Villagers flees from death threat

Villagers flees from death threat

Shan villagers who arrived recently in Thailand's northern border reported that they could stay no more in their ancestral land because of the threat to the lives of their families, according to a report S.H.A.N. received yesterday. 

8 villagers together with their family members who sought sanctuary in Fang, 160 km from Chiangmai, said they were from Naniu Village, Wanna Tract, Mongton township, the seat of which is 83 km from the Thai border. 

On 4 October, 17 of the villagers, including themselves, received an order from Captain Maung Shwe, Commander, Company 3, LIB 519 (Mongton) to build fences and dig ditches around the company base camp. "One of us, Loong Kaw, 53, was ill and, as a result, could work only very slowly and took too much rest. The soldiers accused him of being lazy and kicked him until he became unconscious. They then took a big stick and beat him at the nape of the neck once and he fell down dead in the ditch," said one. 

Maung Shwe then lined up the rest and warned them not to utter a word about the incident because the alternative would be death to all of them and their families. 

The villagers also had another "bonus", said another source. They had to pay for the transport of Loong Kaw's remains back to the village, K 3,000. 

The incident occurred while the ILO investigation team was still in Burma. The country, according to Rangoon authorities, had already banned forced labor since 14 May 1999. 

Update 31 October 2001

This is also reported in Shan Human Rights Foundation's October 2001 report. The ILO reportedly met some of the witnesses on 12 October.