According to a resident from Thaung Waing village, on February 3rd, LIBs No. 404 and No. 406 led by Tactical Commander No. 1 Major Soe Thet was ambushed by soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army brigade No. 6 led by Sergeant Zaw Thin Tun, and two Burmese soldiers were killed.

LIBs No. 404 and 406 are reported to have been in the area conducting reconnaissance patrols when the ambush occurred.

The two Burmese battalions then entered Thaung Vaing village, six miles from ambushed site, and arrested 7 male villagers whom they accused of working as KNLA soldiers. After they arresting the 7 villagers they tied their arms behind their backs and started beating them on their heads with the stocks of their rifles, kicking them, and punching them in their faces.

After the beatings, as the Burmese soldiers left the village, a source reported that they took an additional 13 male villagers to use as porters, human shields, and to clear landmines.

A HURFOM field reporter had the opportunity to interview one of the 7 victims of the beating, who has already returned home from portering. According to the victim, after they left the village they were forced to carry the soldiers supplies such as rice, cooking materials and ammunition.

Despite the burden of portering soldiers supplies, the porters could not get enough food, water or medicine for treating injuries which were sustained though torture by the soldiers. Porters were also kept from taking breaks or resting while carrying the supplies.

After 4 days of portering, on March 7^th, the soldiers they let the 20 villagers go free, according a victim.

“I was very tired and thirsty and had pain in my back because I was kicked [there], “explained another victim who asked HURFOM to withhold his name for security purposes. “When I walked slowly and wanted to take a rest the soldiers would kick me again. I did not have enough food. I only have one meal a day. I accompanied with them for 4 days and they released me because I got a fever and could not walk.”

In the past Karen villagers from Thaung Waing have faced similar abuses, so that villagers have reported having to flee their homes 1 to 3 times a year since 1998 or 1999 and live for a short time in the forest. However the village population has deceased in this period, as some families do not dare to return home out of fear for their security.

A villager reported to HURFOM’s reporter, who visited the shelter in KNU territory, that starting in the second week of January 2010, large numbers of Kwee Noh Htar villagers were forced to perform manual labor for both DKBA and SPDC troops for an extended period of time. This source claimed that he and his fellow villagers were forced to dig trenches, build fences around the battalions’ base camps, and build barracks; these individuals were given no time to work in their own farms and gardens, and instead were made to contribute all of their time to performing unpaid labor. This source informed HURFOM that Kwee Noh Htar villagers soon lacked sufficient food to feed their families, and starting in mid-February, victims began fleeing from the village to safety two miles away, in territory controlled by KNU Brigades No.s 1, 3 and 5.

“Too much time we have had to work for both the DKBA and SPDC troops, we have no food for our families to eat for survival. We have no time to work on farms to get food and incomes. After we discussed this with each other we decided we must leave the village. If we had continued living there, we were all going to die” explain Saw Lay Phoe, a 45 year-old Kwee Noh Htar villager.

According HURFOM’s field reporter, most of Kwee Noh Htar villagers taking shelter in KNU territory were dangerously underweight, and exhibited significant signs of malnourishment. In particular, children from the village were extremely thin, and most had swollen stomachs.

Victims informed HURFOM’s reporter that both DKBA and SPDC troops subjected villagers to a role-call system for the unpaid labor they were forced to perform. Villagers who failed to show up to role-call were often beaten, placed in stocks, or fined.

According to another victim, who spoke to HURFOM’s reporter in KNU territory, the villagers were not even permitted to know the identities of their tormentors. Reportedly, the SPDC troops refused to reveal their battalion number to the villagers, and when victims asked soldiers for this information, the soldiers simply replied, “What are you going to do?”

“I was not happy with the DKBA after what they did to us, because they are also Karen but they treated us the same as animals. As for Burmese troops, it is ok for them [to treat us like that] because they are not Karen, they don’t need to take care of Karen people, but as for the DKBA I am angry with them,” a Kwee Noh Htar resident told HURFOM.

According to a headman who asked the HURFOM field reporter to withhold the name of his village for security purposes, in the first week of February, KNU Major Maung Shwe entered the village and gathered villagers to held meeting. In the meeting the Major gave a speech to villagers, explaining that all villagers in the village have to stand against every activity that the regime government is undertaking, especially in regards to the coming election. He also quoted the Major’s words, “All the regime activities give no benefit to [you] villagers – they are only doing [these things] for their own benefit.”

