News, Personal Account, Report & Analysis on human rights situation in Mon territory and other areas southern part of Burma

The Mon Forum

Issue Mo. 2/98 March 1, 1998

The Publication of Human Rights Foundation of Monland (BURMA)

Contents

News:

(1) Conscription of forced labour in Ye-Tavoy railway construction,

(2) SPDC local authorities broke promise to rice-cultivation farmers in Mon State,

(3) Three Mon injured, two Karens were killed by SPDC troops,

Report:

The suffering of Mon and Karen villagers during the SLORC/SPDC continued offensives in Ye and Yebyu townships

Some Acronyms in this Issue

SLORC - State Law and Order Restoration Council,

SPDC- State Peace and Development Council (new name of SLORC),

IB- Infantry Battalion (of the Burmese Army),

LIB - Light Infantry Battalion (of the Burmese Army),

KNU - Karen National Union,

KNLA - Karen National Liberation Army,

NMSP- New Mon State Party,

MNLA - Mon National Liberation Army.

News

Conscription of Forced Labour in Ye-Tavoy Railway Construction

(February, 1998)

Since September 1997 up to now, the local villagers in Ye and Yebyu townships were constantly forced to collect stones and bring it to construction site of Ye-Tavoy railway while the SPDC authorities also used their soldiers as paid labourers in construction. Ye township is situated in southern part of Mon State and it connects with Yebyu township, which is situated in Tenasserim Division. According government official plan, this railway construction must be completed on the eve of 53rd Anniversary of Armed Force Day (Tatmadaw Day of the regime) to celebrate opening ceremony and the villagers were suddenly forced to work in the construction again.

In the construction, the villagers mostly from Hangan, Koemine, Natkyisin, Kywethonyima, Mintha, Eindayaza and Kalein Aung village tracts of the both townships have been instructed by nearest SPDC military battalions, or their village leaders to go to designated work-sites and to gather stones and crash it into many kyins. One Kyin of small pieces of stones is equal to 100 cubic feet, that is similar to one kyin of earth defined by the local authorities.

At least about 20 villagers from every 100 households has been forced to work in gathering stones on a daily basis without payment and additionally no medication is provided when they are sick. They are instructed to go to the places, such as bottoms of mountains, hills and streams where they can get possible stones and crash it in the same places. Then many oxen-carts in every houses have also been conscripted to bring these many kyins of stones to designed work-sites.

The soldiers who work in the construction with payment by railway authorities take these stones and lay it on the embankment. The authorities use very little number of villager in construction site or in laying stones on embankment. Among all villagers, only about a hundred number of Natkyisin village tract are working in daily work of laying stones on embankment. Since mid-1996, the regime has attempted pretending that their most local troops have actively participated in government sponsored development projects in the whole country including 110 miles long Ye-Tavoy railway construction and has stopped using civilians, after the international condemnation against its use of forced labour. But the military has used these conscripts outside of embankment to cleverly avoid the allegation.

A woman from Paukpingwin villager of Natkyisin village tract who experienced in work-site said, "about 100 soldiers form LIB No. 406 also worked in the construction and we had to bring stones for them. They had easy work and they just took stones from us and laid it on rail embankment. We had to gather these stones from a stream about two kilometers far from the work-site. Our village headman instructed to gather four kyins of stones during one week period. Not just only gathering it, we also had to crash it. It was a hard work. If we didn't finish this work-duty, we had to pay to village headman with 1200 Kyat per kyin. My husband was in rice farm and I always worked in gathering stones. As I was a woman I always didn't complete defined work-duty, so we always had to pay. Later we left no more to pay and decided to flee from village."

Because of consistent conscription of forced labour, inhumane treatment in work-sites and cash collection related to construction, many hundreds of villagers have fled from villages and moved to other areas where human rights situation is better. Some villagers from these area always move into Ye and Thanbyuzayat townships. Some moved into refugee camps in Thai territories or resettlement sites set up inside territory controlled by NMSP.

The Ye-Tavoy railway construction has been built since 1994, and the local authorities have used hundreds of thousands of local inhabitants of Mon, Karen and Tavoyan ethnic nationalities as forced labourers in this construction. Thousands of them fled and took refuge in border area's refugee camps while many thousands of them displaced inside. Due to international pressure on the military regime SLORC/SPDC, the authorities have reduced using villagers in construction since mid-1996.

