FIELD REPORTS: Papun & Nyaunglebin Districts

An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
May 25, 1995 / KHRG #95-19

TOPIC SUMMARY

[P=Papun (p. 1-2), N=Nyaunglebin (p. 3-7); number indicates incident or story number]: Murder of villagers (#P2,P5,P6,P7,P8,P10,N1), arrest/torture of villagers (#P3,P4,P9,N1), abuse of porters (#N2,N3,N4), women and child porters (#P1), porters wounded/killed by landmines (#P1,N1,N3), other forced labour (#N1), looting (#N1,N2).

Papun (Mudraw) District

In late January, a group of at least 20 women porters and 5 men porters were taken by SLORC in Ka Law Hta village, Papun District. Among them were 5 girls only 14 years old, some who were 15 or 16, and the oldest women were over 30. At least one woman had to carry her baby along with her load. They were forced to carry SLORC supplies to the Kyauk Nyat area, where SLORC has been mounting a major offensive since January to capture the upper Salween River area. The women and girls were porters for about a month before finally being released in Kyauk Nyat, along the Salween River not far south of the Kayah State border. They were left to find their own way home, several days' walk to the southwest through the forest and mountains. They set out as a group to make their way home. Along the way on February 20th Naw Sah Mu, a 15-year-old girl, stepped on a landmine. It blew her right leg off from just below the knee. Zaw Zaw Oo, a 16-year-old girl, was hit in the face by the shrapnel. She has been completely blinded and suffered scars all over her face. The others carried them to a nearby village, where they were treated by an anti-SLORC medical team which was visiting. The mine had completely blown off Naw Sah Mu's leg so they did not have to amputate. After the medics provided basic treatment, the villagers sent them to Papun Hospital. No further word has been received on their condition. Villagers in the area did not know whether the mine was laid by SLORC or Karen forces - they could only say that it was a very powerful one. [Note: photos of the 2 girls are included in KHRG Photo Set 95-A.]

On March 21, 1995 SLORC troops arrived at Tee Klu Hta village, captured a village man (name not provided), tortured him and stabbed him to death with a knife.

On March 21, 1995 a villager returned to Ee Thu Kee village in Papun District to save some of his belongings, and was captured and beaten by SLORC troops from Infantry Battalion #19 before being released.

On March 21, 1995 SLORC troops from Infantry Battalion #19 came into Tee Klu Hta village and caught one villager who had no warning they were coming. They tied him up, beat him badly, then released him.

On March 10, 1995 a villager (name not provided) returned to Toe Muh Der village, Bwa Der area, Papun District to thresh some paddy. While he was threshing, SLORC troops from #99 Light Infantry Division arrived and shot him dead.

On March 5, 1995 a villager went to Ka Nah Der village to find out news about the position of SLORC troops in the area so he could inform the other villagers who were in hiding in the forest. SLORC saw him there and shot him in the thigh. His thigh was broken, but when they saw he wasn't dead they stabbed him to death with a knife. The officer responsible was Ta Su Mu from Infantry Battalion #19.

On March 3, 1995 a villager (name not provided) was heading home to Bu Lo Klo in Papun District. Between Bwa Ghaw and Bu Lo Klo he was seen by SLORC troops and shot dead.

On February 10, 1995 at 1 p.m., a villager was back at Klaw Hta village to retrieve some belongings. SLORC troops arrived at the village, saw him and shot him in the belly. The bullet went right through and the villager did not die immediately. The SLORC troops went up to him, tortured him, then stabbed him to death with a knife. The SLORC officer responsible was Bo Chit Aung, a company commander with Infantry Battalion #19.

Most people fled Klaw Hta village, 2 hours' walk west of the Salween River, because of the advance of SLORC troops in January / February 1995. On February 10, one man from the village returned to get some of his possessions. While he was there, SLORC troops suddenly surrounded him, captured him, tortured him and forced him to be a porter for 3 days before releasing him. The villager's name was not provided, but the SLORC commander was Bo Chit Aung, a Company Commander in Infantry Battalion #19.

