Shan Human Rights Foundation

June -2010

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COMMENTARY
No Right to Life and Security of Person
        For a human person, the right to life is the most basic of all human rights, simply because a dead person could not enjoy any rights whatsoever. Without life, the whole idea of “rights” is also meaningless.
        Hence, the acts of extrajudicial killing and arbitrary execution are essentially violations of the most basic human right. They are even more deplorable if such violations are committed by those in power who could easily use law procedures if they so wish.
        In Shan State, especially in the rural areas, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary executions have been frequent occurrences over the last 4-5 decades under the oppressive rule of one of the most brutal military juntas in the world. Uncountable numbers of innocent villagers have been deprived of their most basic rights by the juntas’ troops who see the people as their enemies.
        Fourteen years ago this month, during the mass forced relocations carried out by the Burmese junta’s troops in central Shan State, in Kun-Hing township alone, around 80 villagers, including men and women, young and old, were cold-bloodedly killed in just a single memorable day, on 16 June 1997.
        Arbitrary killings continue to be frequent occurrences up to the present. As recently as just last April, a villager was killed and another was forced to disappear by roaming SPDC troops in central Shan State, as reported in this month’s issue.
        Other gruesome types of violations are also reported in this issue.
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EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING, FORCIBLE DISAPPEARANCE AND FORCED RELOCATION IN NAM-ZARNG
        During mid April 2010, a villager of Pa Laai village in Wan Nawng village tract in Nam-Zarng township was killed, another villager was forced to disappear and several villages were forced to relocate by the SPDC troops from Murng-Nai-based LIB564.
        On 15 April 2010, a column of SPDC troops from LIB564, based in Murng-Nai township, came to Pa Laai village in Wan Nawng village tract in Nam-Zarng township and, accusing the villagers of supporting the Shan resistance, arrested 2 villagers.
        The arrested villagers were Mu-Lin, male, aged 40 and Zaai Maad, male, aged 30. The 2 villagers were suspected by the SPDC troops of having in some way helped the Shan soldiers attack them in an ambush in the previous month in which they suffered heavy casualties.
        The SPDC troops took the villagers away with the column and later beat Mu-Lin to death at a place east of a deserted village called Nam Waw Khe, somewhere between Pa Laai and Loi Aai villages. At about the same time, Zaai Maad also disappeared and whether he was alive or dead was not known because his body could not be found when this report was received.
        As they left Pa Laai village, the SPDC troops also issued an order requiring all the villagers to move away from the village as soon as possible. The villagers could relocate either to Wan Nawng village or Loi Aai village, said the order. It took the villagers 3 days to be able to completely move out of the village.
        During April 2010, apart from Pa Laai village, at least 3 more villages in the surrounding areas were said to have also been forcibly relocated by the same column of SPDC troops. The 3 villages were Nawng Leng, Nawng Saai and Son Oi villages. The details about the incidents were not available at the time of this report.
ARBITRARY ARREST, DETENTION AND TORTURE, IN LAI-KHA
        In late November 2009, 4 villagers of Kung Sim village in Naa Poi village tract in Lai-Kha township were arbitrarily arrested, detained and severely beaten up and tortured during interrogations for several days in a military camp in the same village tract.
        Sometime around mid November 2009, a fierce gun battle broke out between members of a Shan ceasefire group and a non-ceasefire group, in Naa Poi village tract in Lai-Kha township, lasting several hours, in which one member of the ceasefire group was killed.
        One day after the battle, a contingent of SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng township came to Naa Poi village tract in Lai-Kha township and, together with some members of the Shan ceasefire group, patrolled and searched the area for non-ceasefire Shan soldiers.
        After searching the remote hills and mountains for about 5 days without finding any Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops returned and came into Kung Sim village which was also in Naa Poi village tract. As the SPDC troops entered the village, the villagers were frightened and ran away out of the village.
        The SPDC troops fired their guns after the villagers more than 100 times, but no one was hurt, and managed to arrest 4 male villagers who could not escape in time. The villagers arrested were: Zaai Kham, Zaai Khur, Lung Lom and Zaai Saam.
