December 27, 2003

For Immediate Release to Media

The KNLA troops have been observing a truce, on the basis of a gentlement agreement reached between the KNU and the SPDC, since December 10, 2003. The following is reports of human rights and truce violations by the SPDC troops, received so far.

Toungoo District

• 20-12-2003: Operation Commander Khin Maung Oo of Operation Command-1, under SPDC Southern Command Headquarters, based at Baw-ga-li village, Tan-ta-ban Township, summoned villagers from nearby villages in Baw-ga-li area for a meeting. The villagers were told that if any clash took place in Baw-ga-li area, their villages would be relocated. On that day, the troops ordered the villagers to clear the motor road of land mines and go with the bulldozer to provide security for it. The numbers of the villagers, ordered to go, were: - (1) Kaw-soe-kho village, 40 persons, (2) Maw-pa-doe village, 30 persons, (3) Ku-plaw-doe village, 15 persons, (4) Wah-tho-kho village, 20 persons, (5) Ler-ko village, 15 persons, (6) Peh-kaw-doe village, 60 persons, (7) Gar-mu-doe village, 15 persons, and (8) Der-doe village, 20 persons.

At the same time, these troops ordered other villagers to carry food supplies for them from Baw-ga-li village to Tha-aye-hta, then to Pi-mu-kho which is located near the Karen-Karenni States border. The numbers of persons forced to go were:- (1) Baw-ga-li village, 200 persons, (2) Kaw-soe-kho village 70 persons, (3) Wah-tho-kho village, 20 persons, (4) Ler-ko- village, 15 persons, (5) Maw-pa-doe village, 20 persons, (6) Ku-plaw-doe village, 20 persons, (7) Peh-kaw-doe village, 60 persons, (8) Maw-koe-doe village, 20 persons and (9) Der-doe village, 20 persons. Nowadays, the SPDC troops based in the Karenni area came and took up more positions in KNU areas, in such places as Kho-hsa-khee, Meh-wah, Kwa-khee and Bu-ko and started more activities, in such places as Maw-tu-eu, Oo-pa, Thay-gi-lar, Wah-soe, Sho-ser and Hee-daw-hkaw areas.

• 22-12-2003: At present, troops from SPDC Tactical Command 551, under LID 55, moved into many areas in Tan-ta-bin Township, clearing the area by firing guns, burning down villages and plantations, looting or destroying properties etc. In Maw-tu-doe village, the SPDC troops, burned up 1,500 Viss of betel nuts worth about 1,500,000 Kyat, killed for meat a pig worth about 40,000 Kyat of villager Saw Lay Lay, looted from villager Saw Ah Kler 165,000 Kyat cash. In Maw-tu-doe village the SPDC troops burned down 9 houses, one of which being the house of villager Saw Ka Ma, was worth about 2,500,000 Kyat. The troops ate 30 Viss of villagers' chickens. Four Maw-tu-doe villagers, namely Saw Maw Kay, Saw Barney, Saw Milton and Saw Kaw Lar Thoo had been missing until the time of this report. These troops also burned down Klay Soe Khee village, where the house of Saw Way Traw was worth about 300,000 Kyat and the house of Saw Maw Ka was worth about 180,000 Kyat. These troops looted 6 hangkaw pots worth about 24,000 Kyat and one tin or rice worth 4,000 Kyat from Ber-kar-lay-kho villager Saw Kwa Lar Htoo. The SPDC troops ordered the headmen of Kaw-thay-doe and Ger-mu-doe villages to take security duty for the bulldozer when it went farther to construct road. They said that all the villages would be relocated if any clashes took place.

• 16-12-2003: The SPDC troops in Karenni Land crossed the State border into KNLA 2nd Brigade area, Toungoo District, and took up positions at Keh-law-khee, Hga-mu-doe and Sho-kho villages, in eastern Day-lor area.

• 17-12-2003: At 1320 hours, the SPDC troops, guarding the bulldozer for road construction, clashed with the KNLA troops at Mu-day between Klay-soe-khee and Kaw-thay-doe village, where the SPDC bulldozer was destroyed and a captain, a sergeant, a private and a driver were wounded. As a result, on 18-12-2003, the SPDC troops, within a day, forcibly relocated Klay-soe-khee village.

• 18-12-2003: At 1115 hours, combined troops from SPDC IB 509 and KNPLF came to Maw-tu-doe and looted from villager Sa Tu Tu 67,000 Kyat cash and 10 chickens.

• 19-12-2003: At 1645 hours, troops from SPDC IB 92, burned down 2 houses of Saw Maw Ka and Saw Way Traw of Klay-soe-khee village. On that day, at 1600 hours, the SPDC troops operating near Maw-tu-doe burned down the village of Maw-tu-doe. While these troops came to Ber-kha-lay-kho village they killed for meat 2 pigs of Saw Pa Eh and Saw Pa O worth about 50,000 Kyat and also ate 20 chickens.

