News, Personal Accounts, Report
& Analysis on Human Rights Situation in Mon Territory and Other Areas
Southern Part of Burma
The Mon Forum
Issue No. 1/2000
The
Publication of Human Rights Foundation of Monland (BURMA)
Contents
News:
(1) The conscription of forced labour in
Ye-Tavoy motor road and dike construction,
(2) More tax collection in Kawkareik Township
Karen State,
(3) Helpless situation of Mon villagers after
big flood,
Report:
(1) The various mistreatment
against farmers during 1999-2000 paddy buying season (Part I)
Personal Account:
The plight of a
Mon farmer
Some Acronyms in This Issue
SPDC- State Peace and Development
Council,
SLORC- State Law and Order Restoration Council,
BA- Burmese Army
IB - Infantry Battalion (of Burmese
Army),
LIB- Light Infantry
Battalion (of Burmese Army),
KNU- Karen National Union,
DKBA- Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army,
News
The Constriction of Forced Labour in
Ye-Tavoy Motor Road and Dike Construction
Since the beginning of
December, 1999, the SPDC battalions from the BA's No. 8 Operation Control
Command have forced the local villagers from Ye and
Yebyu township areas, to contribute free labour in Ye-Tavoy Motor Road and dike
constructions in Yebyu township area. Under this military command, there are
totally 12 battalions and there are battalions from LIB No. 410 through 410, LIB No. 273 and LIB No. 282. These battalions base in
Yebyu township area and they have taken responsibility in widening the Ye-Tavoy
motor road and constructing of four dikes in Yebyu township areas to keep water
for the army's farms. The set order to reconstruct the Ye-Tavoy came since the
beginning of 1999 and the army had forced the local villagers until May, 1999
to contribute in the road widening construction already. However, during the
rainy season, because of flood, some parts of this road was
destroyed and all water canals along the road were filled with dusts and earth.
Again, the army battalions have forced the local villagers to rebuild some
parts of the road, where was ruin because of floodwater and forced the
villagers to dig and take all dusts and earth from 2 feet depth water canals.
The army commander gave orders to every village headmen from the villages that
situate along the motor road and instruct them to rebuild the road. Each family
was instructed to dig and take dusts from every half-kilometer long canal.
Continuously, a member or two
members of that family were forced to clear the grass, bush and small trees for
50 feet outside of the road. The battalions required for the clearance of the
road, because they worried for the ambush of rebel soldiers. When the SPDC
soldiers along the road, they could see the outside of the road and no rebel
soldier could approach to the road.
In conscription of forced
labour in the widening of the road, the villagers who stay along the road and
near the road including Kyaukadin, Kywethalin, Yapu, Mayan, Mintha, Legyi,
Hamaw-gyi, Sin-swe, Sat-taw, Yengan-gyi, Sein-pone, Natkyisi and Paukpingwin
villages were constantly forced until the end of January, 2000, to contribute
unpaid labour in the construction.
The similar conscription of
forced labour has been taken place in Kywe-tho-nyima water dike, which is
situating in Kywe-tho-nyima village tract. Similarly to the road, the
embankment of this dike was also destroyed by flood water during the 1st rainy
season and all villagers from every family in Kywe-tho-nyima village tract were
forced to build the embankment. Thus, since December, 1999, the villagers from
Cha-bone, Mae-taw, Mae-than-taung, Ah-byu, Ah-byike and Kyauktauyan and
Kywe-tho-nyima villages were forced to work in the construction of rebuilding
the embankment of the dike.
The villagers were instructed
to bring small woods, bamboo and tools to the construction site. The villagers
were ordered to build parallel wooden poles in the streams and filled with
earth to get embankment in every stream. The villagers had to sink in water for
several hours in putting the poles. The soldiers required many hundreds pieces
of wood and bamboo poles to build the water embankment. When the villagers went
to the construction site, they also have to bring their own foods and cash to
buy vegetables and other supplement foods. LIB No. 273 and LIB No. 410 which
have taken responsibility to rebuild the embankment also ordered the headmen in
this village tract that every household in the village must have to send one
family member and that person must have to work in the construction site for one
weeks or 10 days depending on work-duties. The army also instructed they would
not use women and children to not delay the work-duties and required all
able-bodied men to complete the construction as quick as possible.