SPDC Local Authorities Broke Promise to Rice-Cultivation Farmers in Mon State

(February, 1998)

In late December of 1997, the SPDC military regime officially declared that the government would not buy paddy from farmers and instructed that they could sell their paddy in any market. Though this declaration was come out from government's newspaper and radio, the local authorities in Mon State has attempted forcing Mon farmers to sell their paddy again at the beginning of 1998. Thus, the Mon farmers from Thaton, Paung, Moulmein, Chaungzone, Mudon, Thanbyuzayat and Ye townships of Mon State were instructed by authorities and soldiers to sell 12 baskets of paddy to their designated paddy-buying center in the whole Mon State.

Last year (1997) in dry season, the local authorities created several paddy-buying centers in the whole Mon State and bought about 3 millions baskets of paddy from farmers with gun points (one basket of paddy is about 46 pounds) at low price with 90 Kyat per basket. Similarly, in January, 1998, the local township authorities forced the farmers to sell the same amount of paddy like last year to their paddy-buying centers at price 300 Kyat per basket while the farmers can get about 700 Kyat per basket if they sell in market. The authorities set up several centers in the whole Mon State and forced farmers from every house in rural villages and towns.

As the farmers heard official declaration of the government, they refused to sell their paddy to centers. On January 24, a group of farmers from rural villagers in southern part of Mudon town went to SPDC's Southeast Military Command based in Moulmein to protect their rights for selling paddy in markets which they can get the price they like. They tried to meet with Commander of Southeast Military Command, Gen. Myint Aung, but he was away and they informed about activities of local authorities in forcing farmers to purchase their paddy at low price. In their protest, they expected the higher authorities will protect them from abuses of local authorities.

Up to the end of January, no action was taken by higher authorities and the farmers understood that the forcible paddy-buying plan was instructed from higher authorities.

Three Mon Injured, Two Karens were Killed by SPDC Troops

January, 1998)

On December 6, 1997, while three members of KNLA were gathering tax from a group of trucks that were traveling along Three-Pagoda-Pass-Thanbyuzayat motor road in a place on Zami river bank of Three-Pagoda-Pass area, the Burmese Army's IB. No. 61 shot into the group of three Karen soldiers and about 20 of truck drivers. Three Mon drivers were severely injured by SPDC troops' pieces of motor shells and they were immediately brought to hospitals. One drivers, Nai Chai (30 years) was brought to a Thai hospital and other two drivers were brought to Thanbyuzayat hospital. At the same day, these troops launched an military operation to catch all KNLA troops in the area and they also arrested two Karen villagers from Apalon village and killed them as the troops suspected them as Karen soldiers.

The shooting to civilians was as normal case for SPDC's troops and the injured truckers drivers were not received any treatment costs from them when they were hospitalized. The killing of Karen villagers along the Three-Pagoda-Pass-Thanbyuzayat road was also common case and very regular by SLORC/SPDC troops since they issued the order for forced relocation of 7 Karen villages along the road. In last November, 1997, about 7 Mon and Karen villages, namely, Apalon, Ahkaplaing, Maezalee, Laypho, Lonsi, Thabyu and Zinpyay, were ordered by SLORC's LIB No. 355 which launched regular military operation along the motor road. Both Karen and Mon local inhabitants have stayed in these villages for many years and because of the forced relocation, about 4000 Mon and Karen villagers have displaced. According to instruction of LIB No. 355, these villagers were ordered to move into Three-Pagoda-Pass area and nearest villages. In fact, if the Burmese troops met the villages in the relocated villages or around the area, they must killed or severely punished.

In killing these Karen villagers was happened because of the previous order to the villagers. In an attempt to defeat on the Karen guerrillas, the villagers in the area have been constantly oppressed by the Burmese Army's battalions such as LIB No. 355, 356, 230 and IB No. 61, and 32, which have operated activities in the area since the beginning of 1997.

Again, in September/October, 1997, the Burmese soldiers from LIB No. 355 and IB No. 61, had taken responsibility for a repair of motor road along the Japanese's old death railway. In repairing this road, the military had used one bulldozer provided from a Thai logging company and conscripted many hundreds of prisoners in the construction site and complete it in October. After the road completed the Burmese troops tried to control the whole and did not allow an attempt of KNLA to collect tax from the trucks.

These trucks were allowed to use this road back of forth between Three-Pagoda-Pass and Mon State to carry goods and passengers. Most traders and immigrant workers have used this roads and go to their destination. The Burmese soldiers and intelligence officers get a lot of "outside" income from the traders and passengers by collecting tax from them. As some part of road was control by KNLA guerrillas, they also tried to collect tax from passengers and commercial goods. Therefore, the conflict and fighting between these troops have occurred very often and the villagers were regularly suffered from these clashes when the Burmese shot into the group of civilians.

