INNOCENT CHIN VILLAGER SHOT DEAD BY BURMESE TROOP
Cin Khua Sei was shot dead by six soldiers of Burmese Light Infantry Battalion 269 Company 2, on September 1, 1999. The troop led by a sergeant ordered Cin Khua Sei and Thang Lian Thawng of Cauleng village to deliver a letter to a nearby village Darkhai. The soldiers ambushed the two villagers on their return to Cauleng.Thang Lian Thawng escaped the ambush unharmed, but Cin Khua Sei was shot at the waist and he died on the spot.
The incidence occurred at 2 km away from Cauleng at a bout 2 p.m. The body of Cin Khua Sei was taken by the villagers and buried at Cauleng, Tiddim Township, Chin State, Burma. The soldiers said that they mistaken them with the CNA activists, but the villagers believed that the soldiers shot the two deliberately. They did not find any reason that the soldiers would mistake the persons whom they must have recognized well when they assigned. The villagers had to keep silent about the death of Cin Khua Sei for their own safety. Cin Khua Sei, 40, was the sole person to feed his family.The eldest of his eight children is too young to work. The be reaved family is now in dilemma as to how they will survive.
The soldiers paid no heed to the demand of compensation for the death of Cin Khua Sei. Panicked by fear,Cauleng villagers no longer dare to go out of the village-even to their farms.
( Date of receiving report: 11 September 1999 )
A BUDDHIST MONK KIILED IN CHIN STATE
A Buddhist monk U Thunanda ( 41 ) was killed by a group of unidentified gun men near Tlangrua village, Thantlang township, Chin State on 9 October 1999. On 11 October 1999, Myanmar Information Committee ( the military government agency ) reported that Chin National Front CNF (CNF is underground armed Group fighting for restoration of democracy in Burma) was responsible for the killing of the monk.
However, Chin National Front denied the accusation saying that “it is a dirty trick of Military Intelligence Service” in apress release made on October 12, 1999. There are only two armed groups actively operating in Chinland; SPDC’s Burmese military and the other one is the opposition Chin National Front. Following the killing of the monk, 40 civilian have been arrested by the authority in Thantlang area. All Churches and a Monastery in Thantlang area are strictly guarded by the Burmese army.Chin community around the world strongly condemned the brutal killing of the Buddhist monk.
SPDC USED FORCED LABOR TO REPAIR ROAD
(Date of receiving report: 30th September 1999)
On 25/9/1999, Burmese army Company 3 Commander of 268 Battalion stationed at Tibual Camp, Falam Township ordered 20 villages along Falam-Rihkhawdar road to repair the road (which extends up to the Indian border). (See attached order)The number of laborers from each village ranges from 15to 30 depending on the size and the population of the village. They had to bring their own tools and ration for three days. They were not paid for their labor. The soldiers warned them that any village that failed to contribute “unpaid laborers” will be considered supporters of CNF, and that severe action will be taken against them. No village dare nor defy the order.
( Order Translation )
Impression of round seal of the 268 Light Infantry Battalion Company 3
Date 24/9/99
To
Chairman
Village Peace and Development Council
Hnathial village (Old)
Subject: Invitation for ” voluntary labor”
Regarding the above subject, you are hereby informed that you organize 15 adult men from your village to volunteer for the reconstruction of the motor road between Falam and Rihkhawdar, which was damaged as a result of erosion and heavy landslide during the monsoon. The heavy downpour had also caused flood that damaged bridges. Led by yourself, 15 volunteers from your village have to bring hoes, shovels,saws, harrows and other tools, which will be required for the road construction. You also have to bring rations for three days during your work. You have to reach Hmunthar village to notify yourselves by 28 September 1999. Defaulter village will be considered as active supporters of CNF and severe action will be taken for defiance of order.
Sd/-Company Commander
A new army camp in Lentlang
The villagers around Lentlang are now facing problems, as they do not have 800 kyats to give Myo Kyaw, the commander of Battalion 268, Company 2,based in Falam, Chin State. He made an order throughout the area that one person from each family must see him or pay the fine in his camp which he ordered the villagers to build on September 1, 1999. Many of the villagers were too busy to see him timely, as it was the crucial period for their farm works.
