SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- JUNE 2012 COMMENTARY No Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Person Over the past

year, there have been some dramatic efforts on the part of the nominally civilian government to bring about some political and economic changes to the country, including efforts to engage in ceasefire talks with various ethnic armed resistance groups to work towards peace. However, the Burmese military has not appeared to be working so much in tandem with the government, as it has still been fighting with armed resistance forces at many places in Shan State, including those that had already signed a ceasefire, and still committing various human rights violations against the people with impunity. Although the government has done little to address the human rights situation in its reform efforts, its recent changes in other spheres have been significant enough to protect it from international condemnation and instead bring about praise from several quarters. Furthermore, the previous calls from a dozen countries for an international commission of inquiry into possible crimes against humanity and war crimes by the Burmese military have been sidelined by the international community because of those changes. In reality, human rights violations by the Burmese military against the people of Shan State have not reduced even after several rounds of ceasefire negotiations between government delegations and Shan resistance groups. In many cases, the Burmese military has still been using the suspected support of the civilian populations for the Shan resistance as a pretext to impose severe punishments, which included various types of human rights violations, as reported in this months newsletter issue. As long as the rampant and blatant human rights violations have not stopped, or at least reduced remarkably, and the abusive culture of many members of the Burmese military, who also enjoy impunity, has not been seriously addressed, there is little hope that all the changes mentioned above will actually become genuine reforms. ----------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS: Themes & Places of Violations reported in this issue u Extrajudicial Killings in Kaeng-Tung, Murng-Paeng and Murng-Su u Sexual Slavery in Murng-Ton u Beating & Torture in Kaeng-Tung, Kae-See and Lai-Kha u Arbitrary Arrest and Detention in Kaeng-Tung, Kae-See and Murng-Kerng u Forced Labour in Kaeng-Tung and Kae-See u Extortion & Stealing in Kaeng-Tung, Murng-Kerng and Lai-Kha u Harassment in Kaeng-Tung ACRONYMS: LIB = Light Infantry Battalion (e.g. LIB246 = Light Infantry Battalion No. 246) IB = Infantry Battalion ----------------------------------------------------------------

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KILLING, BEATING, LOOTING AND FORCED LABOUR, IN KAENG-TUNG In August 2011, a villager was beaten to death, many other villagers were beaten and tortured, and many shops selling consumer goods were looted by patrols of Burmese army troops in the areas of several village tracts north of Kaeng-Tung town in Kaeng-Tung township. On 16 August 2011, a fierce gun battle between the troops of the Burmese army and the Shan resistance took place in the area of Kaad Tao village tract in Kaeng-Tung township. The skirmish lasted more than 2 hours and the Burmese army suffered 3 dead and 8 wounded. The following day, 17 August 2011, Burmese military authorities in Kaeng-Tung town sent several truckloads of their troops to Kaad Tao village tract to patrol the areas where the fighting had taken place and surrounding villages and village tracts. For many days, the Burmese troops divided into several smaller columns and patrolled the said areas, interrogating and searching virtually every villager they met along the way. Many villagers were also tortured and beaten up, and many were forced to serve as unpaid guides for several days. A villager was even beaten to death by one of the Burmese army patrols. The victim was Lung Zaai (m), aged 45, of Wan Pong village in Wat Saao village tract in Kaeng-Tung township. Lung Zaai was going to his farm when he ran into the Burmese military patrol. Lung Zaai was stopped and searched by the Burmese troops. When they found some packets of rice in his shoulder bag, the troops accused Lung Zaai of taking them to the Shan soldiers and interrogated him, beating and torturing him until he was dead. Many shops along the Kaeng-Tung - Murng-Khark main road in Kaad Tao village tract were also looted by the said Burmese army patrols. They forcibly took away different kinds of foodstuff, especially packets of ready made noodles all of which were seized from the shops, without paying for them. On 23 August 2011, the Burmese army troops were still seen patrolling and camping at Buddhist monasteries in several village tracts, including Kaad Tao, Kaad Thaai, Wat Saao, Kaad Pha and Yaang Kaeng village tracts. RANDOM SHOOTING AND KILLING IN MURNG-PAENG In October 2011, a woman villager of Paeng Saang village in Murng Pu Long village tract, Murng-Paeng township, was killed by a patrol of Burmese army troops who randomly fired their guns into the village from a nearby hill top. On 9 October 2011, in the early morning, a patrol of Burmese troops came to Paeng Saang village in