        The villagers were taken to a military camp at a place called Nam Hu in Naa Poi village tract and detained there. For 3 days during their detention, the villagers were beaten, tortured and interrogated by the SPDC troops who wanted to know where the Shan soldiers were.
        After their release, all the 4 villagers sustained serious injuries and 3 of them had to be immediately taken to hospital by their relatives. Zaai Kham and Zaai Khur who sustained internal injuries from severe beating were taken to Lai-Kha township hospital.
        Lung Lom, whose ears were also slit in addition to severe beating during interrogation, had to be taken to Loi-Lem township hospital, which was better staffed and equipped. Zaai Saam, although he had also been beaten and tortured, did not go to the hospital but treated himself at his house with the help of his fellow villagers.
VILLAGERS TORTURED, ARMS SLIT AND BRUSHED WITH SALT, DURING INTERROGATION IN NAM-ZARNG
        In August 2009, several villagers in Haai Naeng village tract in Nam-Zarng township were tortured during interrogations by the SPDC troops from a locally based military battalion who slit the villagers’ arms and put salt on the wounds.
        On 1 August 2009, a patrol of about 50-60 SPDC troops, from a battalion based in Nam-Zarng township, came to Loi Saao village in Haai Naeng village tract in Nam-Zarng township. The SPDC troops suddenly rushed into the village pointing their guns in all directions and frightening many villagers into running away from them.
        The SPDC troops chased after the villagers and seized 2 young male villagers, Aai Sa and Aai Awn, who started to run a little too late to escape. The SPDC troops interrogated the villagers, wanting to know where Shan soldiers were staying, how frequently they came into the village and how many times the villagers had provided them with food.
        When they could not get the answers they wanted from the villagers, the SPDC troops became angry and started to torture the villagers. In one incident, a soldier slit Aai Sa’s arm with a knife and put salt into the wound by brushing on it. When Aai Sa’s screamed with pain, the soldier stuffed his mouth with the tip of the boots he was wearing.
        After torturing the villagers for about 20 minutes, the SPDC troops left Loi Saao village, scolding and shouting at the villagers all the time, and headed towards Kung Pok village. On the following day, villagers of Kung Pok village were also tortured in the same way during interrogation by the SPDC troops.
        It was said that during several days following the incidents mentioned above, the SPDC troops continued to torture several villagers in other villages in the area. However, the details about the other incidents were not available at the time when this report was received in late 2009.
VILLAGERS THREATENED, ROBBED OF THEIR CHICKENS AND BEATEN UP IN KUN-HING
        In August 2009, villagers of Mai Sili village in Ho Yaan village tract in Kun-Hing township were told to stay within their houses during the night and robbed of their chickens, and were later severely beaten up, by the locally based SPDC troops.
        For some time during the month of August 2009, a group of about 50 SPDC troops, from the camp at the Salween river bridge at Ta Kaw village in Kaali village tract, patrolled the areas of Wan Tong and Kaeng Lom village tracts in Kun-Hing township.
        On 13 August 2009, the said SPDC troops came to Mai Sili village in Ho Yaan village tract and told the villagers that they were chasing after some Shan soldiers, and ordered the villagers to stay inside their houses during the night. “Anyone found outside their houses could be shot on sight”, they said.
        During the night, however, the SPDC troops stole villagers’ chickens without having to worry about the villagers who dared not come out of their houses. Only after the SPDC troops left the village in the morning did the villagers realize that their chickens had been stolen.
        It appeared that the SPDC troops were not after the Shan soldiers as they said, but they just wanted to trick the villagers and steal their chickens. The SPDC troops had actually taken away a lot of chickens. One villager said he alone lost 60 chickens, leaving his chicken shack empty.
        On 18 August 2009, the same SPDC troops again came back to Mai Sili village and arrested a male villager named Zaai Yawn. They interrogated Zaai Yawn and tortured him, as he could not tell them what they wanted to know about the Shan soldiers.
        At one point a soldier struck Zaai Yawn on the forehead with a rifle butt, causing blood to flow down his face and shoulders. A villager named Lung Lu, who was passing by at that time, was stopped by the SPDC troops and also struck on the head with a rifle butt, causing it to bleed.