A STRANGE MONK AT RIHKHUADAR
(Place: Rihkhuadar, Falam Township, Chin State, Burma.)
Rihkhuadar, founded in 1942, is 70 miles west of Falam and 2 miles from Tio River (the border river between India and Burma), is by the beautiful heart-shaped lake Rih (3 square miles wide and 60 ft deep).Rihkhuadar is on the trade route of Burma and India. There is 150 acres of productive paddy field nearby the lake, which annually produces 15,000 tins of rice.There is a government High school at Rihkhuadar. The population of the twin village is about 1,400. All the villagers are Christians.
The Burmese Military Regime sent a Buddhist monk Baddandah Tan Wa Yah (43years) to Rihkhuadar in August 1997, for the project of building a pagoda which was started that year. The military regime sanctioned 5,000,000 kyats for the projects of two pagodas, Aungdawmu and Naga-yung Pagodas. Aungdawmu literally means”the Pagoda of Victory,” and “Naga Yung Pagoda” could be closely translatedas “the Mythical Serpent Pagoda or Pagoda of Dragon. “Aungdawmu Pagoda was built at a place where the Christians villagers worship God for many years. Naga-yung Pagoda also was built nearby Lake Rih, which also was intentionally built at an important traditional religious place of the native Chins.
Even though the building of the pagodas was projected and sanctioned by the military regimes, the army officials and the monk forced the villagers of Rihkhuadar and the nearby villages to build the pagodas continuously for months, without paying wages for their labors. The authorities provided nothing for the villagers, but the villagers had to supply themselves with their own food, tools and medicines. Some parts of Aungdawmu pagoda fell down in July 1999. The military regimes sanctioned another 1,000,000 kyats for the repair. However, the Buddhist monk, Baddandah Ta Wa Yah and the authorities forced the villagers again, for reconstruction of the landslide without paying any wages for their labors. The army officials and the monk shared the money.As the villagers were forced to spend months of their time and their labor for the repair of the pagodas, they don’t have time to work on their farms. The hope nothing for the harvest.
A Brief Biography of Baddandah Ta Wa Yah
His service in the religionis 4 Wa, according to the Buddhist naming of the service of the Sanga(Buddhist monk).
He was born at Hintaya (Henzada) township. He is believed to be a powerful officers from the Military Intelligence Service ( MIS) of the Burmese military regime. The villagers were in fear of him. His realname is hidden. In fact, the military regime frequently uses the armies as monks for intelligence service. That has been being the military tradition for many years. Baddandah behaves as if he is superior to Christian pastors. He would rebuke the pastors whenever he is not in a good mood. He be haves superior not only to the pastors and the villagers, but also to the Burmese soldiers, based at Rihkhuadar. The villagers are required to take permits from him to collect firewood and for cultivation. He has the priority and favor of higher authorities is such a measure that the authorities order private cars to stand by at the camp of the monk. The authorities never paid money or oil for using the car. This is the practice of the military regimes in Burma for more than 35 years. The monk, Baddandah, also involves even in case of forced labors and porters. He plays a role in religious leader as well as the military regime’s political (intelligent)leader.
He works with the armies and does whatever he wishes. He talks a lot like a comedian, but he has great powers in many places and influenced up on the armies. The villagers as well as the soldiers hate him for his filthy behaviors, actions and wrong doings,but no one is dare to correct him. It is predictable that he will do more bad things to the Chin Christians as long as the SPDC have powers in Myanmar and as long as he is in the Chinland. On his request the monk is sometimes supplied with young women by villagers and traders in exchange with some privileges. Some familiesare exempted forced labors and porters, for instance.(His practice indicates that he is not a true monk).
Traditionally,there has never been prostitution among the Chins. However, the prostitution,which the SPDC promoted in major cities like Rangoon and Mandalay, has spread also to the Chin people after the army officers lure young Chin women for something. The career of many young ladies is destroyed in this way.)
