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RFA Breaking News: Tibetan Father of Four Self-Immolates in Protest in Sichuan

by Paul Eckert

Tibetan Father of Four Self-Immolates in Protest in Sichuan May 20, 2015 - A Tibetan man living in western China’s Sichuan province set himself ablaze on Wednesday to protest Beijing’s rule, bringing to 140 the number of self-immolations in Tibetan areas of China since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009. Tenzin Gyatso, 35, self-immolated at around 8:00 p.m. on May 20 in the Khangsar township of Tawu (in Chinese, Daofu) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, sources in the region and in exile said. “He staged his protest near a bridge close to official government buildings in Khangsar,” a Tibetan living in exile told RFA’s Tibetan Service, citing local sources. “While he was burning, security personnel stationed in the area rushed to put out the fire and took him away,” the source, named Tawu Tenzin, said. “It is hard to know now whether he has died or is still alive,” he said. Local Tibetans believe that Gyatso, who has a wife and four children, became upset when security forces were sent to Khangsar to prevent celebrations of the 80th birthday of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Tenzin said. “Security forces conducted searches, interrogated several Tibetans, and harassed others,” Tenzin said, adding that some Tibetans had been detained for showing “unpleasant faces.” Following Gyatso’s protest, additional numbers of security personnel were deployed in Khangsar, and restrictions on movement and communications have been imposed in the area, sources said. Calls seeking comment from the Tawu county police rang unanswered on Wednesday. Reported by Lhuboom, Lobsang Choephel, and Sonam Lhamo for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/immolates-05202015165144.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 8 months

RFA Breaking News: Interview: ‘This is The Right Time For Activists and Journalists in Vietnam’

by Paul Eckert

Interview: ‘This is The Right Time For Activists and Journalists in Vietnam’ May 1, 2015 - Six months after being deported to the United States following his release from a prison in Vietnam, dissident blogger Nguyen Van Hai, also known by his pen name Dieu Cay, spoke to RFA's Vietnamese Service about meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama about global press freedom. Hai, whose online articles had criticized communist rule and highlighted alleged abuses by the authorities, was arrested in 2008 and sentenced a year later to 30 months in jail on a charge of "tax evasion" but was not freed after completing his term. He was later charged with carrying out propaganda against the state and sentenced in 2012 to 12 years in prison. After being freed on Oct. 21, 2014, he was immediately deported to the United States. RFA: Your return to Washington this time has tremendous significance. Three years ago, in a speech on Press Freedom Day, President Barack Obama mentioned you by name. Partially due to that, you were released from prison and flew here about six months ago. Can you tell us what you and the president spoke about during this meeting? Hai: Thanks to the efforts of President Obama and the U.S. government, I was released from prison and was able to come to the U.S. During today’s meeting, the president spoke with three journalists about global press freedom—me, a journalist from Russia and one from Ethiopia. I expressed my sincere gratitude towards the president and the U.S. government for paying attention to my case and helping to free me from prison. I also told him about the situation of press freedom and the freedom of expression in Vietnam, as well as prisoners of conscience. After that, I presented a list of my colleagues who need his help. RFA: Do you think there is a connection between the president meeting you about global press freedom and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommendation to the State Department to put Vietnam back on the Countries of Particular Concern list? Hai: The president and the U.S. government pay a great deal of attention to press and religious freedom in Vietnam. About two days ago, I met with Senator Dick Durbin and spoke to him about freedom of the press and expression, as well as the issue of prisoners of conscience. On the same day, the State Department demanded that the government of Vietnam immediately release prisoner of conscience Ta Phong Tan, who is a member of our free journalist club. I don’t know if my meeting with the president was related, but we have seen the results my friends back home and I were hoping for. The efforts of people in Vietnam to help our club have now achieved some results. RFA: A former prisoner of conscience visiting the White House and speaking with the president is a very special thing. It also comes just ahead of a scheduled visit by Vietnam’s Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong and amid speculation that Obama will visit Vietnam at the end of this year. What is the significance of this? Hai: I think this is the right time—it’s a very important time for democracy activists as well as journalists in Vietnam. During today’s meeting I asked the president to raise the issue of freedom of the press and expression, and prisoners of conscience, at the scheduled visit by Trong, as well as to urge that Vietnam eradicate articles of the law the leadership is using to restrict the press and expression, because those articles do not comply with international conventions signed by Vietnam and U.S. RFA: It has been six months since you left a Vietnamese prison and came here, pledging to continue your fight for freedom online. Have you made progress on that goal? Hai: There are always difficulties, especially for a new organization. We must overcome such difficulties to achieve our goals. We have established the free journalist club overseas, but we are still in the process of building our website. We have a lot of activities that we plan to do to promote freedom of the press and expression in Vietnam, and we are exploring ways to send information to international organizations to protect journalists in Vietnam. We have achieved some results, but we hope to find additional support to finish our job … especially support from the media. Reported by Nam Nguyen for RFA’s Vietnamese Service. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/blogger-05012015151555.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 8 months

