News,
Personal Accounts, Report & Analysis on Human Rights Situation in
Mon Territory and Other Areas Southern Part of Burma
The Mon Forum
Issue
No. 4/99 April 30, 1999
The Publication of Human Rights Foundation of
Monland (BURMA)
Contents
News:
(1) Forced
relocation of Karen and Mon villages along Three Pagoda Pass-Thanbyuzayat
motor road,
(2)
Tax collection under the name of border area development program,
(3)
SPDC pressure on Mon national education.
Report:
Atrocity, kidnapping and cash extortion by SPDC
troops in Ye and Yebyu township area continue
Some
Acronyms in This Issue
SPDC- State Peace and Development Council,
SLORC-
State Law and Order Restoration
Council,
IB
- Infantry
Battalion (of Burmese Army),
LIB- Light
Infantry Battalion (of Burmese Army),
KNU- Karen
National Union,
KNLA- Karen
National Liberation Army,
NMSP- New
Mon State Party,
MNLA- Mon
National Liberation Army.
News
Forced
Relocation of Karen and Mon Villages along Three Pagoda Pass - Thanbyuzayat
Motor Road
(APRIL, 1999)
In the first week of April, 1999, the Southeast Region
Military Command, based in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, has ordered its
local military battalions, mainly, IB No. 97, IB No. 32, LIB No. 230 and LIB
No. 284, to relocate all majority Karen and some few Mon villagers from 12
villages to the 5 designated villages. The five designated villages are
situating on the motor road and they are under firm control of SPDC troops. The
five villages are, if recount from Thanbyuzayat town, (1) Yatagon, (2)
Anan-gwin, (3) Taung-zun, (4) Maezalee and (5) Chaungzon and the deadline of
forced relocation is April 30. The main purpose of forced relocation is to cut
off communication and support from Karen civilians to KNU rebels and their
military faction, KNLA.
Since the beginning of dry season, in February and March,
the SPDC has increased its military activities along Three Pagoda
Pass-Thanbyuzayat to force the KNU/KNLA troops out of this area. After IB No.
97 troops arrived and took base in Three Pagoda Pass town, this battalion
ordered Karen troops to not collect tax on the motor road. After issuing
orders, the Burmese troops continuously launched military operations against
KNU/KNLA.
In the last week of February, KNLA troops also arrested 13
custom officers who returned from Three Pagoda Pass with civilian ferries and
were brought by Karen troops to a hiding place. The KNLA troops also replied to
IB No. 97 to not follow and attack them for safety of the government servants
and appealed to allow KNU collecting tax on the motor road. However, Southeast
Region Military Command did not listen and accept the appeal by KNU and formed
a joint military operation to launch attack against KNLA troops. After six
rounds of fighting, 7 of 13 arrested government servants died in the battle
fields. After fighting, KNU released the rest servants.
In March, IB No. 97 battalion was changed with LIB No. 284
battalion to take base in Three Pagoda Pass town. Soon after the arrival of LIB
No. 284 troops in Three Pagoda Pass town, Southeast Region Military Command
planned to move all villagers, who have inhabited in this area for many years,
to their designated village, because the villagers in villages along motor road
are accused as KNU supporters. Thus, at the beginning of April, the SPDC joint
military operation that includes IB No. 284, IB No. 97, IB No. 32 and LIB No.
230, have ordered the local villagers to move into their designated villages.
The villages under the forced relocation order are as below:
Villages Households Population
(estimated) (estimated)
(1) Zee-hnitpin 45 220
(2) Law-shan 150 625
(3) Rat-phaw 160 840
(4) Yathay-taung 65 320
(5) Ka-kathit 55 220
(6) Ta-nyin 120 800
(7) Thanpaya 180 1400
(8) Sin-pyay 20 120
(9) Khon-khan 90 480
(10) Ma-law 85 110
(11) Pan-aung 40 230
(12) Tadein 150 1200
The SPDC troops also ordered that if the villagers failed
to move from the villages, they must face punishment. First, the deadline for those village is on April 20. Due to the protection by KNLA
troops, the SPDC troops delayed the deadline until 30 April. In tactics to stop
the forced relocation of the mentioned villages, KNU ordered to close many main
motor roads in third week of April and so the SPDC troops have to take security
for these roads and have delayed to push the villagers into designated
villages.
