SURA Drug Trafficking Terrorists and KNU Terrorists , permitted to settle in Yodaya territory and in conjunction with Yodaya army troops are attacking Myanmar outposts. Myanmar citizens working in Yodaya wrongly accused as being Myanmar army spies are cruelly and inhumanly tortured and killed by the Yodaya Army.

[ 30-5-2002 ]

A regular press conference was held at Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road here at 12.30 pm today.

It was attended by Minister for Labour U Tin Win, Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Khin Maung Win, Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, high-ranking military officers, departmental heads, information officials, U Sein Win of Kyodo News Agency, Patron U Hla Htwe, President U Sao Kai Hpa and member correspondents of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club and guests.

As explained by Lt Col. Min Lwin at the meeting, In recent days, news reports by the Yodaya media and news agencies have denied that Yodaya army units joined in participation with the SURA drug trafficking groups in attacking Myanmar Army and ‘Wa’ Peace Group outposts. They claim that these armed clashes took place between the various armed national groups within Myanmar territory and that the Yodaya Army has never given refuge, to or supported and assisted any terrorist insurgent group. The broadcast by Yodaya TV Channel 11 at 6:30 p.m. on 29 May stated that in connection with the Myanmar-Yodaya problem, Prime Minister Thaksin convened a special meeting, and that at this meeting, Yodaya Foreign Affairs Minister Surakiart said that it was necessary for Myanmar to put her trust in the Thai Government’s policy.

In accordance with this policy, he said the Yodaya side does not support or encourage any of the armed national race groups. This statement is not true at all. The SURA drug trafficking terrorist group and the KNU insurgents have been permitted to settle down on Yodaya territory, in addition to which the Yodaya army and Police are reinforcing their armed strength by recruiting new members, giving military training and providing them with arms and ammunitions. Moreover there is irrefutable eye-witness evidence that Yodaya army troops collaborated with the SURA drug trafficking insurgents and participated in the assaults made on Myanmar and ‘Wa’ army posts.

The Headquarters of the SURA drug trafficking terrorist group is located at Lwe Taing Hlyan (map reference X-845889) in Yodaya territory. The complex consists of one officer training school, one training school for new recruits, an ammunition repair and maintenance workshop, one hospital, 400 houses where family members totaling 1,300 reside. There are also altogether 37 outposts encircling the Lwe Taing Hlyan SURA headquarters. Other SURA drug trafficking groups encampments are at Mae Maw, map reference Kha Ma (LU-5495), Nant Pein Lein map reference Kha Ma (LX-8579), Pein Lon, map reference Kha Ma (LY-4482) and Mong Na, map reference Kha Ma (LY-7589). All these camps are located in Yodaya territory. A medical training school has been has been opened at Mong Na camp staffed with 4 foreign doctors and one Yodaya doctor to train medical students. According to information received in the second week of June 1999 a high-ranking Yodaya regional official, and an officer of Brigade Commander rank arrived with Police escorts in four vehicles. They are said to have spoken words of encouragement the SURA insurgents to raise morale and inspected the barracks and training school. The Yodaya are said to supply the insurgents at Mong Na camp with 9 baskets of Yodaya rice, and five cans of fish each every month. There is also a Police Station in Mong Na and the policemen are said to visit the Mong Na SURA drug trafficking insurgents frequently.

Just before the combined force of SURA drug traffickers and Yodaya army attacked the Myanmar Army Outpost at Pan Mong Song on 20 May 2002, about 400 Yodaya army troops joined the SURA insurgents at another of their camps at Li Tat Mwe village map reference Kha Ma (LU-6759) and Mae Maw map reference Kha Ma (LU-5459) and took up positions together with the SURA drug trafficking insurgents. Another batch of Yodaya army troops totaling about 100 joined the insurgents at Ma Hein Tet SURA Camp and took up positions there with the SURA drug trafficking insurgents.

Moreover additional Yodaya troops of a total strength of 100 together with 6 tanks and 20 caterpillar armoured vehicles combined with SURA drug trafficking insurgents are still in position at the Yodaya outposts in Yodaya territory opposite the Myanmar outposts of Pan Mong Song and Nyaungbin Kon. Again at about 7 p.m. on 26 May, three large Yodaya army trucks arrived at the SURA Yawk Serd camp at Doi Htike Lan and conveyed the insurgents to BP-1 on the Myanmar-Yodaya border.