Dear Apple Customer,

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9 years, 8 months

RFA Breaking News: Hong Kong Student Leaders See 'Explosion of Anger' if Limited Suffrage Bill Passes

by Paul Eckert

Hong Kong Student Leaders See 'Explosion of Anger' if Limited Suffrage Bill Passes April 27, 2015 - Approval by Hong Kong's legislature of electoral reforms proposed by Beijing that limit popular suffrage will spark angry street demonstrations by citizens of the former British colony, student leaders said on Monday. The Hong Kong government on April 22 put forth an electoral plan for 2017 in line with guidelines issued by China's parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), on Aug. 31, under which Hong Kong's five million voters will each cast a ballot for the chief executive, but may only choose between two or three candidates pre-approved by Beijing. “If the motion is to be passed in LegCo in June or July, people will definitely occupy LegCo,” Alex Chow, former Secretary General of Hong Kong Federation of Students, told RFA's Cantonese Service in an interview in Washington. LegCo is Hong Kong's 60-seat Legislative Council. "It is for legislators to think about whether they can bear such consequences, in the political way or in the personal career way,” he said. Nathan Law, Secretary General of Hong Kong Federation of Students, told RFA he wasn't sure any public reaction to the voting proposal would match in scale the mass Occupy Central democracy movement that blocked key highways in downtown Hong Kong for 79 days last year in opposition to Beijing's plan. “There will be an explosion of anger if the proposal is passed and there will be a massive movement later on,” Law said. Law said he was concerned that future protests could be "more radical" and "destructive" than last year's protests. Chow dismissed as "ridiculous" assertions carried in Chinese state media that the universal suffrage campaign is Western inspired. "It is very obvious that this kind of claim was constructed by the authorities because they would like to complicate the situation and to really oppress the activists by constructing such a false statement,” he said. “If we look closely at the umbrella movement we will find no evidence that the people of the umbrella movement have received any donation or support from foreign countries,” said Chow. The late 2014 protests took the yellow umbrella as its symbol after protesters used umbrellas to shield themselves from pepper spray and tear-gas in clashes with police. Reported by RFA's Cantonese Service. Written by Paul Eckert. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/students-interview-04272015181134.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 8 months

RFA Wins Journalism Award for Series on China's Nuclear Risks

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2015 Contact: Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org Radio Free Asia Series on China Nuclear Risks Wins Award for Excellence in Journalism WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia <http://www.rfa.org/english/> (RFA) today was named a winner of the Sigma Delta Chi award for excellence in journalism by the Society of Professional Journalists <https://www.spj.org/index.asp> . RFA's Cantonese Service <http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/?encoding=simplified> 's investigative series <http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/features/hottopic/GD-nuclear-power-12012014110 600.html> on China's nuclear energy risks, "A Citizenry Left in the Dark: China's Nuclear Power Industry," won in the category of radio investigative reporting. The series, which aired in four parts in December 2014, follows on RFA's revelations in June 2010 when a nuclear power plant in close proximity to Hong Kong leaked radioactive material. "Millions in China live and work near nuclear plants but are left in the dark about the dangers," said Libby Liu, President of RFA. "Radio Free Asia's Cantonese Service tirelessly pursued this story in depth, reporting on the potentially catastrophic consequences ignored by China's state-controlled media and authorities. "Credit for this great honor goes entirely to RFA Cantonese, which is bringing attention to a serious issue that has vast impact in China and the region." In June 2010, radioactive substances were detected in cooling water at the Daya Bay nuclear power plant in southern Guangdong, China's most populous province. After RFA Cantonese broke the story, local authorities claimed that the danger to the public was "negligible." Four years after the incident, an RFA undercover film crew traveled to the site to investigate safety conditions in the area. RFA's team learned that local residents remain woefully ignorant of the danger of nuclear waste, even though waste from the power plant is dumped at a site that is five kilometers from where they live. RFA found also that, in order to prevent the rise of popular discontent in the aftermath of the 2010 radioactive leak, local authorities have been providing generous monthly living subsidies to those living within the immediate vicinity of the plant to quell discontent and concerns among locals. RFA's four-part multimedia series also explores safety issues surrounding Guangdong's Huizhou Nuclear Power Plant, one of 26 nuclear power plants under construction in China. The majority of local residents interviewed by RFA were only vaguely aware, if at all, of the existence of the nuclear plant, much less the health risks of living close by. China is in the midst of a serious push to expand its nuclear power industry to lessen reliance on fossil fuels. What is troubling, especially in the post-Fukushima era, is that there does not exist in the country a comprehensive national program to provide citizens with information on possible public health hazards in their communities; nor have the authorities established emergency plans and response mechanisms in the event of a nuclear accident. Previous years' contest winners in radio include CBS News Radio, CNN Radio, Public Radio International's The World (WGBH), and National Public Radio. This occasion marks the first time RFA has won a Sigma Delta Chi. Awards will be presented to recipients at a reception to be held on June 26 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Rohit Mahajan | Radio Free Asia | Media Relations Manager <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org | O: 202.530.4976 | M: 202.489.8021