However, because of forced relocation order, the villagers
in these areas have faced unstable situation and refused to move into
designated villages, because there is nothing and no assistance must be provided
by SPDC troops. Additionally, they could probably face maltreatment by SPDC
soldiers Many native villagers owned fruit and rubber
plantations, rice-farms, houses, live-stocks and other belongings in their
native places and considerably they would not like to abandon their belongings.
Thus, whenever the SPDC local battalions' military operation close to their
villages, they have to flee from villages to escape from ill-treatment or
punishment violated by soldiers. Following this unstable situation, the
population displacement also occurs in many areas along Three Pagoda
Pass-Thanbyuzayat road.
SPDC
Pressure on Mon National Education
(April, 1999)
Before the government schools began in June, 1999, SPDC Mon
State authorities have urgently called several rounds of meetings with
government educational servants, village leaders and student parents, and have
pressured through them for an increase of student numbers in their schools and
to stop the children attending Mon national schools. In every meeting, they
have called school headmaster/headmistress, village leaders to report the
situation of the last educational year and the real numbers of students in
school and the estimate numbers of students of Mon schools in every village.
Then, they adopted rules for teachers and village headmen to find their own
solution in the village community to give pressure to Mon national schools to
stop their teaching.
As an example, on February 21 to 23, 1999, Ye Township PDC
called a meeting with educational servants and village leaders from all
villages and town wards and instructed them to organize the village students to
attend government schools. The township authorities also threatened school
teachers especially headmaster and headmistress that if the student numbers
decrease in their schools, they must be punished. The punishment is that they
must be ousted from the service or sent to undeveloped rural village.
Similarly, the government authorities in other townships of
Mon State and Karen State also instructed their government educational servants
to maintain the increase student numbers through from meetings or orders. This
is the preparation of the government authorities to compete against Mon
schools. The Mon education institutions have been established in many townships
of Mon State and Karen State and have run Mon national education system with
main objectives to maintain Mon literature with the modern education.
The problems why many students has
moved to Mon schools have been connected with poverty in rural Mon areas. In
government schools, the teachers have not tried hard to teach lessons but
opened their own tuition classes and organized the students to attend these
private classes in non-schooling time to pass the exams. The teachers receive
very low salary and that is why they have found another (outside) income for
their survival from these private tuition classes. Thus, the poor parents have
to send their children to private classes by paying high price and later many
students are resigned from schools because the parents could not pay for costs
to join the private classes.
As an opportunity, in many Mon villages, the Mon community
established many Mon national schools to provide Mon education. Based on
patriotic aspiration, the parents have sent their children to attend Mon
national schools. On the other hand, they did not have to pay various costs to
pass the Mon schools' exams and the schools provided basic education with free
of charge.
As a result, during education years from 1995 to 1998, the
student numbers in government schools have gradually decreased and many
students moved to Mon national schools. In some village, the student numbers in
Mon schools were larger 3-4 times than the government schools and when the
higher SPDC authorities inspected these government schools, they were furious
on the school situation and tried to close down Mon schools which were accused
as competing institutions against the government schools.
In July, 1998, the local Mon State PDC authorities have
issued serial orders and attempted to close down Mon schools in many rural Mon
villages. However, the Mon community under the leadership of wise monks is
strong enough to protect the forcible closure of Mon schools operated by SPDC
authorities including military intelligence officers. Very little number of Mon
schools were closed and many re-opened after the
authorities' inspection and action were completed.
Therefore, in coming 1999-2000 educational year, the Mon
State PDC authorities worry about the reduction of student numbers in
government schools and
that was why they have instructed to their
government servants and local village leaders to encourage the students to
attend government schools and stopped them from attending Mon national schools.
Tax
Collection under the Name of "Border Area Development Program"
(April, 1999)
During March and April, 1999, when SPDC Mon State
authorities planned to build a field hospital in Kyaung-ywa village of Ye
township, where the area is under NMSP-SLORC/SPDC ceasefire zone, the local Ye
township authorities also collected tax from civilians in the township because
the government does not provide enough fund to complete the building.
In the SPDC's border area development program, it has planned
to build schools and hospitals in various parts of Mon State because of their
promise to NMSP or Mon people to develop Mon State within three years. Due to
financial shortage in the government budget, the authorities could not make
effort to install many development infrastructure in
Thus, when the Mon State PDC authorities are building to
build the Kyaung-ywa field hospital, they really need about 5 millions Kyat to
complete the whole
construction.
