Mon State at War

CIVILIAN USED AS HUMAN SHIELDS DURING OFFENSIVE

(Based on IMNA report: December 29, 2003)

Ye - The Burmese army abducted local civilians for human shields during a military operation against guerrillas in southern Mon State and northern Tenasserim Division.

Local sources reported, the Pa-An based Regiment No. 22 of Southeast Military Command took civilians and forced them to march in front of the BA during their offensive. 19 villagers including Buddhist monks and village headmen were arrested for interrogation and 7 people remained in army custody during military operations in the rural area.

Since the area is defined as the black area, the BA restricts movements of civilians to block off alleged support for the rebels and villagers were prohibited from going out at night from 5 PM to 7 AM.

According to a refugee who recently arrived at the Thai-Burma border, over 40 civilians were arrested and 5 villagers were killed during the brutal military operation.

A 25 year old son of Nai Pe from Hangan village was killed near due to the curfew imposed by the army; and on December 23, Nai Kao Chan (19 years old) from Yang Dong village was shot to death in his farm near the village.

On December 20, a former medic of the New Mon State Party Nai Norn Ong and other member Nai A-zan were taken from their houses and killed by the army after investigation. Another victim Nai Zit (age 40), a hunter from Hangan village, was also being shot and killed.

Local villagers were forcibly recruited to clear the bush, weed and walk in front of the army and to shout out whenever they were to come across armed opposition groups.

The front line operation office of about a thousand troops was led by Colonel Nyi Nyi Swe and stationed at Khawzar village, southern Ye township since in early December.

After the New Mon State Party reached a cease-fire with the ruling military junta in 1995, a former NMSP member Nai Hloin split from the Party and resumes fighting against the BA in the rural areas of southern Mon State.