MEETING FOR VARIOUS KINDS OF WORKS
Captain Min Zaw, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 55 (Ngapali battalion), No.3 company commander, based in Arakan State, took a position as camp commander of Shinletwa, Paletwa Township, Chin State on July 25 1999. On Sunday of 1st August 1999 he summoned a meeting of 9-village tracts in the area. Knowing the fact that Chin people are Christian and observe the Sundays, the army personnel intentionally summoned a meeting and forced the villagers to serve as porters on Sundays. In the meeting, they ordered villagers to build a house for the army at the center of every village around Shinletwa. The 9-village tracts to be completed within one month. In addition, they ordered villagers to deliver(4′ by 2′) mat and 8-pieces (18′ by 6′) of woods to build woodenboxes to the army camp before the end of September without fail. The commander fixed the price of chicken at 300 kyats per viss (about1.5 kg, actual price for one viss of chicken is Kyat 750). They ordered the villagers to deliver only hens since those are tastier than cocks.Capt. Zaw Min also restricted the villagers not to sell rice anywhere except to Sinbowah and Sinletwa villages where there are army camps. Rice is the sole commodity of the farmers for their earnings. He also made a restriction that no household in the village should sell rice more than three times ayear. The soldiers depend freely on the rice of the villages whenever they go for patrolling. Capt. Min Zaw made an order that 18 people, two each from the 9villages, must be reserved to serve the soldiers. Six villages have to serve, in a routine-wise, in the army camp for 7-days a week for emergency needs and to serve as porters. The villagers who serve in the camp have to bring their own food. The commander announced that anyone missing in the camp would cause a fine of 1500 kyats. Since the villagers were busy with their farm work they had to arrange the money by selling rice or cattle and pay the money to the commander. Now it is said that the commander is in full pocket with the money he took from the villagers. The commander also ordered the villagers to reconstruct the roads and clean even dried leaves and branches on the roads between villages. All the VPDC’s Presidents are forced to attend the meeting everymonth. The place of the meetings is 5-day walk (to and fro) from their own villageand all the expenses(including foods) are also incurred by themselves.
VILLAGES HEADMEN ARRESTED
Burmese soldiers arrested Salai Van Peng (25) and another member of Chin National Army, on August 25, 1999. It was after the two activists crossed the village of Bungkhua, Thantlang Township, Chin State that the Infantry No.226 of Burmese army, Lungler Post, made the arrest.The village council members of the nearby villages were also arrested on the same day in suspicion to have helped the CNA activists. Among those whowere arrested, Pu Zamang, 46, Pu Chum Ling, 55, Pu Lawm Ceu, 35, and Pu Lengkam, 40 were detained in Thantlang. They were the chairmen of the village of Fungkah, Bungkhua, Saikah and Ruakhua respectively. The Burmese soldiers also shot down two cows as the owner Pu Than Rawl escaped the arrest. Six families of Bungkhua and two of Saikah had to flee to Thingsai, Mizoram State of India, as they were informed that the soldiers were searching them in suspicion to help the activists.
EXTORT MONEY FROM VILLAGERS
A troop led by Capt. Myo Kyaw and Corporal Tin Ohn of company 2, LIB 268 regularly patrol in and around Khaikhan, Thuklai and Nginte villages in Tonzang Township, Chin State. Paupi said: Hoping to solve our hard living life I borrowed an amount of money with a high rate of interest and went down with friends to Khaikhan village to buy cattle (for reselling). On our half way of journey we met a patrolling troop led by Corp. Tin Ohn, the commander. There was a dump person among our group. He did not know how to answer in Burmese language the questions that the soldiers asked him. The soldier alleged a member of CNF and started beating him with their gun (G-3) butt, and took 10,000 kyats from him. Pu Suan was unable to walkor eat due to the beating. He was treated at home since they were too poor totake him to the hospital. He used to feed his family by a small amount of money he made by buying and selling cattle. Now he is unable to work or eat.Pa pau, a farmer, is 50 years old, and a father of 5 children and live in Kabalah village, Tonzang township.