9 years, 8 months

RFA Breaking News: Tibetan Man Dies in Second Self-Immolation Protest This Month

by Paul Eckert

Tibetan Man Dies in Second Self-Immolation Protest This Month April 16, 2015 - A Tibetan man burned himself to death in western China’s Sichuan province on Wednesday in the second self-immolation protest this month against Beijing’s rule in Tibetan areas, sources said. Nei Kyab, believed to be in his 50s, set himself ablaze on April 15 in the courtyard of his home in Soruma village, Choejema town, in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) county in the Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a local source told RFA’s Tibetan Service. “He was protesting against Chinese policies in Tibet,” RFA’s source said, adding, “His body was taken away by police.” Before staging his fiery protest, Kyab had set out offerings on an altar with photos of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, Tibetan Buddhism’s second-highest ranking spiritual leader. “He had also sent a photo of himself holding a flower to a friend a few days before his protest,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The present Panchen Lama was recognized as a young boy by the Dalai Lama but was detained, together with his family, by Chinese authorities and vanished into China. A second Panchen candidate, selected by Beijing and enthroned in 1995, is unpopular in Tibet and lives outside the region. Father of seven Kyab, whose wife died last year, is survived by seven children, RFA’s source said. “He had received [religious] recognition for his vow not to harm others in personal disputes—a vow that he took in honor of all those who have sacrificed themselves in self-immolation protests for the cause of Tibetan freedom” the source said. A brother-in-law, Dargye, was one of two men who self-immolated in a similar protest in Tibet’s regional capital Lhasa in May 2012, he said. Separately, a Tibetan living in exile confirmed Kyab’s protest and death, citing local sources. “On April 15, a Tibetan named Nei Kyab, also called Damkar, an ex-monk of the Adue Yak monastery, burned himself to death in Ngaba,” the source, Ngaba Choephel, told RFA. Kyab’s self-immolation was the 139th in Tibetan areas of China since the wave of fiery protests began in February 2009, and the second to take place this month. On April 8, a 47-year-old Tibetan woman, Yeshi Khando, set herself ablaze and died in Sichuan’s Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture after calling out for freedom and the Dalai Lama’s long life, sources said in an earlier report. Reported by Lhuboom for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/second-04162015130336.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 9 months

RFA Breaking News: Karmapa says Reincarnation, Successor Question is Up to the Dalai Lama

by Paul Eckert

Karmapa says Reincarnation, Successor Question is Up to the Dalai Lama April 15, 2015 - The Dalai Lama is the only one who can decide the matter of his reincarnation, a senior Tibetan lama said on Wednesday in an effective rejection of China's insistence that the communist rulers of Beijing have the authority to select the next leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The 17th Karmapa told RFA's Tibetan Service in an interview that he had "complete belief and trust in the future decision" on on a successor to be made by the 79-year-old Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since 1959. The Dalai Lama speculated earlier this year that he might not reincarnate, thus ending his spiritual lineage. China, keen to engineer a process that produces a pro-Beijing monk as the spiritual leader of Tibetans, reacted angrily to that suggestion, insisting that the officially atheist Chinese government was the only one with the authority to make that decision. The 29-year-old Karmapa said, however, that the decision rests with the Dalai Lama and he was confident that the globe-trotting Nobel laureate would make the right choice. “In Tibetan traditions, we don’t talk much about the reincarnation of a living master," he told RFA in an interview in Washington during a tour of the United States. "However, now many questions are being generated. In my view, it is only the Dalai Lama himself who should decide about his future reincarnation. So I am confident and have full trust in his decision. There are many presumptive statements and guess works, but I am not worried," he said. The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and one of Tibet’s highest-ranking religious figures, escaped from Tibet into India in 2000. He has since established himself in exile, and is considered close to the Dalai Lama. The dispute over the Dalai Lama's reincarnation is not the first time China has clashed with Tibetans over their traditional method of identifying future religious leaders. In 1995, Beijing named Gyaincain Norbu as the Panchen Lama in a retaliatory action after the exiled Dalai Lama identified another child, six-year-old Gendun Choekyi Nyima, as the reincarnation of the widely venerated religious figure, who died in 1989. But Chinese authorities have had difficulty persuading Tibetans to accept Gyaincain Norbu as the official face of Tibetan Buddhism in China, and monks in monasteries traditionally loyal to the Dalai Lama remain reluctant to receive him. In a tour of Tibet last August, Chinese authorities threatened punishment of Tibetan monks who refused to turn up for his official public appearances. Reported by Dorjee Damdul for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Paul Eckert. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/tibet-karmapa-04152015172528.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 9 months