Some lands owned by villagers were already confiscated without compensated
costs and the authorities have waited for budget adopted from the government.
To build a hospital with about 80 meters length and 20 meters width in
estimation, the authorities received only 1.7 million Kyat fund from government
and they could not manage to complete the building that instructed by
government authorities. Then, the government also instructed the local
authorities to collect cash from civilians to complete the building. Hence, the
local Ye township authorities collected another 3.3
million Kyat from civilians. According to local villagers, even a poor family
has to pay at least 1,000 Kyat to authorities. Over 30 villages and town wards'
civilians were forced to pay this fund.
According to one NMSP official who participated in
ceasefire talks with government said, on the day when the ceasefire ceremony
was holding, NMSP requested many development projects to adopt from the
government to actually develop Mon State. In the meeting on June 29, 1995,
SLORC's General Secretary No. 1, Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, promised that the Mon
State must be developed within three years.
Normally, the funds to do these development projects are
transferred from the government's "Ministry of Border Development
Program" and the government has provided only 25% or 33% of the total need
in every project. While the government built Ye-Tavoy
railway construction, the adopted budget is only enough to buy facilities and
so the local military battalions have conscripted tens of thousands of local
civilians to contribute labour in the construction. Similarly when the
government constructed "Attayan" bridge in
Report
Atrocity,
Kidnapping and Cash Extortion by SPDC Troops in Ye and Yebyu Area Continue
Civil
War, Ceasefire and Suffering of Local Inhabitants
Since the beginning of 1998, until 1999, a Mon armed group,
which has no real political name and objectives, just to protect their areas,
have been active in many parts of Ye and Yebyu
townships area. Geographically, these townships area is at the border area of
Mon State and Tenasserim Division and many local inhabitants are making a
living as rice cultivation farmers, fruit planting gardeners, day labourers and
fishermen.
Soon after SLORC came into power when it invited foreign
companies especially from ASEAN countries to exploit ethnic area's national
resources, such as sea products and forest products including logs, it had
increased the offensive measures against the ethnic rebel groups. The ethnic
local inhabitants were always accused as sympathizers or supporters of the identical
ethnic armed group by government troops. Due to this allegation, the ethnic
people were forced to move from their native places, arrested to be civilian
porters in frontline, to contribute free labour in military base constructions.
Later on, after the regime decided to exploit natural gas in Andaman Sea by
cooperating with most western oil and gas companies, it sent more troops and
put more pressure to ethnic armed groups to enter into ceasefire talks and
accept the agreement that has no guarantee to solve political problems. During
SLORC intensifying pressure on a main Mon armed group, NMSP, and planned to
install the foreign companies' enterprise in Tenasserim Division coastal area,
the Mon, Karen and Tavoyan local inhabitants have serious suffered from the
various types of human rights violation by the government troops. The
violations such as forced relocation and dislocation, conscription of forced
labour for civilian porters and labourers in constructions, tax extortion and
looting, and arbitrary killings and arrests with accusation of
rebel-supporters, have been largely committed. To lessen these abuses, so NMSP
entered ceasefire talks and agreed for it in June, 1995.
After NMSP-SLORC ceasefire, under the name of "border
area development program" the villagers have been continuously suffered
from constant and large use of forced labour. The regime has more control on
people and NMSP and its military faction, MNLA, had to move more
deep frontier area and could not provide much protection like the period
while it was fighting against the government.
Consequently, a Mon armed group, has risen up and operated
military fighting against the government troops and they were also given name
as "robber group" by government troops. Because of this new armed rebellion,
the villagers have been re-suffered from various types of inhumane treatments
with accusation they are supporters of that armed group.
Our human rights workers have collected the information
about the suffering of local villagers since the group began their armed
fighting and the followings are the accounts that came from the period of last
quarter of 1998 and first quarter of 1999. The previous information of human
rights abuses were already described in our previous reports.
Killing,
detaining and torturing
On November 27, 1998, because of a robbery incident
happened on Ye-Tavoy motor road, 8 villagers from Kywe-talin village, Yebyu
township of Tenasserim Division, were arrested by LIB No. 408, with allegation that
they cooperated with robbers. On November 26, when three passenger highway
ferries came from Ye, the ferries were stopped by a group of robbers with guns
and were robbed by them. Because of this incident, 8 farmers who were working
near the incident place were arrested and tortured by Burmese Army's LIB No.
