Mr. Chairman (Madame Chairperson),

I would like to emphasize the fact that the situation of human rights in the Shan State of Burma remains as bad as in previous years. The massive forced relocation, displacement and other types of involuntary population movements carried out by the Burmese military regime in the central Shan State since 1996 is still continuing up to this day and still badly affecting the lives of the people.

Over 300,000 people from nearly 1,500 villages, mostly farmers, have been dispossessed of their lands and homes and forcibly displaced by the army. Thousands have been seized by the army to work for road construction and other projects without pay.

The relocation areas are still being declared "free-fire" zones and people found in these areas are still being shot on sight. At least four massacres were documented in 2000 in Kun-Hing township alone. The worst was on 20 May 2000, when more than 60 internally displaced villagers, including elderly, women and children were killed. These villagers had been hiding in the jungle. When they heard that a patrol of soldiers was coming, they fled towards the Salween River. When they reached the bank of the river, the military troops caught up with them and opened fire killing most of them.

Among the 300,000 displaced, over 120,000 fled across the border to Thailand, while the remaining are hiding in the jungle near their old villages. Trying to survive, they are facing tremendous hardship. They live without security, regular food, shelter, and access to medical care.

Mr. Chairman (Madame Chairperson),

Another cause of the massive involuntary population movement in Shan State is the so-called resettlement of the ethnic "Wa" villagers from the north of Shan State to the south. Since the end of 1999, the United Wa State Party, which has a cease-fire agreement with the military regime, has forcibly relocated about 100,000 villagers from northern Shan State down to the southern Shan border areas.

The Wa resettlement, which is continuing, has been as devastating as the forced relocation in Central Shan State. Many villagers did not want to leave their ancestral homes. They were forced to move at very short notice and were transported by trucks. They were brought to an area where no sufficient assistance was provided. The poor living conditions and sanitation problems have led to epidemics. This killed more than a thousand settlers during the latter part of 2000. These forced relocations and resettlements are causing incalculable social damage.

Mr. Chairman (Madame Chairperson),

The number of internally displaced people in Shan State is increasing. One major cause is the blatant use of forced labour by the Burmese military in Tachilek township on the northern Thai-Burma border. Since early February 2001, the Burmese military has forced approximately 600 civilians to work as unpaid porters. These porters have to carry ammunition and military rations, dig trenches at strongholds and fetch water for the soldiers, man the strongholds for several days until another new batch of 600 porters replaces them.

Mr. Chairman (Madame Chairperson),

I would like to stress that the Burmese military regime is continuing its campaign of forced relocation and forced resettlement in Shan State adding to forced labour. As long as these violations continue, the number of internally displaced, or dispossessed Shan people will increase and more Shan people will flee across the border to Thailand.

Therefore, I sincerely request the Commission and the international community to urge the Burmese military regime to stop its campaign of forced relocation and resettlement in Shan State and all other forms of human rights violations.

Thank you.