Murng Pu Long village tract in Murng-Paeng township. But before they entered the village, the troops stopped on a nearby hill top and sprayed their guns down into the village. Frightened by the sounds of the gunfire and of the bullets hitting their houses, many villagers ran out of their houses, carrying and pulling their children out with them, to try to take cover at some safer places on the ground. At that time, a woman, aged about 40, who was carrying a 1 year old baby and pulling a 3-4 years old child out of her house was hit by one of the bullets coming towards her house, and she fell down dead in her compound. Fortunately, both of her children were unhurt. After that, the Burmese troops came into Paeng Saang village and told the villagers that they shot into the village because they heard Shan soldiers often came and they thought there were some Shan soldiers in the village when they shot into it. The Burmese troops took no responsibility for the woman who was killed by their random shooting and they even said that she was probably a wife of a Shan soldier and was killed while trying to run away with him. But according to the local villagers, the woman was a native of Paeng Saang village and had been living there all her life, and she had never been a wife of any Shan soldier as accused by the Burmese army troops. The villagers were sure that the Burmese troops were from one of the 3 army battalions based in Murng-Paeng, although they did not know exactly which one. The 3 Burmese military units based in Murng-Paeng were IB43, LIB528 and LIB360.

RANDOM KILLING IN MURNG-SU In August 2011, a man from Murng-Su town was killed by a patrol of Burmese army troops at a water well some distance south of the town, without anyone knowing why he was killed. Sometime in late August 2011, a patrol of about 70 Burmese army troops, from several military units, who had come to search the outskirts of Murng-Su town beat to death a townsman who had come to take a bath at a water well south of the town. On the day of the incident, Lung Kham (m), aged 55, from quarter No. 1 of Murng-Su town went to the said well, about 1 km to the south, where he used to occasionally take a bath. At about the same time, the said military patrol was searching and passing through the area where the well was located. Some time later on the same day, some other townspeople also went to the said well to take a bath and found the dead body of Lung Kham, who they immediately recognized as one of their fellow townspeople. The townspeople were sure that Lung Kham was beaten to death by the said Burmese army patrol. But they did not know why he was killed, and what he had done to deserve such brutal treatment by those who were supposed to be protecting the people. SEXUAL SLAVERY IN MURNG-TON In September and October 2011, Burmese army troops and members of a Lahu peoples militia force manning a camp on Loi Khi Laek hill in Murng-Ton township forced farmers in the surrounding areas to provide them with women to enjoy sexual pleasure. Villagers who worked the farms in the areas were told to send women to the military camp if they wanted to continue working their farm. Each farm was to send 2 women, one for the Burmese troops and the other for the militiamen whose leader was known as Pi Koi. The women were to stay at the camp for one day and night and provide sexual services for the troops and the militiamen. Those who could not comply with the demand would not be allowed to work their farms, said the order. At the time of this report, received at the end of 2011, some farmers among Lisaw and Palaung peoples were said to have already sent their women to the military camp for fear of losing their right to farm in the areas. SEVERE BEATING OF CIVILIAN PORTER, DAMAGING AN EYE, CAUSING UNCONSCIOUSNESS, IN KAE-SEE In September 2011, a villager was severely beaten with a rifle butt by a Burmese army soldier while being forced to serve as an unpaid porter, causing damage to one of his eyes and leaving him unconscious, in Loi Tang village tract in Kae-See township. On 15 September 2011, a patrol of about 75 Burmese army soldiers, from 55th Division based in Ka-Law township, came to Kung Zaam village in Loi Tang village tract in Kae-See township. The troops surrounded and went into the village, and seized 5 male villagers to serve as porters. The porters were then made to carry heavy loads of various things, including rice, cooking oil, vegetables and other foodstuff, and other military related materials, and go with the army patrol as they headed towards Long Waai village in the same village tract. After some hours of walking up and down long mountain slopes with heavy loads on their soldiers, one of the porters was so exhausted that he fell down while climbing a mountain slope and was unable to get up. Some of the Burmese troops tried to make him continue to carry his load, but he was not able to stand firmly and kept falling down again. The troops then took over his load, divided it among several of them and carried them away. As the villager was left lying on the ground, one of the Burmese troops, with one stripe on his shoulders, came over to him, scolded him and struck his head with a rifle butt. The rifle butt hit his head around his left eye and he lost consciousness.

