* To monitor human rights
situations in Mon territory and other areas southern part of Burma
* To protect and promote
internationally recognized human rights in Burma
human rights foundation of monland
Human
Rights Report 6/96 (September 15, 1996)
Some Acronyms
NMSP - New
Mon State Party;
SLORC -
State Law and Order Restoration Council;
BSPP-
Burmese Socialist Programme Party;
tatmadaw- Burmese
Army;
KNU -
Karen National Union;
MDUF -
Mergui-Tavoy United Front;
LIB -
Light Infantry Battalion of SLORC;
IB- Regular Infantry Battalion of SLORC;
Everyone has the right to
form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article
23 (4). Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
Forced Portering after
NMSP-SLORC Ceasefire Agreement
The
Focus of This Report
The
decade-long conscription of forced portering in Burma is widespreadly taken
place in most rural areas at present time. Regarding the arrest of villagers to
be as porters along the military operation, the SLORC has complained as an
existed law in constitution and the traditional practice of the army.
Otherwise, the treatments to porters are really terrible and inhumane. Since
SLORC took power it has tried to reach agreements for ceasing fighting with
several ethnic armed oppositions and it officially accepted ceasefire agreement
with 15 organizations, but some organizations resumed fightings again because
of SLORC 's continuous human rights violations to their peoples.
To review
and understand the human rights situation concerning the portering case after
ceasefire, the HURFOM conducted several interviews with victims who were
physically forced to be porters along the SLORC troops' movement. This report
describes on portering issues and encloses two interviews, including an
interview with child porter. Those interviewees are from different areas but
they had suffered mainly for forced portering. They were also witnesses of
other maltreatment of SLORC troops.
To protect
the persons who were conducted interviews, the report does not use the real
name of the interviewees and changed all their names. However, all events and
stories were true which really happened in Burma. It is hoped that all
information must be useful in helping the international community to halt SLORC
from abusing such brutal human rights violations and promote internationally
recognized human rights in Burma.
The
Aggressive Behaviour of tatmadaw Recruitment of Porters
In one
point of New Mon State Party (NMSP) and SLORC ceasefire agreement, the both
sides have agreed not to conscript forced labour from the local population and to take only voluntary labour from them. In
describing the definition of voluntary
labour, the two
parties have different opinions and it remained as an argument point in every
meetings. The NMSP officials always mentioned in the meetings with SLORC higher
authorities that the SLORC local military battalions have conscripted the
villagers by forces to be porters. They also asked SLORC to stop arrests of
forced porters. However, the SLORC has ignored the argument and never took
actions to its military battalions which always arrested and used the villagers
as porters.
Regarding
the recruitment of porters, the SLORC ever claimed that it is part of
traditional Burmese culture. In era of the Burmese kingdom, the kings recruited
all male villagers who were in their control into army to be soldiers or
porters. Not just only the Burmese kings, the kings over the world in the
period up to 18th century recruited the civilians as soldiers or porters for
their victories over their enemy. They also executed their enemy or recruited
into their own army. In 20th century, the civilisation of the world community
have changed and rejected all such inhumane behaviour of the army.
Besides,
the SLORC ever claimed the recruitment of forced porters was existed as law and
legislation in British colonial era and they also claimed that behaviour is
copied from the British Army. In inquiry to this law and legislation, the
HURFOM asked the experience of the elder persons who knew about British era.
According to them, the British army used porters but it provided payment to
those who were recruited with daily wage basis. The British army
never conscript free labour from the civilians like SLORC without
providing any payment.
However,
the recruitment of forced porters to the villagers has been remained in the
Burmese Army (tatmadaw) as an aggressive behaviour since it took power
after 1962. Since the independence day of Burma in 1948, the Rangoon central government have launched the military offensives to ethnic
armed oppositions and the tatmadaw has been gradually more and more
powerful in Burma and up to situation the tatmadaw enabled to seize
power of parliamentary government. Hence, the military government BSPP (Burmese
Socialist Programme Party) has adopted ethnic cleansing policy in
oppressing the armed opposition. Since then, the traditional behaviour of the tatmadaw
conscripting of forced porters in rural areas have continued up to now. The
order to get the porters for the military offensives always came from the
higher authorities and later on, the soldiers behaved as a regular job
arresting the villagers to carry the supplies or even their own belongings. For
the military purposes such as launching offensives and moving the bases, the
soldiers themselves would not like to carry their own logistics and ammunitions
of their own troops.
