MONTHLY HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
TENASSERIM DIVISION
Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen
National Union
March 2004
Contact [email protected]
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES:
FORCED LABOUR
EXTORTION
BURNING AND DESTRUCTION
OF FOOD
TORTURE
LOOTING
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FORCED LABOUR
On March 7, 2004,
officers from No.12 Divisional Military Training Center, based near Pyicha village in Palaw township, Mergui district, forced
the villagers to carry food supplies to their frontline camp
Waytoray
(Aungthawara), on the Tenasserim
Riverside. Many people from several villages were forced to carry supplies: 70
people from Pyicha, 12 from Nya
Htaw (Ngadet), four from Pyicha Maw, 12 from Kamah Ler, 20 from Lerpahdoh, 20 from Wahgon, 20 from Kataunni-Mawkakleh,
four from Panwe Poe Klo, 42
from Pasawoak (Wanzawoak),
35 from Mhyitchinsu, 80 from Kaneh
They Lah. Every household who did not go, had to pay 10,000 kyat.
On March 13, 2004,
the Commander of No.3 Tactical Command based in Lerhpadoh
village in Tenasserim Riverside area, northeast of Mergui, forced 17 long-tail engine boats from the local
villages in Lerhpadoh, Buthawplaw,
Pahtoo Klo, and Tarwahta to transport food supplies to their military camp
in Waytoray (Aungthawara).
On March 18 2004,
No.12 Divisional Military Training Center HQ demanded 144 villagers from nearby
villages in their responsible area. They demanded 28 people from Lerhpado, 28 from Wahgon, 18 from
Kataungni and Mawkakle
villages and 70 from Palauk area for forced portering.
On March 26 2004, a group
of 13 soldiers from SPDC's No. 224 Infantry Battalion
(IB), 2nd Column looted 15000 kyat worth of belongings from loggers
who were felling trees in Hleseik village, about 40
miles south-east of Mergui.
On March 31, 2003,
SPDC's IB 224 summoned 50 villagers to clear the
forest for helicopter landing area beside a place called Wa-blaw-kye
in Taket village area, which is about 37 miles to the
southwest of Mergui. The SPDC intended to build a dam
in that area. For that purpose the military banned all the villagers from
traveling out from their villages. More-over, they summoned all the village
elders to stay close to them.
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EXTORTION
On March 3, 2004,
Burmese troops from No.558 Light Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Than Naing arrived in Htu Ler Hkee,
(a villagers hiding place) in the east of Theyetchaung
township, Tavoy district and took the following items
from the following villagers:
- Saw Maung Hla Tin, two gold earings, one
gold ring, three tins of rice (the standard unit of measurement of rice is 1
tin = 10.5 kgs) and one pig (estimated value in cash
200,000 Kyat)
- Naw
Poe Det, all her household belongings, including
three tins of rice (estimated in cash 80,000 kyat)
- Saw Maung Aye Kyi all
his household belongings, including 10 women's sarongs, 8 man's sarongs, one tin of rice (estimated in cash 100,000 kyat).
A policeman arrested and
accused a villager of growing opium and demanded money for his release. On March 7, 2004
Saw Ha Du San from Taket
village, in Tenasserim township
went to buy food in Nyaunbingwin when he was arrested
by a Burmese policeman. The policeman, Ko Aung, who
was from the town of Tenasserim
demanded 100,000 kyat for the man's release. He was released after his village
elders brought the money to the policeman.
On March 10, 2004,
Burmese troops from No.410 Light Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Aung Kyaw
Moe came to Laungtheik village and extorted 100,000
kyat from each village
of Longtheik,
Kyauk Kadin, Kywen T'Lin and Ale Sakan. The officer said that the money was for their oil
palm plantation's expenses.
On March 12, 2004,
Col. Myo Myint Hswe
commander of No.3 Tactical Command in Lerhpadoh
village (north eastern of Mergui) summoned the village headmen in the
vicinity for a meeting. During the meeting the commander ordered Buthawplaw, Lerhpadoh, Day Plaw, Prut Ku, Datbawklo, to give the army 4 boards of wood (15' long
12" x 3" plant) each. Then he demanded 400 bamboos each from Buthawplaw, Tarwathta, Pahtooklo, Day Plaw, Prut Ku, Dat Baw
Klo, and Tatmu.
On March 23, 2004,
Col. Myint Swe, Commander of No.2 Tactical Command (under No.13
Light Infantry Division) ordered seven villages in his area to pay for his fuel
expenditure and to light his headquarter office. Each village had to pay 1000
kyat. The villages which had to pay were Tatmu, Datbawklo, Lerhpado, Dayplaw, Prutku, Tehta and Pahtuklo respectively.
No. 2 Tactical Command HQ based in Lerhpadoh village,
about 25 miles to the northeast of Mergui.
On March 29, 2004, No.12
Divisional Military Training Centre based near Pyicha
village in Palaw township, Mergui
district, had ordered Panwehpoklo village to pay 58,000 kyat to their office for what they
called cashew nut plantation tax'.
On March 30, 2004,
SPDC surveyors from Palauk subtownship
arrived to a place between Nan Taung and Pasawoak village road junction about 25 miles to the south
of Tavoy on the Tavoy-Mergui
car-road. The group set down 38 - 80' x 80' land plots by the side of car-road
to resettle villagers from Panwehpoklo village
according to the order of the military. For these land plots Panwehpoklo village was ordered by No.12 Divisional
Military Training Centre office to pay for 630,000 kyat by the April 8
deadline. The order stated that the relocated villagers must build wooden
houses on the land plots.
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BURNING AND
DESTRUCTION OF FOOD
On March 2, 2004
more than 30 soldiers led by Lt. Col. Myint Naing from No. 224 Infantry Battalion arrived to Htee Poe Wah Hkee,
a villager hiding place. They burnt down a house (estimated cost in cash,
48,100 kyat) owned by to Saw Su Poe, including all his food and belongings
(estimated cost in cash, 60,500).
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TORTURE
On March 9, 2004,
at about 1:00 AM, a group of Burmese soldiers led by
officer Zaw
Minn
from No. 410 Light Infantry Battalion entered Pasawlaw
(Michaunglong) village and arrested Saw K'tah and his son Saw Kaw Say.
Saw K'tah was released the next day but Saw Kaw Say was tortured and taken to the battalion camp. On
March 13, the same group arrived again and took Saw Bu Hpaw,
accused him of not reporting the news of the Karen soldiers' activities and
demanded 150,000 kyat and 1500 roofing leaves for his release.
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LOOTING
On March 10, 2004,
Burmese troops from No.433 Light Infantry Battalion came to Pahtoo
Klo village, the northeast of Mergui,
in the Tenasserim Riverside area and looted five
chickens belonging to Saw Kaw La.
Later, those troops arrived in Ta Rut Hta and again
looted five chickens of Saw Say Wah, 10 chickens from
Thera Di, and asked the
villagers to send them by boat to Ma Aik Klo.
On March 11, 2004,
Burmese troops from No. 433 Light Infantry Battalion led by No.3 Company
Commander Captain Myo Minn Aung came to Buthawplaw forced relocation site, in Tenasserim
Riverside area in the east of Palaw township and looted some poultry from the villagers. The
items were: six ducks belonging to Saw Yakhaing,
three ducks and five chickens belonging to Saw Ke Koh. Then the soldiers also demanded two long-tail engine
boats and asked the villagers to send them to Kyauk Pah.
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