Ye -- Several women were rounded up and tortured by the SPDC’s Burmese Army in retaliation for an ambush attack by a Mon guerrilla group during a military operation in southern Ye, Mon State early this month.

According to Mon refugees, who recently fled from the Khawzar area, Mon women were beaten up and the men were given electrical shocks by the Burmese troops from Infantry Battalion No. 31.

“After the guerrilla group carried out a surprise attack on the Burmese troop, they accused the local villagers of giving information on their movements. About a hundred villagers nearby were summarily tortured including children and women,” says an eyewitness, Nai Lin Aung from Khawzar, who gave testimony to a human rights worker on the border. The accurate number of people tortured is unknown and humanitarian access is not possible due to the insecurity.

The BA has had a skirmish with the dissident group led by Nai Sook Gloin (nicknamed long hair) on December 4, 2006.  The group also engaged with the BA troop near Kaw Hlaing village on October 21. No one can confirm the status of the fighting or the number of casualties.

“The more the villagers are tortured, the more support will be given to the guerrilla group, the villagers are extremely unhappy with human rights abuses by the Burmese Army," commented Rev. Aopaesa, a young monk from southern Ye, Mon State .

“The lives of ethnic people have no value, no one comes to their aid and the army will not be punished for their actions,” says a human rights worker from the border. Mon women and children are increasingly subjected to violence and restriction of their movements whenever the Burmese Army is active in their area. 

After the New Mon State Party reached a cease-fire agreement with the military junta in 1995, Nai Hloin split from the party to take up arms against the Burma Army.  The two brothers, Nai Hloin and Nai Bin were active until early 2005 before they sought a safe haven in Thailand due to the Burma Army’s brutal offensive in the area. The Mon armed group uses ambush tactics and guerrilla warfare.

Thailand Burma border based, Human Rights Foundation of Monland, on December 12, has called on the international community to pressure the military junta to immediately halt the arbitrary arrests and inhuman treatment of innocent civilians. 

HURFOM appeals to international community to help women in Khaw-zar

IMNA

Tue 12 December 2006 

Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) today appealed to the international community, and the State Peace and Development Council to give cognizance to the massive arbitrary arrests and inhuman treatment of innocent civilians. 

The urgent release said that the SPDC troops were also involved in various types of human rights violations against innocent civilians. They are inhuman and cruel in their dealings.

It urged the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and UN agencies to help detained people, who include women and children, and to ensure their release and provide assistance for their protection.

“Six women and five men accused of being linked to Mon rebel groups were severely tortured,” said a villager released from among the arrested.

After a recent clash between the Burma Army and the rebels, about 100 villagers including men and women were detained in the military barracks of Khaw-zar Township . Men were tortured with stun belts and women were slapped by Burmese soldiers.

Twenty one Khaw-zar residents including Chairman, Nai Ngae (60) were arrested four of whom from Dae-boung village have been identified.   

“Moreover health workers from New Mon State Party, NMSP were also ordered to sign not to entertain Mon rebel groups. If they do Burmese soldiers would kill them,” the villager said. 

Before the firefight, San Shay from the Mon rebel group collected money from the villagers on the first day of December.

After the Burmese soldiers clashed with Mon rebels, more than 200 villagers were ordered to clear bushes in the plantations and were allowed to go to the plantations from December 10 to 25. 

A villager from sub Khaw-zar Township said, “Now the villagers can’t take food such as rice and money to the plantations. They can go there after eating at home.”  

Most paddy fields have been damaged because the Burmese troops from No (32) Infantry Battalion (IB) led by Lt. Col. Myo Swe under the command of Military Operation Command No.19 allowed villagers to go to their plantation, said the villager.

Villagers in southern Mon given electric shock

IMNA

Mon 11 Dec, 2006

Over 100 villagers, half of them women and children, in southern Mon State were severely tortured by a Burmese military battalion based in southern Ye Township Mon State after Burmese soldiers clashed with a Mon rebel group, San Shay.

The women, who comprised half of the villagers were beaten up and received injuries on their faces while about 50 men were given electric shock by about 20 Burmese soldiers from Infantry Battalion No (31) in Khaw-zar Town , according to an eye witness.  

The villagers were detained at the battalion premises. They belong to many villages near the town.

The witness said, “The Burmese troops arrested the land owner where they fought the Mon rebel group on December 4 for about 30 seconds. They sent him to Ye Town, Mon State to be jailed”. 

Even though the Burmese troops arrested the land owner, he did not know about the clash because he was harvesting paddy in a field. 

The Burmese soldiers detained plantation owners near the battle site because they believe the villagers had supported the Mon rebels.

The soldiers also arrested 10 health workers from New Mon State Party (NMSP). But after interrogating them for five days they were released.   

Those given electric shocks comprise half of Khaw-zar, Dae-bong, Weong-tomort, and Hpop-htaw villagers. 

“Nobody wants to travel in such a situation,” the witness said and adding that paddy was scattered all over the fields. The villagers are in trouble either way and will be beaten up by Burmese soldiers if they admit that Mon rebels collect money or deny it. 

The soldiers have released only villagers who do not own land or plantations.

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