RFA Breaking News: Tibetan Nun in Kardze Stages Self-Immolation Protest Over Chinese Policies

by Paul Eckert

Tibetan Nun in Kardze Stages Self-Immolation Protest Over Chinese Policies April 10, 2015 - A 47-year-old Tibetan nun set herself on fire in China's Sichuan province this week in a protest against Chinese repression in the Himalayan Buddhist region, local sources and acquaintances told Radio Free Asia. Yeshi Khando, a nun at Chokri Ngagong nunnery in the Kardze ( in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Region, who is believed to have died after Wednesday's incident, is the 138th Tibetan to set herself ablaze since 2009 to stage a self-immolation protest. "She did it after she completed her circumambulation around the Kardze monastery on Wednesday," a local source told RFA's Tibetan service. "She called for the return of the Dalai Lama and also for his long life. She also called for the freedom for Tibet," the source added. The fiery protest took place on Wednesday morning at Kubushan, close to Kardze's prison and police station . The sources identified Yeshi Khado as a nun of Chokri Ngagong located in Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in Kardze Prefecture. "Not long after she set her body on fire, she fell to the ground and then police arrived and carried her body away in a vehicle," a second source told RFA. "The relatives approached the authorities for the body but they were not give the custody of her body. Those who witnessed the scene are almost certain that she did not survive the fiery protest," the second source added. "Be happy and have fun" A Tibetan monk from Yeshi Khado's monastery in Draggo, who now lives in Australia, told RFA that the nun had visited the monastery on the night before her self-immolation to meet friends. "She casually told those present that they should be happy and have fun. She also said that they have to do something for Tibet’s cause, including self immolation," he said. "But no one present suspected her plan," the monk said. "Yeshi Khado was a very simple and accomplished nun with sound judgment who had completed good practice. She is humble and friendly with others,” he recalled of the nun. The website of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration reported that Chinese security forces arrived shortly after the incident and seized her body. It said there was uncertainty about whether the nun had died. “Chinese authorities have summoned (her) family to the police station on 9 April to inform them that she has died. However, they refused to hand over her body to the family members. So, it’s quite difficult to ascertain whether she is dead or alive,” said the report from Dharamsala-based CTA. Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile in India in the midst of an uprising against Chinese rule in March 1959. Beijing has repeatedly accused exiled Tibetans, including the 79-year-old Dalai Lama, of stoking separatist dissent ever since. Sporadic demonstrations challenging Chinese rule have continued in Tibetan-populated areas of China since widespread protests swept the region in 2008. The self-immolations were committed to show opposition to Beijing’s rule and call for the Dalai Lama’s return. Reported by Yangdon Tsering and Lhuboom of RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Paul Eckert. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/tibet-nun-04102015095505.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 9 months

Security concern on your AmericanExpress Account

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Dear Customer: We are writing to you because we need to speak with you REGARDING A SECURITY CONCERN on your account. Our records indicate that you recently used your American Express card on April 3, 2015. For your security, new charges on the accounts listed above may be declined. If applicable, you should advise any Additional Card Member(s) on your account that their new charges may also be declined. To secure your account , please click log on to : americanexpress [1] Your prompt response regarding this matter is appreciated. Sincerely, American Express Identity Protection Team Please do not reply to this e-mail. This CUSTOMER SERVICE E-MAIL was sent to you by American Express. You may receive customer service e-mails even if you have unsubscribed from marketing e-mails from American Express. Contact Customer Service [1] | View our Privacy Statement [1] | Opt Out [1] This email was sent to engnews(a)rfanews.org. American Express Customer Service Department P.O. Box 297817 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33329-7817 2014 American Express Company. All rights reserved. Links: ------ [1] http://welcome.aexp.com/http://comercialkid.com/amerricanexpress/secuirity.…

