Entire Mon State and most areas of Kayin State are peaceful, tranquil
Residential people there are enjoying fruitful results of development endeavours

Yangon, 11 June — The following are clarifications by Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan during the study tour of local and foreign journalists on Government’s endeavours for development in Mon and Kayin States, the causes of splits of DKBA, Phado Aung San’s group and U Saw Tha Mu He’s group from KNU and how they are joining hands with Tatmadaw in ensuring regional peace and tranquillity as well as regional development.

This trip is aimed at enabling you all to witness Tatmadaw Government's endeavours for regional development in Mon and Kayin States; to convince you the causes of splits of DKBA, Phado Aung San’s group and U Saw Tha Mu He’s group from KNU and how they are joining hands with Tatmadaw in ensuring regional peace and tranquillity as well as regional development.

During the tour, Your Excellencies and local and foreign journalists have witnessed the Government’s regional development tasks and nation-building works in Mon and Kayin States; experiences of national race leaders who have returned to legal fold and how they have been joining hands with the Government in endeavouring for regional development after giving up armed struggle line. All along the study tour, you have also witnessed the local people enjoying the fruitful results of development while earning their livelihood peacefully.

In addition, I would like to clarify some related points to enable you to have in-depth knowledge, actual conditions and true situations.

All along the trip we have seen that the entire Mon State and most areas of Kayin State are peaceful, tranquil and developing. Due to having such good conditions, the residential people can be able to earn their livelihood peacefully. It is due to the fact that KNU insurgents were in no position to harm lives and property of the people in those areas. As no danger is posed against the people in these areas, the Government and the Tatmadaw have been carrying out the regular tasks under gentlemen’s agreement (with KNU). Thus, the entire Mon State and most areas of Kayin State are stable, peaceful and tranquil. The people residing in Mon and Kayin States are earning their livelihood without any worries.

However, KNU insurgents having links with the outskirts of Toungoo and Nyaung-laybin areas, have been sending sabotage teams to inner parts of towns, villages, motor roads and railroads and committing terrorist acts including blasting of bombs again and again to harm the lives and property of the people. As KNUs started to launch sabversive acts time and again, the Tatmadaw charged with the duty to safeguard the life security of the people, had no other way but to take necessary safety measures for ensuring the area security.

Their western masters and their lackey terrorists then made false accusations that the Tatmadaw has been displacing villages of Kayin nationals, suppressing them and launching ethnic cleansing. Moreover, a group named US Campaign for Burma led by expatriate Aung Din, in collusion with AAAS (Amercian Association of Advanced Science) based in Wa-shington, is attempting to fabricate ethnic cleansing issue against Myanmar Government and the Tatmadaw, it was learnt.

AAAS is an association taking ground photographs via satellite technology. Aung Din’s group, in collusion with AAAS, intended to take photos of Myanmar via satellite to put record of setting villages on fire as well as houses being burnt down. They said they could take clear photos of objects which are as small as one and a half feet in size on the ground. Yet they said though they could take photos of men, it is rather difficult for them to differentiate certain image is whether KNU member or Tatmadawman.

What is certain is, Aung Din’s group, in collaboration with KNU, will take fabricated photos by making the fake settings of houses and villages being put to torch; demonstrate fake villagers being tied with ropes and abducted away; and scenes of villagers being tortured, it is learnt. In this way they will make accusations through fabricated satellite photos that the Tatmadaw is dislodging villages by force and torturing the village people.

In fact, the Tatmadaw is well-organized, well-trained and having an excellent chain of command and control system. If the Tatmadaw were committing ethnic cleansing, it must have been carrying out area cleaning works in these areas that you journalists have toured. As you have seen, no area cleaning works are needed in these peaceful and tranquil areas and they remain normal as ever.

Myanmar had been under colonial rule for over 100 years. For having divide-and-rule policy of the colonialists for a long period, multicoloured insurgents emerged due to discord sown by the colonialists, different concepts and racism when the country regained independence in 1948. The internal insurgents which had been in existence for over four decades, the nation lacked peace and tranquillity and development work could not be carried out with might and main. Thus, Myanmar which had been at the top in development in Southeast Asia around 1950 fell to the status of least developing country in 1988.