408. Two villagers died after severe torturing and one villager severely pained
with inner injury. From another five villagers, only one villager was released
after he paid ransom and the remaining four villagers were detained.
After robbery incident, the nearest soldiers from LIB No.
408, which was taking security for motor road, came to incident place and went
around rice-fields and fruit plantation nearby. That month, November,
was the harvest time, and so nearly all men were in their work-places to
complete reaping their crops. Some villagers fled after they knew the soldiers
tried to arrest them, and so only 8 villagers were arrested.
The arrested villagers were brought by soldiers to an army
outpost on the motor road and they were interrogated whether they have
connection with robber group and participated in robbery. During interrogation,
the soldiers used various kinds of torturing to villagers. The soldiers tied up
the hands of villagers and hanged up in the trees. And they asked various
questions that connected to robbery and forced the villagers to admit they were
involving in robbery.
Whenever the villagers refused they did not involve or when
they cried because tight ropes tied up in their hands, they were severely
beaten by soldiers. They were beaten by sticks, gun-butts and tree-branches in
the whole of their bodies.
Among the villagers, a father and a son, Nai Bya (65 years)
and Nai Maung Shwe (38 years) were severely tortured, because of they were
accused that one of their relatives was in the robber group according to LIB
No. 408 commander. The soldiers unceasingly beat and hit these two villagers
and questioned how they gave support to their relative to get into the motor
road to rob the highway ferries. Two men refused that their relative left from
village for a long time but did not have contact and know what he was doing.
Whenever they refused they were inhumanely tortured. Because of several hours
torturing to those men, both of them lost consciousness as a result, and then
the Soldiers immediately brought them to Kanbauk village, where their
headquarters based. At the end, the two men died of torturing in LIB No. 408's
Kanbauk military detention.
Similarly, Nai Ba Khin (a) Nai Bwee (50 years) was also
severely beaten while the soldiers asked him many questions about robber group.
When he said he
did not know about
robbers, he was severely beaten and hit by soldiers. Then the soldiers took a
round bamboo stick and rolled all through of his stomach. At the end, he also
lost consciousness and got severe injuries in his stomach. Then his family
asked the soldiers to bring him to hospital. Then, they brought him to Moulmein
public hospital. According medical workers in Moulmein hospital, his main
intestine was perforated. Because of proper treatment in hospital, he luckily
did not die but had to receive medical treatment in for nearly two months and
paid a lot of expenses. The battalion did not take any responsibility to treat
the patient or paid treatment costs.
Among the remaining five villagers, Nai Par Dot (45 years
old) paid a ransom of 20,000 Kyat to battalion and then he was released.
Although he was released because of his serious injuries in his hands because
of tight ropes, he had to treat his hands many days. Although the injuries were
recovered, his hands were useless and he could not handle anything for many
months and he had to treat with herbal medicines continuously.
The rest four villagers, Nai Kar Yi (59 years), Nai Din (45
years), Nai Phu (33 years) and Nai Zin (35 years), have been detained since
they were arrested and they were not allowed to meet with their families. The
soldiers brought them from one place to another. Until now (the end of
April, 1999), their families have not heard any news whether the soldiers
put their husbands or fathers to trials and imprisoned. However, the villagers
in the area have confirmed that these villagers were honest and they were not
participants or collaborators in the robbery incident.
Maltreatment
or Punishment against Village Leaders in Rural Area
Besides the villagers who were arrested with accusation as
rebel-supporters, the village headmen in the area, especially southern part of
Ye township and many parts of Yebyu township, have been constantly suffered
from maltreatment abused by SPDC troops, when they could not fulfill the duties
that instructed by military commanders. After those village headmen could not
fulfill the duties, they always faced at least verbal abuses, such as shooting
and threatening to kill, by the commanders or they were beaten. Some village
headmen abandoned their poses and fled from their native villages to escape
ill-treatment by soldiers.
SPDC has launched military operation to offense from the
attack made by Mon armed group in Ye and Yebyu area
during 1998 and the beginning of 1999. The villager leaders in the area have to
gather cash to feed SPDC soldiers whenever they went into their villages and in
addition, have to provide porters for troops to carry ammunitions and food
supplies. Thus, the village headmen in the area always have to arrange to
gather cash and villager porters for troops as a common responsibility for
them. The concerned battalion which has been active in the area also officially
instructed the local village headmen to prepare and provide how many porters
when they came into village and launched military patrol in the area.