During November and December,
while the villagers were forced to work in the dike construction, they have
less time to work their own works. Many villagers had to reap their paddy and
other crops. Or, some villagers' embankment in the paddy fields was also
similarly destroyed by floodwater. However, they had to go and rebuild the
water embankment of the army, instead of their own. If they could not go and
work in the construction site, they must have to hire a substitute labourer and
pay 500 Kyat per day.
In this township area alone,
there are more than ten battalions have been taking bases and through the instruction
of No. 8 Operation Control Command, those battalions have been active in both
military offensives again the rebel troops in the area and have conducted in
development works.
More Tax in Kawkareik Township, Karen State
Since the beginning of dry season (November, 1999), the troops from
Burmese Army (BA) and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have requested
various types of tax from the local Mon villagers in Kanni village tract of
Kawkareik township, Karen State. Besides the burden
and various types of tax collection from the villagers, the soldiers also have
conscripted forced labour from them. Since 1995, the DKBA troops have
cooperated with Burmese Army in the military operations and offensives against
KNU troops in Kawkareik township area and these troops also have taken base in
Kanni village tract. Among the villages, the villagers from Kawkyaik village
have been suffered more from various types of tax and use of forced labour.
Whenever the DKBA went into the villages, the soldiers regularly asked for
porter fee from the villagers.
The DKBA requested the porter fee at least 1, 000 Kyat payment
to them in every month. Besides the porter fee, whenever the troops arrived
into villages they always requested rice and other food supplies. According to
the villagers from that area, the troops came into their villages twice per
week and they have to serve every thing for them. In this area, DKBA troops'
commanders Lt. Col. Pha Kha led the troops and Lt. Ye
Nyunt and Lt. Aung Yin have launched to various villages to collect various
type of tax.
Due to the regular request made by the DKBA troops for food and cash,
many villagers could not afford to pay more and some relatives in the villages
moved and stayed at the same house to avoid paying more tax collection and food
supplies. On the other hand, DKBA troops also take administration power in this
area and they also put the villagers to trail and take fine from them for any
kind of crime happened in the area illegally. Sometimes, the villagers were
severely beaten by soldiers if they were accused committing guilty for one case
and then they were put to trail. Normally, the DKBA have not put criminals in
jail but took a lot amount of fine cash from the villagers.
Besides terrible treatments made by the DKBA troops, the villagers were
also forced to be forced porters and forced labourers for the Burmese Army's
battalions which base in Kawkareik township area. Normally, the troops from the
Burmese Army forced the local villagers from this area to do farming in their
own farms. In this area, the troops took some lands for their
own battalions or confiscated lands from the villagers and has grown
rubber, cashew nut trees and paddy in these lands. So they forced the villagers
to plough lands, clear grasses, reap crops and various types of work and the
use of forced labour has taken place from the beginning of June, when the rain
started, until the end of December. When the soldiers forced the villagers to
contribute labour the workplaces they have to carry their own tools and foods.
Sometimes, they have to work in these workplaces at least for three days
continuously.
However, the local villagers have no choice except to stay on in the
villages, to pay various types of tax and to contribute free a in the soldiers'
farms and plantations. Although the government has declared that it has tried
to do for the development of the ethnic communities in the border area,
actually, its local military battalions and authorities have enslaved the
ethnic villagers to participate in their works only which could support for
army and authorities' survival.
Helpless Situation of Mon Villagers after Big Flood
(November, 1999)
In the 1st week of October,
1999, because of big storm in the Andaman Sea and the unusual flood and rain,
there was some landslide along the rivers in Mon State and Karen State. Some
houses on the Salween river bank were also destroyed and many villagers were
displaced in the helpless situation. Due to flood, it brought about 20 houses
from Htone and Kawhlein villages and about 100 villagers had been displaced
during the flood and those villagers had to find a new places
to settle.
