MORE SLORC ORDERS TO KAREN VILLAGES
An Independent Report by the
Karen Human Rights Group
May 11, 1994
Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by Karen villages, copies of which have been obtained by the Karen Human Rights Group. All of the orders were signed by SLORC officers, and in most cases were stamped with the unit stamp. Photocopies of the order documents themselves may be enclosed with this report, and if not they are available on request. Where necessary, the names of people, villages, and armycamps have been blanked out and denoted by 'xxxx' to protect the villagers. Many of the orders end with phrases like "Should you fail to obey it will be your responsibility". The villagers know that this means that should they fail for any reason, SLORC will likely send troops to loot the village, destroy some houses, seize porters, or in some cases shell the village with mortars.
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Order #1
Stamp:
Frontline Command
Frontline #42 Infantry Battalion
No. 42 Infantry Battalion
Column 1
xxxx Village
Letter No. 109/4/001
Date 30-1-1994
To/
Chairman
Village Law and Order Restoration Committee
xxxx Village
Subject: Informing you that if an army truck sets off a land mine and is destroyed,
your village will have to pay compensation.
Reference: Ya Ta Ka Pa Ca (33) of 94, 28-1-94, 1600 hours.
Overtime Message No. 54 Ye 2
1) With reference to the order from Forward Command of No. 33 Division to all Battalions under its command, all villages in the area specified in that order must provide road security day and night.
2) Villages must keep watch day and night. If an army truck is destroyed by a land
mine, then villages in the area will be liable and must take responsibility as follows:
a) If an army truck is destroyed by a land
mine, the villages must pay a penalty of 1,000,000 Kyat (One Million Kyat).
b) This penalty money must be paid within (7)
days.
c) If a village fails to pay, it will be burnt
down, the villagers will be forced to relocate and their livestock and other property will
be confiscated by the Army.
d) Village leaders must come early in the
morning at 5 a.m. every day to report to the Army officer.
3) Starting with the next convoy [after a mine explosion], the villagers in
the area will have to ride along on the trucks.
[Sd. illegible]
Column Commander
Frontline Command
No. 42 Infantry Battalion
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Order #2
To Chairman
Date 15-1-94
xxxx village
Chairman of xxxx: As soon as you receive this letter, you must send (2) couriers to T--- village immediately. If you do not comply, we will bomb your village with heavy weapons.
[signed Kyaw Oo (?)]
on behalf of 2nd Column Commander
Stamp:
#120 Light Infantry
Col. 2 Headquarters
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Order #3
Stamp:
Southwest Command Headquarters
Southwest Command HQ
#2 Strategic Command Group
#2 Strategic Command Group
Pain Neh Daw Camp
Letter No. 1/2/1/U 1
To:
Date: 1994 March 4
Chairman
Village Law & Order Restoration Council
xxxx Village
Subject: Due to Government forestry laws, cutting and selling wood is prohibited
1) Regarding the above subject: due to the government forestry laws, unless you get a
legal licence you cannot cut wood into timber, establish any kind of sawmill, carry, buy,
or sell timber. All of these acts are strictly forbidden.
2) Unless you get a legal licence, you cannot use convoys of private vehicles to transport
timber.
3) Villagers must comply with the above order. If you do not, we will take action
according to the law, we hereby inform you.
[Sd. illegible]
(on behalf of) Operations Commander
[Note: This order was distributed to many villages. These same villages are now receiving SLORC orders to cut hundreds of tons of logs and firewood and ship it to SLORC army camps (see the next order), where the soldiers have it transported to market and sell it. This order is not intended to protect the forest, only to make sure that local villagers derive no profit from it. These profits are reserved for military units and "licence holders", generally Burmese businessmen with military links or foreign contractors who have paid large "licence fees" to the SLORC Army.]
