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　　　　- SEPTEMBER,1997 -

　　　Breaking news about Karens new strategic operation?, 08/SEP.
　　　It has been reported that sometime around the 23rd of August, 1997 (during the closing ceremony of the School), there was an explosive accident at the SLORC Officer Training School in Ba Htoo. (47) Officer cadets(from Aung Zay Ya Company) were killed, including (1) Lieutenant Colonel. We cannot confirm this information, but our source is reliable.(Reported by SPU)

　　　Press Release No.52/ OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERS KAREN NATIONAL UNION, KAWTHOOLEI.-Regarding 1997 SLORC Offensive against KNU, 09/SEP.
　　　News of Combat Clashes during July and August
　* Tha-ton District, KNLA 1st Brigade Area: (4) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. (2) dead and (1) wounded on SLORC side, and (2) dead on KNLA side.
　* Toungoo District, KNLA 2nd Brigade Area: A total of (20) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. (7) dead and (26) wounded on SLORC side while (1) dead on KNLA side.
　* Nyaung Lay Bin District, KNLA 3rd Brigade Area: A total of (10) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. (1) dead and (6) wounded on SLORC side while the KNLA lost (1) dead.
　* Tavoy Mergui District, KNLA 4th Brigade Area: A total of (67) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered (88) dead and (78) wounded, while the KNLA suffered (2) dead and (4) wounded.
　* Pa-pun District, KNLA 5th Brigade Area: A total of (59) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered (11) dead and (64) wounded, while there was no casualty on the KNLA side.
　* Doo-pla-ya District, KNLA 6th Brigade and 103th Battalion Area: (21) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered (22) dead and (36) wounded. The KNLA side suffered (1) dead.
　* Pa-an District, KNLA 7th Brigade Area: A total of (38) clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered (17) dead and (42) wounded, while there was no casualty on the KNLA side.
　　　-A summary of the above shows that (221) combat clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops during the two months, resulting in (148) dead and (253) wounded on the SLORC side, while the KNLA suffered (7) dead and (4) wounded. The KNLA's use of guerrilla and mobile warfare tactics has enabled it to take low casualty, to maintain an economy on ammunition and to capture weapons and ammunition from the enemy, from time to time.
　(Translated, printed and distributed by Karen Information Center)

　　　KNU Statement on Current Situation and Dialogue, 10/SEP.
　* In the brutal offensive that the SLORC has launched, after refusing the KNU's call for resolving problems dialogue, more than 200 Karen villages have been destroyed. Similarly, the Karenni, the Shan, the Chin and the Arakanese peoples have been subjected to barbarous attacks and destruction by the SLORC.
　* After refusing the demand for dialogue by the NLD led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the SLORC has been intensifying its repression against the NLD on all sides. Many NLD leaders are being unjustly arrested and sentenced to long-term imprisonment.
　* Dissatisfaction and opposition against the SLORC are increasing daily among the civil servants, Buddhist monks, students, workers and the general public who have been demanding for political and economic changes. The more than 30 colleges and universities have still to be closed.
　* The economic situation has been worsening in accordance as the deteriorating political situation. The worsening economic recession, indicated by increasing scarcity of fuel oil, rising prices of consumer foods, currency inflation, decreasing industrial production and etc. has reached and unprecedented point.
　* An analysis together of the political and economic situation of Burma shows that the country has arrived at a very dangerous point and that it is urgently necessary to resolve the current economic and political problems through dialogue. The situation being as such we, the KNU, solemnly demand the SLORC to immediately -
　1. Cease its brutal war against the Karen people and other ethnic nationalities, and commence a meaningful dialogue with the KNU and organizations representing other ethnic nationalities;
　2. Cease its cruelty and repression against the general public and political parties based in towns, including the NLD, and commence a meaningful dialogue with the political leaders, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi;
　3. Release all the political prisoners unconditionally;
　4. Initiate, without malice and with a view to forging a genuine unity of all the nationalities, for the holding of a tripartite dialogue, comprising of the democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the ethnic nationalities and the SLORC; and
　　　At the same time, earnestly urge the ASEAN countries, the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia and other democratic countries to make an intervention for the emergence of a tripartite dialogue in Burma, at the earliest date.
　-by The Central Committee office of THE KAREN NATIONAL UNION, SUPREME HEADQUARTERS.(KAW THOO LEI).