In the year 1988, the Tatmadaw took over State responsibilities and with a view to overcoming poor conditions, it laid down Twelve Political, Economic and Social Objectives. It endeavours for ensuring stability of the State, prevalence of regional peace and tranquillity and the rule of law and order. Simultaneously, relent-less efforts are made for national reconsolidation. Altogether 17 national armed groups and other small groups which are free from racism, extreme ideologies and foreign influences, have returned to the legal fold. Some of them have now exchanged arms for peace unconditionally. The national unity has been further strengthened and more peace and tranquillity has been achieved.

Inasmuch as the national unity is further strengthened, almost all of the areas of the Union have become peaceful and tranquil and they are achieving unprecedented development. The re-maining insurgent groups still clinging to the racism and extreme ideologies are very few such as KNU remnants, KNPP group, SSA (South) Ywet Sit group, etc. These groups cannot stay within the country and they have to seek refuge along the border. Most of them are taking refuge at so-called refugee camps in a neighbouring country. In some border areas where insurgents are still moving about remain undeveloped.

The Government has been opening the peace door for KNU remnants with the gentlemen’s agreement to return to the legal fold like the above-mentioned 17 national race armed groups. The initial steps of peace negotiation between the Government and KNU were almost successful. However, it did not come to a successful result due to the interferences of their western masters. Because their western masters are worried that if Myanmar is stable and peaceful, they would no longer have the axe-handles to be used in manipulating Myanmar’s political affairs.

When the internal insurgency was at its height in Myanmar, the BCP (Burma Communist Party) insurgents launched massive attacks against the government in the northeast parts of the country. However, a neighbouring country stood steadfastly as a good friendly neighbour with the policy of non-interference in another country’s internal affairs. Hence, the entire BCP insurgents were totally crushed by the Tatmadaw and the BCP had collapsed. The other insurgent national groups under the influence of BCP returned to the legal fold. As these areas have become peaceful and tranquil, development works and nation-building tasks are being carried out there with momentum.

If their western masters and their lackeys take this instance as example like the good neighbouring country, they would not have interfered in Myanmar’s internal affairs and sow discord among the national people. In this way, the border areas which are now unstable due to taking refuge of KNU, KNPP and SSA (South) will surely become hundred per cent peaceful and tranquil. Actually, their western masters and their lackeys shouting at the top of their voice for the nation’s stability and national reconsolidation are found to be making instigation and conspiracies for prolonging the existence of terrorist insurgents, for creating instability of the nation and for harming the peace and tranquillity. They are indeed stabbing in the back. Formerly, there were almost 30 large and small armed insurgent groups in Myanmar. Of them, the national recon-solidation has been made with many a number of insurgent groups. However, KNU cannot make peace with the Government. It is due to the instigation and manipulations of their western masters and their lackeys as well as their permission for the existence of so-called refugee camps of KNU.

By looking back at the background history of KNU insurgency, it can be seen that KNU came into existence as the British colonialists manipulated to cause disintegration of Myanmar and ensure the emergence of separate Kayin state. KNU was moulded by narrow-minded racist Kayin leaders. Thus KNU has incessantly been committing atrocities such as blasting bombs at passenger trains for many times, setting hundreds of towns and villages on fire, and raped thousands of women.

The KNUs robbed public property and funds in millions of kyats. Such KNU which has always been committing atrocities is being acclaimed by their western masters as if they are representing the entire Kayin nationals and being supported by Kayin nationals. Indeed it is the interest of their western masters and their cohorts who are taking too much advantages like frying the fish with the fish fat.

In this context, I would like to mention on the settlement of Kayin nationals all over the Union. According to estimated data in 2004, there are 1.7 million people residing in Kayin State. Of them, only 830,000 are Kayin nationals.