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Order #4
Stamp:
No. 1 Strategic Command
Southwest Command Headquarters
Southwest Command Headquarters
#1 Strategic Command
Letter No. 003/3/St. Cmd. 1/ Ye 2
Date: 1994 May [sic] 30
To: Chairman
xxxx Village
Subject: Further Request for (Class 2 Hardwoods) of at least one-ton size
Regarding the above subject, to develop the car road and bridges for Win Ta Pat and Lay Kay, materials are needed for the road and bridges. Your village's quota for #2 Class Hardwoods weighing more than 1 ton per log is (75) tons, with each log having circumference between 2 feet and 4 feet, length 10 feet [this is hard to read - it is either 10 or 18 feet], by 1994-May- ....... inform you. [Unfortunately, the second half of this order paper is missing.]
[Note: This order was sent to villages throughout the area. Note that it comes from Southwest Command Headquarters, the same group that issued the preceding order strictly forbidding villagers from cutting, transporting, buying, selling or carrying wood. People in the area confirm that most of this timber being ordered by SLORC is not for bridges at all, but is later sold with all profit going directly to SLORC Army Southwest Command.]
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Order #5
Stamp:
No. 2 Company
Date: 2/1/94
No. 84 Infantry
To/ Chairman
xxxx village
Subject: To provide road security effectively
1) Regarding the above subject, you must provide road security in the xxxx river area
at xxxx village. This must be done effectively. If anyone sees anything unusual they
must report it immediately.
2) If any landmine explodes in the area you are responsible and you will have to pay
50,000 Kyat compensation. In addition, we will drive you out of your village. You will
have to sign verifying that you have received and understood this order.
3) You must clear the bushes within 100 yards on both sides of the road in the area you
have been given responsibility for.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
No. 2 Company
No. 84 Infantry Battn.
xxxx Army Camp
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Order #6
Stamp:
Frontline #302 Light Infantry Battn.
No. 302 Light Infantry Battn.
Estimate (H-036003)
Column 1 HQ
Letter # 2100/20/U 5
Date 1994-March-15
To: Village Head
xxxx village tract
Subject: Collection of compensation for mine explosion
1) Regarding the above subject, because a landmine exploded between xxxx village and
xxxx village on 13-3-94, you must pay compensation of 3,000/- (three thousand Kyat
exactly).
2) Send the above amount of money to xxxx village head (xxxx) on 16-3-94 at the latest.
[Sd. illegible]
cc: Office Copy
(on
behalf of) Acting Commander
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Order #7
Receipt
xxxx, village head, xxxx village,
FOR the land mine explosion near xxxx village
Total sum in money for the above 20,000 Kyat
In Words: (Twenty Thousand Kyat)
exactly.
7-2-92 this amount has been received by me on this date.
Following the order from #99 Division frontline headquarters.
Money transferred by:
Received by: [Signature]
Signature: [Thumbprint]
Signature:
Army Serial No.:
Army Serial No.: Army 22169
Name:
xxxx
Name:
Lieut. Nyo Soe Min
Rank:
Rank:
Army Department: xxxx Village
Army Department: Frontline #84
Location:
Location:
Date: 7-2-92
Date: 7-2-92
[Note: this is a standard Army receipt form. The writing filling in the blanks is shown in italics. Nyo Soe Min is still demanding landmine compensation money these days, only now he is a Captain, Commander of Company #1 of 84 Battalion, and now he demands much more each time.]
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Order #8
Stamp:
24-2-94
No. 119 Light Infantry
To/
Column #1
Mother xxxx, and xxxx
Mother, I your son miss you, so I've written you this letter informing you to send seven male porters to me tomorrow, on the 25th or 26th, to xxxx. We will have you replace them once a week. Be sure to send them.
Missing you,
[Signature/24-2-94]
Lt. Min Than
Intelligence Officer
[Note: Most village heads are now middle-aged to elderly women, because the soldiers don't torture or kill them as often as men. SLORC soldiers often refer to older women villagers as "Mother".]
