KAO WAO NEWS No. 12
An electronic
newsletter for social justice and freedom in
February 27- March 9
GENERAL DIGS UNDERGROUND
LETTER CAMPAIGN TO UNITE MON ARMED FORCES
NO FORCED LABOUR BUT FORCED CULTIVATION
HALOCKANEE VILLAGERS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE
MON NATIONAL DAY ON THE SIDELINES
MON SPIRIT IN NORTHERN
NATIONAL DAY IN MAHACHAI AND OVERSEAS
FINN MON CELEBRATION
MON DAY IN
HELL’S GATE SWINGS WIDE OPEN TO MIGRANTS
HONEY MON WORKERS ARRESTED
TRAFFICKING TRAGEDY
READERS’ FRONT
GENERAL DIGS
UNDERGROUND
(Kao-Wao,
General Than Shwe, the Chairman of the
State Peace and Development Council has built an underground shelter in the
compound of Kone-Myint-Tha, at the Yangon Military
Command headquarters, near the capital city of
The General is concerned about an imminent
The NDD (Network for Democracy and Development) reported
that the Burma Army recently issued a handbook on preparations for military
action called: "Manual of Peoples Militia Practice", deemed a secret
document with limited publication. It
outlined “Grand Strategy of Peoples Militia” as an emergency preparation kit
for the civilian population explaining what to do when the super power country
(
According to William Ashton, a freelance writer specializing
in Southeast Asian security issues, the junta has long been afraid the
LETTER CAMPAIGN TO UNITE MON ARMED FORCES
(Kao-Wao /
Talks on reconciliation between two armed groups have yet to achieve positive results through MUL, compelling Mon youth groups to take up the challenge demanding an immediate end to the armed conflict between the New Mon State Party and the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party.
The letter issued on February 24, 2002 call on all Mon social and political organizations to write an open letter to leaders of the two Mon armed forces waging military operations against each other in a bid to leave behind national interests. The letter campaign, facilitated by Nai Kasauh, Banya Hongsar and Nai Kun Yekkha, was sent out worldwide to Mon communities to apply pressure to the groups.
The campaigners assert that the NMSP and the HRP will never achieve their main principle of national unity and liberty while under armed conflict, which only serves to impede progress in the current political climate. The leaders on both sides are urged to respect public opinion and common sense irrespective of their personal opinions toward one another, unless the argument is relevant and accurate and in line with Mon unity.
It argued the community is finding it increasingly difficult
to support both parties who are not willing or unable to solve their own
personal and organizational conflicts. Mon youth believe the Mon community
should be kept informed on political and social developments and be encouraged
to share opinions regarding the military operations and the political campaign
to achieve Mon national autonomy in
NO FORCED LABOUR BUT FORCED CULTIVATION
(Kao-Wao, Monland,
Farmers of Durae and KowDut villages, Ye Township of southern
The farmers, who normally just grow rice during the wet season, are being forced to increase production through the summer paddy cultivation project over the dry season. Nai Shein, a recent arrival to the Thai-Burma border, said military officers ordered farmers to cultivate according to the quota set by the authorities, where farms located near to streams can utilize water for irrigation, they make a small dam and use pumps to direct water into the rice fields. Mon farmers in the area are reluctant to grow paddy during the dry season because it takes up too much of their time and no money will ever be made from this type of project.
Farmers are forced to attend meetings to show senior officers making tours of the country that they are willing to work for the development project. The military and township officers however use the farmers to acquire subsidized gas intended for the pumps to irrigate the fields, the officers then use the gas to sell on the black market to make themselves a profit. Farmers in turn have to buy back the fuel from the black market at a higher price, explained Nai Shein. He also added that he was impressed with the resolution of ILO which reduced forced labour in the village, however, military men have decided to use forced rice cultivation instead to make some quick cash.
The SPDC buys paddy from the farmers at a low price for export and distribution to the army and the civil servants. According to Kao-Wao reporter in Mon State, the authorities comprised of Peace and Development Council, Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), local Police Force and Militia (PyiThuSit) are teaming up to hound farmers to collect paddy targeted for the government's distribution quota.
Refugee Alert
HALOCKANEE VILLAGERS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE
(Kao-Wao / Sangkhlaburi,
While Mon communities celebrated the annual Mon National Day
worldwide in their respected venues, Mon armed groups continue to create havoc
near 3
At Krein Htow
and Kun Kyaik, west from the border town, the New Mon
State Party suffered one dead on
After the house burning incident at Halockhanee, refugee villagers decided to dig trenches for protection, they know that one day they will be caught in the line of fire between the NMSP and HRP. Villagers, who are able to do so, have decided to leave and go live somewhere else.
