MONTHLY HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
JANUARY 2001
Mergui-Tavoy District
Mergui-Tavoy District Information
Department
Karen National
Extra Judicial Killing
Rape
Looting
Burning and Destruction
Torture
Forced Labor
Note: 1
EXTRA JUDICIAL
KILLING
On
After opening fire on the villagers the troop had captured a
villager Naw Theh Satin, 20
yr., daughter of Saw Pe Lo and Naw
Pi. They took her to a house and raped her severely and stabbed her to death
afterward. The next day, that troop cleared the area and took away the
properties, which the villagers have abandoned. The properties the soldiers
took away were:
1. Naw Theh Satin's (raped woman)
one gold ring, one watch, and all her
house belongings cost at least 50,000 Kyat.
2. Saw Pe Lo's money 21,000 Kyat, 1,000 Thai Baht,
and all his house belongings
cost at least 400,000 Kyat.
3.
Saw Sa De's one engine (Honda 5.5 HP), one chopper, one coat, one
blanket, and all his house belongings cost at least 205,000 Kyat
4. Saw Hsa We's one engine (Honda 5.5
HP), one chopper, one coat, 4 blankets, 2 watches, and all his house belongings
cost at least 145,000 kyat.
5. Saw Ta Pu's one chopper, 20 pounds of coffee, one pound of sugar
(15 kegs), one blanket, one coat, 15 kilogram of fish
paste, one jacket, one flask, and all of his house belongings cost at least
50,000 kyat.
On
RAPE
Lieutenant Thein Myint Zaw form Burma Army's Infantry Battalion 104 raped a
traveling villager and took away all her money on January 28, 2001 night.
According to villagers from
After raping her, Lt. Thein Myint Zaw took away 10,000 Thai Baht
form her. The next day (29.1.2001) Thein Myint Zaw gave her 1,000 Baht for
her traveling expenditure and set her free.
LOOTING
On January 5, 2001 a group of Pye
Thu Sit (People Militia, back up by Burma Army) led by Ye Win entered to Taket village, in Tenasserim
township, Mergui District and confiscated some cattle
from Saw Hto Gay. After confiscating the cattle the
militia leader demanded 30,000 kyat as compensation from the Saw Hto Gay.
On
On January 4.1.2001 a troop from Burma Army's Infantry
Battalion 101, Column No.2 led by Column Commander Kyaw Thet
Naing entered to Taket village, in
On
BURNING and
DESTRUCTION
On
1. Naw Hpo Lah
Pwe's house which cost at least 60,000 Kyat
2. Saw
3. Saw Win Kyi's
house cost at least 90,000 Kyat.
4. Saw Nga Taw's house cost at least 70,000 Kyat
5. Saw Klawt's house cost at least 100,000 Kyat
6. Saw Ler Mu's house cost at least
120,000 kyat and cut down his betel nut palms more than 100 plants,
7. Saw Tha Htoo's house cost at least 50,000 Kyat and killed one
cattle, and burnt down 70 baskets (1 basket = 46 pounds (21 kegs) of his paddy.
On
TORTURE
On
FORCED LABOR
On January 18, 2001 Battalion Commander Than Sein from Burma
Army' Light Infantry Battalion 401 which based in Htu
ler (Kyauk Htu) village (in the east of Theyetchaung
township, Tavoy District) ordered 15 villagers from Kaw Htee (Thabyuchaung)
to served as porter to Maw Taw Hta. It was three days
walk journey on foot from Htu Ler
to Maw Taw Hta. If the demanded porters do not want
to go by foot, they have to transport the military supply by boat, and the
villagers themselves have to pay the expense of the transportation.
From January 20 to 30, 2001 Burma army forced the villagers
in Htu Ler, Kaw Htee, Hta
Me Hta, Kanekaw (Pyathachaung), Katawnni and Pawtaw, (in the east of Theyetchaung,
Tavoy township, Tavoy
district) to transport the military food supplies from Pawtaw
to Htu Ler. Htoo Ler and Kaw
Htee villages were forced to transport 102 sack of
rice, Ta Me Hta 36 sack of rice, Ka Htaw Ni, Kanekaw and Pawtaw 102 sack of rice etc.. The
villagers have to pay the cost of boat transportation by themselves.
On January 28, 2001 Column Commander Nanda Aung from Burma Army's Light Infantry Battalion 401, which based in Htu Ler village (in the east of Theyetchaung township, Tavoy district) ordered Ta Me Hta and Kanekaw villagers to construct a road between their villages and have to finish it within 5 days. The road should be available for the bullock carts.