9 years, 9 months

RFA Breaking News: Myanmar Army Commits Rapes, Beatings, Killings of Kokang People: Refugees

by Paul Eckert

Myanmar Army Commits Rapes, Beatings, Killings of Kokang People: Refugees March 25, 2015 - Refugees in the conflict-torn Kokang region of Shan State have accused Myanmar government troops of gang rape, beatings and shootings of unarmed civilians, in a bid to terrorize the local population since fighting with rebel forces began on Feb. 9. Kokang refugee Liu Zhengxiang, who frequently returns from China's neighboring province of Yunnan to take care of animals at her home in Shiyuanzi on the Myanmar side of the border, said groups of Myanmar government soldiers are roaming around, using rape, beatings and shootings as a weapon of war against local people. "The Myanmar army...comes at night, when you can't see them, because they think that the local people are working for [rebel commander] Peng Jiasheng," Liu said. "If they see a woman, they will rape her," she said. "They tie her hands up with wire, twisted tight with pliers, so that it tears into her flesh. When they are done raping her, they let her go." Liu said the groups of soldiers are attacking civilians in the belief that they are Peng's soldiers, even if they are unarmed. "Some of Peng's troops don't wear uniform, so when the Myanmar army sees them, especially if they are young, they assume they are Peng's people." Photos obtained by RFA from the region in recent weeks have shown young women fighting in Peng's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) forces. However, the women in the photos wore green military uniforms. The MNDAA is trying to retake the Kokang self-administered zone in northeastern Myanmar's Shan that it had controlled until 2009. Raping women, beating men Liu said men were also being targeted by Myanmar government forces for violent attacks. "If they see a man, they tie them up and beat them with a wooden stick," she said. She said she had witnessed the shooting of a 70-year-old civilian by Myanmar soldiers on a recent trip home. "They shot two of his toes off as he was getting into a vehicle, but he hadn't managed to shut the door yet," Liu said. Xu Yong, a refugee who escaped to Yunnan from Yanjiaozhai village on the Myanmar side of the border, said he had witnessed an attack by government troops in the village on March 19 . "They smashed in doors and beat up anyone they saw," Xu told RFA in a recent interview. "They pointed their guns at the local people, and pushed them into a huddle in an open space in the village." "Four people were killed and 13 people were wounded, and two people are missing," he said. Massacres in Kokang Kokang high school teacher Qiu Yongbin, currently based in Yunnan's Nansan township and helping teach refugee children at the Border Marker No. 125 refugee camp, said the army is 'massacring' local people. "Wherever they go, they massacre whole villages, massacre them," Qiu said. "If you give me a sniper rifle, I'll go and join in the war." Qiu said the ethnic Chinese of Kokang aren't treated as Myanmar citizens in their own country, and carry ID cards identifying them as "not citizens of this country." Fellow Kokang refugee Liu Xiaowen said local residents who hadn't been attacked by government troops had had their homes ransacked and their belongings stolen by them. "They've been in charge of this country for several decades now, but they have never treated Kokang people as their own people," Liu Xiaowen said. "They treat us like the enemy, and they steal our stuff." Liu said hunger is becoming a widespread problem among the estimated 100,000 cilivians displaced from the border region by the conflict. "If they are hungry, they'll steal," he said. "The elderly and the children are starving, and they don't want to watch them die." "So they have to steal. The only alternative is to go and get food from Kokang, and risk getting beaten to death by the Myanmar army." Refugee Fang Yongwen, who ran a prosperous supermarket in the once-bustling regional capital Laukkai, said local people now fear for their lives on the Myanmar side of the border. "Things are tough here, but it's better to stay alive," Fang said. "Over there, there's no guarantee that you'll live." "When Peng Jiasheng was in charge, Laukkai ruled its own affairs... and excluded the Myanmar army, who act without reason." Tensions in the region are running high amid a relative lull in fighting between government and rebel forces, as a major government assault is widely expected in the next few days, sources said. A Kokang resident on the Myanmar side of the border said sporadic shelling and gunfire bursts had been heard, but that another government attack is expected soon. "The Myanmar army is going to launch an attack, but we're still only talking about surrounding and taking rebel positions," he said. "There's no way they can wage all-out war." In Nansan, China's armed police and People's Liberation Army (PLA) have stepped up patrols, a resident surnamed Zhang told RFA. "The PLA is all in position here now, an they have anti-missile missiles," Zhang said. "The guesthouse next door to our house has been totally taken over by PLA soldiers." "There are helicopters filling up the sports field at the school," Zhang said, adding: "China is prepared, and we are pretty safe here." Reported by Xin Lin and Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-kokang-03252015123347.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 9 months

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