In
arresting the porters, the manner of the soldiers and commanders has been
different in different areas. In previous BSPP time, the tatmadaw officially
conscripted forced porters even in their control area which is defined as White
Area. Every time they launched the military offensives to ethnic rebels, the
concerned local township authorities officially asked the needed porters from
every villages -or quarters under the township administration. The villages
which could not provide the requested porters, had to
provide payment to concerned battalion to hire the substitutes. In 1980s when
the military launched offensives following the four cut campaigns into mainly
KNU territory, they officially asked for porters in Mon State. Most Mon
villages had to provide villager porters to army especially the village
militia, village BSPP members and ordinary villagers were conscripted. The
porters had faced hardships along the military operation in the frontline and
some of them died in the battlefield. Such official conscription of the porters
was happened a few time. After the ordinary faced
hardships in the battlefields, they refused to be porters along with tatmadaw.
After the tatmadaw could not get porters from the villagers in its
control area, they had to collect cash from the villages to hire substitute
porters. Since then, every time the tatmadaw prepared for the offensives
to ethnic rebels, the concerned military battalions have arrested the villagers
by force.
Most of
the time, when one battalion needed porters when they left to frontline, they
came into nearest town or villages and rashly arrested the villagers for
porters. After those local villagers were arrested they were detained in the
military battalion's detention cell until the day the soldiers left to
frontline. When they were in detention their families have chance to take them
back by paying bribe to the military. When the military arrested the villagers
for porters they arrested more numbers than the needed and from those more
porters, the commander or his battalion can make money.
In
arresting the porters in the urban or white area, the military always arrested
in cinema theatres, coffee shops and on the roads sometime in day-time but
usually in night time. In Burma, the BSPP and SLORC also checked the guests who
arrived in a quarter of a town or village. The house owners have to inform
about the arrival of the guests to the local officials and officials have to
inform the main administrative office. If the house owners missed or forgot to
inform the officials, those guests must be arrested by the officials and sent
them to army camp. Then they must be used as porters or labourers for the
military.
The method
of conscription of porters in the area that is referred to as Black Area (free fire zone) is very terrible. Under the accusation of rebel-supporters,
the military will arrest every able bodied male villagers when they reached
into villages with regardless of age of the villagers and several children have
been arrested to be porters. In fact, the villagers in the black area have to
flee outside village when the time the military are in their village. While the
villagers fleeing for escape the soldiers will shoot them to arrest. If someone
was arrested he was terribly beaten by soldiers and asked many questions about
the rebel in the areas. Then the soldiers will take him as porter or if they
dissatisfied with that villager or accused him as supporter of the rebel, they
will kill him. In some villagers, the soldiers officially asked the village
leaders to provide them porters according to the numbers they needed.
The
recruitment of porters in the rural areas is officially recognised by the
higher officers. They allowed the soldiers to arrest villagers and to carry the
ammunitions and supplies along the military operation or to use them in
building the military barracks or other buildings in the battalion headquarters
or outposts. Even when the New Mon State Party reached ceasefire agreement with
SLORC, the SLORC did not reduce the conscription of forced porters in
Mon State
and other territory where the Mons are inhabiting.
Unreliable
NMSP-SLORC Ceasefire Agreement
In the
ceasefire agreement, the both sides have agree not to
conscript forced labour but they still have chance to ask voluntary labour.
According to one Mon officials who participated in the ceasefire negotiation
the SLORC have always claimed to reduce their activities in arresting porters
and forcing villagers to work in the government infrastructure projects. While
the negotiation was taking place, the SLORC always responded to the questions
and promised that after ceasefire the situation must be better and there would
be no more forced porters in Mon State. But they never mentioned that they will
definitely stop arresting Mon villagers into porters in any areas such as
Tenasserim Division or Karen State.