In February 1995 (date not available), SLORC troops entered Ko Ra Hta village in Papun District. All the villagers fled, but an 11 year old boy (name not available) was left behind. The SLORC troops captured him, executed him with a knife and left his body behind in the village. This was probably intended to deliver a message to the villagers not to run next time.

Nyaunglebin District

NAME: "Ko Sein Myint"         SEX: M          AGE: ?
ADDRESS: Nyaunglebin District
DISCRIPTION: Karen

On November 21st [1994] the SLORC soldiers killed Saw Bee. He was 59 years old. His father's name was U Maung Nyo and his mother's name was Daw Thu. He lived in Gaw Tha Zin village. It is in Shwegyin Township, P'Deh Gaw village group. He was a Karen Christian. He had a paddy field, growing paddy and growing crops. There are 8 people in his family. His wife is Naw Dee Heh and they have 6 children. The eldest is a girl, 28 years old, and the youngest is a boy, 11 years old.

Ko Saw Bee and I had lived together in Gaw Tha Zin village since our childhood days. We were friends since childhood, going everywhere together. He didn't encourage or support any political group, he was just a simple honest man. He worked his fields to grow paddy and other crops to feed his family. Now he has been killed very cruelly by the SLORC. It's not just at all. On November 18 he went to Nyaunglebin Town to buy provisions for his family. He returned on November 20. When he crossed the Sittang River by ferry it was about 6:30 p.m., a little late. The LIB 351 troops were near Nga Deh village and he encountered them there. That group is from Bo Dah camp, they are controlled by Battalion Commander Major Kyaw Kyaw. The patrolling column officer is Captain Hla Myint. When they searched his bag they found cakes for his children and a little medicine. The SLORC men were suspicious. They asked him if he was a "ringworm" [Karen soldier]. They tied his hands and brought him to Gaw Tha Zin village. They took him to Tamla Wah's house, ordered everyone in the house to come out and then took Ko Saw Bee into the house. It was about 8 p.m. That night, the whole night long SLORC soldiers came one after another to hit and punch Ko Saw Bee. I heard them the whole night long until morning. Ko Saw Bee asked them to call the village elder K---, but the SLORC men would not call him. The beating and shouting went on the whole night. They kept him in the house, and I saw 4 young SLORC soldiers in the house. I heard their beating and swearing and also Ko Saw Bee's shouting.

On November 21st I didn't hear Ko Saw Bee's voice anymore. About 6 p.m. a Sergeant went into the house. This Sergeant was drunk. Then at about 8 p.m. they took Ko Saw Bee away from the village about 250 yards, towards Kyaun Su village. About half an hour later I heard five gunshots. A little while after the shooting the same group of soldiers returned to the village. They called the village elder K--- and told him that the rebel they'd captured had escaped. They ordered the village elder to go search for him, but he said he didn't dare. That night the soldiers spent the night in the village and took all the villagers' chickens and ducks without paying. The next morning when the young cowherds went out past where Ko Saw Bee had been shot, they saw his corpse not completely buried. They came back and told the village elder. When the troops heard about this they said, "Don't go to that place. If you go near that place then you are rebels or relatives of rebels." They threatened the villagers. That day at about noon they said they would clear all the trees near the village. They rounded up men, women, and even schoolboys from the village. They took alot of rice and fishpaste from the villagers by force and set out towards Bone Tha Dah. On the day Ko Saw Bee was arrested his family was so scared they ran away from the village. I don't know where they went.

There are about 40 houses in Gaw Tha Zin village. Most of the people are Karen. Only a small number work the land to grow paddy and other crops. The rest are just living from hand to mouth. They go to the hills to pick dogfruit or pan for gold. Some buy and sell things. This is how they survive. Now the people who gather food from the hills are forbidden to go there by the SLORC soldiers, so they can't get enough to live. Also this year there was a flood and all the paddy was killed. So it is not easy to survive. Moreover, every week 6 villagers have to go to do sentry duty. If they can't go they have to go and pay 300 Kyats to Major Kyaw Kyaw at LIB #351. Now they are also recruiting porters by force. If you can't go you have to pay them 2,000 Kyats. If you can't pay, you have to go as a porter, and when you return 3 to 5 months later you suffer from diseases. Among those who return to the village some are crippled. Some die from exhaustion, and some have lost their legs. Two people from the village lost their legs this way, and the rest who come back are too feeble to live normal lives anymore.