        On 25 August 2009, the same SPDC patrol came back again to Mai Sili village and told the villagers that they lost 3 M-79 mortar shells somewhere in the village during their previous visit, and ordered the villagers to help them search for them all over the village.
        On the same day, the SPDC troops killed and ate 3 ducks belonging to a villager named Lung Kawn. Lung Kawn, one of the male villagers of Mai Sili village, said he lost 9 viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) of chickens during the SPDC troops’ last visit, and this time lost 3 ducks weighing not less than 4 viss. A viss of either chicken or duck could easily be sold for 4,000 kyat in the market at the time.
MOVEMENTS RESTRICTED, VILLAGERS FORCED TO KEEP WATCH, IN MURNG-PAN
        From around October 2009 up to early 2010, people in Murng-Pan township were restricted from going out of their quarters and villages after 6 o’clock in the evening by the SPDC troops of No. 7 Military Operation Command.
        In October 2009, the military authorities of Murng-Pan-based No.7 Military Operation Command issued an order banning people in Murng-Pan township from going between villages and town quarters after 6 o’clock until dawn every night.
        Because of the restrictions, people could not travel at night even when it was urgently necessary. People could not send for a doctor or bring emergency patients to the hospital during the nights, or do any other matters that required them to travel between villages and town quarters, however urgent they were.
        During December 2009, people in Murng-Pan township were also forced by the same SPDC authorities to keep watch at their respective locations 24 hours a day. The watchers were to report to the authorities in time whenever it was necessary.
        If something bad happened without the authorities being informed in time, those responsible would be punished, said the order. Those who were on sentry duty at the time would be beaten with sticks as a punishment for neglecting their duty.
VILLAGERS FORCED TO SERVE AS GUIDES, MONEY EXTORTED, VILLAGERS SCOLDED AND ROBBED OF THEIR CHICKENS, IN LARNG-KHUR
        In January 2010, villagers were forced to serve as unpaid guides by the SPDC troops from IB99 who also extorted money from other villagers, scolded and robbed yet other villagers of their chickens, in Wan Zid and Son Oi village tracts in Larng-Khur township.
        On 3 January 2010, a patrol of SPDC troops from Larng-Khur-based IB99 set out to patrol the areas north of Larng-Khur town. They patrolled the areas of Wan Zid and Son Oi village tracts for several days, using forced labour of the villagers and extorting money and property from the villages they passed through. The following are some such incidents documented by SHRF field workers.
        On the morning of 4 January 2010, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from IB99 seized 2 male villagers who were working in a sugarcane farm near Wan Zid village in Wan Zid village tract, Larng-Khur township, and forced them to serve as unpaid guides.
        The 2 villagers had to serve as unpaid guides and go with the SPDC troops starting from near Wan Zid village until they reached Nawng Tawng Law village, in the same village tract, in the evening. After forcing the villagers to guide them for the whole day, the troops released them at Nawng Tawng Law village.
        On the next day, the SPDC troops came to Wan Nawng village in Wan Zid village tract and said the villagers were obliged to provide them with 2 pigs worth not less than 200,000 kyat. But the troops said they would not take the pigs and would instead take only the money which was the value of the pigs.
        The villagers could not refuse the demand of the SPDC troops and had to collect the money among themselves and gave it to them. There were about 100 houses in Wan Nawng village and each house had to provide about 2,000 kyat. The SPDC troops waited in the centre of the village until they got all the money before leaving the village.
        On 6 January 2010, the SPDC troops continued to patrol the area of Son Oi village tract. The went into Son Oi village and scolded the villagers, accusing them of often giving information about their movements to the Shan soldiers in the area.
        As they scolded the villagers, many SPDC troops chased after villagers’ chickens and killed them with sticks, stones and catapults. The SPDC troops left the village only after they had killed enough chickens to take away with them.
MORE FORCED CONSCRIPTION OF VILLAGERS’ TRACTORS IN LAI-KHA
        During late 2009 and early 2010, more forced conscription of civilian tractors was used by the SPDC troops in Lai-Kha township, mainly because a contingent of SPDC troops from Kalaw township was deployed in Lai-Kha township during the period.
        At the end of 2009, a contingent of SPDC troops from Kalaw township came to Lai-Kha township and were stationed at one of the military camps in the township. The newly arrived troops frequently conscripted civilian tractors to use in their daily activities.
