{"id":65706,"date":"2003-05-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2003-05-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freeburmarangers.org\/2003\/05\/01\/relief-mission-south-eastern-shan-states\/"},"modified":"2003-05-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2003-05-01T00:00:00","slug":"relief-mission-south-eastern-shan-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.freeburmarangers.org\/my\/2003\/05\/01\/relief-mission-south-eastern-shan-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Relief Mission: South-Eastern Shan States"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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FBR Relief Mission to the South-Eastern Shan States, March 2003
December 30, 2002 – January 20, 2003 <\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Karen State, Burma<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
28 March, 2003<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Three Shan victims of rape<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Opium field in area under Burma Army control<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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Mission Purpose:<\/span> <\/p>\n

The purpose of this relief mission to the South-Eastern Shan States was to bring help, hope and love to the IDPs and villagers of this area. A joint Karen\/Karenni Relief Team and a Shan (SSA) relief team conducted a brief (2 weeks), mission in March 2003. The combined teams provided medical care, distributed educational supplies, “Good Life Club” packs, bibles, sporting equipment and toys, cassette tape players and educational tapes as well as clothes and other supplies to IDPs and villagers. The teams also encouraged the people by reminding them that they were not forgotten and even though they lived under the oppression of the Burma Army, God loved them and the world cared about them.<\/p>\n

Mission Report:<\/span><\/p>\n

Relief mission to the South Eastern Shan States, March 11-25, 2003.\u00a0 This area is controlled by the Burma Army and United Wa State Army (UWSA- Wei Zau Kang).\u00a0 The Shan resistance (Shan State Army, SSA), attempts to resist the Burma Army and provide some safe areas for fleeing IDP’s.\u00a0 Shan IDPs continue to escape from Burma Army forced relocation sites at major towns and roads.\u00a0 They leave in small numbers of 1-3 families and make their way to SSA areas or into Thailand.\u00a0 During this relief mission the team documented cases of rape, torture and forced labor as well as Burma Army involvement in the production and trafficking of heroin and amphetamines.\u00a0 The relief mission went to Shan, Pa-O, Chinese, and other IDPs as well as villagers living under the Burma Army and UWSA rule.\u00a0 IDPs and villagers received medical treatment, good life club packs, and cassette tape players, tapes and educational supplies.\u00a0 The mission area was from Mai Soong (south of Mong Hsat, Burma), in the east, to Kang Pha in the west (northeast of Ho Mong, Burma), and north up to the Salween river.\u00a0 In this area the Burma Army and UWSA exercise joint control over the population as well as the growing of opium and the manufacturing of heroin.\u00a0 There is one main dirt road that runs from Ho Mong in the west north above the Thai border and east to Mong Kyawt and on to Mang Hsat and to the Thai border vicinity Piang Luang.\u00a0 Joint Burma and UWSA units are stationed along this road as well as in outposts in the surrounding mountains.\u00a0 In most villages at 3,000 foot elevation or above, opium is grown.\u00a0 This opium is taxed yearly by the Burma Army and transported along the main dirt road east through Burma Army and UWSA outposts to heroin refineries at Kang Pha, Mong Htaw, and Mong Kyawt.\u00a0 These labs are operated by Chinese technicians (mostly from Khua Sa’s defunct MTA), and guarded by Burma Army units as well as the UWSA. There are heroin and amphetamine laboratories in Ho Mong under joint control of the Burma Army and SSS-South Shan State army-under the ethnic Wa leader Maha Ja.\u00a0\u00a0
Across the Salween to the north, most Shan people have been forcefully relocated to Mong Pan and\u00a0 Mong Ken Tong (a forced relocation site north of Mong Pan), leaving mostly Lahu, Lisu and Pa-O highland villages.\u00a0 These villagers are ordered to produce opium by the Burma Army and are taxed annually.\u00a0 The general situation is bleak, with over 15,000 Shan displaced in this area (there are more than 300,000 total displaced in the Shan States), and much of the remaining population engaged in the production of narcotics under the control of the Burma Army, directly or through the Burma Army controlled UWSA and SSS. The area the relief teams worked in was entirely under the thrall of opium and heroin. Up to a third of the male population of each village visited was smoking opium, laying in small huts, drugged and apathetic. The women do most the work and aside from the two IDP sites secured by the SSA, there were no schools or clinics. The Burma Army taxes each village for its opium and directly oversees two of the three heroin labs in the area (Mong Htaw and Mong Kyawt). The SSA state they are not involved in the narcotics trade and have a policy to fight narcotics production and trafficking. <\/p>\n