After the
ceasefire, the situation never improved as the Mon leaders hoped. As soon as
the NMSP accepted ceasefire agreement with SLORC, the Mon leaders travelled
around the Mon villages especially Mon State and Karen State and explained the
ceasefire points to Mon population. In their explanation, they always mentioned
the Burmese troops will discontinue their conscription of forced porters or
collecting porter fees to the Mon population. The local Mon villagers were very
glad after hearing from the Mon leaders. But the local tatmadaw officers
in the outposts of the local villages were dissatisfied on the explanation of
the Mon leaders. After the return of the Mon leaders the tatmadaw local
officers threatened to the villagers that those leaders have no rights to talk
about portering case in their own territory. And they also claimed that the Mon
troops must be withdrawn from their previous control areas and they have no
chance to talk about the conscription of villagers. Since then, the local Mon
villagers have suffered from the conscription of forced porters similarly to
the situation before the ceasefire.
However,
the SLORC still has to continue war with KNU (Karen National Union) and an other alliance of Tavoy and Mergui ethnic groups called
Mergui-Tavoy United Front (MDUF). The most MDUF forces are based in Tenasserim
Division and KNU forces are based in Karen State and also Tenasserim Division.
In fact, the SLORC local troops still arrest porters to carry ammunitions and
other supplies.
Besides,
the SLORC local troops also collect tax regarding to portering cases. When they
launched the military operation to any area, they collected tax from the people
and did not mention in detail for which operation they have to collect. The
local villagers never knew the exact reason what the soldiers will use their
cash and the most villagers think the military will not use their cash and take
it for their own. Such portering tax is regular payment to the nearest military
outpost or battalion. The rate of tax collection is also different between the
black and white area. Officially, in the white area,
the soldiers never dared to collect more tax as the community could inform the
higher authorities and they have chance to approach the higher authorities to
take action to corrupted officials. But when the time the army planned to
launch an offensives the soldiers have more chances to
collect more tax and they also could receive more payment after they arrested
more porters. Since after the NMSP reached for ceasefire agreement, the
military constantly arrested porters like before and forced them to work in
their battalion or along with their troop movement.
Regarding to the arrests of the porters, the NMSP officials who have
responsibility in liaison offices, always discussed and complained to stop such
manner including conscription of forced labour in Mon areas. According to Mon leaders, the
SLORC never responded to that complaint. The higher authorities also never took
actions to their men who inhumanely abused the porters.
Appalling
Situation of Porters and Conscription of Minors into Forced Porters
The
victims who were forced to be porters consistently mentioned that whenever the
army conscripted forced porters, they always took the children along with them
to carry materials such as ammunition and other army supplies. Sometime, the
military also conscripted the women to be porters and they treated those women
terribly.
Why does
the military conscript those minors into porters? Whenever the troops reached
into villages, the most able bodied men fled from villages to avoid arrest and
the children and women stayed in the village. When the troops arrived they
always tried to meet the village leaders and asked for porters. Then the
village leaders have to lie them that the most able
bodied men are busy and could not provide the porters. Sometime when the
military operation was not so serious to get porters, they just asked for cash
from the village leaders. When the military operation was serious, they will
ask just porters and did not accept the cash. If the village headmen could not
help them, they went around the village and took the children and women from
the village to carry their ammunitions and other supplies. Or, they will arrest
those minor as hostages to force the male villagers to return back into villages
and to be arrested.
The
situation of the porters along with Burmese army is consequently terrible
according to the victims who have been conscripted as porters. They were never
fed enough/while the soldiers have enough foods for them and they were often
beaten by the soldiers if they were dissatisfied with them. In most cases, the
porters have to carry over-burdened logistics with them and they could not walk
like soldiers. The tatmadaw which is surrounded with many enemy, always
have to hurry in walking and they also forced porters to walk as quickly as
them. In fact, the porters situation were terrible if
they were got sick on the way and the military also mistreated on those
patients physically and inhumanely. They were tortured or sometime they were
killed and left on the way.
According
to interviews we have conducted, some porters were the witness of the torturing
and killing of the accompanied porters on the way after those porters were sick
or weak and could not manage to walk more. In some cases, the villagers were
also killed when the troops arrived into their villages. When the troops
suddenly tried to arrest the male villagers in the village as soon as they arrived,
several villagers fled to the outside of the villages and the soldiers shot
them and they died on the spot. Some got serious injuries.
As
mentioned above, the situation of the portering in Mon territory never improved
since the NMSP has agreed for ceasefire. The villagers have been under the
burden of forced portering and taxation related to the portering.
