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PHOTO SET 2002-A
An Independent
report by the Karen Human Rights Group
December 19, 2002 / KHRG #2002-P1
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This photo set contains more than 500 photos and their descriptions which document the human rights situation in Karen areas of Burma. These photos were taken and collected by KHRG since the publication of Photo Set 2001-A in September 2001. The photos in this set were taken in Toungoo, Nyaunglebin, Papun, Thaton, Pa’an and Dooplaya Districts. The photos have been divided into separate headings: ‘Forced Labour’, 'Attacks on Villages & Village Destruction', 'Detention and Torture', 'Shootings and Killings', 'Flight and Displacement', 'Landmines', 'Soldiers', 'Children', and 'Food'. Brief descriptions of the topics covered under each heading are provided at the beginning of each section. More detailed information on the abuses and the regions is available in KHRG documentary reports, several of which are referenced in the text below. Of important note is that many of the abuses documented in this photo set occurred after Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in May 2002 and international attention increasingly began to focus on an imminent agreement between the SPDC and the National League for Democracy. These photos graphically demonstrate that while the international community discusses the ‘progress’ in Rangoon, gross human rights abuses continue to be committed by SPDC forces in the countryside. The numerous forced labour photos in this set have been taken since the SPDC claimed that it had put an end to forced labour, most of them since the International Labour Organisation’s High Level Team released its report criticising the regime's continued use of forced labour and its inadequate attempts to halt the practice.
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Almost all of the images in this photo set were taken by KHRG human rights researchers in the field, as noted in the photo captions. Photos taken by other researchers are credited to those who provided them. The photos contained in the set have been chosen as a sampling, and are intended to show as many aspects of the situation as possible. Details of some of the people and places have been deliberately omitted from the photo descriptions or replaced by ‘xxxx’, ‘yyyy’, ‘aaaa’, ‘bbbb’, etc. where necessary to protect the villagers involved. Some of the faces have also been blocked out for the same reasons. While looking at the photos, please remember that they were taken under difficult and often dangerous circumstances with low budget equipment, and quality is as incoming.
The photos are not numbered sequentially, but according to the main section in which they appear; for example, photos related primarily to Forced Labour are numbered A1, A2, etc., and those related to Attacks on Villages and Village Destruction are numbered B1, B2, etc. Photos which are relevant to more than one section are displayed more than once. For example, a photo of children doing forced labour will appear in both the Forced Labour section and the Children section, but will bear the same number in both places; as a result, the sequence of numbered photos may appear something like A1, A2, C47, A3, A4, D12, D13, A5, etc.
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Copies of the photo prints or digital copies scanned at higher resolution can be obtained upon approval from KHRG, by specifying the photo set and photo numbers and paying the costs involved. Organisations may download the images from the KHRG web site or use the prints for publication on a not-for-profit basis, provided they are properly credited; any publication for commercial purposes requires permission of the copyright holders. This can be obtained by contacting KHRG.
This photo set attempts to give a visual impression of the situation in many different areas, and is intended for use together with KHRG's more detailed regional reports. For a more comprehensive picture of the human rights situation in each area, see the reports referenced in the summaries and photo captions below.
Clicking on any of the sample photos on this page will take you directly to the description of that photo. You can proceed through the report section by section, or click on any section name to go there directly. Within each section, click on the thumbnails above the photo captions to see a full-size image.
[You can scroll through this report sequentially section by section, or click below to go directly to any section.]
Preface (Top of report)
Table of Contents
Terms and Abbreviations
I. Forced Labour
II. Attacks on Villages and Village Destruction
III. Detention and Torture
IV. Shootings and Killings
V. Flight and Displacement
VI. Landmines
VII. Soldiers
VIII. Children
IX. Food
Appendix
1: KHRG Map of Burma
Appendix 2: Map of Karen
Districts
Appendix 3: Map Room (more detailed maps)
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SPDC State Peace &
Development Council, military junta ruling Burma
SLORC State Law & Order Restoration Council, former name of the SPDC until
Nov. 1997
KNU Karen National Union, main Karen opposition group
KNLA Karen National Liberation Army, army of the KNU
DKBA Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, Karen group allied with SPDC
IB Infantry Battalion (SPDC), usually
about 500 soldiers fighting strength
LIB Light Infantry Battalion (SPDC), usually about
500 soldiers fighting strength
NCO Non-Commissioned Officer (Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant
or Sergeant-Major)
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