With regard to the KNU insurgents also, the KNU Central Committee members including Bo Mya are all residing in the town of Mae Sot with the rest of the terrorists living in 39 so-called refugee camps such as Mae Ya Mo, Bae Kalot, Hwe Kalote, Maw Kae, Ohn Hpyan and No Boe camps. The Yodaya Army and Yodaya Police are responsible for providing security for these camps. The KNU insurgents residing in these camps are armed but they hide their weapons in nearby Yodaya villages The insurgents living safely in these camps then emerge to attack Myanmar army outposts, towns and villages and plant mines on motor roads. These insurgents, living under the pretense of being refugees, receive assistance and dole from foreign countries for evil survival.

I would now like to brief you on how Myanmar workers earning their livelihood in Yodaya have been accused falsely as army spies and how they have been tortured and killed. On 17 May 2002, 5 villagers of Kokko village on the Myanmar side who work at Wan Pha village on the Yodaya side were seized and taken to a Police station located in the vicinity of Point (O-294352) and under the charge of one Yodaya Phu Kaung Mi of Police Captain rank and detained there. They were later tortured as Myanmar Army spies. Of the five villagers two were killed mercilessly by troops of the Yodaya Army between Thai Pon and Wan Kha on the Yodaya side, on 27 May. Then Than Soe Win, age 25 years (son of U Kadon) of Phyu Wa Village, Paung Township, one of the 3 survivors, was take away by Yodaya soldiers to the Yodaya side of the Thaung Yin River between Ye Kyaw and Kokko at 8 o’clock on the night of 28 May. He was then bound with ropes and after kicking into the river fired their guns at him. The bullets grazed his left ear and back of the neck, but he managed to escape and arrived at Kokko village at 9 a.m. on 29 May. He has been admitted at Myawaddy People’s Hospital for treatment.

On detailed questioning of Than Soe Win who escaped with injuries it was found that he was one of 5 siblings born to father U Kadon (now deceased) and mother Daw Win of Phyu Wa Village, Paung Township and that he had left Paung since April 2001 and that he had been working as an itinerant worker at Mae Sot opposite Myawaddy for about 4 months. He later began to work for a fruit merchant. He had received a work permit of 6 months but on expiry of his term of six months, he had returned to Kokko village because he feared arrest by Yodaya Police and had been working at odd jobs. On 11 May he went over to Won Pha village on the Yodaya side and had been working as a field hand for daily wages when on 17 May when he was seized by a Yodaya military patrol and at about 11:30 a.m. he had been taken to a Yodaya outpost which was about twenty minutes away by car and opposite Kokko village. On the evening of 17 May, three more Myanmar workers were brought to the camp. They were all Kayin nationals. Of these three one named Hla Htoo was from Kyaikmaraw and the other two from Kawkareik. On the morning of 25 May another Myanmar worker from Hpa-an was captured and brought to the camp. All 5 of them had been incarcerated in a cell 10×10 feet and 3 feet high. They were made to dig communication trenches for the Yodaya outpost and work at other similar kinds of hard labour without enough food to eat. The five worker including Than Soe Win were accused of being army spies dispatched by the Myanmar side. Under interrogation the Yodaya soldiers tortured them with electric shock, drenched them with enormous amounts of water and and kicked them around with their army boots. They were repeatedly questioned about Myanmar Army movements and about DKBA outposts. But because they could not tell them anything the torture became more severe.

At about 8 p.m. on 27 May, 2 of the five captives the Kayin Hla Htoo of Kyaikmaraw and another from Hpa-an, name unknown were taken away from the detention cell by Thai army troops in a Yodaya military vehicle and were killed between Thae Pon and Wan Kha Thit on the Yodaya side.

At 8 o’clock at night on 28 May only Than Soe Win was taken away from the cell by army truck to the banks of the Thaung Yin River. Then using Than Soe Win’s longyi (nether garment) as a rope, his arms were bound and he was kicked into the river. After that, they fired upon him but he was fortunate enough to escape with his life. Than Soe Win feigning death and drifted along with the current. The Yodaya troops searched for him with torches and concluding he had died, they departed Than Soe Win’s right ear and back of the neck were grazed by bullets and there were serious injuries on his lips, arms, back and chest from torture under interrogation.

The Yodaya TV and broadcasting stations are saying that the Yodaya have not given refuge or assistance to the anti-government armed racial groups. But it is a fact that these SURA and KNU terrorists have been permitted to put up settlements on Yodaya soil. And with the assistance, support and participation of the Yodaya army, the SURA drug trafficking terrorists and the KNU terrorists have been attacking Myanmar Army outposts, ‘Wa’ outposts and DKBA outposts. Furthermore in the latest developments, Yodaya troops have seized Myanmar citizens working in Yodaya, accused them of being Myanmar Army spies and have cruelly tortured and killed them.

Minister for Labour U Tin Win, Maj-Gen Kyaw Win and Lt Col. Min Lwin replied to the queries raised by local and foreign journalists. The press conference concluded at 1pm.

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