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Order #9
Stamp:
No. 84 Infantry
Date: 28-12-93
No. 5 Company To/
Chairman
xxxx village
Subject: Do not sleep at your farms or fields.
Regarding the above subject, your village chairman must inform the villagers not to sleep in their farm or field huts. If we meet these villagers by accident while we are on patrol we will not take responsibility for what happens to them. We also order you to send wood and bamboo to xxxx Army Camp on 1-1-94.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
No. 5 Company
[Note: Many villagers' farm fields are far from their villages, so during the growing season they build huts at their farms and stay there. Otherwise they will not have time to do all their field work, and animals will eat their crops by night. The real meaning of this SLORC order is to declare all areas outside of villages as free-fire zones where civilians will be shot on sight, and the villagers know this well.]
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Order #10
To: Village Head
xxxx village
Subject: Going to your fields or farms
When the villagers go to their farms or fields, they must only take enough food for one person for one day, never for any more than one day. If we discover any disobedience to this order it will be your responsibility.
Stamp:
Location: xxxx Army Camp
Frontline #307
[Sd. illegible]
Date: 11-9-93
Light Infantry Battn.
Army Intelligence Officer
Column #1
xxxx Army Camp
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Order #11
To
Chairman
xxxx village
Date 4-5-93
Subject: To send villagers to the army camp for courier duty
1) Regarding the above subject, every village in the M--- area, eleven villages, must gather information regarding KNU rebel movements within a three-mile radius of their village. This must be reported by courier to the SLORC army camp at 10 a.m. each day.
2) Regarding the above, if we discover that you are not supplying information on KNU rebel movements then we will assume that your village is collaborating with the KNU, so we will destroy your village and relocate the villagers.
Stamp:
[Sd. illegible]
No. 308 Light Infantry
Intelligence Officer
Frontline #1 Headquarters
Frontline #308 Light Infantry
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Order #12
Stamp:
27 Dec. 93, 1000 hours
Frontline No. 42 Infantry Battn.
Chairman (village
head)
Column No. 2
xxxx village
For sentry duty we need 12 people with food for 3 days. You yourself must bring them to the column at xxxx. You must do this without fail. We have informed you.
[Sd. illegible]
Army Serial No. 14705
Major Maung Maung Kyaw
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Order #13
To:
Date: 10-3-94
Naw xxxx
When the courier arrives with this order, send 5 replacement porters if you can on
11-3-94. If you can't, just replace 4 of them and bring money for the other. Also, send 25
big bamboos to xxxx on the evening of 12-3-94. This is the last time. Give me help. Bring
rice for the porters as well. (That's all.)
Respectfully,
[Sd. illegible]
Than Htun
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Order #14
To: xxxx Date: 13-3-94
If you get this letter please send us the 21 big bamboos which I've asked you for. Send them to xxxx. This is the last time. This time when you come to replace the porters please bring money for 3 persons. Nothing left to say.
Respectfully,
[Sd. illegible]
Than Htun
[Note: The "money for 3 persons" means ransom money to buy the freedom of 3 porters currently being held.]
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Order #15
To:
Date: 19-3-94
xxxx village, Head.
Naw xxxx
Come to me immediately when you get this letter. Bring 2 villagers with you for sentry duty.
[Sd. illegible]
Sgt. Than Htay
Frontline #84
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Order #16
Stamp:
Frontline No. 51 Infantry Battn
29-3-94.
Column 1 HQ
To/ Village Head
(xxxx) village
Subject: Changeover of porters and couriers
Regarding the above subject, send us the same number of people to replace those already here, working for Frontline No. 51 Infantry Battalion at xxxx Army Camp. We inform you that you must not fail to send us these porters and couriers.
[Sd. illegible]
Military Intelligence Officer
Frontline #51 Infantry Battn.