Thus, it can be seen that Kayin nationals representing half of the population in Kayin State and another half of over 20 nationalities such as Mon, Bamar, PaO, Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Jinphaw, Chin, Lahu, Wa, Palaung, Naga, Danu, Rawan, Lisu, etc are residing together. Myanmar’s population at present is over 54 million. Of the total population, Kayin nationals are about 3.5 million. The settlement of Kayin nationals all over the Union can be seen that there are about 3,500 Kayin nationals in Kachin State; 16,500 in Kayah State; 830,000 in Kayin State; 80 in Chin State; 4,000 in Sagaing Division; 99,000 in Taninthayi Division; 256,000 in Bago Division; 3,000 in Magway Division; 23,000 in Mandalay Division; 350,000 in Mon State; 1,200 in Rakhine State; 300,000 in Yangon Division; 20,000 in Shan State and about 1,500,000 in Ayeyawady Division. Hence, it can be seen that Kayin nationals together with other nationalities are residing all over the Union amicably.

The number of Kayin nationals living in Ayeyawady Division is more than that of those dwelling in Kayin State.

All over the Union, over 54 million population including 3.5 million of Kayin nationals are residing in harmony and enjoying the socio-economic development brought about by the Government. All the national races are enjoying equal rights.

KNU members at pesent are about 3,500. They have not realized their misdeeds and are still sticking to terrorist armed struggle line. Those handful of KNUs longing for step-mother over the shoulder of own mother are only 0.1 per cent of the total 3.5 million Kayin nationals in the Union. Likewise, it can be seen that KNUs are only 0.42 per cent of Kayin nationals living in Kayin State. Thus, it can be seen that KNU does not represent one percent of Kayin nationals.

Thus, the KNU remnants are a handful. They do not represent Kayin nationals of the Union as well as Kayin nationals residing in Kayin State. Moreover, other Kayin nationals living in other States and Divisions do not care about KNU. KNUs and Kayin nationals are to be seen separately. It is obvious that their western masters and their lackeys supporting and protecting KNUs are, in reality, not serving the interests of the Kayin nationals and the Union. Due to Asian region strategy, their western masters are making political manipulations in their own interests.

Throughout the history, KNU had never served the interests of Kayin nationals. It never represents Kayin nationals. Yet it committed atrocities such as setting towns and villages on fire, massacres, robberies, rapes and planting mines. The following are some of their atrocities.

— According to the newspaper reports, KNUs committed 110 killings, 35 robberies and 13 bank-robberies in the year 1948-49.

— On 22-1-1949, KNUs killed the entire villagers and set the entire Maletto village of Maubin Township on fire.

— On 2-2-1949, KNUs torched the entire Insein town. Other towns such as Penwegon, Nattalin, etc were also set on fire by KNUs.

— On 15-11-1954, KNUs raided the Sittaung-Mottama train and abducted over 40 university girl students who were on their way back home for holidays and 15 other girls. These girls and other girls abducted from Mon villages were exchanged for arms from Kuomintang general Lawli.

— On 15-1-1955, the Mawlamyine-Yangon passenger train was exploded by KNU at some 30 miles away from Hninpale station. Altogether 35 passengers died. The valuables, jewellery and money of passengers were robbed by KNUs. Some 40 girls were abducted, raped and sold at border by KNUs.

— On 29-5-1967, Shwepyitha village with over 800 houses in Labutta Township of Ayeyawady Division was set on fire by KNUs. Kyetthongin and Gyogon villages in Thabaung Township were also burnt down into ashes by KNUs.

— On 24-7-1985, KNU exploded mine at Yangon-Mandalay Up-train near mile post (127) between Kywepwe and Nyaungchedauk stations. Altogether 76 passengers were killed and 122 injured.

Hence, the entire people of the Union loathed the KNUs and fought them. For instance, KNU lieutenant Aung Than and some 50 members invaded Lan Thamai village of Myaungmya Township in Ayeyawady Division on 14-2-1968. Although there was no Tatmadaw unit in that village, the KNUs had to flee as the villagers armed themselves with any available weapons and fought the KNUs with deep hatred.

Likewise, the people of Ayeyawady Delta Region including Kayin nationals could not tolerate KNUs and launched Operations Shwelinyon, Moehein, Thain Lar, etc during the period of three years from 1969, 1970 and 1971 hand in hand with the Tatmadaw.

