MONTHLY HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT

TENASSERIM DIVISION

Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen National Union

February, 2002

Contact: [email protected]

â FORCED PORTERING

â RAPE

â FIGHTING

â LIVING STANDARD

FORCED PORTERING

A Burmese army commander ordered local villagers in the east of Theyetchaung township, Tavoy district, Tenasserim division to transport military food supplies to their frontline camp. On February 4, 2002, Major Soe Thein commander of Burmese army's Light Infantry Battalion 403 demanded two engine boats and sixteen people from Kaw Htee (Thabyuchaung) village in the east of Theyetchaung township. The commander ordered these villagers to transport their military food supplies to Myintmolekka, which takes more than one-day walk by foot. Again, on February 5, the commander ordered each person from every household in Kaw Htee and Htoo Leer (Kyauk Htu) to build a paddy store for their troops. This commander had threatened the villagers that if they fail to come, they will have action against them.

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Theyetchaug Township Peace and Development Council demanded villagers from the south of Theyetchaung township, Tavoy district, Tenasserim division to carry military food supplies to their frontline camps on the Thai-Burmese border. On February 5, 2002, township chairman Oo Shwe Maung demanded some Karen villagers in Theyetchaung township to carry military food supplies to SPDC troop's frontline camp at Htee Hta, which is close to the Thai-Burmese border. The village headmen tried to pay him by money, but he refused. Therefore, the villagers have to hire other villagers from the neighboring villages. They had to hire 56 people which one person costed them 50,000 kyat to 100,0000 kyat. From Theyetcahung township to Htee Hta the villagers had to walk more than three days by foot.

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Burmese troop in Tenasserim division, southern Burma, demanded local villagers to serve as porters to transport military ammunition and food supplies on the Thai-Burmese border. On February 14, Burmese troops that are based near Pasawoak (Wazoneoak) village, Palaw township, Mergui district demanded 35 people from Pasawoak village tract to carry military ammunition and food supplies to their frontline camps, which is near to the Thai-Burmese border. Those villages feared to serve as porter and hire the other villagers from neighboring villages. The whole village tract had to pay about 140,000 kyat. There are Pasawoak, Wahgon, Ler Hpa Doh, Maw Ka Klel, and Kataungni within Pasawoak village tract.

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Burmese troops in Mergui district, Tenasserim division, southern Burma had recruited hundreds of villagers to serve as porters for their ammunition and food supplies to the Thai-Burmese border.

On January 19, 2002, Burmese troops from Infantry Battalion 17 led by Major Soe Myint arrived to Taket (Thakyet) village in Tenasserim township, Mergui district and summoned village headmen and ordered them to provide each person from every family to serve as porters. Those villagers forced to carry military ammunition and food supplies to Lerker area on the Thai-Burmese border, which is opposite Prachaup Khirikha province, southern Thailand.

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It was learnt that on January 19, Burmese army's Infantry Battalion 224 had conscripted 1000 villagers to serve as porters. The villagers were forced to carry military ammunition and food supplies to Lerker and Tha Hpo May area on the Thai-Burmese border, which is opposite Prachaup Khirikha province, southern Thailand.

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Since the first of February 2002, the No.1 Strategic Command, which set up its HQ in Tavoy, transported military rations to its 15 battalions operating in KNU area in Mergui-Tavoy district (Tenasserim division). The ration will last for six months for its frontline battalions. For transportation, the Command summoned 500 porters from each township in Tavoy district namely Theyetchaung, Launglon, Tavoy and Yebyu.

Taungminbyaung village in Launglon township had to send its 40 villagers as forced porters to serve in military ration transportation. The Village Peace and Development Council (Village PDC) dictated and collected 3000 kyat from each household in this village saying that it was to support the villagers chosen as porters, and gave those 40 villagers 20,000 kyat each. Taungminbyaung has about 400 households. The porters had to purchase and bring along food and medicine for themselves from the money they got from the Village PDC. The military did not take responsibility to feed and treat the porters who did not bring along their own food and medicine, said a Taungminbyaung villager who arrived to the Thai-Burmese border on February 19, 2002.

