
soldiers arrest you and how did they use you in their military operation?
I was arrested on 27 April
and since then I was constantly used as porter, to carry rice and ammunitions
along with LIB No. 358 military operation. Mostly, this military operation
moved to Moetaung, Pongkachit and Chaungchi areas and launched offensives
against Mon and Karen soldiers. For nearly three months, I was not given rest
time and always have to work for the military.
How did you escape from
them?
When I arrived into Chaungchi
village, I have chance to talk with villagers there and always tried to escape
from them (the Burmese soldiers). I was very tired and could not walk more. I
was lucky, when the villagers came to here (Thai territory),
they also informed me to go with them. When the soldiers let us cut bamboo and
hardwoods in jungle, one villager hid me in forest and then he brought me here.
This villager, Nai Aung Kyi, save my life. If I stayed longer with them, I must
die.
What is you native village
and how did the Burmese soldiers treat to your villagers?
I was from Manawtone village.
My wife and children are still in my native village. Last year (1996), our
village was destroyed by Burmese soldiers. They drove all villagers to move
into Moetaung or Myoh Thit, a section of Tenasserim town. All villagers would
not like to abandon their farms and plantations, refused to stay there. All
villagers fled outside of village and stayed in the jungle or plantation.
At the beginning of this year
(1997), the soldiers came into our area and declared that the villagers could
go back their homes and they will not punish to anyone who refused to stay in
Moetaung or Myoh Thit. I also went back to my homes with my whole family before
the end of January. The situation was better for two weeks. We repaired our
houses which we abandoned for three months. And, we arranged to prepare our
farms.
In third week of February,
about 200 Burmese soldiers from LIB No. 224 led by Maj. Than
Aung came and told the villagers that they will not allow any villager to go
outside without their permission. Then, they asked the village headman to
provide 5 villagers every week to work in Tenasserim-Moetaung motor road
construction on rotation basis. At the same time, the military also
administrated to build Manawtone-Tenasserim truck road and asked about 20
villagers to work in this construction sites on a daily basis.
In mid March, the Burmese
soldiers from LIB No. 358 prepared to launch an offensives
against Karen and Mon troops, and asked for 20 villagers to be porters from
headman again. Every villagers were afraid and fled
outside of village without their permission. The village headman could not
manage the village and he was also beaten by the soldiers. In second week of
March, after the soldiers knew the village headman could not provide the
villagers, they suddenly came into village and arrested the villagers. I don't
know how many villagers were arrested at that time. I also fled outside village
and but they didn't arrest my wife. I stayed in my plantation and sometime
moved into forest nearby.
Whenever the soldiers came
into village, they shout the rest villagers, women and children, that if they
met our villagers outside of village they will kill. They also accused all our
villagers as Karen rebel-supporters and said male villagers are soldiers.
Did they kill someone else after they met outside of
village?
Yes. U Kway Ni and his wife
were killed. The soldiers from LIB No. 224 met them in forest near their
plantation while they were hiding there to escape from arrest of porter. They
tied the man and his wife and asked them to show the Karen bases. After U Kway
Ni and his wife Naw Day Tet could not give a satisfied answer to the commander
and then he ordered to kill them. Both of their bodies were cut into three
parts and put it in a betel-nut plantation. On the next days, the villagers met
these corpses and kept it well.
When the men left the woman
inside the village, did the soldiers rape these women?
LIB No. 224 was very bad. The
operational commander Col. Ye Myint Aung raped about three girls from our
village alone. I would not like to tell their names. He was also well-known as
a bad guy in the area and that was why many young women also hid in forest with
their fathers or brothers.
When did you are arrested by the soldiers and how long
you have to work as porter along with military operation?
I was arrested in my
betel-nut plantation before the end of April, while I was hiding and escaped
from their arrest. Soon after I was arrested, the soldiers beat me and asked me
where the Karen troops were. I said I didn't know and they beat me again and
again. They also ask my native village and I told them true. Then, one Sergeant
said "I will not release any Manawtone villagers if he was arrested by
me".
And they brought me with
their military operation all the time and forced to carry rice and motor
shells. After two week, I was sent to road construction (Tenasserim-Moetaung)
for another two weeks. I had to work hard jobs such as carrying earth to build
embankment, crashing stones and laid it on embankment, cutting bamboo and
hardwoods to build the military camps, and sometimes, the military operation
took us to Moetaung as porters. Then brought us to the worksites
again.
In May, I was taken by LIB
No. 358 as a porters in their offensives against the
Mon troops at the border area. After Chaungchi fell and the Mon troops surrendered
in June, I was kept for two weeks in Chaungchi base. We, the porters were
forced to carry rice and other supplies from Murntaing to Chaungchi every day
and had no time for a rest. I was too tired. Then we managed and cooperated
with Chaungchi villagers to escape.
Did you meet someone die in the road construction?
Yes. When I worked in the
construction, two men, one was Karen and another was Tavoyan, died at the
worksites. They were suffering from severe malaria, but the soldiers still
force them to work. They were not dare to tell true to
soldiers, because they were afraid of being beaten by soldiers. One Karen man
died in the bed after he could not move. Later, after five days, the Tavoyan
man was seriously sick by malaria again, but he was brought to Moetaung. He
died in Moetaung.
Likewise, did you meet some porters die in the
offensives against KNU and Mon troops?
In May offensives against the
Karen troops, three porters died because of mines. They forced porters
including me to walk in front of them. I was anyhow lucky and was not hit by
any mine. The Tavoyan man who walked beside me died after his right leg was cut
by explosion. He was hit about 10 feet on my left side. The soldiers ordered to
retreat back and twist the way. We left that porter and he cried and loudly
asked for help. The soldiers didn't take him. I think he died. After this offensives, we talked each other and knew that there
were three porters died because of mine explosion. No soldiers died because of
mines, but got injuries because of launcher shells.
Now, you are in
I don't know. I will follow
along with these villagers. They said, if we arrive into