        Every 2-3 days, the said SPDC troops conscripted up to 6 tractors and went around patrolling from village to village in the township. When there was no patrolling, at least 2 tractors had to be at the camp on a daily basis to be used as necessary.
        In addition to what they had already been required to provide by the locally based SPDC troops on a more or less regular basis, tractor owners also had to serve troops from other townships that were deployed in their areas.
        The tractor owners usually not only got nothing as compensation for their time and labour but also had to provide their own food and fuel for their tractors during the forced labour periods.

ROUTINE FORCED CONSCRIPTION OF VILLAGERS’ MOTORCYCLES, EXTORTION OF FUEL, IN MURNG-PAN
        During late 2009, civilian motorcycles had to be provided more frequently to a military camp for the SPDC troops of IB112 to use in their daily activities, in Ho Phaai Long village tract in Murng-Pan township.
        At least 1 motorcycle with a tank-full of fuel was required to be sent to a military camp located at a place called Loi Waw Ma in Ho Phaai Long village tract in Murng-Pan township, on a daily basis. The camp was manned by the SPDC troops of IB112.
        The SPDC troops at the said camp had been using forced labour of civilian motorcycles from the surrounding villages in Ho Phaai Long village for a long time, said the local villagers, but not as frequently as since late 2009.
        They used to ask for motorcycles only once in several days, usually once about a week, previously. But it had since late 2009 become a daily responsibility for the people of Ho Phaai Long village tract, complained local villagers.
OPIUM GROWERS, INCLUDING NON-GROWERS, FORCED TO PAY TAXES, IN MURNG-PAENG
        In February 2010, several villages in Murng Pu Long village tract in Murng-Paeng township, were accused of growing opium and forced to pay heavy taxes by the SPDC troops of LIB528 based in Murng-Paeng township.
        Around the end of January 2010, the SPDC troops from LIB528 that were stationed in Murng Pu Long village tract in Murng-Paeng township patrolled the rural areas of the village tract to inspect the situation of opium cultivation by the local villagers.
        In early February 2010, the SPDC troops said that they found many opium farms that were cultivated by the villagers of the following 7 villages in Murng Pu Long village tract: Waeng Hawng, Waeng Zaan, Kun Kawk, Paeng Saang, Phak Ha, Paeng Khaa and Si Paw villages.
        There were about 500 households in all the said villages. The SPDC troops issued an order requiring each household to pay 30,000 kyat in taxes for growing opium. All the households in those villages, rich or poor and whether they grew opium or not, were required to pay the same amounts of tax.
        Since there were many households that did not grow opium, some of them tried to plead with the SPDC troops to spare them, explaining that they did not cultivate opium as alleged by the authorities. But the troops said because an order had already been issued and a rule laid down, there was no other choice except to comply with it.

FARMERS FORCED TO PROVIDE RICE QUOTAS IN THE FORM OF MONEY, PAY TAXES ON LANDS USED, IN MURNG-TON
        In January 2010, SPDC military authorities of IB65 and IB277 in Murng-Ton, in addition to buying rice quotas from the farmers, required them to pay taxes on the lands they used to cultivate rice and other crops in Murng-Ton township.
        In the area of Naa Kawng Mu village in Murng Haang village tract in Murng-Ton township, there were more than 300 acres of wet rice fields and over 1,000 acres of dry land cultivation on the hills and surrounding high lands.
        The farmers were required to pay the authorities in taxes for the use of lands at the rate of 5,000 kyat per acre for the wet rice fields and 3,500 kyat per acre for the dry lands in Naa Kawng Mu village area. All the money was to have been paid by 15 January 2010, said the order.
        At the same time, farmers in Huay Aw village area in Huay Aw village tract in Murng-Ton township were also required to pay taxes on the lands they used to grow crops by the same SPDC military authorities.
        There were more than 2,000 acres of wet rice fields in Huay Aw village area and the farmers had to pay 3,500 kyat for each acre of the lands they used to grow crops.
        It has been learned that in other parts of Murng-Ton township, apart from those mentioned above, similar incidents had also taken place, but the details of those incidents were not available at the time of this report.