A-35

A group of 16 escaped convict porters who fled from SPDC military patrols operating in northern Papun District pose for a photo on February 7th 2007. The SPDC has been increasingly relying on convict labour to support Army columns in its northern Karen State offensive as soldiers have been unable to conscript adequate numbers of porters from the local civilian population. Thousands of convicts have been brought in from prisons across Burma to serve in this capacity. However, the brutal treatment of convict porters serving under SPDC forces has prompted hundreds to flee into the forest despite the military's threats to execute anyone caught absconding.

Thirty-five-year-old Ko N--- (photo A-37) from Myaung Twin township, Irrawaddy Division, one of the group of escaped convict porters shown above, displays the wounds (now partially healed) on his lower back where SPDC soldiers repeatedly jabbed him with their rifles while he carried military supplies alongside Army patrols operating in northern Papun District. Unable to endure the malnourishment, threats and abuse inflicted by the SPDC soldiers, N--- fled into the forest in Papun District where he eventually met up with a group of Karen IDPs.

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The battered shins of A--- (photo A-36), a 34-year-old escaped convict porter of Chinese ethnicity, one of the group shown in photo A-35, who fled from SPDC forces at the start of 2007. Soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #387, Company #4 based at Bpaw Khay Koh regularly beat A--- on the shins while forcing him to porter, overloaded with military supplies. SPDC forces utilise maltreatment and abuse in order to push convict porters to labour to the absolute limits of their physical capacity. If they are unable to escape, they frequently reach a state of utter exhaustion and incapacity where they can no longer walk, let alone continue to porter supplies. When this occurs, they are executed and their bodies left behind by the military columns they were following. For more information on the maltreatment, abuse and murder of convict porters forced to serve under the SPDC military, see Less that Human: Convict porters in the 2005-2006 Northern Karen State Offensive, Karen Human Rights Group, August 2006. [Photos: KHRG]

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The SPDC's base at Than Daung Gyi town located in Than Daung township of northern Toungoo District as seen in February 2007. This base, situated along a major vehicle road, supports the deployment of army patrols and the establishment of new satellite camps in the region. [Photos: KHRG]

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These photos show the SPDC Army camp at Ker Weh, Than Daung township, northern Toungoo District as seen in February 2007. At the time these photos were taken the camp was occupied by troops from SPDC Light Infantry Battalion #373, Tactical Operations Command #663 of Military Operations Command #5 under the command of Kyaw Soe. Notice the double row of split bamboo fencing [photos B-66 and B-67] encircling the camp. Villagers are regularly forced to build such fences at SPDC camps and bases throughout Karen State. [Photos: KHRG]

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Ku Taw Der Army camp situated in Than Daung township of Toungoo District shown here in February 2007 housing SPDC troops from LIB #373, MOC #5 under the command of Aung Myo Thein.

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Such camps inevitably bring increased pressure on local communities as army units demand labour, money and other supplies while simultaneously enforcing crushing restrictions on movement and trade. [Photos: KHRG]

Shown in the photo to the right is SPDC Light Infantry Battalion #542 Army camp at Tha Aye Hta in Toungoo District. The military rotated-in these troops during a January 2007 reshuffle of Toungoo-based military units. Since arriving at Tha Aye Hta in January, the troops of LIB #542 have been regularly demanding loh ah pay (forced labour) from local villagers. [Photos: KHRG]

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A soldier from a patrol of Light Infantry Battalion #4; Light Infantry Division #44 shown here loiters at Hs--- village, Papun District on August 4th 2007. Villagers reported that the soldiers intimidated them during the three hours that the patrol remained at the village. SPDC patrols regularly arrive at Hs--- village and demand that the local community provide them with food. [Photos: KHRG]

The SPDC camp at Htaw Muh Bleh Meh in Ler Muh Bplaw village tract shown here on May 15th 2007. At the base of this hill the Army has constructed a car road linking this camp to other SPDC camps in the area. The troops based here have destroyed villagers' hill fields, hunted down and shot at those living nearby and fired mortar shells at fields and communities into the surrounding forests. [Photo: KHRG]

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