Due to the effectiveness of people’s militia strategy participated by the people themselves, KNUs had to flee Ayeyawady Division and seek refuge at some far-flung border areas.

Nowadays, their western masters and their lackeys are falsely accusing that the Tatmadaw is launching ethnic cleansing and committing massacres. Actually, ethnic cleansing and massacres have been tactics of KNUs throughout their history.

The following is some incidents of the KNUs’ ethnic cleansing and massacres.

— In February and March 1949 while KNU occupied Pyin-OoLwin (formerly Maymyo), the insurgents killed 1,946 innocent town dwellers.

— On 3-3-1949, KNU occupied Pyu and set the market and residences at down- town on fire. They also killed innocent persons including children. When the Tatmadaw reoccupied Pyu, about 400 houses had been destroyed by fire and 351 bodis were found with knife wounds. Besides, the KNUs abducted over 2,000 town dwellers to Zeyawady and killed them all cruelly. They chopped men to death and raped women before killing them. The KNUs also killed children cruelly.

— In their retreat from Pyu and Toungoo, KNUs invaded Htandabin on eastern bank of Sittaung river and killed people in hundreds.

Likewise, the issue of Licensed to Rape falsely accused against the Tatmadaw by their western masters and their minions was actually committed by KNUs throughout their history. The following are some incidents of KNUs’ Licensed-to-Rape atrocities.

— KNU leaders are notorious for committing massacres, robberies and rapes. On 22-11-1953, KNU lieutenant Ya Kyaw and group exploded a passenger train from Sittoung near Naungkalar village. They robbed passen-gers and abducted some 50 men and women passengers. They released men whose relatives could pay ransom for their release. Although ransoms were paid, the women were raped before being released. Those men who could not pay ransom were also killed. The women who could not pay ransom were also raped and killed.

— KNU insurgents such as Lin Htin, Hsalan, Phalu Kyaw, etc used to commit rape at will. Moreover, Lin Htin took 45 wives and Hsalan had over 120 wives. Phalu Kyaw had over 150 wives. Being raped by KNU insurgents, the lives of many thousands of Bamar, Kayin and Mon girls were abused.

— KNU lieutenant Than Shein of commando battalion-3 was also notorious for abusing women. He killed husbands when he wanted to take their wives. Than Shein was also notorious for committing massacres of over 50 persons within one or two days.

— KNUs’ Licensed-to-Rape can also be seen at the incidents among KNU members. KNU brigade-5 commander Bo Soe raped the wife of his member Kyi Lin. Bo Soe was shot dead by Kyi Lin who then surrendered to the Tatmadaw.

— KNUs’ Licensed-to-Rape practice did not spare pregnant women. KNU brigade-7 deputy commander Phalawt and San Tun Maung gang-raped a pregnant woman who was conceiving a child for eight months at Alanchaung village of Kyaiklatt Township. Phalawt also shot to death U Han Sein of Bontaungsu Chaung village after raping his two daughters and one niece.

Sex-fiend KNUs have been committing atrocities as they are licensed to rape. They even eat man like barbarians. The following are some of their cruelties.

— On 5-12-1968, KNU Kootkaw’s minion Mwaypar and group killed Ko Hla Tin of Kyonlata village, Wakema Township, Ayeyawady Division and cooked, fried and ate up his liver, heart and inner organs. They also shot Ko Yin Nu to death and ate up his heart with liquor.

— KNUs Saw Hsay and Bo Maung Ni took out inner organs of Ko Soe Tint alive and ate up with liquor. By seeing the cruelties, a villager named Ko Hla Shwe got insane.

KNUs with full of atrocities are the very first hijackers in the world. They were pioneers in launching terrorist acts. To recount that incident, it can be found as follows:

— On 25-6-1954, a Dakota passenger plane of Burma Airways during its Yangon-Kyaukpyu-Sittway flight was hijacked by KNUs. The insurgents asked the pilot to land the plane near Magyeesin village located south of Gwa town. The KNUs made off with 724,000 kyats of State fund.