Report

The suffering of Mon and Karen Villagers During the SLORC/SPDC's Continued Offensives in Ye

and Yebyu Townships

Geographically, the Mon and Karen areas are overlapping in many places and these ethnic inhabitants also staying in harmony in most area of lower Burma. Thus in most villages along the border of Mon and Karen States, the Mon and Karen are inhabiting together. Most these ethnic inhabitants are traditional rice-cultivation farmers and plant rice in hilly or low plain area, and grow various kinds of fruit plantation from which they could generate possible income for survival.

Their peaceful life have been disturbed during the SLORC's massive offensives against the KNU that started at the beginning of 1997 until the current time. KNU is an armed resistance organization of Karen people which has fought for greater autonomy since Burma retained independence from British in 1948, together with other ethnic armed resistance groups. Although it had held for ceasefire talks with regime, they did not reach for an agreement, and then in 1997, the SLORC intensified its offensives against KNU and its military faction, KNLA.

This report focuses on the human rights situation of local Mon and Karen inhabitants of Ye, and Yebyu townships. In these areas, the SLORC local battalions has conducted serial forced relocation and instructed to move to their strategic hamlets. The massive arrest of porters in the rural and the accompanied accusation on them as rebel-supporters also made the villagers to flee from their homes and hid in jungle or displaced in various places. When they were arrested, they •were suffered from inhumane treatment and faced arbitrary execution.

As a result, because of the continued forcible relocation and permanent imposed movement restriction against the villagers, thousands of villagers moved into NMSP's firm control area to take a safe haven. The problem of population displacement has intensified and these victims also face various difficulties for survival after abandoning their farms and plantations in their native homes.

The Forced Relocation in Ye Township and Relative Abuses

Since May 1997 through December, many Mon and Karen villages along in north side of Ye river (see map) that situated in border area of Karen and Mon States had been systematically moved into SLORC hamlet villages. The new relocation places were designated in some villages between Ye and Thanbyuzayat motor road, on the Ye river bank and Ye town. These Mon and Karen mixed villages were accused as temporary bases of the KNU and KNLA forces to receive foods and other supports and thus they were suffered from forcible relocation, because of this accusation.

The main battalions which conducted the forcible relocation were, namely, IB No. 32, 106, LIB. No. 343 and 207, and 22nd Division. Normally these battalions have been instructed by concerned to launch offensives against KNU in this area and at the same time, to implement relocation of local villages to cut communication between the rebel groups and civilians. This was constant tactics of the regime's a well-known "four cuts campaign"

The forced relocated villages in Ye township were:

Name of villages Estimated No. of households

1. Hteemoephoe 20

2. Htarparhtaw 30

3. Waethaphae 40

4. Lakepoke 100

5. Kalein 200

6. Waebaloke 40

7. Kalokethaing 30

8. Beesaing 40

9. Sawkae 60

10. Waebaw 50

11.Natkyi 45

12. Ngakalaychaung 100

After SLORC planned for the relocation of the villages, the authorities also designated some resettlement sites mainly in Mon State where they have firm control. They also said to villagers they have chance to move into Tamortkamn, Kyaung-ywa, Hninsone villages and Ye town. Many hundred acres of land owned by these villagers were also confiscated by the soldiers to create the resettlement sites.

For an example, because of resettlement program, about 200 acres of rubber plantation outside of Kyaung-ywa village, were confiscated by IB No. 61 and the soldiers cut rubber trees and sold it in October, 1997, for their own profit. When the new villagers moved into the resettlement, the soldiers also collected payment from these villagers again. To get one space of land, each family had to pay 5,000 Kyat to the soldiers.

Similarly, Ye township authorities and commanders from IB No. 61 and LIB No. 343 confiscated about 1000 acres of land outside of Ye town without compensated costs to land owners and, measured it and divided into many spaces for house surroundings. Then, the authorities and commanders shared these lands to their departments' families who already had land for housing. When the new families from relocated villages really came into the resettlement site, they had to buy land for housing from these authorities or their close aids. The authorities also defined to pay 20,000 Baht for a piece of land with 30 feet in width and 50 feet in length.