The victim was Zaai Nu (m), aged 19, of Kung Zaam village in Loi Tang village tract in KaeSee township. When he regained consciousness, his left eye was bleeding and badly swollen, and with his right eye he saw no one around him. After some efforts, Zaai Nu managed to get up and walk slowly back to his village where he was treated with traditional medicine by his parents. When the wound started to heal and the swelling reduced, his parents learned that Zaai Nus eyeball was completely damaged. ARBITRARY ARREST, DETENTION AND TORTURE, IN KAENG-TUNG In late August 2011, at least 11 villagers of Kaad Tao village tract in Kaeng-Tung township were arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured by the Burmese military authorities at the Military Strategy Command in Kaeng-Tung town. After a brief gun battle had taken place in mid August 2011 in Kaad Tao village tract (see the first story of this newsletter), the Burmese army troops continued to patrol the area for many more days and in late August they arrested at least the following 11 villagers: 1. Zaai Long Wun (m), aged 45, headman of Nawng Kaang village 2. Zaai Saam Waak (m), aged 36, villager of Nawng Kaang village 3. Zaai Taan Wun (m), aged 40, villager of Nawng Kaang village 4. Lung Naan Yi (m), aged 50, villager of Nawng Kaang village 5. Zaai Keo Suk (m), aged 48, villager of Nawng Kaang village 6. Lung Saam Laai (m), aged 50, villager of Nawng Kaang village 7. Lung Naan Noi (m), aged 59, villager of Nawng Kaang village 8. Paw Thao Seng Haai (m), aged 65, headman of Wan Pawk village 9. Lung La-Pu-Ser (m), aged 50, chief of Lahu peoples militia force of Saam Lak village 10. Zaai Yi (m), aged 40, headman of Wan Phaai village 11. Zaai Sai (m), aged 50, community leader of Wan Phaai village. These villagers were arrested, their hands tied behind their backs, and forced to walk until they reached Huay Khaa village which was being used by the Burmese army troops as their temporary command post. The villagers were kept at Huay Khaa village with their hands tied from around 8 oclock in the morning until around 2 oclock in the afternoon, without being asked anything although they had been told they were taken in for interrogation when they were arrested. At around 2:00 pm, however, they were put on a military truck and taken to the Military Strategy Command in Kaeng-Tung town, where they were interrogated and severely tortured in many ways by the Burmese military authorities. During interrogations, all the villagers were accused of supporting the Shan soldiers and repeatedly beaten and their shins were crushed with bamboo rods by the Burmese troops. The village leaders and the head of the peoples militia were also shocked with electricity many times. According to some of the victims who met SHRF field workers at the Thai-Shan border in late 2011, the torture was so severe that many of the villagers lost consciousness several times and some of them also lost control of their urine and excrement. A VILLAGER SEVERELY BEATEN UP, DETAINED AND FORCED TO BE UNPAID GUIDE AND PORTER, IN KAE-SEE In October 2011, a Palaung villager of Nam Op village in Murng Kaao village tract in KaeSee township was severely beaten up, detained for one whole night and forced to serve as an unpaid guide and porter by the Burmese army troops from IB286. On 2 October 2011, when Zaai Awng (m), aged 47, a Palaung national of Nam Op village in Murng Kaao village tract came home in the evening after working at his farm, he ran into a group of Burmese army troops who were camping in his village, and he was immediately arrested by them. The Burmese troops were from IB286 who had come to patrol the area of Murng Kaao village tract and stopped at Nam Op village to spend the night. When they saw Zaai Awng coming into the village at dusk, they arrested him.