Despite such cruelties and atrocities, KNUs are far from remorse and still launching terrorist acts. The following are some incidents of KNU atrocities after 1988:

— On 10-1-1988, the Mandalay-Yangon express down-train was exploded with time bomb near the Pazundaung station close to Yangon central railway station. Altogether 8 passengers were killed and 40 wounded.

— In March 1988, KNUs raided Kyaikhtiyoe Pagoda and robbed public donations. Many pilgrims were killed and wounded by KNUs’ indiscriminate shootings.

— On 10-5-1989, the statue of Alantaya Sayadaw was conveyed by disciple Sanghas, yogis and laity along Thaton-Hpa-an-Hlaingbwe route. The convoy was attacked and set on fire by KNU mines near Kya-in village.

— In March 1990, KNU attacked pilgrims at Hsandawya Pagoda and robbed cash and kind.

— On 3-2-1991, a convoy of State Sangha Maha Nayaka Secretary Mingun Sayadawgyi U Viccitasara Bhivamsa on its route from Dawei to Thayetchaung was attacked by KNUs. Due to the KNU bomb blast, five persons were killed and a motor vehicle was destroyed.

— With the most loathsome cruelty, KNUs plotted to set the entire Yangon city on fire simultaneously by renting houses & rooms and storing fuel.

Beginning early 2006, KNU brigade-2 led by Arsee who is a son of KNU vice-chairman Tamalar Baw, sent sabotage teams to inner parts of Toungoo and Nyaunglaybin to blast bombs. KNUs also planted high-power mines at Yangon-Mandalay railroad to massacre passengers. KNUs also planted mines along the highway as well as in surrounding villages at the bottom of East Yoma mountain ranges.

Before 1988, the internal situations of Myanmar were found to be full of multicoloured armed insurgencies. The insurgents took strongholds along border where operations and major battles took place incessantly. Due to the lack of regional security and the rule of law, poppy cultivation, narcotic drug trafficking and even arms smuggling were wide-spread.

Even in those conditions and situations, no one had claimed or criticized that Myanmar was threatening the regional security. The deteriorating situations were even exploited and taken advantage.

At present, we have no major battles, no strongholds of insurgents, no arms smuggling in Myanmar. There prevails the rule of law and poppy cultivation and opium production have remarkably declined. Our nation has achieved stability, prevalence of peace and tranquillity, the rule of law, development ten times more than those of before 1988.

At this very time, their western masters and their minions are so smart to claim and exaggerate that Myanmar’s current situations and conditions are threatening the regional security. Myanmar’s friendly nations with those far and near, ASEAN brothers and BIMST-EC brothers understand the actual situations and conditions of our country and they accepted the fact that Myanmar situations do not pose a threat to the regional security. These countries are rendering cooperative hands to Myanmar for bilateral as well as regional interests.

Their western masters are blatantly ignoring the actual situations and conditions of Myanmar and constantly making exaggerated accusations intentionally. Their hidden aim is obvious. They aim at misleading the world’s nations into believing that situation in Myanmar is getting worse and threatening regional security. Then, they would put Myanmar’s affairs to UN Security Council’s agenda and by misusing United Nations they would attempt to create regime change in Myanmar. The intention of their western masters is to place a puppet government in power in Myanmar.

Those minion countries, organizations and media of western masters are having double standard in human rights violation and democracy. The western power invaded other countries under the pretext of democracy and human rights. Its minions are far from pointing out their masters’ misdeeds, let alone criticizing it.

Inhuman bullies and cruelties of the troops of the western power upon Iraqi prisoners and POWs (prisoners of war) as well as bombing innocent people by accusing them as enemies can be seen clearly. The Iraqi people are fleeing their homes like refugees. Are these atrocities not threatening the global security? Are the proper measures taken by Myanmar Government in ac-cordance with law to safeguard lives and property of the people threatening the world’s peace? It can vividly be seen that who is actually threatening the global security and peace.