Interviews with Rape Victims:<\/span><\/p>\n

The team interviewed three Shan IDP women who were raped by soldiers of the Burma Army between April and August 2002. Their names and villages have been suppressed for their protection. <\/p>\n

1). Nang Xxx, 33 yrs. old, married with 2 children. In August of 2002 she was raped in her rice field in the vicinity of Xxx village, which is near Wan Kun Lu village.\u00a0 The soldier who raped her was one of thirty Burma Army soldiers on patrol. The soldiers held her down and one raped her. There were three other women raped in her village.\u00a0 Her husband was also frequently forced to porter for the Burma Army and was beaten. They fled to an IDP site at Xxx\u00a0 Xxx in December, 2002.
2). Nang Xxx 37 yrs. old, married with 2 children.\u00a0 In August of 2002 she was raped by a soldier of the Burma Army in her home at Wan Xxx, Lai Ka township.\u00a0 During the rape she lost consciousness.\u00a0 Five or six Burma Army soldiers came into her house.\u00a0 One soldier held her arms and covered her eyes with a cloth, while another held her feet and a third soldier raped her.\u00a0 The other soldiers stole her goods and shot two chickens with a slingshot.\u00a0 “I screamed but there were only women in the village at the time and I was helpless. I passed out.\u00a0 We came herein December of 2002, 2 months ago. I am very afraid. My heart is weak now because I am so afraid.”\u00a0
3). Nang Xx Xxx, 37 yrs. old, married with 1 child,\u00a0 from Xxx Xx village, which is near Wan Hi Seng village. In April of 2002, she was walking to take rice to her husband in their rice field when “many” Burma Army troops appeared.\u00a0 Five or six raped her.\u00a0 She lost consciousness and was later found by relatives and taken by oxcart to the village clinic.\u00a0 Her husband found her there.\u00a0 “We came here because I was raped, the Burma Army oppressed us and we were afraid.\u00a0 In the past two years there has been a great increase in rapes in our area of the Shan States.\u00a0 We want the world to know it; to help us go home.\u00a0 The SSA help us here but we want to go home.\u00a0 No one is left at our village, all have fled.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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Burma Army, UWSA (Wei Zau Kang) and SSS Units:<\/span> <\/p>\n

The total military strength Burma Army, UWSA and SSS in this area south of the Salween from Ho Mong in the West to Mong Kyawt in the east is 2000-2200 soldiers. Burma Army: 750-800 troops. UWSA: 700-800 troops. SSS: 500- 600 troops.<\/p>\n

Burma Army Infantry Battalions 43 and 65 secure the area along with UWSA soldiers under Wei Zau Kang.\u00a0 There is also a unit of “SSS” (South Shan State army) under Maha Ja (a mix of ethnic groups but mostly Wa), who cover all movement from Ho Mong to Kang Pha. The dirt road from Ho Mong north to the Salween is being improved by the Burma Army and the SSS. The main road in the area is east- west road running west from Mong Htaw\u00a0 to Ho Mong in the west. The road is 5-6 meters wide, well graded, dirt and is is used all year except during the rainy season. During the dry season a 4wd is not needed. This road also continues east from Mong Htaw to Mong Hsat and south east to Mai Soong. Burma Army Outposts are located between Kang Pha (N 19 44 10 E 098 11 50) and Mong Htaw (N 19 54 50 E 098 44 10). Note: Burma Army = BA,\u00a0 Wa Army = WA,\u00a0 Maha Ja Wa Army = SSS
Kang Pha:\u00a0 30 BA,\u00a0 30 WA,\u00a0 1-81mm mortar\u00a0
Kong Tevee: 50 BA,\u00a0 50 WA, 40-50 Chinese (from Khun Sa’s Army-his secretariet and aids) 1-81 mortar
San Sue:\u00a0 30 BA,\u00a0 30 WA
Pa Lai:\u00a0 25 WA
Kai Lung:\u00a0 30 WA
Nam Kat:\u00a0 30 WA
Loi Homa:\u00a0 50 WA
Ho Lang:\u00a0 30 WA
Mong Htaw:\u00a0 50-100 BA, 50 WA, (on nearby mountain), 30 Chinese (to run the heroin lab here), 81mm mortar.
Mong Hta:\u00a0 100 BA, 1-2 81 mm mortars.
Pang Haw:\u00a0 60 BA
Huay Yeow:\u00a0 100 BA
Kan Kaw:\u00a0 60 BA
Mai Soong:\u00a0 60-80 BA, 81mm and 120mm mortars.Mong Kyawt:\u00a0 100 BA, 150 WA, 25 Kokang (KKY), 30 Lahu (KKY), 35-45 Chinese, 81mm mortars. <\/p>\n