Interviews
Interview #1
Name: Maung Myint Win
Sex/
Age: Male/ 27 years
Nationalities/ Religion: Mon/ Buddhist
Occupation: Day labourer
Native Place: Morkanin village, Ye
Township
Interview Date: September 9, 1996
(This
interviewee was a victim of forced portering and he was severely beaten the tatmadaw soldiers. When he arrived to the
refugee camp clinic of Baleh Donephai, his back was terribly damaged and
infected. His two legs were also badly damaged and cared, and the medics in the
camp had to treat him for nearly three week.)
When the time is close to
launch a military operation or a patrol around the area the Burmese Army
normally needed porters to carry supplies. And, they quickly arrested any male
villagers or town residents whom were met on the way. This interviewee
explained about the arrest of him by the Burmese soldier.
Sudden
arrest of the civilians for porters and put in detention before the military
left to frontline
When you were arrested by the Burmese soldiers to be porters and where?
When I
travelled to Ye for a visit to my uncle on July 17, I was arrested by the
Burmese soldiers. Before I reached to my uncle house while I was passing in
front of the IB No. 61 battalion headquarters, I was arrested. When I reached
in front of their compound, two soldiers who was
standing in the entrance gate called me to meet them. I did not know what
reasons they would like to meet me and I was not so afraid that they will
arrest me. I though they needed some help from me to buy something.
But, when
I reached to them, they told me I have to meet their officer. And I complained
why I have to meet him and they did not tell me any reason and brought inside
the battalion compound. When I arrived inside a room, they arrested me and threatened
me not to flee and put me in that room and locked its door outside. I have to
stay in that room nearly three hours and in the evening about 5 o'clock, three
soldiers came and brought me to a detention cell. There were about 50 men
inside the small cell and as I was not so clear why I was arrested and I asked
a man. The man told me we were arrested for portering. But he also did not know
where the Burmese troops will bring us.
Corruption
among the military officials regarding portering
You
said you met with other men, are they town residents or villagers who came to
Ye?
Both. I
think about half of them were town residents. The rest were villagers mostly
who came to town with purposes to buy materials for their farms or houses. And
the few others were also from other townships. They came to Ye for trading or
to visit. On the first day, there were about 50 villagers in detention and on
the next day about 6 men of Ye town left from the detention after they
paid 3,000 Kyat up to 5,000 Kyat each to the commander. One Sergeant also told
me if I paid them 5,000 Kyat they will release me soon but the payment must
reach to them in evening (of July 18) and they will release me as soon
as they received cash. Or, the troops will leave on the next day early morning
to the Three Pagoda Pass and brought all porters. Then I was very afraid of
being a porter with Burmese troops to Three Pagoda Pass and I approached those Sergeant to ask my uncle for payment. The Sergeant
would not like to find out my uncle but he had no time and had to prepare for
the trip. I was detained for two nights and on the next early morning, they
troops brought us by trucks to a village and by boats to Kyaung Kywa.
Did
you ask other detainees how they were arrested by the Burmese troops?
They were
arrested like me. One man was arrested in a shop that sells groceries for
farming and fishing, and the two soldiers came with civilian clothes and
arrested him and asked him to follow with them. He did not know they were
soldiers and refused to follow with them. And, he was beaten by them and the
man was too angry and he also responded bearing to those soldiers. Then, the
soldiers arrested him with the help of town policemen and brought him to the
battalion. When he reached to the battalion they continuously beat him
severely. So, he has a lot of injuries in his back. They never treated him with
any medicine and then they also brought him to the frontline. As he was a
strong farmer, he could tolerate the pains.
Severe
beatings to the porters as soon as they were arrested
The other
porters were also arrested by soldiers, mostly in town. According to town
residents, it is normal for the Burmese troops to forcibly arrest the porters
before they left to the frontline or changed their bases. The most porters were
beaten or kicked by soldiers as soon as they were arrested. But commonly the did not arrest the town residents who they were familiar
with them and they chose to arrest local villagers. For example, they did not
arrest the shop-keeper of coffee shop and barbers but they will arrest local
villagers who were taking coffee and cutting hair there. Even though, if you
paid them 5,000 Kyat, it is OK, they will release you.
Inhumane
treatment to the porters such as killing, torturing, lack of foods, and lack of
medical cares to porter in sickness are normal situations that have always be
fallen the innocent rural Burmese population.
Terrible
life of the porters along the way with military
Can
you explain me the whole story of when you were on the way with Burmese troops
to Three Pagoda Pass?