Gaw Tha Zin village is on the road from Kyauk Kyi to Shwegyin, about 9 miles from Shwegyin. We have a primary and middle school and also a church. The school has 7 teachers. The villagers hire them and pay them. Since 1993 nobody wants to be a village elder, so people have to take turns serving as elders for one week. Under SLORC nobody wants to be a village elder. Our village is at the foot of the hills, so SLORC regards it as a "black" area [area of rebel activity]. If anything happens they summon the elders and abuse and curse them. Depending on their mood, they sometimes immerse the elders in water. We must send information to Bo Dah camp. Every day they ask if we have any news to report. If we say there is no news but they say there is, then if they happen to be drunk they beat us and punish us.

When the patrolling column comes, there is another kind of problem. They say they are in difficulties so they force the villagers to buy their rations. They sell their rice at 40 Kyats for 1 pyi [about 1.5 kg]. They when they've eaten what's left of their rations, they collect provisions from the villagers. So nobody wants to be a village elder. Before under the Ma Sa La [Ne Win's Burma Socialist Programme Party] and now under the SLORC we lose all our rights. Under this bad regime some die, some starve, the lives of people are ruined - we suffer different kinds of hardships. Everyone suffers. If only we can be free of this bad regime. In the future we want to live like our ancestors, our families together with our whole village - we want to be able to work our fields, free in our hearts and in our bodies. This is my longing and my hope.

NAME: "U Nyunt Thein"           SEX: M         AGE: 56
ADDRESS: Letpadan township, Tharawaddy District (about 100 km. northwest of Rangoon)
FAMILY: Divorced, 4 children aged 14 and up
DISCRIPTION: Burman Buddhist, barber/hairdresser

On February 5th [1995] as I was returning from Atee Pine at midnight I was captured on the road by a policeman from Tharawaw. There were about six of them. He said he wanted to see me at the police station for awhile and would release me in the morning. He took me home and I packed a bag with a blanket, then I was taken to the police station and put in the lockup with sixteen others. We were all from different villages. I knew just one or two of them, from Ye Shan, Weh Gyi, and Thayet Chaung villages. As soon as it was daylight at about 4 a.m., we were sent to Meik Ta Ma and Letpadan by train. There were 5 policemen accompanying us, but we were not handcuffed. We stayed in Letpadan lockup for 2 days, then we were sent to Kyauk Kyi by truck. It took the whole night. In Kyauk Kyi we were put in a big warehouse. The place was packed - there were about 200 of us. Some slept upstairs and some downstairs. There were only men. We stayed there for 3 days. We were fed at 1 p.m., but mostly we had to buy rice packets for 35 Kyats a packet from the stall.

From there they sent us to Moo Thet. I had to carry a 40-pound bag of rice with my hands tied. All of our hands were tied to the porter in front of us. We were with Battalion #60 from Kyauk Kyi. There were alot of them, I can't guess how many. From there we were sent to Baw Ser Ko, and we were kept there for 3 or 4 days locked up in a pig sty. We couldn't escape. Four or five porters ran away but they were recaptured in the morning. Then when the soldiers interrogated them they tortured them in various ways. One officer from Battalion #48 poured hot water on the 5 porters. A Sergeant beat their legs like he was mincing meat and said to them "Run away again. Run away again." They beat the porters around their waists and boxed their faces, and please pardon me but they swore "Nga loh ma tha!" [literally translates as "you were born by my fucking", i.e. "you're my illegitimate bastard"]. Some of the porters lost their teeth. Some of the porters were elderly men too.

They fed us rice and salt. 7 men had to share 2 mess-tins, twice a day. Sometimes there wasn't even salt. When the soldiers rested we could rest - when they didn't, we had to go without rest. When we tottered from lack of rest they beat us. When we lagged behind, we were flogged. They yelled, "Catch up. Stay close. Catch up and follow close. If your stepfathers see you, you'll die! Follow close!" [in Burmese idiom, stepfathers are always cruel to their stepchildren.] I walked on gravel and hurt my feet. The medics gave me 2 pills and applied yellow liquid [antiseptic] just once, then they never treated me again.

