Photo Evidence of SLORC Murder in Thaton District

An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
May 1, 1993

[Note: Clicking on a photo will provide an enlargement of the photo]

Photo #C1: This photo was taken in Thaton District, Karen State, at the beginning of March 1993. It shows the remains of Pa Boe, a Karen farmer about 30 years old from Mya Lay village.  About the end of January 1993 SLORC troops approached Mya Lay village and the villagers all fled.  However, Pa Boe was caught and taken as a porter.  When the villagers returned and Pa Boe remained missing, the village headman went and found the soldiers to plead for Pa Boe’s freedom, but the soldiers refused, saying only, "No way".  Several days later a villager came who had been a porter with Pa Boe, and said that he had seen the soldiers torturing Pa Boe very severly, and that the other porters hadn’t seen him after that. He said the soldiers had falsely accused Pa Boe of being a Karen soldier, though he was a civilain farmer.

No further news was heard of Pa Boe.  A month later, the villagers found his remains in the forest near Htee Si Baw village, and this photos was taken shortly thereafter. The remains were half buried and partly scattered, and had clearly been there about a month. When the villagers pulled the large rope from the ground, both hands came up.  They then pulled the small rope, and the head appeared, wrapped in a sarong.  From this and the positioning of the remains, it appears that he was tied up around the hands and neck and died during torture.  Two big poles were lying beside the remains, and these were likely used in the torture.

Photo #C2: This photo shows Pa Boe’s remaining family: his father, his wife, age 30, and his 3 children.  The house in the right background is their home.  At the time of his murder, Pa Boe’s wife was almost 8 months pregnant.  In the photo she is 9 months pregnant.

The villagers held a funeral for Pa Boe and creamated his remains.