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Order #17
Stamp:
No. 2 Company
No. 84 Infantry
To/ Chairman
Date: 1/1/94
xxxx village
Subject: Providing security for the road and attending a meeting
1) Regarding the above subject, divide your village into sections to take turns
providing security for the road. Also, come for a meeting on January 2, 1994 at xxxx Army
Camp so we can tell you what you need to know.
2) Do not fail in this. If you fail it will be your responsibility.
[Sd. illegible, 1/1/94]
Company Commander
No. 2 Company
No. 84 Light Infantry Battn.
[Note: SLORC demands a certain number of slaves from each village based on village size. The village head is then told to "divide the village into sections" so that each group of families within the village does their share of the slave labour.]
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Order #18
Stamp:
Date 14-8-93
No. 14 Infantry
No. 2 Company
Chairmen (Village heads)
Date 14-8-93
xxxx & yyyy Villages
Subject: Summoning free labour
1) Regarding the above subject, the labourers which we summoned for the 18th are now
required on the 17th. Each person must come with a machete to the army camp as soon as
possible.
2) You must comply without fail.
[Sd. illegible]
Company commander
No. 2 Company
No. 14 Infantry
xxxx army camp
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Order #19
3-5-94
Mother
Mother, send us 20 cattle carts on the 5th of this month.
xxxx Army Camp [Sd. "Aye/2"]
Note: Important. To carry wood and bamboo.
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Order #20
Stamp:
No. 84 Infantry
No. 5 Company
To/ Chairman
xxxx village
Subject: To send cattle carts Date 30-12-93
Regarding the above subject, for use by our operations column our Battalion needs 3 carts and 30 logs, to be sent on 1-1-94. You have been informed.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
No. 5 Company
xxxx Army Camp
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Order #21
Stamp:
Date 16-2-94
No. 14 Infantry
No. 5 Company
To/ Chairman
xxxx Village
Subject: Send two carts immediately
1) Regarding the above subject, two carts, while on duty, returned to xxxx Village on 15-2-94 at 6 p.m. without permission from the camp commander.
2) Therefore send two more carts to replace them to xxxx army camp tomorrow, 17-2-94, without fail. You will be held responsible if you fail to comply.
[Sd. illegible, 16/2/94]
Company Commander
No. 5 Company
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Order #22
Stamp:
No. 84 Infantry
No. 5 Company Subject:
To send cattle carts
5-1-94
Regarding the above subject, you must come to xxxx Army Camp on 9-1-94 at 12 midday, where you will be informed of our requirements.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
No. 5 Company
xxxx Army Camp
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Order #23
Stamp:
No. 307 Light Infantry Battn.
Date: 6-11-93
To/ Village Head
xxxx village
Subject: Order for wood, bamboo, and roofing
We inform you that your village must provide us bamboo in six-foot lengths: (50) lengths of small-diameter bamboo, (150) lengths of medium-diameter bamboo, (100) lengths of thick bamboo and (100) shingles of special leaf roof. Send it to xxxx Army Camp on 7 November 1993. Do not fail to do this.
[Sd. illegible]
(on behalf of) Intelligence Officer
No. 307 Light Infantry Battn.
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Order #24
Stamp:
#2 Column
To: Chairman
#84 Infantry Battn.
xxxx village
Subject: Invitation to attend a meeting
Regarding the above subject, we are going to build a gravel road under control of xxxx
Army Camp. We will have a meeting about your involvement in this project. We respectfully
invite you to attend the meeting.
Meeting time: 27/2/94, 10 a.m.
Meeting place: xxxx Army Camp
[Sd. illegible]
xxxx camp commander
[Note: Do not be fooled by the tone of this letter. The meeting is to demand large numbers for slave labour on the road from the village heads. If a village head doesn't attend, his village will face severe retaliation.]
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Order #25
Stamp:
No. 84 Infantry Battn.
No. 5 Company
Subject: Informing you to attend a meeting
Regarding the above subject, we will give you orders about what we need in our camp. You yourself must come to xxxx Army Camp on 9-1-94 at midday, 12 o'clock.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
#5 Company, xxxx Camp
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Order #26
[Note: The next 3 orders form a sequence: first, second, and final warning.]