From Baw Ser Ko they divided [into columns]. I was with #264 Heavy Artillery. There were about 3 porters for every soldier. We went very far, and for several nights we slept on the mountains, but I don't know what mountains they were. After 3 nights we ran out of food so we had to take paddy from the rebel camps, pound it and eat it [there is no way the SLORC could take rice so easily from "rebel camps" - they were probably stealing rice from Karen villages, and the soldiers were calling the villages "rebel camps" to justify looting them. This gives an interesting insight into the way SLORC troops consider villagers]. From there we had to go halfway back to Baw Ser Ko for supplies, then to Papun District [to the south] to carry provisions. Eight porters ran away, and the salt bags they left behind then had to be carried by the porters who were left. If we couldn't carry we were kicked from behind by their boots or beaten with sticks. They said "You have to carry what the other porters have left behind". I was kicked, and so were about 8 or 9 other elderly men. Whenever we couldn't climb we were poked with carbines [M1 carbine rifle barrels]. They struck us with carbines and hit us in the belly. The next day at about 1 or 2 p.m. I couldn't carry anymore, so I said "Officers and Sergeants, I can't carry anymore." They said, "What? Can't carry? Nga loh ma tha! You ate our provisions, you took our money. Why can't you carry? Go on, carry!!" I wasn't paid, I was conscripted. They thought I took money to come as a porter! Two soldiers then put a jacket around my neck and started pulling me along. I was being pulled and beaten all along the way. One of the soldiers had stripes [Sergeant or Corporal] and the other had none. I went on for one more mile. I begged in various ways. I was beaten all the way - beaten by boots. I was struck no less than 30 or 40 times. The officer hit me from behind with my own walking stick and broke it over me. I too became stubborn. I said, "If you want to kill me, go ahead!" Then when I could no longer go on I threw myself down. The soldiers just said, "Die then. You just die. Let the 'ringworms' kill you." And they just left me behind. My friends tried to take me along. They said, "Do come along. Just come slowly, slowly, Uncle", and the older men said "Try, elder brother". But the soldiers didn't say anything encouraging. Instead they said, "Let him die. This old man, just leave him behind." They took my bag which had my blanket, three 90-Kyat notes and a lighter and made one of the porters carry it. They said, "He'll only come after us if we take his belongings." The soldiers took away the two bombs which I had tried to carry with such difficulty.

I couldn't go on. I just stayed where I fell. I was angry in my heart. They deliberately call the civilians and then torture us. It is the same as killing us. I don't even want to look at them again. In my heart, I feel this way. After that I saw the revolutionaries and they fed me and gave me medical treatment, so I really want to thank them. If they hadn't rescued me I'd be dead because SLORC left me behind. I'll never forget their kindness. Compared to what SLORC says, it's like the difference between black iron and silver [night and day]. The SLORC troops said "We have to attack the rebel camps. We have to cut their supplies, and they'll surrender." They told us "They [rebels] won't even spend one bullet for your life. They'll hate you for helping us to attack them." But the reality is that they fed me, cured me and took care of me. I'll never forget that. I wish and I pray that SLORC will collapse soon and that the revolutionaries will win the war. I want you to send me back when I'm cured, and then I will explain to the civilians that I myself saw that the SLORC's stories are wrong. I'll share all my own experiences.

NAME: "Kyaw Htun"        SEX: M         AGE: 19
ADDRESS: Taunggyi Town, southern Shan State
FAMILY: Single, 3 brothers and sisters
DISCRIPTION: Burman Buddhist