55TH ANNIVERSARY OF
MON NATIONLA DAY WORLDWIDE
MON NATIONAL DAY ON THE SIDELINES
(Based on Mon communities and MUL,
The New Mon State Party held the 55th Anniversary of the Mon
National Day at PhaLan, in Ye Township, while the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party modestly held the same
ceremony at a new covert base in the jungle, southern
The Mon National Day of the New Mon State Party was
celebrated in full uniform with a bright military parade, followed by speeches
and National Day statements, cultural performances and sports activities. In his National Day statement, the President
of the NMSP, Nai Shwe Kyin
urged the Mon to unite and strive for their national rights. According to the
DVB radio, the 89-year-old party leader also said that the NMSP had issued an
official statement regarding the ongoing reconciliation talks in
The worldwide Mon Communities in
MON SPIRIT IN
NORTHERN
(MUL,
A group of local Thai Mon people of Tambon
Nongdu,
Nai Boonmee
Srisathittham, the Mon community leader in Nongdu village, said the former governor of Lamphun initiated this event. It is to honor Queen Chamma Thevi, who had ruled the
Mon
NATIONAL DAY IN MAHACHAI AND OVERSEAS
(Kao-Wao, Samutsakhorn,
About 1500 Mon people merrily gathered for several hours of
festivities at Wat Bangyaphreak,
The Abbot of the monastery and leaders of Thai Mon Community chaired the celebration. Employers of migrant workers cut 500 B off for the one-day absentees who took time off to attend Mon National Day, reported a migrant worker who earns about 200 Baht per day. Many migrants however were happy to partake in the once-a-year event. Mon women and men dressed in their traditional red and gold threaded sarongs that glittered in the noonday sun, dancers performed for onlookers, accompanied by Mon traditional dance, and pop singers including RaMarn rounded out the festivities with contemporary songs.
On the same day, the Mon migrant community in Hatyai and
FINN MON CELEBRATION
(
The newly founded Finn-Mon Association celebrated the Mon
National day at the northern cold city of
MON DAY IN
(MRC- MCS,
The Mon Community of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in
More than 400 people attended, the
In
Migrant Watch
HELL’S GATE SWINGS WIDE OPEN TO MIGRANTS
(Based on the Nation and Kao-Wao /
Phuket,
More than 200 Burmese were arrested over the week by the Phuket Immigration Police as part of nationwide sweep of illegal workers from the country launched on February 10. Pol Maj Gen Ukrit Phatchimsawas, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, paid a visit to the Phuket Immigration Office to check on local progress in the three-month systematic campaign to eradicate illegal labour across the country.
On the other side of the repressive policy, several migrant workers ready with their registration cards were arrested during the Phuket crackdown and were told to pay 5000 Baht up front or else face repatriation, unable to afford that kind of money many were arrested then sent to Ranong for deportation at the Thailand-Burma border.
The crackdown consists of workers with proper identification and workers’ registration cards arrested on their way to shopping or while en route to traditional religious ceremonies. At the Seven Days temple festival of Wat Chalong, Phuket District, which began February 11 and ended on the 18, migrant attendees were stopped and checked on their way back home. One individual who works at a construction site, witnessed about 100 migrants being arrested at Wat Chalong alone. Those released were the lucky ones who were able to pay the requested money, those who couldn’t pay were tagged for deportation. Workers caught fleeing from the scene were chased, beaten and kicked. Some employers were able to advance money for release of some workers. It is believed that the police arbitrarily target migrants with or without the proper registration to meet the quota set by the Immigration Bureau.
There are about 80,000 migrant workers in Phuket province in the fishing, construction and farming
sectors, 75 percent migrants are of Mon nationality of
HONEY MON WORKERS ARRESTED
(MUL, Sangkhalaburi,
On Sunday February 24, Thai soldiers rounded up migrant workers at a rubber plantation and in nearby areas, arresting more than 100 workers and shipping them out in 3 loads of 6 wheels trucks. The rubber plantation is 16 km southwest of Sangkhlaburi and about 10 km from the Thai Burma border. Fearing arrest, several hide in a nearby forest. Mons who have crossed over from Thailand as displaced persons, and like the refugees in Bann-tonyan Karen camp, have no shelter and place to go and find work in the rubber plantation to survive.
Honeybee farm workers, part of a development project run by
the MUL, were also arrested in the crackdown.
The community worker worries that migrants with young families with
newborn babies and children, will be deported to
TRAFFICKING TRAGEDY
(Cited from BBC News and The
Nation,
A forensic investigation revealed that they suffocated while
en route during the difficult journey from
Before the forensic findings emerged,
Burmese workers in
READERS FRONT
Dear Readers,
We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao-Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Wao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of
those seeking social justice in
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Regards,
Editor kaowao@hotmail.com
(Cited from Letters to the Editors of The
Nation and
The way of thinking in
If you have ever visited the
A shameful part of our history happened during WW II when thousands of Japanese families, many naturalized Canadians, were interred in camps, their land confiscated and all possessions destroyed and stolen.
It wasn’t until the late 1940s that Asian people were given
the right to vote. Now let’s look at
Through personal observation I see that Thai society
degrades migrant labourers in very much the same way
white people did to Asian people 100 years ago in
Lita Davidson
KAO WAO NEWS GROUP
Kaowao@hotmail.com