Yes. when I was arrested I was very weak as I had from fever just
one week ago. The reason I visit to my uncle is to buy some medicine. After I
was detained for two nights in the battalion under the poor conditions of the
room, I became more weaker than before and after we
left from Kyaung Ywa, I got malaria. And my leg became pain and could not walk
well and my walking rate was slowing down gradually. We left from Ye early
morning of July 17. So I asked to a Sergeant to give me permission to take a
rest. He told me "this is military operation, you have no chance to
stop on the way" and his two assistance beat me with their rifle butts
and jungle boots in my back several times. I was painful with severe wounds. It
was very painful. I tried to walk along with them as possible I could and one
villager who sympathise took two of rocket shells from me and my condition was
became better. Totally, I have to carry six rocket shells that was weighted
about 25 viss (40 kilograms) and it became heavier and heavier along the way.
When we left from the Ye, there were about 50 porters along with 200 troops and
more than 10 porters escaped away on the way. The soldiers were too angry on
those escapees and threatened that if we fled they will shoot. When the porters
fled they did not take ammunitions or supplies which they had carried and the
soldiers put those left heavy loads to left porters. As I was sick enough, they
did not put on me.
Lack of
medical care to the porters
Did you have to sleep on
the way and what kinds of treatments did the military provide you?
We have to
sleep one night in Baleh Donephai village (a section of Halockhani Mon
refugee camp, which was burnt down by Burmese troops in July 1994, before the
NMSP reached for ceasefire agreement with SLORC) and my malaria became more
terrible and I asked the villagers for some medicines and the villagers told me
if I needed to get medicine I had to go to clinic. When I asked the Sergeant I
would like to go to clinic he did not allow me. But he did not provide any
medicine or treatment. An elder woman in the house gave me one kind of herbal
medicine (which is traditionally produced from inside Burma) and some cups of
plain tea. She treated me kindly. But the Burmese soldiers never provide me any
medical care.
When you reached to Three
Pagoda Pass did they (the Burmese soldiers) treat you in the Township Public
Hospital?
No. We
reached to Three Pagoda Pass on July 22 and they never allowed me to attend
hospital for treatment. They did not release all porters who came along with
them and put in Three Pagoda Pass battalion headquarters for three days. They
did not allow us to go outside.
Looting
of civilians' belongings
Along the ways and in
their battalions' detention, did they give you enough food to eat?
No. They fed
us with very few amount of rice and curry. Everyday, they fed with bad quality
rice and bean curry. Sometime, when the soldiers passed into Karen and Mon
villagers, they also took chicken and they cooked for meals. But they did not
feed us. They also take some vegetables grown by villagers without asking
permission from them.
Transferal
of porters when the troops changed
Did
they release yon in Three Pagoda Pass? And was your health condition better?
No. They
did not release us. They transferred us with the troops that returned to Ye.
The battalion was LIB No. 343 and when the troops returned back to Ye, all
porters from IB No. 61 were transferred. The Burmese soldiers took all about 40
porters together with another 150 porters who were arrested around the Three
Pagoda Pass area.
My health
condition became more terrible than before and I was very weak and I asked the
soldiers for many times for treatments and they never allowed me. The wounds in
my back also became more painful and I thought I will die at that time. When
the troops returned back, they also brought us and I have to carry ammunition
again. We left from Three Pagoda Pass on July 26. My scars became painful more
and more. And I told them I could not carry because of my wounds and sickness.
They beat me again. On July 26, we have to sleep one night before we arrived to
Baleh Donephai. I escaped at night time when too heavy rain fell.
The
escaping of the porter and well medical treatment in border refugee camp
After
you escaped, where did you go and what happened on you?
I was too
tired and anyhow, I had to escape. If they knew I escaped, they will kill me
for sure. I was in the rain for the whole night and I could not sleep. But, I
could not leave in early morning. If I left early morning, I could meet with
them and I had to delay my time in the forest. About 10: 00 a.m., I left to
Baleh Donephai. When I was close to Baleh Donephai, I did not dare to enter in
the village and when a villagers walked out from the village, I asked him about
the Burmese troops. He said the Burmese troops already left and suggested I
could enter into village. When I arrived in village, I asked the villagers
where is the clinic, they brought us to clinic. I have
to treat my wounds and sickness here (in clinic of Baleh Donephai where we
conducted interviews). The medics are very kind to me.