1. Forced Disrobe a Monk
for Village Headman
The SPDC troops always came to Kyonekanya village, Ye
Township, in every two or three days in patrolling the area. Whenever the
troops came into village, the headmen have to arrange to feed the soldiers with
foods, liquors and cigarettes. The headmen have to manage providing 20 porters
to the SPDC troops, who came into their village. Whenever the SPDC troops came
into village, they required to use many villagers as porters to carry
ammunitions and soldiers' food supplies. Thus, the headmen had to arrange 20
men on standby and stopped them to not go to their works, rice-farms or fruit
plantations or sea. If they failed to manage according to instruction by
commanders, they could face punishment.
In feeding the soldiers, the Kyonekanya village headmen had
to spend about 20,000 Kyat in each round when over 60 troops stayed in the
village. After the troops left from village, they walked around in village and
collected cash from the villagers to cover the cost they paid for soldiers'
foods. Hence, every household in Kyonekanya village have to pay about 500-1,000
Kyat to headmen to use it for foods that eaten by many troops who came into
their villages. Later, after many villagers fled from village to escape
maltreatment and such illegal tax extortion, it made the headmen too hard to
collect cash from their poor villagers.
When the soldiers dissatisfied on the management of the
headmen they were shout or even beaten or slapped. After Kyonekanya village
headmen could not tolerate on regular requirement of SPDC troops, the village
chairman also fled from village, while secretary entered into monkhood to
escape the maltreatment in late September, 1998.
On
2. Torturing Village
Headmen
On September 2, 1998, when SPDC troops from LIB No. 273
went into Taw-bound village (also know as Mee-lin-taing), Ye Township, the
village chairman and secretary were also ill-treated by soldiers for their
failure to provide the required number of porters.
On a rotation basis, this village had to provide about 5
villager porters, although the village had only 30 households, whenever the
SPDC arrived into their village. On that day, the headmen really managed five
porters to stay at village on standby and bring them to secretary house. On the
eve of the arrival of SPDC troops, one standby villager was sick and went back
his home. When the troops arrived into village, they commander met only four
villagers and angered to village headmen. Then, he ordered to beat two village
headmen, chairman and secretary, and four porters. Therefore, those six
villagers were severely beaten by soldiers.
Due to beating, village secretary, Nai Hla Pe (48 year) and
a porter, Nai Win, were the most seriously injured among the group.
The soldiers also broke a rib of village secretary. As a result, he had to
treat at home nearly for one month and later he could not work some hard-works
in his farms. Nai Win was treated at home, with village medic and he had to
spend about 15,000 Kyat for medical treatment costs. The village chairman, Nai
Aung (54 years) sold off his house and other belongings at cheap price and fled
to other area to escape from further maltreatment.
On July 23, 1998, when some troops from LIB No. 273 brought
food supplies for their military column which took base in a seacoast outpost,
they were attacked by Mon troops led by Nai Sein on the half way. In the
battle, they lost their foods and Mon troops also confiscated their foods. The
attack was happened near Magyi and Khawza fishing villages. Following the
attack, the Mon villagers in nearest villages were accused as rebel-supporters
or bring rebels to fight, against the Burmese Army.
After attack, LIB No. 273 troops went into many nearer
villages and inquired about the activities of Mon troops and also tortured the
villagers and village headmen for their failure to inform about activities of
Mon troops. While the soldiers were interrogating a village secretary of Khawza
fishing village, Nai Dot (40 years), they used the most cruel
maltreatment to him. They took a round bamboo stick and pressed and rolled on
his stomach several rounds until he lost consciousness.
During he was losing consciousness, his family also asked
the troop commander to bring him to hospital for medical treatment. But the
commanders denied to send him to hospital. Later two
days after the troops left from the village, his family brought him to
hospital. He received medical treatment for nearly three weeks in Ye public
hospital. According to health workers in hospital, he suffered from serious
injuries in his intestines.
Because of the loss of food supplies in the fighting, the
troops also asked compensated costs from the nearest three villages. Therefore,
three Mon villages near the battle place, Magyi, Kyonekanya and Khawza fishing
villages, were ordered to pay 10,000 Kyat respectively to the battalion. The
commander said they needed to buy foods that they lost in the fighting, with
that fund.
Kidnapping
and Related Extortion from Villagers
1.