• 22-12-2003: The SPDC Operation Command-1 commander Khin Soe summoned Kaw-thay-doe village head, Naw Noe Noe (F), to go to Baw-ga-li village, Tan-ta-bin township, and on the way battalion commander Win Min Tun of SPDC IB 92, accusing her of being a member of the resistance group, slapped her face and beat her up. Moreover, the commander pointed his gun at her chest, and threatened to shoot and killed all villagers and burned down the village, if something happened on the way when he went to Kaw-thay-doe village. On that day, operation commander Khin Soe gathered village heads and ordered 6 villagers of Kaw-thay-doe village and 10 villagers of Klay-soe-khee village to go with the bulldozer, starting from Baw-ga-li village to farther locations. The SPDC troops operating in the areas of Klay-soe-khee, Kaw-thay-doe and Baw-ga-li seized everyone they saw on the way and forced them to clear the road of brushes and land mines.

At present column commander Thant Zin of SPDC IB 264 and troops, operating in the west of Klay-lor at Naw-thay-doe area, Than-daung Township, was setting up their base there. They threatened to cut the throat of everyone, if some incident happened.

Commander Tin Lwin Aung of SPDC Tactical Command 551, based at Naw-bu-ko, instructed battalion commanders, operating in Than-daung Township area, who were SPDC LIB 94 Commander Maung Maung Min, SPDC LIB 509 Commander Nyunt Win, SPDC IB 511 Commander Aung Kyaw Min and SPDC LIB 512 Commander Ye Thway to shoot and kill all villagers found outside of the village. For this reason, on December 20, the SPDC troops seized Sho-kho villager Saw Ka Paw, aged 50, and took him to Bu-ko and killed him there. On December 20, at 1600 hours, these troops seized and killed Maw-tu-doe villager Saw Kaw Lar Thoo, aged 22, son of Saw Maw Kaw, and Naw Soe Ka, in Maw-tu-doe area.

• 23-12-2003: Troops from SPDC IB 264, led by Bo Thant Zin forced 13 persons of Ku-thay-doe village 13 persons of Ler-hgi-kho-doe-ka village, Than-daung township, to carry food supplies from Pet-let-wa to Ler-hgi-kho-doe-kho camp.
The bulldozer of the SPDC troops arrived at Klay-soe-khee area and the SPDC troops in that area responsible for security of the bulldozer, SPDC IB 92, IB 39 and LIB 509 forced the villagers to go in front and both sides of the bulldozer, to clear land mines. The troops were also rude in dealing with the villagers and beat villagers up often. The worst commanders being rude to the villagers were Bo Myint Kyi and Bo Toe Win of SPDC IB 92, Bo Kyaw Ngwe and Bo Maung Maung Gyi of SPDC IB 39 and Bo Maung Maung Soe and Bo Win Naing of SPDC LIB 589. The SPDC troops forced Klay-soe-khee villagers to relocate within a day and, as a result, villagers’ domestic animals and items left behind were looted and destroyed by the SPDC troops. The SPDC troops did not let the villagers to come back and take any of them.

Doo-pla-ya District

• 22-12-2003: On the eve of Karen New Year, December 22, 2003, at 1620 hours, while the villagers were celebrating the feast of new harvest at Baw-laing village, about 10 miles south of Kaw-ka-reik town, Karen State, two battalions of SPDC troops of LIB 588, led by column commander Major Ye Naing, IB 583, led by column 2 commander Soe Min Naing and intelligent officer Bo Thein Htay of LIB 583, under Military Operation Command-19, six 60 mm motor rounds and about 200 rounds of machinegun. One of the SPDC units came to the celebration place. Since it was a new-year celebration, there were many activities such as Karen Don dances, sports activities and more than 10,000 people in attendance of the celebration.
The SPDC troops, coming to the football field where the celebration was held, looted uniforms worn by the sports men and items of merchandise, sold in the shops. Moreover, the troops looted villagers’ chickens, food and clothing, in the village.

As the SPDC troops fired weapons from a distance, came to the village and looted items, many shops were destroyed and the villagers who attended the ceremony ran away, in disorder.

Word & Abbreviation: KNU = Karen National Union (Political wing of the Karen resistance); KNLA=(Karen National Liberation Army (Military wing of Karen resistance); SPDC = State Peace and Development Council (Military dictatorship of Burma); DKBA = Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (A puppet army of the SPDC); IB = Infantry Battalion; LIB = Light Infantry Battalion; LID = Light Infantry Division; Baht = Name of Thai currency; Kyat = Name of Burmese currency; Viss = 1.6 Kg; A Pyi of rice =2 Kg; A Tin of rice = 16 Kg or 4 gallons in volume; A Basket of rice = 32 Kg or 8 gallons in volume; KNPL=Karenni National Peoples’ Liberation Front (Cease-fire group that has become a puppet of SPDC)