Ho Mong: 100 BA , 300 SSS and 200-300 SSS along Ho Mong valley north to the Salween river. Also 40-50 BA at Salween outpost.<\/p>\n

Daily Mission Report:<\/span> <\/p>\n

March 11, 2003- March 12, 2000
<\/u>Infil- foot movement.
March 12, 2003
<\/u>The relief teams traveled to first IDP village of Ban Mai Lam Kai.
Location:\u00a0 N XXX E XXX.\u00a0 Elevation: XXX<\/p>\n

The IDP’s came here 2 years ago from Ban Mai Lam Kai, Shan States.There is one school here with one teacher and 20 students. The team handed out gifts including school supplies and\u00a0 tape recorders\/cassettes, good life club packs and toys for the children.\u00a0\u00a0 The team set up a back-pack dental chair and treated 6 patients by drilling and filling one tooth and extracting 15 teeth. 50 patients were treated in the medical clinic set up by the team.\u00a0 Most common illnesses treated: acute respiratory infection (ARI), dysentery, URI, and common cold.Special cases included three women with problems during their pregnancy:\u00a0 dizziness, low blood pressure and bleeding.\u00a0 Training began for the SSA medics.
\u00a0Interviews:<\/u> Village headman:\u00a0 Xxx Xxx, is 44 yrs old and he came here because the Burmese military burned his village and “oppressed the people”.\u00a0 He has seen 2 people killed by the Burma Army with his own eyes.\u00a0 Xxxx Xxx Xx, male, 48 yrs. old.\u00a0 He is married and has 4 children.\u00a0 In 1997, the Burma Army began forced relocation from his area so he hid in the jungle secretly growing his rice.\u00a0 The Burma Army found him in 1998 and burned his rice.\u00a0 He was shot twice by the Burma Army because they believed he was a Wa soldier.\u00a0 He has been here at this IDP site for 2 years. The name of the forced relocation site he fled from is Pang Long.
March 13, 2000
<\/u>The team moved on north. Enroute, passed an old heroin lab along a stream, from Khun Sa’s time (55 gallon drums, bottles, pots, cans of chemicals-empty, cooking\/rendering pits, hoses).
March 14, 2003
<\/u>Crossed the main east-west dirt road. During the day came upon an elephant that died after stepping on a Burma Army landmine. Evidence of an old heroin lab spotted near river during foot movement. SSA reported that it used to be operated by Khun Sa.
March 15, 2003
<\/u>Walked north and arrived at an opium plantation.
Location: N 19 58 8 E 098 24 42 Elevation 1465 m. The team was told that the Burma Army contacts for businessmen to hire local villagers (IDP’s) to harvest the poppy fields. Continued on to Jew Kaw village.\u00a0 Location: N 19 58 21 E 098 25 05 Elevation: 1381 m.\u00a0 On\u00a0 March 1, 2003 a Burma Army unit came here to collect opium taxes.\u00a0 They came from a southern camp, Kong Te Wee, on their way to the Salween River.\u00a0 These IDP’s have been living here for about ten years.
Opium field on all the surrounding hills and over 1\/3 of the male population are opium addicts. Passed another old heroin lab from Khun Sa’s time. The medics begin to treat patients upon arrival, including one eye surgery.
March 16, 2003
<\/u>Village: Jew Kaw, 102 people (20 families) live here with opium as the main revenue. No school, no clinic.
The relief teams set up a dental and medical clinic area in the morning.\u00a0 Seventy patients were treated for various illnesses: malaria, vitamin deficiency, gastric problems, respiratory infection, and trauma. The chief medic performed surgery successfully on an older man who had a piece of bamboo in his foot which required 3 stitches.\u00a0\u00a0 Fourteen extractions in the dental clinic.
Training continued for the SSA medics.\u00a0 After the clinic the team handed out “Good Life Club” packs to the village children. Interview; Xxx Xx (Xx year old with X children), explained to us that the Burma Army came to this village 3 times a year and taxed\u00a0 8,000 Baht, 1 _ viss of opium and 1 chicken per family.\u00a0 The Burma Army were last here March 1, 2003, and slept in the village 1 night.\u00a0 Most of the people here originally came from Wan Pong township but fled Burma Army oppression.\u00a0\u00a0
Walked to the village of Tam Bo. Location: N 19 55 26 E 098 22 02.\u00a0 1351m\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
This village is also surrounded by opium fields.\u00a0 Similar to the first village, many of the people here are addicts.\u00a0 The team saw patients and ended the night with a prayer service.
March 17, 2003
<\/u>Village: Tam Bo.\u00a0 Location: N 19 55 26 E 098 22 02\u00a0 Elevation: 1351m\u00a0\u00a0
The teams provided medical and dental care, treating 70 patients.\u00a0 Most common illnesses:\u00a0 malaria, acute respiratory infection (ARI), high and low blood pressure, and pregnancy related problems.\u00a0 Three people had dental work, 2 extractions and 2 fillings including. Day of Prayer for Burma information and literature was distributed. This village has twenty houses, no school and no clinic.Move to Loi Vieng village; arrived at dusk after walking for several hours and once again passed many opium fields. Burma Army now following the teams, but no contact. <\/p>\n

