KAO WAO NEWS No. 24
An electronic newsletter for social justice and
freedom in Burma
No. 24,
READERS' FRONT
RAPE VICTIMS COMPENSATED BY ARMY
PEOPLE READY FOR CHANGE
KAREN COMMEMORATE FREEDOM FIGHTERS
DIALOGUE HAS NOT YET BEGUN
FOURTEENTH YEAR AFTER NATION WIDE UPRISING
MON WOMEN SEEK POLITICAL ROLE
ARAKAN SOCIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION
MIGRANTS DETAINED AND TORTURED BY THAI
CHINESE DRUG LORD AND BURMESE ARMY
READERS' FRONT
Dear Kao-Wao,
You have quoted “Licence to Rape” by Shan group that Burmese Army committed rape crimes some as young as five years old. The Army is well known for its training “School for Rape” (Earth Rights International’s report) and they must be held for abusing humanitarian and human rights law. Is there any report in the Mon area?
Mehm Monsai
Rape as weapon of war
RAPE VICTIMS COMPENSATED BY ARMY
(Kao-Wao,
The victims who were raped and killed by the Burmese Army in
Rape and massacred incident has taken place on
While the soldiers were raping the girl, the grandfather woke up and tried to help her; a soldier shot him on the spot. Other family members woke up and ran around in the house in terror while the rampant shooting occurred. Mi Eat Sar, the rape victim and her family members, Nai Kun Tit (66 years, the village headman), Mi Kun Bae (60 years, wife of Nai Kun Tit), Min Chit Ko (20 years, brother of victim) and Nai Wet Tae (a) Nai Tun (42 years) were killed in the early morning.
New Mon State Party which also operated the area reported, the Tactical Commander from Thanbyuzayat's IB No. 62 headquarters came to the village and gave 200,000 kyats (200 US $), 2 tins of cooking oil and 20 sacks of rice to the family members of victims on the next day. But Mon villagers were ordered to say that the family was caught in the middle of fighting between rebels and their battalions according to the local witness.
In the international level, Burmese military has strongly dismissed allegations by two Shan NGOs that it supported the systematic rape of hundreds of ethnic women and girls by its soldiers. The Shan Human Rights Foundation and Shan Women's Action Network recently released a report, "Licence to Rape", in which they accused Burmese Army of officially condoning rape as "a weapon of war" against civilian populations.
PEOPLE READY FOR CHANGE
(Kao-Wao,
Democratic and ethnic leaders urge the military junta to begin
the political normalization process in
A statement was released after the joint Secretariat and the
Presidium board of NCUB (National Council of the Union of Burma) held a meeting
on
NCUB, comprised of Democratic Alliance of Burma, National
Democratic Front, National League for Democracy (Liberated Area) and National
Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, claimed cooperating with the
military regime in the giving of aid will ignore the overall suffering of all
people, and issued an appeal to the military regime to concentrate on the
democratization process to bring about a speedy political solution. The
opposition leaders believe a meaningful dialogue must commence immediately and
request the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Mr. Razali Ishmael to
support a move toward initiating a tri-partite dialogue process for his
forthcoming trip to
It called on the governments of Japan, Australia and other South East Asian nations to review their policy of co-operation with the military regime while urging the UN agencies and International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Burma to speak out on human rights violations and to closely adhere to their mandates of transparency, accountability, rights and witnessing.
Meanwhile, recommendations letters were sent to UN Special
Envoy on
They point out the lack of progress given to the release of political prisoners as being too slow while the Burmese authorities continue to put restrictions upon the activities of political organizations. Moreover, the authorities have allowed unrestrained military operations in the ethnic minority areas with troops committing arbitrary human rights violations such as rape. They call on the entire population to form a national solidarity front and to work toward national reconciliation.
Life in
(Based on DVB and Kao-Wao,
The Burmese Army continues to confiscate land and commit
human rights violation in
The Democratic Voice of Burma radio, on
A group comprising, Lt Col Thant Zin Maw, commander of Ye-based No. 311 Heavy Artillery Battalion, and township-level officials from Land Records Office, Forestry Department, and General Administration Department recently arrived in Karoppi Village to choose a site for the battalion by confiscating land from civilians for constructing the battalion and other livestock breeding and agriculture activities.
A large area of private lands were confiscated by the army: 23 acres of pasture, 26 acres of forest land, 11 acres of rubber plantation owned by Atin, 14 acres owned by U Paw Tote, 12 acres of rubber plantation owned by Daw Tin Ngwe, and 14 acres of rubber plantation owned by Nai Sa Net.
Forced labour and extortion continue in remote areas of
southern Ye Township. On
According to a local witness, villagers charged to pay include, Nai Nyein, village headman, Secretary Nai HaNu, Nai Shoung and Nai Kyaw. Local villagers are frightened and suffer continuous hardship from the SPDC troops and the New Mon State Party is unable to protect them because of the cease-fire agreement with the ruling junta, said a villager from the area. HRP reported Mon villagers of Wae Kwao (Pauk PinKwin) in southern Ye are ordered to embank the railroad link to Ye and Tavoy by the military column at the same time.
KAREN COMMEMORATE FREEDOM FIGHTERS
(Kao-Wao,
The Karen remembered their heroes and salute with high
regard that had fought for freedom.
