Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department
Karen
National
On
Father with 8 years old
son stabbed to death
On
As a troop from Infantry
Battalion No.17's 2nd column led by Captain Kyi Swan operating for search,
destroy of villagers hiding in the jungle with his 50 men in the east of Mergui town in the areas of Plaw
Pa Htaw and Hti Sebaw villages, and saw three villagers in a house. The
troopers opened fire on them and captured them all. That troop questioned them
and later accused hem as having connection with a Karen resistance group Karen
National Union (KNU) and stabbed one of the three villagers named Saw Roland six
times to dead and threw his body in to the river. Saw Jog, eight years old, son
of Saw Roland was also stabbed to death along with his father. Another villager
Win Oo was stabbed to death but fortunately did not die and managed to escaped
after the troops has left. In the house, the troop saw a set of video
television (Toshiba 21") and confiscated it.
Afterward that troop searched
the area and saw ten more houses. They looted all the villagers' belongings and
burnt the houses completely. Among those ten houses, three belong to the Saw
Aye Han, Saw beauty and Saw Lah Ber.
They all lost more than 129000 kyats worth for their
belongings. The others houses' owners and their families could not be contacted
until the information was arrived because the troop was still operating in that
areas.
While this troop was operating
in that area they saw four buffaloes belong to Saw San Win near Pawat Mielaunggwin village and
shot those to dead for their meal.
In June,
On
On
On June 18, 2001, twenty Pyithusits (people militia backed by Burma army) from Nyaung Bingwin village led by Naung Mae entered into Taket
village and captured Saw Kaw Htoo's
7 buffaloes and demanded 150,000 kyats from that old
man.
It happened when those Pyithusits have learnt that the villagers are likely to
sell out their cattle to Thai border in the month of June and they informed it
to No.3 Strategic Commanding HQ which command that areas. The No.3 Strategic
Commanding HQ commander ordered them to investigate the source of that
information whether it was right or wrong. Naung Mae
took that responsible and tried to extort money from Saw Kaw
Htoo who owns more cattle in the area.
Nyaung bin gwin is a Burman village and Taket
is a Karen village in the east of
According to a village elder from Mawta,
in
40
prisoners died during forced construction of Pagoda
In the beginning of May,
.
Villagers ordered to work in the military rice fields.
[Two battalions from
Later on LIB 401 and IB 25, the local battalion
jointly confiscated some land from Zahah villagers
for army plantation land again. Now around the Zahah
village there are several lands own by the military.
Zahah village has about 600
households and Village Peace and Development Council chairman Oo Thee Shwe has
conscripted five operational porters every month.]
Two battalions from
Infantry Battalion 25 which base is at the edge of Tavoy in the coast and Light Infantry Battalion 401 which
base 5 miles in the southeast of Tavoy had demanded Zahah village (5 miles in the east of Tavoy)
to till the land they have confiscated from the villagers in this early rainy
season (June to September). Some few villagers have tractors and or hand
tractors and they have prepared fuel for their own to till their land.
According to this order, they have to go and work in the military rice fields
with their fuel in the first week of this June.
In the second week of June these battalions again ordered Zahah villagers to go and sow the rice seed in their fields
where the tractors finished had tilling. Those who absent to go and work were
fined 500 kyat respectively.
After tilling and sowing, these two battalions released an
order that all the villages must take care for their livestock to stop any
animal into the military plantation. Of any livestock found out in the military
plantations that animal must he confiscated as military property and the owner
must be fined 2000 kyats for each of his animal.
Zahah is a village in the east of Tavoy and since when LIB 401 came to set up camp close to
their village, that battalion has confiscated some of its land for that
battalion compound in 1996. Later on LIB 401 and IB 25, the local battalion
jointly confiscated some land from Zahah villagers
for army plantation land again. More over as some rice former unable to pay duty
rice set up by the military, their land were confiscated again year by year.
Now around the Zahah village there are several lands
own by the military.
Zahah village has about 600 households
and Village Peace and Development Council chairman Oo Thee Shwe has conscripted
five operational porters every month. Every month he collected porter fees 700 kyats from each household to pay the conscripted porter,
which cost 40,000 kyats per person. Village PDC
(Village Peace and Development Council) had warned the villagers that those who
absent to serve as operational porter or to pay for porter fee will be reported
to Tavoy Police station to be captured and took
action. Other fees they have to pay monthly are development fund 100 kyats and fund to host authorities 100 kyat respectively.
Forced to build military camp
According to a group of traders from Yebyu
township in Tavoy district there came a new battalion
in
In the same time, that new battalion demanded villagers to
go and work for the building they required. The order is all the structures
must last at least 3 years. If not the villagers must have to build a new one
when the old one collapse
This enforcement is not only for Kyauk
Kanya village, it cover all over the villagers in Yebyu and Tavoy township. The
quota money was already collected and the turns of construction for each
village was finished set up