Many villagers agreed are reported to have agreed with the KNU major’s speech according to the headman. Yet villagers also encounter SPDC troops who are conducting similar campaigns using the same rhetoric and techniques, as the KNU forces in the area.

In the 2^nd week of Feburary, Light Infantry Battalion’s (LIB) such as No. 591 and No. 583 entered the village and to hold a meeting with villagers.

A speech by the LIB captain to villagers addressed how every villager has to show their support for the coming election and that if someone wanted to stand against the coming election, they would become the enemies of the State Peace and Development Council.

The headman also explained to HURFOM that the LIBs captains further ordered villagers not to listen to the insurgent speaches.  He told villagers that the insurgent arm groups can do nothing to development of the country, that they only make problems for the country and do profit for anyone other then themselves.

SPDC troops conducted similar organizeing campaigns in 12 villages near by that village which are based in Ye Township. In Thanbyuzayat Township, villages such Baylamine, Kalaketake, Tuleal, Gu Mong, Warpaw, Min Hla Aye, Zaw, Kyaung Ywa and Htar Kyaik, have been visited by regime troops more than 10 times, each time coming to carry out election activities.

According to a HURFOM field reporter who lives in the area (Thanbyuzayat Township), SPDC troops from LIB No. 591, No. 583 and No. 106 came organize villages along the eastern motor road villages. Soldiers have conducted a variety of different campaigns, such as health care, including provision of Malaria medicine and mosquito nets, and treatment of diarrhea. Villagers have also reported that troops are helping villagers with house work such as collecting fire wood and are involved in villagers work activities.

According to a Kyaung Ywa villager, there has been an increase in new residents and traders that are coming and living in the village. Villagers suspect that these strangers are SPDC informers and spies, and that they are increasingly being watched by SPDC. The villager stated that he feels less free then he has in the past.

“Now villagers are getting confused about who they can listen to – both of them [KNU and SPDC] have guns and they both insist that we must listen to them,” said A Zaw a 30-year-old area resident. “When the results [of the election] come we will all die because both SPDC troop and KNU soldiers strongly believe their own views. We are going crazy with what are we supposed to do about the coming election.”

Villagers informed HURFOM that starting at the beginning of the year, Captain Saw Akyi, leader of the brigade’s Battalion No. 3, sent letters to the headmen of Aung Pha Kyi village, Naung Nine village, Nang Shew Mon village, Aung Hpa Lay village, Ywa Tan Shey village, and Thayet Than village; the letters reportedly informed that unless the villages from each settlement compiled a sum of 150,000 kyat per village to be picked up by the brigade captain, villagers would be pressed into portering service for brigade’s Battalion No. 3.

According to HURFOM’s field reporter, the villagers were ordered to have the portering fees collected and prepared for Captain Saw Akyi’s pick up, on February 10th. Funds were collected from each household; the amount of taxes collected from each residence depended on income. Household with lower living standards were required to contribute 2,000 kyat, while households that garnered greater incomes were required to contribute 5,000 kyat each to the communal pool.

HURFOM’s field reporter learned that when Captain Saw Akyi collected funds from each of the 6 villages on February 10th, he informed the villagers that all funds would be sent to Brigade No. 999’s commander, Major Mya Khine, at the brigade’s base near Pa-an Town. The funds’ eventual destination was never confirmed, but the villagers interviewed by HURFOM’s reporter claimed that they were too afraid of portering service to question Captain Saw Akyi’s motives or his honesty regarding the money he had collected.

A villager explained to HURFOM’s field reporter that he felt his fellow villagers were being forced to essentially buy their lives from the DKBA battalions; for this villager, escaping the dangers associated with portering was worth the funds demanded by Captain Saw Akyi.

Kawkareik residents told HURFOM’s field reporter that since the DKBA’s acceptance of the Burmese government’s Border Guard Force (BGF) agreement, the DKBA has dramatically increased the number of DKBA-run checkpoints in the rural areas of Kawkareik Township. According to the Kawkareik Township’s villagers interviewed by HURFOM, rates of cash, rice, trade goods, and raw materials demanded at each checkpoint have become so steep that man area residents, especially traders and truck drivers, have been forced to change employment merely to avoid the financial drain of DKBA checkpoint taxes.

