MONTHLY HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
TENASSERIM DIVISION
Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen National
September 2003
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES:
FORCED
RELOCATION
KILLING
EXTORTION
LAND
CONFISCATION
RESTRACTION
LOOTING
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The soldiers told that these 3 villagers tried to escape while they were
ordered to stop. In reality the villagers could not stop their raft at the
point where the soldiers ordered them, because of strong current.
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After this fighting, on
The villagers can't give them because they have no arms. Thus the SPDC Comdr:
Kyaw Soe demanded 500,000 Kyats
from that village. He captured the village headman and one villager after they
have consumed 2 pigs and 6 tins of rice. This troop also took away one motor
cycle from a villager. The villagers had collected 20000 kyats
from each household to pay for that ransom for the release of their 2
villagers. After receiving the money he had demanded Kyaw Soe
released the 2 villagers.
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On 9, 2003 a villager from Kyauk Shaat village in Yepyu township, Tavoy district
who arrived to Thai side said, in 1991 the LIB 409 had confiscated his 7.3
acres of cashew nut plantation without paying any compensation, to built their
battalion Head quarters buildings. Afterwards the battalion's officer allowed
their family to collect the yield by paying 25000 Kyats
per year to him. He had paid that amount since from 1991 to 2002 to able
collect the crop from his plantation. But in 10/2/2003 while his family
collecting the cashew nut from that plantation the battalion adjutant Capt. Yan Naing arrived with his
followers and told him that he was not allowed to collect the yield. At the
same time U Ba Thein, a
former owner of 10 acres of cashew nut plantation was also banned to collect
the yield from his own plantation which was confiscated by LIB 409 since 1991
without getting any compensation.
There were a lot of plantations which were confiscated by the Burmese army to
build the buildings for their battalions, without paying compensation since
1991. The army officers used to gave a chance to the owners to collect the
yield from their confiscated plantations by demanding money from the owners.
But currently the officers have banned all the owners to collect the yield.
Thus most of the families lost their income and have only one way to get into
There are 140 households at Kyauk Shaat
village. U Than Shein, the chairman of village PDC ordered
the villagers to build sentry post and 3 villagers have to keep on watching
there 24 hours a day. The one who absent has to hire another villager for 500
Kyat per day to work on his behalf.
The villagers were forced to attend the people militia training from July 2003
to September 2003. If one could not attend this training had
to pay 20000 kyats to hire other villager on his
behalf. The Township PDC has ordered the villagers that those who are at
the age between 14 to 40 will have to attend this training.
The village PDC used to force the villagers, who can not pay 20000kyat per year
to them for portering, forced laboring and attending
the training, while they let the villager who could gave 20000 Kyats per year were free from any demanding.
At least 18 villages were ordered by township authority to attend this course
and no one from any village must not absent for this training.
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According to the information Oo Kyaw Soe and his wife
Daw Nin pyu a couple who
came back from
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The real story of Pa Ga Ye village under military rulling
Interview of a villager from Pa Ga Ye village on
Pa Ga Ye village
located 6 miles, in the east of Tavoy town. There are
400 households in this Burmese village. Every day two villagers have to go to
LIB 402 battalion as stand by porter since this battalion set up in 1992. Each
of them have to take food to eat, sword and a pack of fire wood along with them
when ever they go on their term to standby as porter.
The villagers have to hire other people by paying 1000 kyat when ever they
unable to go and serve at their term. The one who forgets to take the firewood
have to pay 500 kyat fine to the military. The villagers also have to pay 500 Kyats to 700 Kyats monthly
demanded by village PDC. They called this 'donation for development fund' to
host the arriving authorities. The villagers paid this money because they
afraid they would be punished by the authorities.
Every three months, 10 villagers have to carry food and other supplies to the
border military out post, 50 miles in the east of Tavoy.
The village PDC demands 1500 kyats from each
household when ever the military demand porters from their village. The
military used to demand them to pay 30000 kyats for a
porter. The villagers who absent to pay porter fee or to
serve as porter were imprisoned by the authorities.
Every Saturday one person each from every household have to go for road side
clearing purpose on Myitta-Tavoy car road without
getting any wages and the one who absent were charged 500 Kyats.
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Currently the Burmese armies have a plan to set up one ' tank and cavalry
battalion ' in each military division, which will include 5 companies per
battalion.
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