I left Taunggyi to go to Rangoon on January 4th. When I arrived at Nyaunglebin [about 150 km. north of Rangoon], Infantry Battalion #59 parked a truck at the train station. I was hungry so I came down off the train, and when I was buying some rice a soldier came and grabbed my collar. I asked him, "What have I done?" He said, "Don't say a word", and he took me to the back of the truck and tied up my hands. "Why do you tie me up?", I asked. "Shut up", he said, and he kicked me and hauled me onto the truck. It was about half past twelve when we left. There were about 30 of us on the truck. We crossed the Sittang River, then we came to a barracks. They said it was #60 Battalion. We slept one night there, then in the morning I was forced to carry ammunition and rice. It weighed about 24 viss [about 38 kg.]. We slept one night on the way, then we came to a place called Moo Thet, I think. There were about 600 porters and 1,200 SLORC soldiers. Then we went to Baw Ser Ko and slept there. The next night we slept in a field, then we climbed to the top of a mountain and slept there. That afternoon there was fighting. We came down into a valley and came to a village. In the village we had to slaughter pigs and chickens. Then the soldiers cooked them, but they didn't give us any. We never got enough food. Four people had to share one mess-tin of rice. At the beginning they tied us up at night, but after 15 or 16 days they didn't tie us anymore. There were seven in my group, and we were all tied together.

Later we returned and spent 7 nights on the way back. On the eighth day the Strategic Command changed [new battalions were brought in]. Then we set out in the afternoon and kept going until nightfall. At about 8 p.m. I could no longer climb the mountain, and I was beaten with a bamboo. There were elderly men with us too, and 13 of them were beaten. One elderly man couldn't go on. They beat his head with a gun and his head was injured. He was not treated or left behind, we all just kept going forward. When we got sick and asked for pills they just said, "They are not sweets!" Later as we continued we came to a mountain range and there was more fighting. Then we continued, and it was about 4:30 p.m. when we heard someone stepping on a landmine. One elderly man porter was killed and one soldier disappeared. Another porter's foot was blown off, and a third porter lost one foot and had his other foot crushed. We continued on our journey. The next morning we came to a village, and the soldiers took all the paddy and rice and made us slaughter the chickens and pigs. Then we cooked and they ate, but we weren't given any of the food. Two days later we came to a village where we made a temporary camp. About 7:30 p.m. I told an officer I was going to relieve myself, and I escaped.

The next day at 3:30 p.m. I saw a village and I met rebel soldiers. They were good to me. We ate together, and they brought me along. I asked them for clothes and they gave me some. All my clothes were left on the train when I was captured, and Captain Ba Thein from #59 Battalion took the 2,400 Kyats I had. He said he would pay it back when I returned home. There were 3 SLORC Battalions that came along - #59 Battalion, #264 and also the Strategic Command Battalion. I was a porter for 1 month and 7 days. I want to go back home to see my mother.

NAME: "Ko Tin Tun"           SEX: M            AGE: 19
ADDRESS: Bassein, Irrawaddy Delta (west of Rangoon)
FAMILY: Single, 4 brothers and sisters
DISCRIPTION: Burman Buddhist deep sea fisherman

I left home on January 1st. My father was ill, so I went to see my Aunt at Oke Twin. I took the Bassein launch to Rangoon. I slept one night in Rangoon, then at 3 p.m. the next day I left for Oke Twin by train [Oke Twin is just south of Toungoo, about 250 km. north of Rangoon]. I travelled by train the whole night. At Oke Twin a policeman checked my ticket. Then someone else came and took me to his house. There were six others there besides me. I was kept in the house for 2 days, then we were taken to the Police Station where we slept one night. At the Police Station they took away my spare clothes and my National Registration Card. Then in the morning we were sent to Kyauk Kyi by truck. We spent one night on the way, then we arrived at Kyauk Kyi at 3 p.m. the next day. At Kyauk Kyi all of us porters had to sleep in a field. There were about 50 of us, all men, but some escaped. After 1 night we had to carry sacks of rice and other provisions. I had to carry rice, not quite one basket [one basket weighs about 33 kg.]. We went forward and came to a jungle camp. We slept there one night, then continued our journey. There were about 60 soldiers, from Infantry Battalion #56. We came to a large village, and there was fighting between rebels and SLORC. We spent 2 nights in the jungle, then we saw another village. There was shooting again. After the shooting we slept there one night, then we went on to a small village, and then to this village. We arrived here at about 9 o'clock. I was seriously ill and fell unconscious. We had to sleep in the pig sty, 9 of us. I was unconscious the whole night. When I awoke I didn't see anyone. Then I saw a rebel soldier. When they saw I had no food they gave me some. I was afraid to go anywhere, so I still stayed in the pig sty. Now I want to go home. I don't know if my father is dead or alive.