SCMP-Villagers 'raped, tortured and

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

South China Morning Post
Monday  September 21  1998

Villagers 'raped, tortured and killed plane crash survivors' 

WILLIAM BARNES and Reuters in Bangkok 
Several people survived the crash of an airliner in eastern Burma last
month, only to suffer rape, torture and eventual death at the hands of
ethnic Shan villagers, a report said yesterday.



Quoting officials and witnesses, the Bangkok Post said an air hostess and a
female student on the Myanmar Airways Fokker F-27 turboprop were gang-raped
by villagers and an infant starved to death.



However, Burmese opposition sources said last night while the plane was
almost certainly looted, they had heard no rumours of rape and torture.



The Shan Human Rights Foundation pointed out that the Burmese army had
detained and severely beaten many villagers in the area - but eventually
released all of them.



"The military even knocked about the three Akha villagers who found the
plane, but let them go. No one has been charged with looting, let alone
rape or murder," a representative of the foundation said.



The military Government denounced the report yesterday as "Hollywood-style
sensationalism".



The Bangkok Post said at least five people survived the crash. It said male
survivors were tortured and villagers chopped off ears and fingers to get
at passengers' gold jewellery. It also said military personnel on board -
including those already dead - were among passengers kicked and punched.



The Post said authorities had questioned 14 Shan over the incident.



After the August 24 crash, Burmese officials gave several conflicting
reports as to the fate of the plane - which was bound for Tachilek, the
main town on the Burmese side of the Golden Triangle opium-growing area -
and of those aboard.



An airline official said most of the 36 aboard were military personnel. The
Post quoted witnesses saying up to 12 were soldiers, and that the other
passengers were their wives and children.