Violations by Maj. Myo Lwin, LIB No. 106
During July to October, 1998, when a column of SPDC troops
from LIB No. 106, which headquarters is situating in Tamorkanm village,
northern Ye town, took base in Khawza village, its commander, Maj. Myo Lwin
extorted various kind of ransom from villagers. The following are the
villagers' records of he and his troops' activities how they conducted
kidnapping, torturing and extorting cash from them during they were in Khawza
village.
In July, 1998, Maj. Myo Lwin called a
meeting with all lumber mill owners in village tract and forced them to make
wood planks to use it in building a bridge. The private lumber mill owners had
to make 15 tons wood planks for him. He used only little amount of planks in
building bridge, but sold off to get cash for his own. He also asked all mill owners
to pay him a ransom of 20,000 Kyat each as a tax of their mill. If someone
failed to pay, he would close down the mill and took all planks in the mill.
Thus, all mill owners in the village tract came and paid ransom of 20,000 Kyat
for each. Similarly, he also took 5, 000 Kyat from each video theater as a tax
and also forced video owners in the area to show their video in their military
camp for two nights in one round on a rotation basis.
On October 22, 1998, when a farmer from Khawza
village, Nai Shein (35 years) came back from his rice-farm, with two oxen and
three cows, he was arrested by the troops of LIB No. 106. He was accused by
commander that he bought these cattle unofficially and threatened to take all
cattle. The commander forced him to show the agreement letter of purchasing the
cattle. Although he explained that the oxen and cows were his own, they did not
trust him and continuously accused that he has stole the cattle. Because of his
complaint, the soldiers beat him seriously.
At night time about 11:00 p.m., the soldiers brought him to
his home and told his wife that she must give a ransom of 100, 000 Kyat to get
him return home. If not, they said they will bring him to frontline to use him
as civilian porter. They added that was the punishment for his guilty of
illegal purchasing of cattle. Thus, his wife worried for her husband being used
as a porter in frontline and the further troubles and ill-treatments, she
urgently found 80, 000 Kyat cash and paid to commander as a ransom. Then the
soldiers released the farmer. But the commander did not give
him the cattle back and he additionally asked the farmer to pay another ransom
of 150, 000 Kyat to get his cattle back. Then the farmer and his wife
found another 100, 000 Kyat and paid them as another ransom to get their cattle
back.
2.
Violations by Maj. Maung Maung Lay, LIB No. 273
Although military headquarters of LIB No. 273 is situating
in Yebyu township, because of activities and attacks
operated by a Mon armed group, this battalion's military columns were
given responsibility to suppress the activities of that group. On the other
hand, the main responsibility of this battalion is to safeguard the TOTAL company's gas-pipeline site in Kanbauk area and so it had
main duty to prevent attack from the rebel group.
While some military column have been active on the seacoast
to collect various kind of tax from fishing boats, some troops were sent to
launch military patrol to prevent the possible approach that could make by rebel
groups. Military columns have always changed each other in every three months
on a rotation basis by battalion commander or tactical commander.
During from December, 1998, to February, 1999 a military
column from LIB No. 273, led by Maung Maung Lay arrived to villages in Ye
southern part area After IB No. 106 moved out from Khawza village, LIB No. 273
came in and took base in the village again Therefore, the villagers have been
constantly suffered from another maltreatment and related tax extortion by
military column and its commander again.
On December 24, 1998, the troops entered
into Khawza village in the evening and ordered the villager headmen to announce
to villagers that the soldiers will not allow any villagers to stay outside of
village or in the farms. Thus, the village headmen went round the village and
announced the order issued by commander and told to villagers to call their
family members in the farms to come back to village soon. Many villager; went
to farms and brought their family members back to homes. And the commander also
added that the soldiers will not allow any villager to move out of their homes
at night time.
At night time, about 10 o'clock, while the troops launched
military operation around the rice-farms outside of village, where were far
about 2 kilometers surrounding the village, they also met three farmers staying
in a farm-hut and arrested them. These farmers were accused as rebel-supporters
of Mon armed group and tied up with ropes and were brought into Khawza village.
These farmers were not Khawza villagers and they came from Yinye village to
work farming in that area. In the afternoon when the commander ordered village
headmen to make an announcement to halt villagers to not stay in farms, they
were not informed by villagers because they have no families in Khawza village.
These arrested farmers were, Nai Tun (55 years), Nai Wai (33 years) and Nai
Ngaing (24 years).
