MONTHLY HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT


TENASSERIM DIVISION

 

Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department, Karen National Union

 

February 2004

 

Contact ehna@ksc.th.com

 

 

 

 

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES:

FORCED LABOUR

EXTORTION

LANDMINE

EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLING

TORTURE

LOOTIONG

FORCED RELOCATION

 

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FORCED LABOUR

 

On February 21, 2004, Major Aye Myint Commander of No.3 Tactical Command based in Lerpaadoh village, northeast of Mergui summoned the village headmen from Dih Plaw, Te Hta, P'rut Khu, and ordered them to send 50 post of woods and 250 pieces of bamboo. The commander also demanded 500 roofing leaves from each village of Buthawplaw, Tarwahta (Sarawa), Pahtooklo, Lerpaadoh, Kyauk Peik and Dahbawko (Kinnigyum). The commander ordered the villagers to send the items by February 27 as the latest.

 

Villagers from Tenasserim township, Mergui district, were forced to work on the army's farm. On February 24, 2004, officers of the Burmese army's No.2 Tactical Command ordered the villagers from Taket, Hle Seik, and Thabokleik to work on the army's rice farm. The villagers were assigned: Taket for 20 acres, Hle Seik for five acres and Thabokleik for 10 acres.

 

Villagers from Mammasa and Mamasa Hkee, in Palaw townshyip, Mergui district were forced to build a road by People Militia or Pyithusit. On February 25, 2004, the leaders of Mammasa Pyisuist ordered people to build a road from Mammasa to Mammasa Hkee. The villagers had to collect sand and stones and lay it on the road. Saw San Sih who, did not follow the order, was arrested by Pyithusit.

 

Burmese army's No.309 Artillery Battalion head by Mah Yan Zan ordered Wahtho (Wahchaung) village in Palaw township, Mergui district to clean the place for the army in Ahzannigone on February 26. Those troops took cashew nuts from villagers in Pyicha. Pyicha was deserted because of the villagers were forcibly relocated by Burmese troops and had to abandon their plantations.

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EXTORTION

 

February 9, 2004, Burmese army No.12 Divisional Military Training Center, 50 miles to the south of Tavoy in Tenasserim division ordered the local village of Pyicha to give them 16 kg of white rice per household and 1 basket of paddy rice per acre. Pyicha village tract and its nearby Hmyit Chinzu village tract were also ordered to give 4 baskets of paddy rice per household to Pyithusit (people militia).

 

A Burmese army officer demanded rice from local villagers in Tenasserim township, Mergui district. On February 24, 2004 Min Zan Oo from No.561 Light Infantry Battalion summoned the village elders from Taket Hsweh Plaw and ordered them to collect and give the army 100 baskets (the standard unit of measurement of rice. 1 basket = 21 kegs) of rice.

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On February 26, 2004 an armed group of Mon entered Thihko village, in the east of Tenasserim township, Mergui district and demanded the money from the village headman Oo Saut. The armed group left with 200,000 cash of Kyat. It is not known who the group is connected with.

 

Burmese army's People Militia or Pyithusit from Pawat Tawma village in Tenasserim township, Mergui district took some rice paddies from the displaced villagers. On February 28, 2004 Pyithusit leaders Saw Hsah Wah and Saw Khin took about 115 baskets (the standard unit of measurement of rice is 1 basket = 21 kegs) of rice from the inhabitants who were hiding beside their village. They took from Saw Lu Ku (30 baskets), Saw Poe Hay (35 baskets), Saw Su Poe (40 baskets) and Pu Tho Ha (10 baskets).

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LANDMINE

 

An eight-year-old boy stepped on a landmine that had been planted by the Burmese army. On February 25, 2004, Saw Wah Lay's son was playing beside his village in Htee Seh Baw Htee Hta, Tenasserim township, Mergui district when he stepped on a landmine. He survived but lost his left foot.

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EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLING

 

On February 9, 2004, Burmese troops from No.224 Infantry Battalion led by Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Myint Naing burnt down eight houses in Pawa area 60 miles in the southeast of Mergui. These troops captured 23 internally displaced persons (including 12 children) and killed one named Saw Hpo Pe.

 

Myint Naing have distributed leaflets warning civilians that anyone who support or helps "Kawthoolei" (KNU) would be killed.

 

Burmese troops Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Myint Naing from No. 224 Infantry Battalion arrested a villager from Pawat, Tenasserim township, Mergui district and beat him severely on February 28, 2004. After that Saw Wah Lay was submitted to Tenasserim town hospital but the hospital could not help. He was taken back to his home where he died from the pain two weeks later.

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On February 28, 2004 Burmese troops from No.558 Light Infantry Battalion's No.1 Column head by Lt. Col. Than  Daing, killed the villager Saw Rotex (18 years) son of Saw Rayner, from Panwepoklo, Palaw township, Mergui district. The villager founded the corpse of Saw Rotex with a broken leg and one empty eye, near his hiding place in Tah Meh Lor. His friend Saw Ne Thaw (16 years) son of Saw Ni San was wounded in the knee after he managed to escape.

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TORTURE

 

On February 9, 2004, about at 5 p.m., 40 men from No.224 Infantry Battalion led by 2nd column commander entered to Hle Seik village situated on Tenasserim-Moe Daung car road in Tenasserim township, Mergui district and burnt down a house own by a 35 year old widow Naw Ree, on February 10.

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On February 14, 2004 Burmese soldiers from No. 12 Divisional Military Training Centre based near Pyicha village in Palaw township, Mergui district beat a villager in Pyicha, named Saw Karuh Teh. His head was wounded by the beating.

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LOOTIONG

 

On February 10, 2004, a Christian pastor Rev. Min Maung accidentally caught up a group of No.224 Iinfantry Battalion soldiers while going to Met Wa village, in Tenasserim township, Mergui district. The soldiers took away 10,000-kyat cash from him. Met Wa village is on TenasserimMoe Daung road.

 

On February 10, 2004, a column from No.224 Infantry Battalion killed a buffalo owned by Hle Seik villager Saw Lel Ma Htur. This troop also looted all the household utensils which cost 500,000 kyat from Hle Seik villager Saw Ke. Tenasserim township, Mergui district.

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FORCED RELOCATION

 

On February 14, 2004, 11 families working on their plantation up stream of Pa Wa Chaung in Tenasserim township, Mergui district were ordered to move to Pawa village where along with local villagers they were forcibly relocated to Pawa Plaw Hpa Htaw (Pawa Kwin She) monastery. Though the displaced did not finish building their new shelter in the new site, the houses they left were burnt down by SPDC troopers. As well as this, 750 baskets of paddy rice, 100,000 betel nuts and 1 garden were also destroyed.

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