　　　KNU Press Release No.54/97 -Regarding SLORC Military Offensive against Karen villagers, 12/SEP.
　Kaw-ka-reik District
　　* 1.7.97: A unit from SLORC LIB 356, led by Major, Zaw Myo Tet, came to Chauk-kwa on border and crossed into Thailand. The troops then forced the villagers to dismantle iron roofing sheets, 77 in number, from a Thai Forestry Department building and took them across the border. The troops tried to sell the roofing sheets to villagers near the border. When the villagers refused to buy out of fear, the troops forced them to carry the sheets back to their camp.
　　* This same unit, on the way, seized 21 buffaloes and 29 cattle of the Karen villagers and sold them back to the villagers by force at the rate of 3,500 Baht per buffalo and 1,600 Baht per cattle.
　　* 3.8.97: Troops from SLORC IB 61 Company 1, forced Kwi-ler-teh villagers to carry heavy bags of lime to Tee-ta-baung village. Those who could not carry well were severely beaten and, as result, 2 villagers Saw Ko Plaw and Ah Dee came close to death due to serious injuries.
　　* 3.8.97: Troops from SLORC IB 61 forced villagers from Kwee-lon-taing, Chauk-kwa, Ga-daw, Meh-tha-raw-ta, Meh-nor-taw, Kwee-kler, Poe-chee-mu, Taw-wah and etc. villages in Kaw-ka-reik township to carry cement bags to Tee-ta-baung village. The villagers had nothing to eat on the way. Some who became very weak from hunger and fell off the line were kicked and beaten severely.
　　* Ten families from Pu-ray and 10 families from Thay-part-taw villages, consisting of 157 person together, fled from their villagers, when they could no longer been ill-treatment by the troops from SLORC IB 357. To avoid the SLORC troops, they had to take several days on very difficult tracks to reach the Thai border area in Umphang Township on 6.8.97.
　　* Similarly, 62 villagers of Naung-ta-ko, Naung-ta-man fled from their villages because of ill-treatment by the SLORC troops and arrived at the Thai border area in Umphang Township on 13.8.97. Seventy two villagers from Win-lon arrived on 16.8.97. At one point on the way, they were sighted and attacked by the SLORC troops. Nine families consisting of 49 persons, from Ka-mar-kler village, arrived on 18.8.97.
　-by the Karen Information Center.

　　　News Concerning Shooting Down of Thai Military Helicopter by SLORC Troops, 14/SEP.
　　　On 28.August,97: The SLORC troops shot down a Thai military helicopter in Ga-neh-lay area. Details regarding the incident are as follows:
　　　On 28.8.97, two Thai military helicopters flew over the KNLA guerrilla base areas of Maw-kee and Ga-neh-lay, at about 2 p.m. Burma standard time. When the 2 helicopters arrived at Ga-neh-lay area, from the direction of Maw-kee, SLORC troops from Company #1 and # 4 of the IB 32, stationed in the area of Ga-neh-lay, opened fire on them with various kinds of weapons. The smaller of the two helicopter was severely hit and went downed. Ga-neh-lay area is situated about 30 Km, in Burma territory, to the south of Mae sod town.
　　　Commanding officers of SLORC units shooting down the helicopter are
　(1) Captain Kyaw Hsan (Sr # 24170, Commander of Company # 4, IB 32);
　(2) Captain Thein Lwin (Sr # 23943, Commander of Company # 1, IB 32)
　　　Two days after the incident, on August 30, 1997, Lance Corporal Poe Kwee (Sr # 852851, a Karen National) from Company # 3 of SLORC IB 32, defected to a KNLA guerrilla unit. He confirmed the shooting down of the Thai helicopter by the SLORC troops as follows.
　　　On August 28, at about 2 p.m, a helicopter flew over, at low altitude, the area of Maw-kee, where Company # 3 was stationed. When the helicopter arrived over Ga-neh-lay area, I heard the sound of Chinese heavy machine-gun fire and the fire of the weapons. Though the place was not far, I could not see the incident with my eyes, as there was a hill between the place where I was and Ga-neh-lay. Soon after the incident, Company # 3 Commander, Captain Mya Tay, who was at place of Company # 4 during the incident, returned and said that Company # 4 had shot down a Thai helicopter. On the night of 29.8.97, at about 0200 hours after midnight I heard a series of 7 explosions, coming from direction of Ga-neh-lay.
　　　From field sources it is learnt that at the present, the SLORC higher command has blocked access to the place where the helicopter fell by planting land-mines and stationing 2 companies of soldiers around the place.
　by the Karen Information Center

　　　The First Statement From The KAREN SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATION, 15/SEP.
　1.　The SLORC's military junta today, under a well planned strategy and capitalization on their military might are systematically committing genocide over the Karen minorities.
　　　Hence it becomes a historic duty to unite and form an organization counter the inhumane acts of the SLORC. For the very survival and to be left in peace, the organization was successfully formed on 31.8.97, comprising of patriotic monks students, workers, farmers and intellectuals.
　2.　The aim of KSO is to promote peace, liberty and equality, uplifting the prestige and solidarity of the Karen national. KSO will strive for the benefit of the entire Karen nation, without any discrimination as to sex, religion, locality, tribes, class or political organizations.
　3.　K.S.O while striving hard for the Karens, will at the same time help or cooperate with the affairs of other ethnic minorities.
　4.　The affairs of Karen refugees and workers who are displaced into Thailand will be emphasized and promptly handled. At the same time for those Karen in Burma, who are displaced or forced to relocate from their homeland due to military operations they will also be similarly handled.
　5.　K.S.O. has been formed by the following patriots:

　　　Over 300 Peoples were fled to Thailand from fear of SLORC, 20/SEP.
　　　According from The KNU/-Mergyi-Tavoy District News and Information Department, The SLORC offensive against the Karen in the Mergui-Tavoy District began in February 1997. Thousands of villagers fled their homes for safety on the Thai-Burma border. However, some villagers chose not to leave their homes. These four villages remained: 1)Seik-Ku, 2)Hsar-Mu-Taw, 3)Kyauk-Twin, 4)Par-Thar-Yay-Bu. Since the offensive began, SLORC continually ordered these villages to provide able bodies for portering and forced labor.
　　　Between the 13th and 14th of September 1997, villagers from the above mentioned villages finally fled their villages. Over 300 villagers reached the Thai-Burma border by the 17th and 18th. The villagers have provided the following reasons for their collective departure.
　　1. Villagers from all four villages have had to constantly provided labor, without any compensation, to construct a car road from Pawng-Daw village to Tha Byu village.
　　2. On 14/8/97, the SLORC unit killed six villagers from Seik-Ku village. The killings were carried out as a threat to the other workers. The SLORC complained that the six villagers killed did not work hard enough and were lazy.
　　3. The SLORC troops are continually destroying the stored rice supplies. The stored rice is often confiscated by the SLORC troops for meals, but many rice barns have been burnt.
　　4. The villagers are now facing the harvest time, but the SLORC troops are using forced labor instead to destroy the rice plants and rice fields.
　　5. In September, 1997, the SLORC sent forced relocation orders for all remaining villagers in the four villages to move to Thaung-Thone-Lone.
　　6. When serving as porters or completing their forced labor, the villagers can not attend to their own labor for survival. The villagers now fear for their lives after the SLORC casually killed the six workers. They have witnessed the mass destruction of their stored rice and the upcoming harvest, they realize the possibility of starvation. And they have lost hope with their decision to stay in their villages, therefore, they fled from their homes.
　　　The responsible SLORC units that have committed these atrocities are from the Light Infantry Division 66 and the TOC 661 under the command of Colonel Win Myint.
　#FORCED LABOR#
　　　Thaung-Thone-Lone in the Tavoy Township has 12 sections with approximately 900 houses. The Hein-Da village has 9 sections with about 600 houses. Every ten days, the SLORC army orders 30 men from Thaung-Thone-Lone and 20 men from Hein-Da village. If no villagers are available, then the village is fined 2000 kyat for each person not present. The money is paid to the LORC village chairman.
　　　On 15/6/97, forced labor was used to build houses for the 25 KNU soldiers who surrendered to the SLORC. The forced laborers were made to find the bamboo, cut and carry the bamboo, clear jungle for the houses, and provide the leaf roofs. No money was paid to these laborers and they had to provide for their own food.
　Remark: On 15/6/97. 25 KNU soldiers from the No(4) Brigade, 10th Battalion, Second Company, surrendered to the SLORC. On 16/6/97, General Maung-Aye arrived to Taung-Thone-Lone village to preside over a welcoming ceremony. He gave the 25 soldiers a welcoming gift of 500,000 kyat. However, according to Taung-Thone-Lone villagers whom later escaped to the Thai-Burma border, the money did not come from the treasury of the SLORC. Instead, it was collected from business men and ordinary villagers. From the 25 KNU soldiers who surrendered, four returned to the KNU without weapons. They told the KNU officers that others wanted to return but dared not to.
　　　At Myitta village, the SLORC wants to establish an office. They demanded 18 carpenters from Taung Thone Lone village and 12 carpenters from Hein-Da village. There was no opportunity to substitute for this labor.
　#FORCED RELOCATION#
　　　Forced relocation orders first came in July. 70 houses from Seik-Ku, 40 houses from Hsar-Mu-Taw, and 70 houses from Kalit Kyi were ordered to move to Taung-Thone-Lone in July. First the villagers were to move to Taung-Thone-Lone, then they were to be moved to Myitta village.
　Remark: Some villagers went to the responsible person and asked for mercy. The villagers pleaded that they had many problems away from their houses and they wanted to return to their village. Permission was granted in August for some to return. Then the SLORC issued a final order in September for all villagers to move to Taung-Thone-Lone.
　#PORTERING#
　　　>From Taung-Thone-Lone, 24 men were ordered to porter for 10 day periods. 2 people were required from each section. In Hein-Da, 18 men were ordered for the same work, 2 men from each section.
　　　If the village can not provide enough porters, the village is fined 2000 kyat for each absent porter. This money is given to the LORC village chairman, then it is passed on to the SLORC army commander. In addition, porter fees are collected from each house in Taung-Thone-Lone and Hein-Da. The fees range between 200 to 300 kyat and are paid to the LORC village chairman.