After they arrived in Khawza village, the village headmen
were asked whether the men were their villagers. When the headmen said no, the
accusation against the farmers as rebel-supporters was more
deeper and they were inhumanely beaten, kicked and tortured by soldiers.
The soldiers investigated and asked questions about activities of Mon armed
force and when the villagers could not tell, they were severely tortured.
Wherever they refused they had no contact with rebels or they did not know
them, they were severely beaten to admit.
Some Khawza villagers knew these three villagers and
informed their families in Yinye village about their arrest by Burmese
soldiers. So, their wives and a senior monk came and appealed the commander to
release the three men because they were ordinary villagers. The commander said
he would not release the men until their wives could give him about 100, 000
Kyat for each person as ransom. Thus, all their wives went back to home to find
ransom for commander to release the men. After three of their wives collected
about 200, 000 Kyat cash and paid to commander to release the men, the commander
refused and replied he needed a full amount of payment as he instructed. Then,
the women went back to their village again and sold nearly all of their
belongings to get full amount of cash that asked by commander. After they paid
300, 000 Kyat to commander he released three men immediately.
On
December 25, 1998, when the Burmese troops
waited for entering of rebel troops at the entrance of Khawza village, they
also arrested a young man who was riding bi-cycles to go another village. The
arrested man was Nai Hale (22 years) and he was accused that he would go to
rebel base and informed the Burmese troops' activities to rebels. Then he was
detained for one day and after his family gave 3,000 Kyat cash for foods of
soldiers and additional appeal by village headmen, he was released.
Similarly, in the second week of January, 1999, the
soldiers also arrested Nai Soe Aung, with accusation of rebel-supporters. On
that day, the soldiers from the base also walked around in the village and met
a young man who wore trousers also stood in front of Nai Soe Aung's house and
talked with another villager. The soldiers also saw the young man entered into
Nai Soe Aung house. The soldiers went back to base and informed about a young
man to their commander. Then, the commander ordered their troops to round Nai
Soe Aung's house and searched for the young man. When the soldiers rounded Nai
Soe Aung's house, the young man who was his nephew, already left from his
house. When they searched his whole house, they could not catch the man. So
they accused Nai Soe Aung that he was keeping a rebel in his house. He did not
understand the accusation and denied it that he said he never kept any rebel.
The soldiers angered to him and beat him severely and said they met a young man
with trouser entered his house. Although he explained to soldiers that that man
was his nephew, but they did not trust and continuously beat him.
Then, the soldiers brought him to outside of the village
and beat him to admit he was keeping a rebel. He was tortured with various type of beating and kicking by soldiers. When his family
came and asked to meet him, they did not allow even his wife to meet each
other. Later two days, when his wife paid 20,000 Kyat ransom and showed the
young man (actually that man was his nephew), who was attending high school in
Ye town, they trusted and then released him.
3. Torturing and Related
Extortion by IB No. 61
On
Following the consistent accusation that he traveled to
provide fund for Mon troops, he was tied up with a rope and brought to
battalion headquarters in Ye. In the detention center of battalion
headquarters, he was severely tortured. The soldiers beat and kicked him to
admit that he sent fund for Mon troops. They tortured him until he lost
consciousness.
Soon after his wife heard about arrest of him and bringing
to Ye, she and village headmen went to Ye. When they met with battalion
commander, they also explained the man was not a person according to accusation
as rebel-supporter and approved he was an honest villager. At the end, the
commander told them to pay a ransom of 60,000 Kyat for his release. His wife
went back to village and tried to get 60,000 Kyat. After his family could not
effort to pay 60,000 Kyat and paid 30,000 Kyat to commander. Then the commander
released him after receiving a ransom. However, the commander said he must not
allow to receive medical treatment in Ye. If they took
medical treatment in Ye, he worried the news about IB No. 61 extortion and
torturing will separate. Therefore, village headmen and family brought the
farmer back to home in village and had to treat his injuries with herbal
medicines.
4. New Kind of Tax
Collection after Fighting by Various SPDC troops
On October 19, 1998, a fighting between SPDC navy and Mon
troops happened in the sea in the •west side of Magyi village. In the incident,
a small boat that brought Mon troops was attacked by LIB No. 402 and some Mon
soldiers died in the fighting. In this case, the local fishermen were accused
that they were supporters of Mon troops and carefully checked to fishing boats
and fishermen who went to the sea.