According to the latest information, the outpost troops did not let the ration transporting porters go home after their task was finished. Instead, they forced those porters to work on road construction. The military is constructing a road from Thechaungyi village in Theyetchaung township, Tavoy district to Maethami on the Thai-Burmese border. The porters had brought along with them enough food for the trip where they had to serve as ration transporters. As the outpost troops forced them to work on the road they ran out of food within a few days. Though they were not fed by the military. So, everyday the porters sneaked out and ran away from the road construction site. If they were seen, the soldiers shot and chased them to capture them.

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Burmese troops demanded more than twenty villagers in Palaw township, Mergui district, Tenasserim division to serve as porters. On February 12, 2002, Burmese troops based in Palauk village demanded ten villagers from Pawkato village and fifteen villagers from Kehma village to serve as military porters for their military transportation to the frontline areas. The villagers must arrive to Palauk on February 21. The commander had threatened the villagers that if they did not want to go they must hire other people for substitution, but they must arrive without fail.

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Burmese troops forced more than 600 villagers in Tenasserim Township to transport their military food supplies to the Thai-Burmese border in Tenasserim division, southern Burma. On February 15, 2002, Burmese troops conscripted more than 600 villagers in Tenasserim township, Mergui district and forced them to transport their military food supplies to their troops that are stationed on the border at Mukopaw, opposite Thailand's Prachaup Khirikhar province of southern Thailand.

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RAPE

Win Nyunt led a group of People's Militia from a Burman village Maw Maid have raped two Karen women in Pa Na Me (Duyinbinshung) forced relocation site, in Palaw township, Mergui district, Tenasserim division, on February 19, 2002. The victims were Naw Leh Say, 17 years old, daughter of Naw Mu and Saw Kaw La and Naw Mu Muh, 18 years old, daughter of Naw Naw Pe and Saw Hpo Sei. People's Militia or Pyithusit is a village defense forces formed and backed by Burmese troops. They used to committed human rights violation against the neighboring villagers such as looting, extortion, torture and others in their responsible area.

FIGHTING

On February 5, 2002, fighting broke out between Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) 4th Brigade and Burmese troops at Taung Yin Aye area near Kanbauk village, in Yadana gas pipe line area (Yebyu township, Tavoy district). The fighting lasted for 2 hours. KNLA claimed that the Burmese troops lost more than 13 soldiers and no casualties from the KNLA side.

On February 19, 2002, a group of KNLA soldiers had ambushed a Burmese army's truck that transporting the Burmese troops at Kamahaw village, a deserted village in Tenasserim riverside in the east of Tavoy Township. KNLA claimed that the truck was destroyed, 3 Burmese soldiers were killed and more than 30 wounded. No casualty on KNLA side.

LIVING STANDARDS

Money

Kyat rate

12/2/2002/

100 Thai baht = 1600 Kyat (Thai-Burmese border, Na E Tong)

100 Thai baht = 1620 Kyat (Thai-Burmese border, Three Pagodas pass)

100 Thai baht = 1630 Kyat (Tavoy town)

1 US$ = 750 Kyat (FEER Mar. 4, 2002) (Unofficial rate)

1 US$ = 43.56 THB (FEER Mar. 4, 2002)

Price of commodities

Rice

Tavoy town 12/2/2002

Best quality = 180 kyat/pyi

Low quality = 100 kyat/pyi

White sticky rice = 200/ypi

Black sticky rice = 230/pyi

(1 pyi = 2 kilogram)

Meat

Pork = 1,000 kyat/viss

Chicken = 900 kyat/viss

Goat = 1000 kyat/viss

Beef = 950 kyat/viss

(1 viss = 1.6 kilogram)

Cooking oil

Bean oil = 700 kyat/viss

Sesame oil = 1600 kyat/viss

Coconut oil = 800 kyat/viss

Palm oil = 400 kyat/viss

Petrol

Thai petrol = 1,100 kyat/gallon

Burmese petrol = 950 kyat/gallon

Thai diesel = 900 kyat/gallon

Burmese diesel = 800 kyat/gallon

Daily wages for hired labor

Male = 300-500 kyat/day

Female = 200-300 kyat/day