The Burmese troops suspected that Zaai Awng had gone out to inform the Shan soldiers that they were staying in the village and interrogated him. Zaai Awng was tortured and beaten with a bamboo stick during interrogation. After the interrogation, during which he was severely beaten, by a sergeant named Myo Myint, with a stick on the back, on which several scars could still be seen several weeks later, Zaai Awng was detained all night in a public pavilion at the village Buddhist monastery. The next morning when the Burmese troops left Nam Op village, they forced Zaai Awng to be their guide and at the same time carry a half-basket of rice and go with them. After several hours, Zaai Awng was released at Paa Tep village in Wan Wa village tract in Kae-See township. VILLAGERS HARASSED, ARBITRARILY ARRESTED, DETAINED AND SEVERELY TORTURED, IN KAENG-TUNG In October and November 2011, at least 3 villagers were arbitrarily arrested, detained and severely tortured by the Burmese army troops of IB244, and many people were searched and interrogated by members of the military, police and peoples militia during the Shan new year ceremony, in Kaeng-Tung township. A few days after a skirmish took place between the Burmese army and the Shan resistance troops on 19 October 2011 in Loi Long village tract in Kaeng-Tung township, in which both sides suffered some casualties, many villagers were arrested and detained, interrogated and tortured, by the Burmese army troops. Zaai Aai (m), aged 43, of Kawng Keo village in Loi Long village tract was accused of having provided transport service for the Shan soldiers to go to places in the area and arrested, and detained in the base of IB244. At about the same time, Lung Pi Peng (m), aged 55 and Zaai Long (m), aged 40, of Wan Saao in Kaad Thaai village tract were accused of having supported the Shan resistance with rice and arrested, and were also taken to the base of IB244 and detained. All the 3 villagers were repeatedly interrogated and tortured by beating, kicking and slapping many times. In addition to those various types of torture, Zaai Aai was also subjected to a worse kind of torture. The Burmese troops crushed his shins with a bamboo rod until he was near dead. In late November 2011, during the Shan new year ceremony which was held virtually every year in Kaeng-Tung town, a combined security force of Burmese military, police and peoples militia set up several checkpoints in and around the ceremony ground. Many people who came to the ceremony, especially those coming from surrounding rural areas, were searched, interrogated and harassed by the authorities manning the checkpoints, who said they were preventing Shan soldiers from disturbing the ceremony. In fact, they were just causing annoyance and fear among the people who came to the ceremony, said the townspeople.. ARBITRARY ARREST, DETENTION AND EXTORTION, IN MURNG-PAENG In November 2011, a villager of Paeng Saang village in Murng Pu Long village tract in Murng-Paeng township was arrested and detained by the Burmese army troops of IB43, and the villagers were told to provide 1,000,000 kyat of money for her release. On 16 November 2011, Naang La Lu (not her real name), aged 35, of Paeng Saang village in Murng Pu Long village tract was accused of being a wife of a Shan soldier who was disguised as a villager of the village and arrested by a patrol of Burmese troops from IB43. Although village leaders and elders told them that Naang La Lu was not a wife of a Shan soldier and that she had been living in the village since her childhood and had not just come to stay in the village recently as accused by them, the Burmese troops took her away and put her in detention. However, the Burmese troops told the leaders of Murng Pu Long village that they would later summon the whole village of Paeng Saang to come and guarantee Naang La Lu, and provide 1,000,000 kyat of money as a punishment, for her release. At the time of this report, received at the end of 2011, it was not known whether or not the Burmese troops had done as they mentioned and if Naang La Lu had been released.

A FARMER TIED UP AND ROBBED OF HIS PIG, IN LAI-KHA In August 2011, a farmer was tied up to the post of a farm hut and robbed of his pig by a patrol of Burmese army troops, at a farm near Nai Loi village in Paang Saang village tract in LaiKha township. On 20 August 2011, Zaai Thamma (m), a villager of Nai Loi village in Paang Saang was working at his farm some distance from his village when a patrol of Burmese army troops came and stopped at his farm hut, and called him to go to them. The Burmese troops saw a large boar kept by Zaai Thamma at the farm hut and accused him of keeping it for the Shan soldiers. Zaai Thamma denied the accusation and tried to explain that it was his familys pig. But they did not listen to him as they seized him and tied him to a post of the hut with a rope. The Burmese troops killed Zaai Thammas pig, cut it up and took the meat, all in front of him. Although he begged for their mercy, it was all in vain. After that, the Burmese troops left the farm and headed towards Murng-Kerng township, taking all the meat of the pig with them and leaving Zaai Thamma tied up to the post of his farm hut. He was freed only when his family came after him because he had not returned home as usual.