Two Burmese migrants were shot by Thai forestry officials in Sangkhalaburi almost a month ago, but no perpetrator has been arrested. One man is still in hospital recovering from surgery to his leg. The other has been discharged, but still has a bullet in his chest.
The two victims, Nai Blai, 40, from Ye Township in Mon State, and Khin Maung Lwin, 41, from Thaton District, have been living as migrant workers in Baan Mai in the suburbs of the Thai border town of Sangkhalaburi. They were allegedly shot by Thai rangers while chopping wood in a nearby forest on June 3.
Both men were severely wounded. Nai Blai was shot in the right side of his chest. The bullet is still lodged there. Khin Maung Lwin was shot twice in the left leg.
According to Khin Maung Lwin, after he was shot the rangers beat him and kicked him while Nai Blai had fallen unconscious.
“They kicked me in the head and clubbed me with their guns,” he said. “I still have the scars on my face.”
“It hurt a lot, but there was nothing I could do as I could not walk or run away,” he said.
The two victims remained in the jungle after the incident, and the following morning were taken by local villagers to Christian Hospital in Huay Malai.
Khin Maung Lwin said that after they had been in the hospital for two days, some Thai rangers came to visit them, and offered to pay for their treatment and arrange for their children to attend a local school.
“However, they only paid the initial hospital bill of 31,000 baht,” he said. “They did not arrange for my children to go to school, and they did not come back to see me again.”
With two bullet wounds in his leg, Khin Maung Lwin underwent an operation, and has remained in hospital to recover. Nai Blai was discharged within three days, though he still has a bullet lodged in his chest.
Khin Maung Lwin's wife, Mi Zee, said, “It is not a problem that we have to stay at the hospital. The problem is that do not have food to eat.”
She said that representatives of the Thai army paid them a visit and donated one crate of of “ma-ma” (Thai noodles), canned sardines, and a basket of rice.
“Their donations don't come close to paying for my leg,” said Khin Maung Lwin. “The rangers had no right to shoot me. They could have arrested me [for illegal logging] and sent me to prison.”
Nai Blai said that he wanted to sue the Thai rangers who shot him. But, he was afraid the rangers would come back and kill him.
According to both victims, one of the rangers who shot them came to the hospital and threatened them.
“One night ago, the person who shot me came into the hospital at night, and started looking for me. He was drunk. The medics forced him to leave,” said Khin Maung Lwin.
Nai Sunthorn, a Mon community leader in Sangkhalaburi, said that the two victims should get compensation. He said the rangers have no right to shoot anyone, even if they are logging in the forest illegally.
“Burma has such a poor economy that more and more people are coming to Thailand every year,” he said.
He said the Mon community in Sangkhalaburi planned to write to a Mon member of parliament in Burma in order to raise the issues in parliament.
Khin Maung Lwin has five small children. His youngest child is six months old and the eldest is 14. Without him bringing home an income, he said, his children have had to beg for food from neighbors.
The two victims, Nai Blai, 40, from Ye Township in Mon State, and Khin Maung Lwin, 41, from Thaton District, have been living as migrant workers in Baan Mai in the suburbs of the Thai border town of Sangkhalaburi. They were allegedly shot by Thai rangers while chopping wood in a nearby forest on June 3.
Both men were severely wounded. Nai Blai was shot in the right side of his chest. The bullet is still lodged there. Khin Maung Lwin was shot twice in the left leg.
According to Khin Maung Lwin, after he was shot the rangers beat him and kicked him while Nai Blai had fallen unconscious.
“They kicked me in the head and clubbed me with their guns,” he said. “I still have the scars on my face.”
“It hurt a lot, but there was nothing I could do as I could not walk or run away,” he said.
The two victims remained in the jungle after the incident, and the following morning were taken by local villagers to Christian Hospital in Huay Malai.
Khin Maung Lwin said that after they had been in the hospital for two days, some Thai rangers came to visit them, and offered to pay for their treatment and arrange for their children to attend a local school.
“However, they only paid the initial hospital bill of 31,000 baht,” he said. “They did not arrange for my children to go to school, and they did not come back to see me again.”
With two bullet wounds in his leg, Khin Maung Lwin underwent an operation, and has remained in hospital to recover. Nai Blai was discharged within three days, though he still has a bullet lodged in his chest.
Khin Maung Lwin's wife, Mi Zee, said, “It is not a problem that we have to stay at the hospital. The problem is that do not have food to eat.”
She said that representatives of the Thai army paid them a visit and donated one crate of of “ma-ma” (Thai noodles), canned sardines, and a basket of rice.
“Their donations don't come close to paying for my leg,” said Khin Maung Lwin. “The rangers had no right to shoot me. They could have arrested me [for illegal logging] and sent me to prison.”
Nai Blai said that he wanted to sue the Thai rangers who shot him. But, he was afraid the rangers would come back and kill him.
According to both victims, one of the rangers who shot them came to the hospital and threatened them.
“One night ago, the person who shot me came into the hospital at night, and started looking for me. He was drunk. The medics forced him to leave,” said Khin Maung Lwin.
Nai Sunthorn, a Mon community leader in Sangkhalaburi, said that the two victims should get compensation. He said the rangers have no right to shoot anyone, even if they are logging in the forest illegally.
“Burma has such a poor economy that more and more people are coming to Thailand every year,” he said.
He said the Mon community in Sangkhalaburi planned to write to a Mon member of parliament in Burma in order to raise the issues in parliament.
Khin Maung Lwin has five small children. His youngest child is six months old and the eldest is 14. Without him bringing home an income, he said, his children have had to beg for food from neighbors.
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