“After the DKBA set up new check points, they collected many kinds of taxes from both truck owners and traders. I had to stop being a truck driver, and I sold off my truck and found other work, because it was too expensive. Many of my friends also had to stop being truck drivers,” a 40 year-old area resident named Ko Soe* told HURFOM.

* All names have been changed.

On January 25^th, Military Column (MC) No. 1, a joint force of soldiers from LIB No. 402  and MOMC No. 8, led by lieutenant colonel Yan Myo Aung, were conducting a patrol in KNU brigade No.6 territory. While traveling the column was ambushed by KNU forces. LIB No. 402 forces responded by entering near by Khonnawar where they gathered villagers, accused and blamed them for the ambush, of being sympathizers to KNU insurgents and of being members of KNU forces. Villagers also reported when LIB No. 402 departed they also kidnapped villagers to guard against KNU ambush.

HURFOM interviewed a villager on February 5^th, who fled from Khonnawar to Three Pagoda border town. The villager fled the same day due to abuses committed by LIB No. 402 when they retributively punished the village’s residents and kidnapped members as hostages. “About half an hour after I heard the sounds of some firing of both small and big guns, around 50 Burmese soldiers arrived in village and they gathered villagers and yelled at them [accusing them of being] rebel group [members] and rebel supporters. [They] tortured some villagers such as kicking and hitting them with the butts of their rifles, and arrested them. They stayed in the village for half an hour and then left. When they left they took around 50 male villagers to go with them. Since then no one has yet arrived home.”

The Burmese government’s Military Operation Management Command (MOMC) No. 8 which is based in Tenasserim Division, combined with LIB No. 402 under control of South East Command (SEC) in a joint operation to the area around the Karen National Union (KNU) brigade No.6 area based on Kyainnseikyi Township, Three Pagoda border town, Karen State, Burma. The column that has been sent was formed specifically for the purpose of carrying out observation and security in the area.

According a 50 year old resident who lives near Khonnawar village and has lived in the area since he was young, fighting between KNU and SPDC soldiers has occurred very often. He reports that instances of portering have happened every time SPDC soldiers arrived and entered KNU territory. In his life he was used as a porter no less than 20 times. The period of time he was forced to porter depended on the SPDC soldiers, sometimes for periods of 2 months while other times only for 3 days. While living here he has had more then 20 friends who have been maimed or killed during portering time. Many lost limbs in accidents or to land mines, some were shot to death and some died of malaria. Several kinds of torture were employed every time SPDC soldiers arrived in his village. They have used villagers as cover to guard against ambush by KNU forces, used villagers to clear land mines and forced villagers to work as porters to transport equipment and supplies.

Saw Thoo, a 22 year-old who has since fled from Khonnawar village to Three Pagoda Pass town, explained how years of SPDC abuse have driven away residents, and how the recent kidnapping has affected him. “After many villagers were taken by SPDC soldiers to go to the front line for clearing lands mine and protecting [SPDC soldiers] from KNU ambushes, many villagers form Konawar have left and moved to Three Pagoda Pass sub-town. Many people including my cousin were [recently] involved – … he is only a 15 year-old boy – every one in his family is so worried about him but they don’t know who to get him back. They are worried the SPDC has used his as a child soldier”

On Feb 3^rd, TC No. 3’s colonel Kyaw Myint, commanded headmen from 7 villages under control of the TC No.3 to order villagers to collect the supplies and bring them to the headquarters at Anankwin.

According to sources from the 7 villages, each are taxed as follows: Anankwin village providing 1000 packs of thatch leaf (each pack consisting of a ream of 50 leaves) and 100 planks and bamboo poles; Tanyin village must provide 500 packs of thatch leaf and 100 planks and 100 bamboo poles; Yelphaw village must provide 500 packs of thatch leaf, 500 planks and 100 bamboo poles; Theelone village must provide 250 packs of thatch leaf, 250 planks and 50 bamboo poles; Yathae village must provide 250 packs of thatch leaf, 250 planks and 50 bamboo poles; Puthaw village must provide 500 packs of thatch leaf, 250 planks and 50 bamboo poles; (7) Winkanae village must provide 500 packets of thatch leaf, 100 planks and 100 bamboo poles.

