More atrocities by Army reported
=================================
Shan Herald Agency for News
Innocent Shan villagers suspected of connections with rebels
were
arrested and tortured by Burmese
infantry in a rampage during an on-
going search-and-destroy operation
in Laikha township, 79 miles from
Taunggy, at the beginning of this
month, a S.H.A.N. source from
southern
On Oct. 1, two men, Zingna, 47,
and Sai Noom, 42, of Terh Leng, were
detained and beaten by the Mongpan-based Light Infantry Battalion 332
to extract information.
On Oct. 2, three men working
in their fields, Loong Hsu, 50; Sai
Hsu,
35; and Wiling, 26, of Wan Pook, Haihseng village tract, were detained
and beaten by the same battalion on
suspicion of having connections
with the rebels. They were released
the next day, following an appeal
from the village elders.
Another three men from Kang-oon, Nawngkaw tract, Sai Myint Awng, 27;
Nantaw, 20; and Dawna, 18, also underwent a similar plight at the
hands of the same battalion on the
same day. They were set free only
when the elders paid 15,000 Kyat
and a live pig.
The source claimed excesses perpetrated by the Burma Army
still
continued.
Meanwhile, on the same day, two other villagers,
Tayza, 15, of Pang-ngu, Wang Mong tract, Mongkerng township, 29 miles
further north, were shot to death
by a patrol from the Langkher-based
Light Infantry Battalion 525, commanded by Maj Htun Htun,
while they
were working in their fields.
S.H.A.N. correspondents on the border, however, were
unable to
confirm the reports. "It will
take days and sometimes weeks, before
sources from the Mongkerng-Laikha area are able to reach us," said
King Cobra, who is based in the Chaiprakarn-Fang-Mae
Ai districts,
facing Mongton
and Monghsat, transit townships for refugees coming
to
A S.H.A.N. source from southern
a Shan commander Sept. 29, that six
villagers, a woman and five men
arrested Sept. 28 by Mongpan-based Light Infantry Battalion 332, were
later released, though one, Sai Oong, 27, had not yet shown
up at his
home village in Loilam.
"His head was wrapped up with a plastic bag and
pounded," said the
source, who wished to be unnamed.
"Dissatisfied by his answers, they
then rolled a rod on his shins
while singeing him with wax from a
burning candle."
The other victims were identified as Hsarng
Leng, 25; Wizingda, 58;
Sai Kawn and Sai
Lam, all men, and Nang Nu,
a woman.
.................................................................
Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media
groups
such as Mizzima
News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,
Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press
Network,
Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information
Network Group and Network Media Group.
.........................
Contact: Duty Editor
+66 9 54 94
296