Increased military presence affects locals living near the Shwe Gas and Oil pipeline project

Local people from Namhkam and Namtu Townships are being subjected to travelling longer distances in order to get to their destinations as a result of the Burmese soldiers who are in charge of security for the Shwe Oil and Gas-pipeline There is not only an increase in check points, but the soldiers continually questions the villagers.
A local villager commented that on Maimaw’s Market day, on February 4^th there were over two hundred soldiers that toured around the market turning it into a sea of green uniforms. It looked like there were more soldiers there than local people. This is a prime example of the massive increase of military presence in the area.
“Today, I was very unhappy because the soldiers were continually looking at the things that we were buying. In the pork shop there were ten soldiers standing and questioning everybody on their purchases, if we bought over 1.5kg of meat they asked why we bought this amount and what do we plan to do with it along with several other questions. I had to buy over one 100kg of pork for my nephew’s wedding reception, I couldn’t get it for fear of questioning from the soldiers and had to make do with buying mustard and bamboo shoots” said a villager.
Local people have said that Chinese companies pay 5,000 Kyats per day to the soldiers for security around the Gas and Oil pipeline and it is rumored that the higher ranked military personnel are being paid at least 10,000 Kyat per day. The soldiers in this area come from Kyaume and Namtu battalions.
Human Rights Documentation and Information Department
Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization

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Villagers forced to take responsibility of security for imminent visit of region’s presedent

Villagers were forced to be sentries by the Ta’ang autonomous region’s president, U Maung Kyaw and his colleagues during trips to check reports of land confiscation by Fry Dragon tea-drying industry. They also plan to come and listen to a religious sermon in Lun Thout village on February 4, 2012, Namhsan Township, Northern Shan State, Burma.
“I have been forced to take security for the whole night from February 3 to 4 in the jungle. I was given no support, I could only eat when a family member came to feed me” said one of the sentries.
For U Maung Kyaw’s trip, the villagers, who come from Upper Manloi, Lower Manloi and Thaungkyaw Villages, were forced to provide security for him and his colleagues.
According to the local news, there was anonymous armed group activity around Namhsan and Mangton Townships, leaving Burmese soldiers and Militia groups afraid to take responsibility for the trip. They just forced villagers to take over. In the end, U Maung Kyaw’s trip was canceled as the villagers reported that they have seen armed groups crossing through the village.
As regards to the land confiscation, the alleged perpetrator is U Hla Shwe, who is a major of the Fly Dragon tea-drying industry. It was announced that in order to begin growing the new tea plantations they would have to impound 500 acres of local Ta’ang ancestral land in Manloi quarter, upper Manloi village, Namshan Township, Nothern Shan State. There are approximately thirty-nine families that will lose their ancestor’s lands but also four families that lost their tea farms of about 10 acres.
Although the land owners already complained and reported the issue to the Lashio authorities, they have not had any response. Therefore, they tried to report it to the Ta’ang National Party again.

Human Rights Documentation and Information Department
Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization

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SSA soldiers extort money from NAG Staff

Network Activities Group’s (NAG) staff were threated and were made to give money to the SSA’s soldiers on their way back from helping Panhka’s refugees who were fleeing from the fighting and are now located in Hopan village on January 21^st 2012 in Mantong Township, Kauytme District, Northern Shan State, Burma. 
According to the case, When U Zaw Min Aung, who is the leader of NAG, and his four staff based in Mantong Township returned from helping Panhka’s refugees (178 people), the Shan soldiers pointed their guns to them and demanded money from them.
“The soldier spent a long time interrogating us they then ordered that one of my Shan friends join them to be a soldier. After several questions, they started to demand money from us and finally we had to pay ten thousand kyats in order to continue with our journey. As a villager said, these soldiers are the ones who take responsibility for the commissariats but the rest of the SSA soldiers are in the forest” said by the NAG’s staff.

Human Rights Documentation and Information Department
Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization

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Locals who refused to pay electricity bills sent to prison

The local people in Namtu have to pay extra tax for using electricity by the order of the Namtu’s Ministry of Electricity in Northern Shan State, Burma. They also collect a fee of one thousand Kyats monthly for maintenance of the Meter box even though it is illegal for the authorities to do this.
“It already specifies that customers need to pay twenty five kyats per unit of electricity, but the Minister of electricity collects thirty five Kyats per unit. Therefore, local people are extremely unhappy and have refused to pay their electricity bill” said a Namtu local.
As a result, the residents were fined fifty thousand kyats and their electricity was also cut off by the local ministry of electricity. Although some residents begged and pleaded with the authority, they got no response.
On January 15^th, delegates from the Ministry of electricity and local police arrested U Pay Thoung, U Ko Han and U Hla Thin as they refused to pay their electricity bill.
“People from the electricity department and police came into our home and arrested my father using handcuffs. They didn’t allow us to explain or sort out the problem and my father was put in prison for a month and fined fifty thousand kyats. I know of another two people who were subjected to the same ordeal as my father” said by family member of the victim.
On December 8^th 2011 at the parliamentary meeting in Nypiadaw an act was passed to increase the cost of electricity per unit. This came in to action in January 2012.

