Government not in favour of war that it is taking security measures
As KNU has been time and again jeopardizing and harming the lives and property of the people, the Government has to take security measures
KNU drove out the people to prevent them from contacting Tatmadaw and to displace them
Large number of rural people lose lives and limbs due to booby traps of KNU

YANGON, 14 May — The following is the full text of the clarifications made by Chairman of the Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan on the study tour of journalists at Thabyenyunt village in Thandaung Township, Southern Command area of Bago Division on 13 May:

Today’s study tour is for you journalists to witness measures taken for ensuring security and the rule of law and all-round developments in Southern Command area of Bago Division as well as troubles of local people caused by racism, power struggle and bullies among KNU insurgents and terrorist acts such as massacres, setting of fire and planting of mines by KNU.

The present commander of KNU brigade-2 which is now moving about in some far flung areas of Southern Command is Ah Si, son of KNU vice-chairman Tamalar Baw. Previously, the KNU brigade-2 commander was Baw Ni who died of malaria in February 1992. After his death, KNU brigade-2 followers wished Baw Ni’s elder son KNU brigade-2 battalion-6 commanding officer Steel Bar to become the brigade-2 commander. Likewise, Gayba / Bwe Kayin nationals residing in the area wished Steel Bar to become brigade-2 commander as he is also a native.

However, in view of strengthening and expanding his power, KNU vice-chairman Tamalar Baw appointed his son Ah Si as brigade-2 commander. Moreover, Ah Si, out of racism, always favoured Paku Kayin nationals. Thus, local Gayba / Bwe Kayin nationals were not satisfied with it. Since then, power struggles, forming cliques, tortures, bullying, finding faults and killings took place within the brigade-2.

Using power, intimidation and coercion, Ah Si made efforts to bolster his power. He plotted to get rid of Baw Ni’s sons and followers. First, he accused Baw Ni’s younger son Jiji who was performing duties as office head at brigade-2 for having an affair with a nurse, dismissed him and put him under detention.

Moreover, Ah Si threatened and coerced those villagers who were assumed as followers and relatives of Baw Ni family not to live in the area. For example, Ah Si killed five Kayin nationals of Sidawkho village, Htantabin Township in order to supress the people of the village. Hence, the local people fled to safe places and towns and villages where their relatives resided. Furthermore, Ah Si misappropriated a large sum of extortion money as well as funds and aids provided by NGOs. Although the KNU (central) knew the malpractices of Ah Si, it ignored his misdeeds due to the influence of Tamalar Baw.

For revealing the misdeeds of Ah Si and ignorance of KNU (central), the late brigade-2 commander Baw Ni’s wife Daw Naw Hilda lodged a complaint at the KNU (central). Then, the KNU (central) could no longer remain indifferent and recalled Ah Si to the central in January 2005 temporarily to settle the case. In the absence of Ah Si, KNU brigade-2 battalion-6 commanding officer Steel Bar rescued his younger brother Jiji from detention. When Ah Si returned from the central, he tried to take action against Steel Bar. Then, Steel Bar and Jiji made arrangements to return to the legal fold on one hand and to fight back Ah Si on the other. However, Ah Si knew the plot and pursued to kill Steel Bar and Jiji who fled to KNU (central). District secretary Phado Taw Ni who helped Steel Bar and Jiji to flee to KNU (central) was afraid of Ah Si’s fury. Thus, Phado Taw Ni brought along his family and fled to KNU (central).

Under these circumstances, many KNU members got divided and demoralised and they attempted to surrender and escape. To prevent followers from returning to legal fold, Ah Si sent families of KNU members to the border and kept them as refugees. In this way, he had been able to prevent KNU members from returning to the legal fold. On the other hand, he shouted at the top of his voice that the people fled to the border refugee camp from the danger of Tatmadaw’s attacks. In this way, he tried to take political advantage and obtain foreign aids and funds.

Now, Steel Bar and Jiji could no longer stay with KNU brigade-2 and they are taking refuge at other KNU units, it is learnt. Relying on arms and his father, Ah Si bullied others. Thus, he was not given administrative and military duties. He was given only military duty and lt-col Saw Naw was given administrative duty. However, Saw Naw was just nominal and Ah Si manipulated the affairs. Hence, Saw Naw left for KNU (central) since April this year on the ground of receiving medical treatment.

Hence, there were many insurgents from KNU brigade-2 who surrendered and some were absent without leave and fled. Some KNU members dare not surrender or flee as their families are kept at refugee camp as hostages. Likewise, the national people of those villages fled to safe urban areas and villages along the railroad and motor road where their relatives reside.

This Thabyay Nyunt village was set up for those KNU members who have returned to the legal fold and the Kayin nationals who have fled. The village is facilitated well in accordance with the five rural development tasks. The village has a high school (branch) and rural dispensaries. In addition, low-cost housing project is implemented for the convenience of those who have surrendered.

Arable lands, cattle and farm implements are also provided for the villagers to undertake agriculture. Hence, KNU brigade-2 set the village on fire twice with the belief that it was where the former KNUs who surrendered or deserted reside, where the Kayin villagers who defied and fled reside. The demages and scars inflicted by the KNU atrocities on this village can yet be seen now. In addition, KNUs set fire to Mwaydaw and Kyaungpya villages in the surrounding areas. Here are those villagers who fled from torture and bullies of Ah Si and KNU brigade-2 insurgents, those former KNUs who surrendered due to racial discrimination, control of family members of KNUs as hostages and terrorist acts of Ah Si, as well as the people from surrounding villages who had time and again suffered KNU atrocities such as planting of mines, massacres, setting of fire, etc. You journalists can interview them.