When
you will return back and do you dare to return back?
I will
return back to my village soon after my health condition is better.
Interview#2
Name:
Ah Naing
Sex/
Age: Male/ 13 years
Nationality/
Religion: Mon/ Buddhist
Occupation:
None
Native
Place: Min Thar village, Yebyu Township
Interview
Date: August 12,1996
Since
the Burmese Army attempted to defeat the ethnic armed opposition, they have
violated various points of human rights of all villagers including the
ignorance of using forced labour of children. In fact, several children under
17 years have been consistently used as forced porters in
offensive frontlines of Burmese Army (tatmadaw). The interviewee with a 13 years old described his story as follow: (His father was also present at the
interview)
When
you were in your village, what was your work?
I helped
my parents in rice-field. The work is not so hard, I
just help them as I can. In rainy season, I and my father have to catch fishes
with a small boat or angle fishes in our farm for extra income. I just helped
my parents. The work for me is not so hard.
Regular
arrest of villagers to be porters and lack of time for farming activities
Did
you ever attend the school before you worked in your father's farm? Why did you
left from the school?
I attended
the school when I was about 7 years old. I left school three year
ago. I passed only second standard. Once, while my father was arrested by the
Burmese soldiers (to be porter according to his father) my mother was
alone in our farm and she also looked after my young sister, and I left from
school to help my mother. At that time, my uncle Ah Win (who helped his
parents) also went into Thailand (illegally to seek jobs). I had to
reap grass to feed catties in the farm. My mother could network such heavy job.
My father was away for three weeks and when he returned back he was in sickness
for another two weeks. When he recovered from the sickness, I also tried to
attend the school again. But I did not understand the lessons and I was
disappointed. Then I left the school. (His parents are illiterate and did
not encourage him much to attend school)
When
you were arrested to be porter and what kind work did you do for the military?
Please describe to me how you were arrested?
At
beginning of this year (in February, according to his father), when I
returned back from our farm I was arrested by the Burmese soldiers (of LIB
No. 409, according to his father) in a place on the way before I reached to
entrance of the village. And, they asked me where did I come from and I told
them that I just returned back from my farm, and they force me to follow with
them. I was afraid of being killed by soldiers as they had gun and I followed
with them. An officer, the battalion commander, ordered me to carry his bag.
Then they went to the north for the security of the railway (Ye-Tavoy under-construction
railway). We walked along the way and in the evening we reached to Kalein
Aung. In the military barrack of Kalein Aung, we have to sleep for one night
there.
Food
supply collection in the local villages
What
the treatment did you receive from Burmese troops? Were they very bad to you?
The
commander was not so bad. Likely he loved me and he fed me whatever he ate.
When the other villager porters never got any meat in their meals, he fed me
chicken or pork curry every day. When the Burmese arrived in our village every
time, the commander always ordered the village headmen to provide such sorts of
meat. After the troops left from the villages, the village headmen had to
collect from the villagers and paid to owners of pigs and chicken.
However,
the rest soldiers were very bad. Along the way, they always beat the villagers
who were walking slowly. They always shouted to villager porters not to be lazy
and they put everything of their belongings to the porters. One soldier also
added his jungle boots to my heavy loads after his foot were painful. Thus, my
loads became heavier and heavier, but the commander didn't tell to his man.
The
Burmese Army have treated to the child porters like
the mistreatments they provided to the elder porters. They had to carry the same heavy loads like
men.
Terrible
treatment to the child porter as elder villager porter
How
many viss did you have to carry along the way up to Kalein Aung and did they
reduce the loads on your back when you slowed down?
I have to
carry about 25 viss (40 kilograms) of the commander's belongings. I did not
have to carry the ammunition or supplies for the troops. All materials that I
had to carry were owned by commander. Mainly his clothes in a small box, beers,
beef cans, dried fishes and etc.. When he took
breakfast or lunch, they have to prepare for him with special dishes that foods
were made with pork or chicken confiscated or stolen from the villages.
Along the
way, the soldiers or the commander never reduced my loads and they also put
more materials on my back. On the way, sometime we had to cross the stream and
it was very hard for me but other kind porters helped me. As I told you, one
soldier also put his boots to me.
You
said, the soldiers beat the porters. Why did they beat
those porters? How many porters were beaten along the way?