Stamp:
No. 2 Company
No. 84 Infantry
To/ Chairman, xxxx village
Subject: Come and attend a meeting
Regarding the above subject, you must divide all the villages into sections to take turns providing road security. Come to xxxx army camp on 8-1-94 without fail. If you fail to come it will be your responsibility.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
#2 Company
#84 Infantry Battn., xxxx Camp
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Order #27
Stamp:
#2 Company
To: Chairman
#84 Infantry Battn.
xxxx Village
Date: 9/1/94
Subject: Asking for an emergency meeting
Regarding the above subject, we will have a meeting on 10-1-94 for sure. Because of your
absence we could not hold the meeting on 8-1-94 so we changed it to 10-1-94. This meeting
is very important for you. We can't fail to have this meeting for any reason. If you
don't comply it will be your own responsibility.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
#2 Company
#84 Infantry Battn., xxxx Army Camp
============================================================
Order #28
Stamp:
No. 2 Company
No. 84 Infantry
To/ Chairman
xxxx village
Date: 12-1-94
Subject: Holding an emergency meeting
Regarding the above subject, we ordered you to attend a meeting on 8-1-94 but you failed to attend. You also failed to attend on 10-1-94. We inform you that this is the last order telling you to provide road security and to attend a meeting at xxxx Army Camp. If you do not comply it will be your responsibility, and we inform you that we will take very severe action.
Provide the road security starting today, 12/1/94. If you don't, we will take severe action.
[Sd. illegible]
Company Commander
No. 2 Company
#84 Infantry Battn., xxxx Army Camp
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Order #29
Stamp:
Frontline #51 Infantry Battn.
Column #1 HQ
To Village Head
Date: 24-3
(xxxx) village
Subject: Suppying Load Carriers
Regarding the above subject, we need five cattle carts for Frontline #51 Infantry. You have been informed. Send them to xxxx Army Camp on 25th March at (0600) hours.
[Sd. illegible]
Army Intelligence Officer
Frontline No. 51 Infantry Battn.
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Order #30
Stamp:
Frontline No. 98 Infantry Battn.
Column 1 HQ
To/ Village Head
xxxx village
Date: 16-2-94
Village head:
We inform you that as soon as you get this letter, come and report to #98 Infantry at
xxxx.
[Sd. illegible]
Commander
Frontline No. 98 Infantry Battn.
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Order #31
Stamp:
Frontline No. 36 Infantry Battn.
Column HQ
To/ Village Head
xxxx village
Subject: Providing leaf roof to roof our huts
Regarding the above subject, to roof the huts at xxxx army camp, obtain and send (1,000) shingles of leaf roof, either in pat or selu pat type, to xxxx army camp, on 12-4-94 at the latest. We have informed you.
Frontline #36 Infantry Battn.
xxxx Army Camp
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Order #32
Stamp:
Frontline No. 36 Infantry Battn.
To Village Head
Column 1 HQ
xxxx village
Subject: Summoning the village head
Date: 5-4-94
1) We are going to discuss the area under the control of Frontline #36 Infantry, so
your village head must come. If the village head is unavailable, the deputy village head
must come, to xxxx army camp on 1994-April-7 at 9 a.m., without fail.
2) If you do not come as summoned to the army camp, we will take severe action. We have
hereby informed you.
[Sd. illegible]
Intelligence Officer
No. 36 Infantry Battn.
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Order #33
Stamp:
No. 84 Infantry Battn.
No. 5 Company
To/ Village Head
xxxx village
Subject: Bring replacement porters and you yourself attend a meeting
Regarding the above subject, you must replace the porters who have been with the column until now, and the village head must come to xxxx army camp to talk tomorrow, 8-3-94, at 10 a.m. We have hereby informed you.
[Sd. illegible, 7/3/94]
&n