HURFOM’s field reporter estimates that there are nearly 500 hundred households within the 7 villages, and that the estimated total cost of the supplies demanded would be valued at close to 3,000,000 Kyat.

Kyaw Htwe, a 44 year old farmer from Tanyin village, said “We had to pay because they forced us to [pay]. If we did not pay, we couldn’t stay here. We wasted our time collecting bamboo [poles] and cutting planks of wood. We had to leave our jobs to do their jobs. Our village headman asked me to collect 35 planks of wood and 12 straight bamboo [poles]. I had to spend 1 week to get all of that material].”

A 35 year old Anankwin villager, Saw Nay Pa Lu, who is an expert in commodity prices, confirmed HURFOM’s estimate of the total cost of the building materials that colonel Kyaw Myint collected would be over three millions Kyat. “The military battalions never buy materials like that, they just get them from the resident by force. If we do not do what they ordered, they will put our names onto a black list and they can accuse us without reason all the time. Forcing us to collect [supplies] like this has happened many time before but we don’t know who we need to ask for help from to prevent these cases. That’s why whatever they command to us we have to do.[There are] no words to [act] against their orders.

According to analysis from a former Karen National Union (KNU) soldier, to prevent KNU operations and ambushes, the TC No. 3’s construction is an attempt to improve the security of its battalion headquarters. “KNU know the geography in this area well. Whatever clashes happen, the SPDC always gets the worst from the KNU. The SPDC troops could not influenced the KNU troops by fighting, so that’s the reason they [strengthen] their battalion and force the [Karen] residents to be busy with their [TC No. 3’construction] jobs.”

According to a villager in Alaesakhan, Major Nyi Nyi Soe ordered residents to start militia trainings; every household in the village was ordered to contribute one member to the new force. Individuals uninterested in joining were told that they would be forced to pay a monthly tax of 6,000 kyat following the militia’s formation. Following the issuance of Nyi Nyi Soe’s orders, many Alaesakhan residents fled from the village to their plantations, in order to avoid militia membership.

HURFOM’s field reporter learned that many villagers are reluctant to join militias because Mon rebel groups, including the Nai Chan Dein and Nai Bin groups, are active in the region. Villagers also complained that as members of the militia they would be under the command of LIB No. 282, and would likely be sent to particularly dangerous areas in the region in place of the battalion.

One villager quoted Major Nyi Nyi Soe’s speech to HURFOM, “If all of you want to protect your village, you must join the militia, don’t worry about the guns or if the government will support you, just join the militia and you will also get support from the government. If all of you have guns, you don’t need to afraid of rebel groups.”

“They just want to put us in dangerous places, because villagers have no power to fight both of them [the battalion and the armed groups], if something happens [while we are on duty] the battalion can blame it on us. We are at the mercy of both groups”, said a 32 year-old Alaesakhan villager.

According to HURFOM’s field reporter, in early February 2010, 4 Alaesakhan residents were detained by LIB No. 282 after they fled to their plantations to avoid joining the militia. When military column No. 2, under control of LIB No. 282, arrived at these villagers’ plantations, they arrested them. According to sources, the 4 villagers were bound, tortured in a variety of manners, and taken to the battalion’s camp.

Two victims from the incident were Nai Par Mon, 35 years old, and Nai Seik Nyan, 35 years old; both were Alaesakhan residents. After they were arrested, the battalion accused them of being rebel soldiers, and the two were taken to a hidden location. Alaesakhan villagers informed HURFOM that the pair has still not been heard from.

Alaesakhan is located in what the State Peace and development Council has categorized as a “black area”. Many villagers in the region face detainment and torture at the hands of both Mon rebel groups and Burmese military battalions stationed in the area.

Villagers from Kye Gaw village, Mae lay Khee village, Mae Nar Waw village, Noh Khae village, Khaw Htee Hta village, Phi Gee Khee village, Bae Lae Noh village and Bakyae village, were ordered by DKBA Colonel Saw Chit Thu to take responsibility for providing the 2 brigades with the wood and other materials to build the new base.

According to a resident of Be Lin Township, where Brigade No. 999 is currently based, the new base will be located in Kye Gaw Chaung Wa village in Bee Lin Township.

For the construction materials the Major specifically demanded villagers provide Ironwood for building in the new camp. Area residents have reported that the wood costs around 500,000 to 700,000 kyat pre ton.

