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NLD Statement 50/2000:

National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon

Statement 50 (4/00) (translation)

1. We are informed of the plans being made by the authorities to force 36 households to relocate from Dagon Myothit township, Rangoon Division to Yakhine state.

2. At the time when the Myothit Expansion project was implemented in 1994 these 36 households were not allotted substitute land so they had no choice but to build huts for themselves in what is now known as Ywahaung, 17 Ward in the northern section of Dagonthit.

3.In 1999, the heads of some of these 36 households were summoned by U Aung Win, Police Superintendent, who accused them of being trespassers and were told to move to either the Yakhine state, Teninthaye Division, or the Ye-net-kwin in Nyaungdone township. Daw Khin Win Ye, (head of one household) refuted the allegation that they were squatters for which she was charged under Section 51 (f) (g) by the Township court and sentenced to suffer imprisonment for 51 days. Then an additional movement restriction for 6 months (under a bond) was illegally imposed.

4. Then at 8:00 a.m. on the 2nd April 2000, all heads of households residing in Dagon Myothit northern region were summoned to attend at the office of the ward authorities where Police Superintendent U Aung Win asked for particulars because they would be relocated to Maungdaw township in Arakan State. For those who gave such particulars, they would be granted 5 acres of agricultural land, a pair of cows, one cart, clothing, utensils, twenty thousand kyats cash and one year's provision of rice, oil and salt. The deadline for giving these particulars was fixed at 9:00 p.m. on 2 April 2000. Those households that failed to give the required particulars would face examination of their household census list and eviction after fourteen days imprisonment was the threatened consequence. The census lists of the above mentioned 36 households had already been surrendered to the authorities in 1998 and had not been returned to them.

5.The same night at about 22:00 hours, these households were subjected to "household list examination" and heads of 4 households were illegally arrested and hauled away. They were U Po Htwe, U Tin Win, U Kyaw Soe, Daw Tin San, Daw Ngwe Thein, and Daw The Ye.

6.The authorities have acted in contravention of the following articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:-
Article 3 - Everyone has the right to Life, Liberty and Security of Person.
Article 5 - No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 12 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family home or correspondence; nor to attacks upon their honour or reputation.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

7.We therefore ask that the authorities be halted in their attempts to forcibly relocate the 36 households to a different state and location without their consent and against their wishes. Those who have been arrested in matters relating to household lists should be immediately released. We strongly condemn such highhanded, illegal abuse of authority and the threats and punishments meted out in the process.

Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy

Rangoon
17 April 2000