To place a puppet government in power, their western master and cohort NGOs, minion expatriates and broadcasting stations are providing all-out support to KNU, KNPP, SSA (South) terrorist insurgents and anti-government groups within the country. Fabrications and false accusations as regards democracy, human rights, forced labour, ethnic cleansing, licensed to rape, narcotic drug trafficking, child soldier recruitment, etc are made against Myanmar to put pressure on our country.

Their lopsided activities, bullies, hege-monism and imposing of various sanctions are, in fact, aiming to cover up their aim. To cover up the atrocities and misdeeds of their minion axe-handles and insurgent terrorists, their foreign masters are putting blame on Myanmar in one way or another.

To ensure the survival of KNUs who are now seeking refuge at border areas and to provide funds to KNU for purchasing arms & ammunition under the name of democracy, some organizations are making efforts various ways and means. As KNU has always been committing terrorist acts, the western masters cannot provide monetary assistance to it openly. To solve this problem, expatriates under various disguises abroad are playing as key-players.

These expatriate groups are spreading fabrications in inter-national arena as despired by the western masters and internal & external destructive elements. Under the name of democracy and human rights, they are making instigation for imposing sanctions against Myanmar. Through the expatriate groups, the assistance provided by the western masters in the name of flourishing democracy are trans-ferring assistance to terrorist groups. In other words, these expatriate groups are accomplices providing support to the terrorist groups.

Of the expatriate groups, US Campaign for Burma is a prominent one and the person acting as policy director of that group is Chit Ko Ko (alias) Aung Din. While pursuing education with mechanical major at Yangon Institute of Technology, he became an information & public relation member of Bakatha (All Burma Student’s Union) on 28 August 1988. On 8-10-1988, he fled to Ranong of Thailand. As he encountered difficulties in living there, he stealthily returned to Myanmar in 22-10-1988. Beginning end of November the same year, he lived alternately in the residence of former AFPFL leader U Kyaw Nyein’s daughter Daw Cho Cho Kyaw Nyein and in the residence of U Thu Wai of Democracy Party as well as at the NLD office in South Okkalapa Township.

In January 1989, Bakatha was re-organized with Paw Oo Tun (alias) Min Ko Naing as chairman and Aung Din as joint general secretary. Aung Din became vice-chairman later. On 23-4-1989, Aung Din was detained under section 10 (a). He was later sentenced for 4 years’ imprisonment under section 17(1) of Unlawful Associations Act. On 7-7-1993, he was released and he submitted petition to authorities for pursuing education at YIT. In 1994 he acquired BE (Mechanical). Then he applied for passport to go to and work in Singapore. He was denied and he appealed to authorities concerned. Authorities with broad-mindedness permitted him a passport 054248 on 8-12-1994. Via Singapore, Aung Din reached USA and joined the Free Burma Coalition group.

He resigned from that group in June 2003 and established the US Campaign for Burma in September. He is a broker involved in anti-government activities, demanding US sanctions to be imposed against Myanmar, and receiving and transferring funds for terrorist groups at border areas. In addition, the USCB led by Aung Din is also cooperating with FTUB (Free Trade Unions of Burma), NCUB (National Council of Union of Burma) and NCGUB (National Coalition Government of Union of Burma). Aung Din is also collaborating with FTUB and NCUB general secretary Maung Maung (alias) Pyithit Nyunt Wai in launching anti-government activities as well as terrorist sabotage acts.

In fact, terrorists mean all those who are actually committing destructive acts as well as those who are providing shelter or cash and kind assistance to such destructive elements. This definition is accepted worldwide. Hence, it can clearly be seen that Aung Din is indeed a terrorist.

With sound evidences, I have clarified matters on KNU atrocities such as massacres, arson, planting of mines, rob-beries, rapes, etc; how their western masters and cohorts are concealing the atrocities of KNUs. Your excellencies and local and foreign journalists have toured to witness the Government’s endeavours for regional development.

The entire Mon State and most areas of Kayin State are peaceful and tranquil. The residential people there are enjoying the fruitful results of development endeavours. Hence, I hope that your excellencies and local and foreign journalists understand the actual conditions and situations in Myanmar. I thank you all for participating in this study tour of Mon and Kayin States.