Karen Solidarity Organization (KSO) issued a statement on the Karen
Martyr’s day and expressed that all Karen
people deeply mourn the loss of their heroes.
Their national leader Saw Ba Oo Gyi was killed on this day in 1950 at
Kaw Kone village,
The statement issued on the 52nd anniversary of Karen Martyr’s day is an expression by the Karen people who pay tribute with high regard to all those who have fought for democracy and freedom. The Karen peacefully requested for freedom and equality from the former parliamentary government but their request through peaceful means was denied and an unwanted civil war was born, read the statement.
Since 1949 the Karen have fought for an autonomous state and due to the civil war, thousand of civilians have been massacred, burned and tortured, including Christian pastors and Buddhist Monks by the army. The movement suffered a major setback in 1994 when a group of unsatisfied Buddhist Karen left the Karen National Union, one of the strongest armed opposition groups fighting against the military regime.
In early 1995, the Burmese Army captured Manerplaw, the KNU's largest base, but the Karen struggle continues and remains closely allied with other ethnic and democratic forces. The Karen Solidarity Organization urges all Karen organizations to join hands and work on a systematic plan and to define objectives for the future.
DIALOGUE HAS NOT YET BEGUN
(Based on AFP,
The National League for Democracy denied reports that
political dialogue had already begun with ruling military regime in
Japanese Kyodo news earlier reported that Lieutenant General
Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC), had signalled during talks with Japanese
Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi that de facto
political dialogue had begun with the NLD.
The talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta, which are aimed at facilitating democratic reform in the military-run state, began in October 2000. So far the talks have led to the release of nearly 300 political prisoners, as well as Aung San Suu Kyi herself from 19 months of house arrest. Immediately after her May 6 release, the charismatic leader said the talks had progressed past an initial confidence-building stage and would begin to tackle thorny issues. But she said no specific arrangements or timetable had been set.
Since then she has been given freedom to travel on political trips outside the capital, and many NLD offices have reopened. But observers say little other substantial progress towards democracy has as yet been made.
FOURTEENTH YEAR AFTER NATION WIDE UPRISING
(Kao-Wao,
Amid of hope for change after release of democratic leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and international pressure, Burmese communities waged their war by demonstrations and voices to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the general uprising, which has changed all political situations in Burma and ended the one party military rule fourteenth year ago. The military led one party BSPP (Burma Socialist Programme Party) was dissolved and General Ne Win stepped down during this historical day. Students, monks, civil servants and all walks of peoples fought for changed but thousands of civilians are massacred when the military staged a coup in September 1988 by killing demonstrators.
From exile, the 8888 generation continue their fight for democracy back home and several demonstration were taken places in front of Burmese embassies, at refugee camps, churches and temples across USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Korea and England.
The Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS) also stated
that due to a lack of democracy,
MON WOMEN SEEK POLITICAL ROLE
(Kao-Wao,
The Overseas Mon Women Organization was recently formed in
The aims of the group are to improve capacity building, to increase participation of women in the political process, to participate freely in the international activities and to contribute to and strengthen the Mon nationality movement. According to Ms. Hong NonSai, the former Chairwoman of MWO, the new group is made up of women leaders already involved within the Mon community and are teaming up with former members of the Mon Women Organization (MWO).
MWO was formed under the leadership of the New Mon State
Party during the 1980s and reorganized in 1994.
The new Committee members were elected last November 2001 to carry out
activities along the border and inside
ARAKAN SOCIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION
(Kao-Wao,
Arakan Youth and Buddhist monks in
A total of 12 imminent persons were elected to the Presidium Board and Executive Committee and the aims of the group are to assist the social problems facing Arakan people in solidarity, to develop education and profession to the members of ASWA and to build understanding and unity among the Arakanese who live in foreign countries.
According to the Executive Committee member, the group has set up their future plan how to assist the Arakan people back home and overseas in the health, education and culture and to raise funding among members, donors and use the funding systematically.
Migrant Watch
MIGRANTS DETAINED AND TORTURED BY THAI
(Kao Wao,
Sixty-five Burmese migrant workers, rounded up and sent to
the IDC (
Workers were arrested from their respective places by the
Thai policemen and sent to the IDC's lock-up. Regularly, arrested workers are
sent from the lock-ups to the IDC, held for a week and sent to the Thai-Burma
border.
Three Mon workers who came back to their work sites in
More than half of all prisoners in Thai jails are from
CHINESE DRUG LORD AND BURMESE ARMY
(Based on PSLF,
The leader of Counter Insurgent Force from Pan Say, a
Chinese village in
According to a reliable source, Kyaw Myint ordered a Lisu local leader, Ya Paung to work with his group. Failing to force Ya Paung to work, the Maing Wee police and local authorities raided Ya Paung's house. The children and wife of the Lisu leader were ordered to get out of the house; they searched inside and placed a package of raw opium on the premises. The policemen took photos of the opium, shortly after family members of Ya Paung were beaten and taken to Nam Kham and charged for possession of opium.
25 kyat units of gold, 2 viss unit of silver, jewelry and
two motorcycles and cash valuing 6 million kyat (Burmese currency) were
confiscated by Battalion Commander of IB 132 based in Kut
Khaing,
A local villager returning from the border reported that Pan
Say Kyaw Myint lives in a luxurious home back in
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