In Hninsone and Tamortkanin villages’ resettlement site, the soldier did not prepare for land and other facilities for the new families who moved into it. The soldiers told the new families that they can stay any place outside of these villages and all lands that connect to the main villages were designated as resettlement site. In which, the new villagers have faced various difficulties to get water and vegetables.

In September and October, 1997, another about 13 Mon and Karen villages along Zami river inside Kya-Inn-Seikyi township were suddenly relocated into three resettlement sites during three weeks period. (The report: Forced Relocation in Kya-Inn-Seikyi township was described in detail in The Mon Forum issue no. 1/98.)

Since these villages were far from town such as Ye or Kya-Inn-Seikyi and the population in each village was comparatively little in number with other villages control by the government, so most of these villages were unregistered and local battalions did not recognize them as villages. That was why they moved the villages and grouped them in their control area or villages under their firm administration.

In moving the villagers, the local troops also used cruel ways by pointing guns to them and set a short period of deadline and moved suddenly, and some villages were burnt down into ashes. Sometimes, the soldiers took rice and other foods away in the whole villages and let the villagers moved from which suddenly without foods and showed their designated places to get foods. By making various kinds of troubles against the villagers, the troops has conducted the serial forced relocations in this rural area. There were various instances how the villagers were suffered from this SLORC's forcible relocation.

For instances,

When LIB No, 207 moved the villagers from Sawkae village in August, 1997, they drove out all villagers within half an hour and all soldiers from a column climbed every house and looted all belongings of the villagers. The villagers did not receive any foods from their houses and they were said by soldiers that if they would like to get foods they must go with soldiers. Then the soldiers pointed guns to villagers and moved them into a designated village, Kyaungywa, that situated on Ye river bank.

Similarly, when the same troops moved Waepaw village in September, 1997, they treated villagers terribly. The beat all male villagers, and climbed every house and took villagers' belongings such as gold and silver wares, tape recordings, radios, and other valuables. The villagers were ordered to carry their own foods and moved along their military operation. Then many houses in village were destroyed.

When the soldiers from LIB No. 343 relocated Lakepote village, the soldiers took all paddy and rice from every house and unequipped a paddy-husking

mills owned by Nai Seik and took all equipments of mill with them. Since the accusation on the villagers that they were supporting the KNU/KNLA with rice supply, thus this paddy-husking mill was destroyed. The commander fro the battalion took this unequipped mill and sold it in another village at low price.

During forcing the villagers to move from their villages, besides the confiscation of food supply with aim to cut assistance to rebel groups, many villagers were mistreatment in cruel way of the SLORC. Since the villagers were always accused as rebel-supporters by Burmese soldiers, some of them were terribly and inhumane mistreated by the soldiers because of their delay or refusal to move.

In August, when LIB No. 207 relocated Kalortoke village, a village section leader, Nai Hla Maung, asked the commanders to allow the villagers for more one day to collect their belongings in the house. Because of his complaint, he was severely beaten by the soldiers and some of his bones were also broken.

His left hand was also broken. Because of various injuries in his body and inner pains, he was brought to Ye hospital for treatment.

Similarly, Nai Nyunt Swe from Dawsee village was also beaten by the soldiers from SPDC'S Division No. 22 in September, 1997, because of his complaint to allow the villagers for more days to move from village. The soldiers accused him as rebel-supporter and that he would try to flee before on the set date they moved from village. They severely beat him and cut his face with knife, and the soldiers did not allow to treat in town hospital in Ye. Thus, he injury was treated in a rural village by herbal doctor.

According reliable source, almost village leaders in this area were severely beaten by the soldiers. Whenever the soldiers arrived to their village, first, the village leaders were asked to meet them and they tortured the leaders for being supported the rebels and asked various questions to know the base of rebels and their numbers. In doing so, whenever the soldiers dissatisfied on the answers of the leaders, they must be inhumanely punished.

Rape Case in Natkyi Village

Whenever the SLORC troops were active in Ye township area, and tried to relocate the villagers, women in the villages were always vulnerable to be raped by the solders. In most small villages with less 50 households, when many male villagers were arrested to be civilian porters for offensives, most women left in villages. In this situation, when another column of soldiers came into village, the soldiers raped girls and other women. In some case, the commander and soldiers raped girls as the punishment to villagers.