Ah Si is opposed to peace talk and negotiation between the Government and KNU. He is always in favour of war and he has been collecting extortion money, bullying the people, misappropriating funds and seeking his own interest by taking advantage of the regional instability. As Ah Si does not wish peace he is in favour of war, he committed terrorist acts in succession in Bago, Nyaunglebin, Toungoo and surrounding areas to harm the stability. Some of his terrorist acts were the explosion in the Penwegon market on 2-11-2005; the explosion in front of No 1 State High School in Bogo on 3-1-2006; the blowing up of power grid-254 on 12-1-2006; the explosion on the north of Toungoo station on 15-1-2006: the bomb explosion in Pyu market on 30-1-2006; the planting of mines to blow up railroad between Ka-nyut-kwin and Taw-kywe-inn stations on 7-2-2006; the planting of mines to blow up railroad between Yedashe and Kyungon stations on 16-2-2006; the bomb explosion in front of No 1 State High School in Toungoo on 2-3-2006; and the planting of SOC front-blowing mine on railroad at 176/22 milepost near Kyungon on 19-3-2006. Such atrocities of KNUs have been clarified at the previous press conference No.3/2006.

The Government has the duty to protect the lives and property of the people. Hence, with a view to preventing KNU atrocities and sabotage acts and ensuring the public safety, the Government has to clear up the surrounding areas and those areas where KNUs and hardcores could take refuge. In response to this, KNU sent family members and hardcores from that region to the border area. Likewise, the Kayin nationals in the region were also driven out to the border area forcefully so that they would be in no position to make contact with and give information to the Tatmadaw. The so-called refugees as harangued harmoniously by the anti-government groups within and without the country are, in fact, the KNU families and hardcores who had been dislodged by the KNU to the border area intentionally. Few of them are those villagers who were forcefully driven out by KNUs with the intention of cutting off contacts with the Tatmadaw.

As mentioned above, Ah Si has been launching sabotage acts for harming the lives and property of the people, destabilizing the political situations and for destroying peace negotiation with KNU. In addition, he launched sabotage acts such as planting of mines along Bago-Toungoo railroad and in the surrounding areas of East Yoma mountain range in order to harm the residential people and making those villagers who did not obey their forceful displacement to be unable to earn livelihood peacefully.

Hence, a large number of local people have lost their lives or become amputees by stepping on mines planted by KNUs. The local people had to suffer great troubles in earning livelihood. Arrangements have been made for you journalists to interview those in Mone town whose relatives lost lives by KNU mines, those who were severely wounded by KNU mines, those whose cattle, carts and farm implements were robbed by KNUs, those who were forced by KNUs to work in farms and those who fled from their natives.

In fact, the Government is not in favour of war that it is taking security measures. As KNU has been time and again jeopardizing and harming the lives and property of the people, the Government has to take security measures. The national people dare not live in their native villages due to power struggle, massacres, bullies and coercion of KNU. Actually, KNU drove out the people to prevent from contacting with the Tatmadaw and to displace them. To prevent its followers from surrendering or fleeing, KNU moved families of its members to the border forcefully. It is the KNU that plant mines to harm the local people in order to threaten them not to work or earn livelihood freely under the protection of the Tatmadaw. Large number of rural people lost lives and limbs due to booby traps of KNU.

Actually, it is only a plotted scheme by foreign masters and KNU insurgents in synchronization of underground attack and internal and external above-ground attack. By taking advantage of the Government’s efforts for secure peace, the KNU sent sabotage teams to inner regions. By planting mines on railroads and motor roads and in urban areas again and again, they assumed that the Government had to take security measures. Then, they intended to instigate and preach the international community that the villages were displaced by the Tatmadaw offensive. And the villagers had to flee as refugees. By giving the limelight to the fabricated stories of refugees, they intended to make accusation that Myanmar, in the eyes of international community, has become a threat to the region and finally the UN Security Council would be prompted to take action against Myanmar.

Like a thief shouting “thief, thief!”, they are launching propaganda campaign to the effect that about 10,000 Kayin villagers fled and some 1800 reached the border. The Kayin Women Organization (KWO) formed by KNU and some NGOs which are minions of the colonialists are shouting at the top of their voice in collusion with BBC, VOA, RFA, DVB broadcasting stations. Consequently, the USA took a step by waiving its immigration law to receive the so-called Kayin refugees. Actually, the majority of the so-called refugees are KNU terrorists, their families, relatives and hardcores as well as those families of KNU members who were forced to become as hostages.

The foreign masters trying to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs are ignoring the terrorist acts causing losses of lives and limbs of the people, massacres, planting of mines at railroads and motor roads, bomb blasts, etc. by KNU.

I have clarified points on power struggle within KNU brigade-2; driving out and displacement of residential people intentionally; and massacres, robberies and setting villages on fire, planting of mines by KNU. In conclusion, I would like to say that you journalists can ask questions and interview the residential people who had suffered the troubles.