Ironwoods are known for their durability and resistance to wear from natural elements due to the wood’s density. According to a resident from Mae Nar Waw village, on January 13th, Saw Zin Aung who is a high ranked administrative officer responsible for DKBA Brigade No. 333 demanded villagers bring 7,500 wood planks from villages near his own village.  The planks were specifically to be sized 4 x 0.75 inches. The villager provided a list to the HURFOM reporter of the names of the villages and the number of wood planks each village brought to the location of the new base in Kye Gaw Chaung Wa.  The villages are Ba Kyae – 500 planks, Baewar Chaung – 1,000 planks, Khaw Htee Khee – 1,000 planks, Khaw Htee Htar -1,000 planks, Phi Gee Khee – 500 planks, Bae Lae Noh – 2500 planks and Noh Khae – 1,000 planks.

Villagers in Mae Nar Waw reported being unable to afford Ironwood, forcing some to travel into the forest to find any wood, instead of Ironwood, that could be used for building. On the orders of Col Chit Thu, Mae Nar Waw village had to give 12,000 ironwood planks and 300 bamboo poles to the construction project.

According to one villager, 20 Ironwood poles cost 35,000 kyat. It remains unclear as to what results failure to collect the demanded building materials will bring. Villagers have stated that in past experiences where they were unable to provide the DKBA with the supplies they demanded, which resulted frequently in threats shouted at villagers, and verbal abused at gunpoint, until they managed to meet the demands.

“Many villagers in my village live in a hand to mouth situation,” lamented a Mae Nar Waw villager. “We have no idea how or where we can get ironwood, so we decided to find some other kinds of wood instead.”

According to a Khaw Htee Khee resident, some villagers could not afford price of the wood planks and nails. Some villagers had even to sell things such as livestock.

A widow from To Khaw Htee Khee told the HURFOM field reporter that, even though she is 59 years-old, she had to provide 30 planks of wood and 3,000 kyat for nail. She had to let her 14 year-old son accompany other villagers to cut planks of wood from the forest. But he was unable to due to the difficulty in felling and then cutting trees in to 30 plans, despite assistance from other villages. The mother of the 14-year-old boy described that when he arrived home he cried because he had no idea where he could get 30 planks of wood.

“At first I had hoped that in cooperating with the regime the DKBA could help villagers, such as less portering, [less] force labor and less taxation, but the reality is they also are involved in these the same as the regime,” the widow stated. “We villagers have to provide 2 times as much compared to the past, because villagers not only have to provide to State Peace and Development Council but also Democratic Karen Buddhist Army.”

The women explained to Labour Rights Promotion Network (LPN) field officer that she was preparing to go to work when three policemen knocked on her door and arrested her. The woman cannot speak or understand Thai and the officers did not speak Burmese or offer a description of her charges. She also stated that earlier in the day, on two separate occasions, she saw the same officers knocking on her neighbors’ door; which are well known throughout the community for drug distribution. At the time of her arrest the officers were not wearing uniforms.

From the police station the confused woman called her Thai literate son for help. Upon arrival an officer informed her son that his mother was being charged with selling marijuana and her bail was set at 50,000 baht (1,520 USD) and if not paid immediately they would put her in jail. The son returned home in efforts to raise the necessary funds, but without relatives or a support network in Mahachai he was unsuccessful.

“Please help me, don’t let me be alone. Why are they [Thai authorities] making me stay here? I don’t sell drugs; I have never seen any in my life. What ever they said I understand nothing and I was afraid of them.” The woman said, while in Thai custody, to the LPN field officer.

Three days after her arrest the police questioned her without a translator present and coerced her into signing a statement admitting that she was selling drugs. The woman is currently being held in Brohamin jail in Mahachai while she waits for a court hearing.

According to the LPN field officer, cases like this are very common, and LPN often handles incidences of Burmese migrant workers being wrongfully arrested by Thai authorities and then threatened with extortion or jail. LPN is a Thai NGO based in Praek sub-district, Muang district, Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, which focuses on protecting labor rights.

The woman, originally from Lamine Sub-Township, Ye Township, Mon State, migrated to Thailand one year ago. She had migrated to meet her son and escape a jobless market in Burma. During the night she legally works at a prawn factory and during the day her son works at Asia Sea Food Factory.