March 18, 2003
<\/u>Loi Vieng village. Location: N 19 58 10 E 098 17 57\u00a0 Elevation: 1246m\u00a0 This is a trading village that has been established for many years.\u00a0 There is no school or clinic.\u00a0 The teams treated 56 patients and 2 dental patients (1 extraction, 1 cleaning). Common illnesses:\u00a0 vitamin deficiency, hypertension, acute respiratory infection (ARI), and gastric problems. One small boy with severe skin infection and ulcers treated. Movement to next village of Nam Mak Thee. Location: N 19 56 38 E 098 16 29\u00a0 Elevation: 827m. It is a very developed village with 1 store that Burma Army soldiers frequent as well as UWSA.\u00a0 It is approximately 1 hour from the car road. <\/p>\n

March 19, 2003
<\/u>Nam\u00a0 Mak Thee village:\u00a0 More patients were treated in the morning and the continued training the Shan medic and other Shan soldiers. 80 patients treated total. Burma Army now send three columns after the relief team. Departed Nam Mak Thee and moved south-west. Enroute the team met a spur road of the main east-west car road and came upon a\u00a0 4wd pick-up truck with Burmese plates.\u00a0 Location: N 19 54 45 E 098 16 08.\u00a0 Elevation: 786m.The truck had just dropped off a group of Chinese further south along the road and was delivering was delivering supplies to villagers in the area. The team continued walking and found the group of Chinese who had constructed a sleeping hut and kitchen. They had also started work on what the SSA said was to be a heroin laboratory.\u00a0 There was 6′ long by 4′ wide and 3′ deep pit dug 20-30′ feet above a small stream. This was similar to the other old heroin laboratories we had encountered earlier. The team was told that the pit is for the boiling and rendering of raw opium which is then gravity fed down to bottles below. When questioned the Chinese group said they were “making white powder”. This can mean the making of lime or it is also the expression for refining opium to heroin. They would not answer for who they were making the powder and were visibly nervous and angry. The SSA said these Chinese were working for the UWSA (Wei Zau Kang), under the protection of the Burma Army. The SSA said that the SSA and UWSA try to avoid attacking each but that the SSA will attack all known narcotics sites. According to the SSA, this site would not be attacked at this time as there were not yet any narcotics here, this was a relief mission and they wanted to avoid a fight, and since the Burma Army was closely following the team, this site should only be reported on at this time. The SSA said they did not want to fight fellow ethnics and any attack on UWSA operations had to be cleared with the SSA Headquarters. The team moved on. Location of this site: N 19 53 59 E 098 15 38\u00a0 Elevation: 776m .<\/p>\n