On August 27, 1997, one column of SLORC troops from LIB No. 273, led by Maj. Lin Maung, came into a Mon village, Natkyi and the commander of troops, himself, raped a girl, to punish her father with accusation of having contact with KNU local battalion. Soon after the SLORC troops arrived inside village, the soldiers arrested Nai Pact and tied him up in outer open room of his house. The soldiers tortured and asked how often he traveled to meet with KNU soldiers and went to rebel base. He said he went to meet KNU soldiers nearby because the villagers were asked to send foods to rebels, as a representative of the whole village. The soldiers angered and beated him severely with gun butts, jungle boots and sticks.

When Nai Paet was tied up, the commander, Maj. Lin Maung, went into inner room and pointed a gun to Nai Pact's 18 years old daughter and raped her. Even Nai Paet knew how his daughter was raped but he had no chance to stop it. After rape, Maj. Lin Maung went out of room and told Nai Paet that if he continued keeping contact KNU troops, he must be punished again. Considerably, both beating and sexual abuse were the punishment against Nai Paet for his unavoidable contact to KNU soldiers. When the soldiers tortured Nai Paet, village leaders were also asked to look how he was punished for his crime. The village leaders also met how the commanders raped the girl.

Natkyi village was situated in the Ye river bank and far about 15 kilometers east of Ye town. This small village had about 60 households and the majority villagers were Mon and some families are Karen. Sometimes, the KNU soldiers also reached to this village and asked for assistance such as foods and communication. When the SLORC troops launched offensives to the area and accused the villagers as rebel-supporters. In this situation, once Nai Paet

was given responsibility to send foods to KNU soldiers and that was why he was severely tortured and his daughter was raped.

During the dry season of 1997, this village was once relocated by LIB No. 106 and when the rain started and the activities of SLORC troops were reduced, the villagers moved back to their village again. During mid-rainy season, the villagers were allowed to stay in village but the SLORC troops always checked the situation of the village. Therefore, in September, this village was ordered to move again and the villagers have been displaced again.

After declaring of relocation order, the villagers were not allowed even to stay in their fruit plantations or in farms. They had to abandon their belongings, houses, lands and livestocks in their native village. When they reached to the new resettlement site, they did not receive land for farming but in some places the authorities provided them with small space of land to build a house.

Forced Dislocation in Yebyu Township

After the SLORC agreed for a ceasefire deal with NMSP in June, 1995, MNLA had to withdraw many hundreds of its armed forces from Tenasserim Division, mainly from its decade-long control area, Yebyu township accordingly to the agreement. For several years, Yebyu township had been under the protection of NMSP and its military faction MNLA. After the withdrawal of MNLA troops and NMSP administrative body, the area has been vacated with protection and SLORC/SPDC troops could not provide protection in stead of MNLA. Anyhow, the SLORC collected accurate data of villages' families and population from the area and the villagers have been constantly suffered from various kind of forced conscription of labour for regime's infrastructure projects and military offensives.

When provision of security was weak in this area, the illegal organization such as robber groups occurred. A robber group fixed with modern arms was formed after six months of ceasefire agreement and this group has been active along the seacoast of Andaman Sea by boats and has taken base on-shore. They robbed boats and fishing trawlers in the sea and collected tax from trading ships. The group was getting stronger and it also has made threats even to foreign companies which has worked in gas-pipeline project and government's infrastructure projects, building of Ye-Tavoy railway and repairing of Ye-Tavoy motor road.

The SLORC troops in the area could not stop the activities of this group and tried to dislocate villagers from villages which were accused these were used as robber base. Thus, in February, 1997, a big Mon village, Maetaw, was relocated by SLORC troops from LIB No. 273 and No. 406. Similarly, many villages such as Taungkhun, Chaungphar, Chabon, Maethantaung villages were ordered to relocate in another villages very often. When the SLORC troops were changed or the new military operation came to area, the villagers tried to go back to their villages again. Therefore, the villagers could not stay in their villagers in stable situation and they were always dislocated and displaced.

Concerning dislocated situation of the villagers was hardship and they lost chance to exercise their normal life and hard for survival. In the situation, a Taungkhun villager, who had experience of dislocation explained his experience to our human rights workers that:

Yes, in February, the Burmese soldiers (from LIB No. 273) forced us to move from village, so I and my whole family moved into Kywethonyima village after we collected some belongings from house. The soldiers accused us that we had contact with robber group and allow group's members to stay in our village. If we didn't move from it, we must be punished. After many Maetaw villagers were beaten by soldiers for the same accusation, we were afraid of similar punishment and then fled from village. After about three months' temporary stay in Kywethonyima, I moved back to our village again in June because of the reduced Burmese troops' activities and old troops left from area. When I arrived home, I planned to grow rice and resume for farming. But we were very unlucky. In September, one column of Burmese troops from LIB No. 409 came into village and said to villagers that we were not allowed to stay in it and were ordered to move from village within one week period. Then we had to abandon our rice plants and left from village. Before the last day of deadline, these soldiers came into village and ordered the villagers to go on street and put us under hot sunshine in mid-day. Then, the soldiers climbed every house, and took everything they met in houses. In November and December, all our paddy in the field was ripe and we also tried to reap it. At that time, I stayed in Kywethonyima and the soldiers said if they met someone outside of village or in villages they ordered to vacate, he/she must be killed. The Burmese troops also made activities around our village and we lost chance to reap paddy.

When we were staying (displaced) in Kywethonyima village, I built a small hut in my friend's house garden. Our family was jobless and we didn't get enough income and food. As a day-labourer, I received very small income and it could not provide my family to be enough. My wife became very weak because of food-shortage and I was always asked by soldiers in village to work for them as porters.. Although we would like to go back our village, the soldiers didn't allow us.

In January, 1998, the Burmese troops allowed us to go back and stay in the village again. The soldiers didn't allow us to move out from village and said they met someone in rice field, he/ she must be paid with 1000 Kyat fine. But when we were in village in January and February, we were instructed by soldiers to build military barracks in Chaungphar and railway near Kalein-aung village.

Because of the mentioned robber group, some villagers were accused as robber-supporters and severely punished. Some villages were also totally destroyed and the villagers were not allowed to stay longer.

Destruction of Mayan Village and Arbitrary Execution

Besides the activities launched in the off-shore area, the robber group also made some activities along Ye-Tavoy motor road area and robbed some passenger trucks. Since they group fixed with arms they could take base in any village by threatening the concerned villagers. Therefore, a Mon village, near motor road was always used as robber base and when they travel to reach to sea or motor road, they stopped in this village for a night for sleeping. The robber group did not rob from this village because all villagers were poor and have no much belongings. The robbers did not interest to rob from village but took live-stocks for their foods.

Because of the regular taking base in this village, the villagers were considerably accused as robber-supporters. In third and last weeks of October, 1997, the officers from LIB No. 273 killed many Mon villagers from Mayan village without trials after they were accused having contact with robbers.

On October 20, one column of SLORC troops from LIB No. 273, led by Lt. Col. Myint Oo came into Mayan village and arrested Nai Bue (28 years old) with accusation of robber-supporter. His house was little far from village and it was actually used by the robbers when they launched activities in the area or travelled to motor road. Nai Bue was afraid of being accused as robber supporters and went into village and stayed in his brother's house. But he 'was arrested inside village including his wife and five months old baby. The soldiers brought them to his house and shot Nai Bue with gun. He died immediately. Then the soldiers also brought his wife for investigation and they didn't allow her to bring her small baby. As all villagers were afraid of being killed by soldiers after Nai Bue was killed, nobody went to Nai Bue house. During one day and one night, because of starvation and worst weather situation, small baby died. When Nai Bue's wife arrived home and met her dead baby and then she has suffered from mental problem for the death of her husband and baby.

On October 25, the soldiers from the same battalions led by Lt. Col. Myint Oo came to village again. This time they arrested 7 male villagers and accused them as robbers or robber-supporters. Most of them were young, and they have worked as day-labourers of fishing works in other villages for some months and thus they were accused as robbers or robber-supporters. All of them tied up in the middle of village and severely beaten in front of the whole villagers. The soldiers also warned the villagers that if they contacted the robber group, they must be killed or punished. After those villagers were inhumanely tortured for one hour and were brought outside of village. Then the soldiers killed them, and the villagers heard gun sound. The victims were (1) Nai Han Kyi, 38 years; (2) Nai Win, 20 years; (4) Nai Tun Sein, 21 years; (4) Nai Ah Gway; 26 years; (5) Nai Dort, 23 years, and other two •were unknown. (Because of extrajudicial killing, all villagers dislocated and moved into other villages, and it made difficulty for our workers to get accurate the names of the victims.)

Mayan village had about 100 households and 600 population of local Mon inhabitants. Their traditional occupation was low-land rice farming. Some villagers also had fruit plantation such as betel-nut and lime plantations. After the killing of eight villagers, all villagers abandon their homes, lands and other properties. The village was automatically destroyed and the SLORC troops also ordered that if they met someone in village, he/she must be killed. Later, the SLORC came to village very often to check the activities of robber group.