Human Rights Documentation and Information Department
Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization

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School has been closed in war zone

Due to the continual fighting between the KIA and the Burmese Military in Northern Shan State especially in Ta’ang autonomy areas as well as in seven villages, the primary schools in these regions have been closed since the first week of December, 2011.
“As my children missed school, they have to repeat the same class next year. We don’t know what to do because the teachers are not coming and the local education minster hasn’t tried to resolve the problem even though they are due to take their final exams this month” explained by a parent of a student.
During the academic year of 2011-2012, students only studied from June until the end of July because of the fighting in this area. The teachers were also afraid and went back their homes. Most of teachers are from central Burma. After they left, some schools closed and some are still hoping for their return.
In seven Ta’ang villages, they are over 200 students missing out on school, among them are: Panlong village with 60 students, Mansar village with 18 students, Manyoung village with 20 students, Hkauoi with 6 students and Manmaung village with 20 students.
Although the final exam will held in February 2012, U Thin Ngwe, who takes responsibility as local education minister of Mantong Township, doesn’t come and address the issue. Although he is the one that had been forcing students to buy school materials in all schools within Mantong Township.

Human Rights Documentation and Information Department
Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization

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No legal action has been taken against the perpetrators who are members of Pansay Militia group and brutally murdered an innocent Palaung villager.

Media Release

Militia group led by Qian Lu and Qian Kwae Shin based in Pansay, Nanhkan Township, Mu Se Distirct in northern Shan State handcuffed U Aik Htaut Naing (aka) U Naing Swae and brutally beat him to death. The victim lived in Phar Pyant village, Saenay village track, Nanhkan Township.

About 1 pm on January 3, 2012, about 60 soldiers of Light Infantry Battalion # 507 under the command of Maj Myat Tun Lin based in Lashio, northern Shan State and 20 members of Pansay militia group led by Qian Lu and Qian Kwae Shin came to Phar Pyant village, Saenay village track, Nanhkan Township. They then summoned all the villagers including women and children to gather at U Paw Htein's house. U Aik Htaut Naing (aka) U Naing Swae proclaimed himself as a reserved member of Mong Wee militia unit, having believed it would prevent them from taking harsh action against the villagers. Qian Kwae Shin, one of the leaders of Pansay militia group, asked him to put on his uniform if he was a member of the proclaimed militia unit. U Aik Htaut Naing (aka) U Naing Swae went back to home and wore the uniform. Then he returned to the gathering place. Without asking any question, he was handcuffed and repeatedly beaten up by wooden stick by Qian Lu, another leader of Pansay militia group. Quain Lu wore the Pansay militia uniform at the time of accident happened.

According to the witness, U Aik Htaut Naing (aka) U Naing Swae who remained handcuffed, was shot at his right butt by gun at about 2 pm, after having beaten up badly.

“ No ones allowed to see U Aik Htaut Naing (aka) U Naing Swae after he got shot. Not only his relatives, but also medics were not allowed to give him treatment. He was tied at his back under the Daw Mar Book's house where solider from LIB # 507 stationed. At about 6 am on January 4, 3 members of Pansay militia group led by Qian Lu and Qian Kwae Shin, dragged him near to the fence of U Paw Kaw's house. Then they beat him with the fire wood on his forehead for one time and by the fire wood on his forehead and three times on back of his head until his brain blown off. They got the handcuff off from the dead body and dumped the body at the outside of U Paw Kaw's fence,” said an eye-witness.

In addition to the inhumanly torture and killing of U Aik Htaut Naing (aka) U Naing Swae, LIB # 507 soldiers and members of militia group, went house by house including monastery, and looted all the valuable belongings of the villager including money, food, chicken and etc. The net value of the confiscated goods was 3,330,101 Kyat.

Pansay U Kyaw Myint won the parliamentary seat in the 2010 election because of vote-rigging. Pansay Kyaw Myint (aka) drug kingpin as locally known became a leader of militia unit which between 300 to 400 members in 1979 and reportedly got involved in opium growing and trafficking in Paysay area. Now he commands thousands of militia unit members who have officially been armed.

This is a horrible human rights violation that the members of militia group brutually tortured and killed an innocent villager, U Aik Htaut Naing, instead of protecting the villagers.

We, Palaung Women Organization, and villagers, strongly called for justice for the victim and take action against the murderers who committed inhumane act.

The government has been investigating the case.

Palaung Women Organization

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Over 500 Palaung Internally Displaced Persons still in need of aid

Due to fighting between Burmese government troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Bamor District, Mansi Township and Man Lwae village in Kachin State since December, many Palaung IDP’s are in need of help and aid.
On January 26 2012, twenty Palaung IDP’s came from Man Lwae village to the TNP office in Namkham Township.

“There were twenty Palaung IDP’s who fled here from Man Lwae village, Kachin State because of the instability in their area. They asked the TNP to help them in order to be able to come and stay in Namkham Township. If the TNP doesn’t help those IDP’s, they will be in trouble” – TNP member.

Even if those 306 Palaung IDP’s go back to their villages in the future, they will still need support for their rehabilitation.

“In Namkham Township there are currently 306 Palaung IDP’s in the TNP office, including 200 women. Currently they have food, clothes and health supplies, but we can’t cover their transportation costs and their rehabilitation when they arrive in their village” - Secretary of TNP.

According to our investigations, 196 Palaung IDP’s seeking refuge in Pang Lone village, Namkham Township since December 2011, have received no aid.

“There are 196 Palaung IDP’s in Pang Lone village who have yet to receive aid. There are around 120 women and children and 70 men. We could only provide a few supplies like rice and oil, so we are worried about those IDP’s in more rural parts of Namkham Township because we can only take responsibility for those staying in the town. Palaung IDP’s staying in some villages couldn’t get aid as the village is far away from the town” - secretary of Ta’ang committee group set up to help Palaung IDP’s.

Palaung Women’s Organization (PWO)

Information Documentation and Research Department

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