Mon, 27 Jan 1992
Karen Civilian Casualties in the Delta Region; Arrests, Looting, and Murder of Civilians by SLORC Troops in Mergui and Tavoy Districts; Forced Relocation of Villagers in Mergui District

The following 3 reports were all released on the same day. They are: Karen Civilian Casualties in the Delta Region; Arrests, Looting, and Murder of Civilians by SLORC Troops in Mergui and Tavoy Districts; Forced Relocation of Villagers in Mergui District. These reports also cover land confiscation of over 100 villagers' paddy fields by the SPDC, deteriorating health conditions, and the rape of at least 30 women by SPDC during the process of forced relocation .

An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
Manerplaw, January 27, 1992

 

KAREN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN THE DELTA REGION

According to a recent report received from the Delta region, the following innocent Karen civilians have been casualties since the Delta uprising began on October 3, 1991.

A) The villagers who have suffered the most are from Tee Tah, Ka Tha Myin, and Sah Byu Su villages. 41 students from Tee Tah village were killed instantly during the bombing and strafing of their school and village by the SLORC Air Force.

The following pastors and village elders have been arrested and tortured:

1) Rev. Saw James
2) Saw Po Beh
3) Rev. Daniel Htoo
4) Thra Rayner 
5) Thra Sah Leh
6) Thra Ah Play
- Pastor, Tee Tah village
- Village elder, Tee Tah village.
- Pastor, Tee Moo Loo village (Daung Gyi)
- Pastor, Klo Doh village.
- Pastor, Ka Tha Myin village.
- Pastor, Klo Po village.

B) More than one hundred villagers from Ta Lo Pah Doh, Kaw Lay Loo, Paw Baw Loo, Ta Loo Pah Taw, and Plaw Pah Taw have been arrested by the SLORC army and nothing has been heard about them up to this day.

C) In Ngaput Taw Township more than fifty innocent villagers have been killed and many pastors also have been arrested. The following pastors have been arrested by the SLORC army.

1) Thra Johnny Htoo
2) Thra Saw Kay
3) Thra La Bah
4) Thra Htoo She
5) Thra Ba Tha O
6) Thra Harry
7) Thra Hah Ku
8) Thra Sah Eh Gay
- Tee Moo Loo village
- KawKaw Loo village
- Thet Po Loo village
- Kaser Htoo village
- Kyauk Tan village
- Kyauk Talone village
- Leh Bo village
- Hain Gugyi village

Many village elders and pastors have been arrested and tortured throughout the area, and many of them are already presumed killed.

Life in the delta region for the Karen people, especially those who are Christian, has been made unbearable as the SLOUCH army retaliates against the uprising by attacking the innocent civilian population.

ARRESTS, LOOTING, AND MURDER OF CIVILIANS BY SLORC TROOP IN MERGUI AND TAVOY DISTRICTS

1) Saw Tha Dah of Ta Nyaw Hai village, Mergui district, was arrested by the SLORC army on June 5, 1991. No news has been heard of him since.

2) Saw Dah of Bpeh village, Mergui district was arrested on June 26, 1991, also with no further news.

3) More than one hundred villagers’ paddy was taken by force by the SLORC army stationed at Ler Mu village. No payment of any kind was made for the paddy.

4) On October 7, 1991, a column of SLORC No. 24 LIB (Light Infantry Battalion) led by Bo Tun Win entered Paw Nga and Mano Rong villages and stole all the property of Saw Hla Yin and Saw Tin Hlaing respectively.

5) During September 1991 the SLORC army entered Taungbyauk and Saw Khay villages and killed 24 villagers, including 13 Karen and 11 Tavoyans. Following are the names of those killed.

1. Saw Thay
2. Saw Aung Mya
3. Saw Maung Ba
4. Saw Shwe Htoo
5. Saw Si Po Lo
6. Saw Maung Hla Myint
7. Saw Than Myint
8. Saw Ko Khay
9. Tun Sein
10. Maung Paing
11. Nan Nyo
12. Than Ma Gyi
13. Aung Than
Karen
Karen
Karen
Karen
Karen
Karen
Karen
Karen
Tavoyan
Tavoyan
Tavoyan
Indian Muslim
Tavoyan

6) Pastor Baldwin, his wife and three children were all killed by the SLORC army while visiting their parents in Kyan Kin village. The youngest child was only one year old.

Although Kyan Kin is in the Delta region, Pastor Baldwin and family were from the same area as the murdered villagers listed above.

FORCED RELOCATION OF VILLAGERS IN MERGUI DISTRICT

Many villagers in Mergui District are suffering severely because of forced relocation to new sites where there are none of the essentials for their survival. The relocations are conducted at gunpoint by SLORC troops, and the villagers are given virtually no advance notice. Their current situation is deteriorating, and many villagers have died or are dying of malaria and diarrhoea.

At least thirty women have been raped during relocation. Out of this number, only two have formally admitted that they were raped.  They are:

1)  Naw Soo Kho, a twenty- three year old Karen woman from Yebu village. She was raped by SLORC Corporal Thein Myint of No. 101 Battalion, No. 1 Company on September 9, 1991 while moving for relocation. The villagers of Yebu stand as eye witnesses.

2)  Naw Sit Toe, a twenty-two year old Karen women from Yebu village, married with one child. She was raped by SLORC Private Maung Maung of No. 101 Battalion, No. 2 Company. The villagers of Ah Leh Su stand as eye witnesses.

 

Mon, 27 Jan 1992

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