Along the
way, there were three porters beaten by the soldiers severely as I know. The
kicking to porters who were walking slowly was normal for the soldier. One
soldier also kicked me and he said to hurry up to follow his commander, because
I had a piss in a bush and I was late to reach the commander. Then I hurried
up.
One porter
from Eindayaza village was very weak. I think he was getting sick. He was
arrested by the Burmese soldiers before us. His walking rate slowed down on the
way and three soldiers beside him shouted to hurry, but he could not. He asked
the soldiers to reduce his loads and said he could walk more quickly. The
soldiers dissatisfied on his complaint and beat him with rifle butts severely.
They also threatened him not to make any complaint and to follow according to
their order.
Did
the commander know of such inhumane torturing of the porters? What was his
response to his men?
Yes, he
saw. That mentioned porter was beaten behind him and he said nothing to his
men. But he ordered not to beat the head of the porter with rifle butts and
told them to beat his body and legs. He didn't stop them.
Physically
weakness of child porter
How
many days did you have to walk with them and where did they release you?
For three
days, we had to walk with troops. On second day, we arrived
Kyaukadin village and we slept there for one day. On that day, because of the loads,
I became weak and could not sleep for the whole night. My whole body was hot
with fever and I told the commander to release me. But he refused to release me
and reduced some materials from me and gave to the closest porter. He said, we
had to walk to Aleskan village, when we reached that village he will release me
if he got substitute. I did not dare to tell him for several times for my
weakness and fever. I was also afraid he beat me. It was very hard for me to
reach to Aleskan and on the way, we were not allowed to take and we had to walk
directly to that village.
Lack of
medical care to the child porter
Kindness
behaviour of the local community helping each other
Then, what happened on you
when you arrived to Aleskan and did their medic treat you?
When I
reached to Aleskan village, my fever getting very terrible and then, I could
not stand up more. So I lied down the village headman’s house and his wife
treated me well. The medic never gave me any medicine. The housewife gave me
some traditional medicine and hot water. I could not sleep for the whole night
and she treated me for the whole night. On the next day, the troops left from
the village. As I was in terrible situation, the commander did not bring me and
left me. I think if they brought me again, I will die on the way surely. I was
treated in Aleskan for three days, on those days I could not stand up or walk
more.
Did your parents hear
about that case and how can you return back to your village?
When I was
in his home, the village headman asked my name, my native and my parents' names
and he promised to contact my parents. After I stayed in his home for two days,
my mother came to Aleskan and she cried when she met me.
Did she know that you were
arrested when you returned back for the rice-farm?
No. She
did not know that I was arrested by Burmese soldiers. When I was arrested,
nobody saw the incident and my mother thought I travelled to Kywe-tho-nyi-ma
village for a visit to my uncle there. When she met me in the bed, she was very
surprised and she asked what happened on me. The village headman explained her
that the Burmese troops brought me as porter with heavy loads. My mother wept
for the whole day.
Did your mother bring you
back on the day she arrived?
No. I have
to stay there for more three days and she waited me to be recovered. The
village headman and his wife were very kind to us. They helped us what we
needed. Then, we returned to our village and whenever we have chance we visited
to Aleskan and my mother always sent them sticking rice or dried fishes.
Official
SLORC’s Form for Portering Fee
Translation
Township
Committee for War Victory,________Town
Receipt
for Donation for War Victory
Date-----------------------
Name of
Donator -----------------------
Address----------------------------------
Amount of
Donation (-----------) Kyat
Received
by
SLORC’s
Order: Conscription of Forced Porters
Translation
of the Order
To
Village Committee
Subject: To provide voluntary labourer
Now, the
rainy season has already started and it is the time to resume farming
activities. As we knew, the villagers
are afraid of being arrested by our military operation and fled away from
villages, and the rice cultivation activities have been destructed in the
area. Thus, we request to provide us
two voluntary labourers from your-----------village and-----------village with
rotation basis. If you provided such
villagers, we will halt to arrest your villagers in the future. If you refused
to follow according to our instruction, we will take firm action to the
villagers when our troops reached your village.
Our
tatmadaw military operation would like to see peace and happiness among the
local villagers and please help us to complete your duty according to the
instruction.
Signed-
(Commander)
LIB No. 408, Operation (1)
Date: 6 June 1996