Note: The following written orders from the Burma Army and UWSA outpost at Kong Tee Wee\u00a0 to area villages were shown to the team.
<\/u>#1. 26 November 2002
\u00a0“Send us chickens, 2 _ viss, to Kong Tee Wee,” from Battalion 43.
#2. 12 March 2002
From:\u00a0 Kong Tee Wee Camp- Commander Aye Win, Burma Army, (Here is also the UWSA and 30-40 Chinese from the past MTA)\u00a0
\u00a0“To the headman of Kong Ka village, from Kong Tee Wee, ‘To all villagers, we need your help.\u00a0 Send 4,000 Baht from all villages in the area.’\u00a0 ‘Don’t say we can’t help’.\u00a0 “You have to help us always and in the future.”\u00a0 “Send the money to Tam Bo village or bring it to Kong Tee Wee.\u00a0 Tam Bo village headman will collect the money from other villages.”
“Written By Chum Hom Lom”\u00a0 (Chinese from Chinese unit at Kay Tee Wee, attached to Battalion 43 of Burma Army).
The relief team continues to move south and cross the main east-west car road.<\/p>\n

March 20
<\/u>Team moves on and enroute passes a old heroin lab (Khun Sa), and continues movement to IDP site at Xxx.
March 21
<\/u>The team conducted a clinic and 3 dental patients treated and 12 medical patients were treated at this IDP site.<\/p>\n

The team conducted interviews and prayed with 3 Shan rape victims (see beginning of this report). The team interviewed and prayed with two men who had been forced to porter for the Burma Army. 1) Loong XXX, 50 yrs, male, wife and 4 children, from Xxx Xxx, Shan States. Forced to porter for the Burma Army 10 yrs ago and was fed only a hand full of rice every day. ” I was beaten with a heavy stick until I passed out. They fractured my skull, broke my jaw and cheek and blinded me in one eye. Then they left me for dead. Some villagers found me and helped me.”\u00a0 When he could he fled with his family to the jungle and eventually made it to this IDP site. 2) Sai XXX, age 30. Shot the mouth by the Burma Army as he tried to run away from portering duties. Still severly scarred and has difficulty eating. There are also 8 victims of landmines at this site, each missing a leg.\u00a0March 22\u00a0
<\/u>Team treated patients, 4 dental and 8 medical and visited IDP school.March 23
Medical and dental treatment. 12 medical patients, 1 dental.\u00a0 One surgery was performed on a young girl who had a severe infection in her finger.\u00a0 She received a few stitches and was informed about how to take care of her wound as well as given antibiotics. Training. Team held a worship service.
March 24\u00a0
<\/u>Treated 6 medical patients and 3 dental (1 extraction, 2 filling). Medical and dental training for Shan team.\u00a0
Team distributes medical supplies to IDP clinic at this site. Team conducts an After Action Review (AAR).
AAR
Note; The team interviewed many SSA soldiers during this mission and the following are two examples.
Xx Xx is 33 yrs old and joined the SSA 4 months ago.\u00a0 He went through basic training for 2 months and this is his first mission. He said that he could no longer watch his people suffer the oppression of the Burma Army and had to do something to fight it so he joined the SSA.\u00a0 His hope is that all Shan people as well as all people in Burma will have freedom one day.\u00a0 When asked about what he thought about the mission he said he thought it was very good and would like to continue this type of work helping his people.
Xxx Xxx is 35 yrs old and joined the SSA in December 2002.\u00a0 He said he could not sit back and watch his people suffer any longer under the Burma Army so he joined the SSA.\u00a0 Eleven years ago he left his home to look for work. His family in Burma are farmers, but they are unable to farm due to the Burma Army’s oppression.\u00a0 This is his first mission and when asked what he thought about it he said he thought it was very good.\u00a0 He said, “we have our own land and homes that we love, I would like to see my country be free.”
When asked about this mission every soldier the team talked to said they would like to do it again. They wanted to bring aid, medical care and hope for their people. They all stressed the fact that they wanted to continue to work together with different ethnic groups with the goal being freedom for all people of Burma. <\/p>\n

March 25:\u00a0 Depart- Mission complete.
<\/u>For all those that pray for and support these missions, thank you and God bless you. <\/p>\n

ENDS<\/p>\n