Following the fighting, there was more SPDC troops
deployment in coastal area and checked every fisherman who went to the sea.
First, LIB No. 402 and LIB No. 106 jointly ordered to every fishing boat to buy
a special signboard to put beside the boat to recognize them well. They also
wrote the name of the
boat in signboard and put
along with boat. If one boat has no signboard or the signboard was different
from the one they issued, the navy must shoot to that boat. The battalions sold
off signboard with price 2,000 Kyat per one. Although a small wood sheet was
too expensive, the poor fishermen have to buy it because they were afraid of
being shot by navy troops. There were over 500 small and big boats had to buy
signboards from battalions and so LIB No. 106 and No. 402 received a lot of
fund from fishermen. The fishing boats in many villages, such as Magyi,
Mitawhla-kalay, Mitawhla-gyi, Kyonekanya, Taw-bound, Kyauk-ie, Kabyawa, Khawza
fishing, had to buy the signboards.
Later, although they received signboard that recognized
their fishing boats, whenever fishermen went to sea they must ask permission
from the concerned headmen. Village headmen have to write an approval letter
that fishermen were their villagers and honest. When the fishermen asked this
letter, they paid 20, 30, 50 Kyat per sheet respectively to village headmen
depending on the size of the boat. Accordingly to village headmen,
that collected fund would be used when SPDC troops came into their
villages, to provide them foods, liquors, and other demanded supplies.
On the other hand, every fishing boat had to handle
"the boat registered book" along with them and every time they went
to the sea, after they received approval letters from village headmen, they had
to go to the battalions that bases along the seacoast. The commanders recorded
in the book what time and which day they left to the sea. Every big or small
boat, they got only three days permission to go to the sea for fishing.
Depending on the sizes of the boats, the fishermen had to pay 200 to 500 Kyat
per trip. After three days period fishing when they returned to the shore, they
would have to inform the battalion again they already arrived back. In
addition, the troops asked the biggest fish from every boat for their foods. Normally,
the biggest fish might cost about 1,000 Kyat. Sometimes, when the higher
military officers came, they asked more fishes from the boats.
Because of the new tax collection instructed, the
battalions that took security along seacoast and in the sea, such as LIB No.
402, No. 106 and No. 273 received a lot of payment from the poor fishermen.
Some fishermen also stopped and changed their works due to regular and high tax
collected by SPDC troops.
Results
Due to arbitrary arrest and killing in the rural area, the
farmers or the villagers are very afraid of being working in their work-places
which are far from outside of the villages. Similarly, whenever the fighting in
the surrounding area, the villagers in the villages do not dare to go outside
of their villages and or, if some are in the rice-farms and fruit plantations,
they immediately run back to the villages. If not, they could be as a result
arrested by soldiers and faced ill-treatments by SPDC soldiers. As villagers'
experience, the arrested villagers have been always forced to show the rebel
bases, to admit they are having contacts with rebels and at the end, they must be tortured until die.
If the villagers are kidnapped related to accusation of
rebel-supporters, they must be cruelly beaten by soldiers anyhow. Then the
commander will ask for a ransom to release those villagers. When one villager
was kidnapped and to get him release, the family have to sell several things
that they belonged, such as rice-farmlands, fruit plantations, live-stocks, houses
and others. Immediately that family become poor and
jobless. If their relatives helped those families until they can stand on their
feet, it was better for them to remain in villages. If not, they may have to
move from their villages and seek jobs in another village, or move into
Thailand or move into NMSP control area for seeking haven and finding jobs.
Due to unstable situation and irregular working in the
workplaces, the villagers have also lost their crops in farms or plantations.
During rainy season, when they started rice cultivation in July and August, if
they could not have chance to clear grasses in the rice-fields, the rice plants
became too weak due to grasses getting higher than them and the crop production
are also reduced. During harvest season in November and December, if the
farmers lost
chance to reap their rice crops in the farms, that is also another reason for
the reduction of crop production.
Due to regular tax payment including
portering fees and other extortion to SPDC troops, the villagers are hardly to
pay. They have to sell their crops or other belongings to pay tax for army.
Additionally, because of permanent requirement of civilian porters for army,
the villagers have to abandon their works and also lose income or crops.
Therefore, the general economic situation in the rural area of Ye and Yebyu township has been deteriorated for many years
and local inhabitants are always suffered from various type of atrocities violated
by government troops.