Due to this flood, a primary
school in Kawseik village of Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, was totally
destroyed and about 60 villagers from 10 households displaced and found a new places for the resettlement.
At the same time, because of
the flood along the seacoast area of Andaman Sea, west of Mon State, some
houses were also destroyed and some villagers disappeared and died.
Among some villages, which
were under water during the flood, the villagers in Paung Township of Mon State
suffered more from the flood, because many villages are situating along the
seacoast area. On October 26, when the flood suddenly came, a Mon village, Ah
Like, in Paung Township, was under water and about 22 people including some
women and children disappeared and the villagers believed they were brought by
flood into the sea.
Because of the flood and the
higher level of water, thousands acres of rice-fields were under water and the
paddy crops were dropped. Many farmers lost many thousands baskets of paddy
when they harvested them. According to reliable source, there were about 10,
000 acres of paddy-fields in Paung Township alone under the water and many
farmers lost their crops. Similarly, about 5, 000 acres of paddy fields in
Chaungzun township were under water and the farmers
lost their crops.
During the end of this month,
the farmers also started reaping their crops and some of reaped crops were also
thrown away by the flood in some very low farmlands. In the bitter high lands,
the farmers put their crops in the fields and those reaped crops were also wet
by water. In KyaInn-Seikyi township area of Karen State, the authorities also
issued an order to the all farmers in the township to dry out all their crops
as quickly as possible.
The government authorities
have just set orders to the local farmers, but have not helped them to bring
the crops to a drought places. Continuously, the authorities set another order
to farmers to prepare to sell their paddy at low price to the government's set
paddy-buying centers.
Because of flood and
rainwater, although the farmers lost a lot of paddy crops and these information have been widely known by the authorities,
they have not reduced the set amount of paddy that instructed to farmers to
sell to the paddy-buying centers. In November, the Karen State and Mon State
PDC has called various rounds of meeting with local village headmen and
instructed them to force the farmers to sell their paddy to the set paddy-buying
centers.
Under the rule of military
regime, the flood victims have not received any assistance from the government
relief program and most of them have to find the new settlement places by
themselves. On the other hand, the government authorities also forced those victims,
to sell their remaining crops to the government paddy- buying centers. Their
suffering is doubled under the rule of SPDC
T
Report
The
Various Mistreatment against Farmers During 1999-2000
Paddy Buying Season
(Part I)
The Government's Preparation to Buy
Paddy
Since September, 1999, the government authorities including Township PDC
(Township Peace and Development Council) and Agricultural Products Trade
Department in Mon State has planned to buy the paddy at low price from the
farmers or to take yearly paddy tax in Mon State, Karen State and Tenasserim
Division of the lower part of Burma. As
a main plan during that time, whether a local farmer took or not, the
authorities from Agricultural Products Trade Department lent an advance payment
to him/her and forced the farmers to sign a contract that promising to sell the
set amount of paddy to the government paddy-buying centers. By the help of Myanma Agriculture Bank, the
authorities lent the money to farmers.
Depending on the set amount of paddy required to buy, the authorities
have lent money to farmers, 1,000 to 2,000 Kyat per acre.
During September and October, 1999, for the preparation of buying paddy
from the local farmers, the Agricultural Products Trade Department and Township
authorities formed a paddy-buying management committees and appointed managers
for all paddy-buying centers. Those
managers in the paddy-buying centers have taken responsibility to get the set
amount of paddy decided by the committees.
In Mudon township, there are 4 town sections
and 42 villages totally in administrative area and the authorities set up 11
paddy-buying centers. The managing
committee is led by the Second Manager of Mudon Township Agricultural Products
Trade Department, U San Hlaing, and appointed 11 managers for 11 buying centers
in town wards and village tracts. By coordinating the main managing committee,
township authorities, local militia and army and the managers, the managing
committee planned to buy about 1. 3 millions baskets of paddy
from this township alone.
Similarly, in Thanbyuzayat Township, there are 4 Town sections and 38
villages totally in administrative area and the authorities decided to set up 6
paddy buying centers. The managing
committee is led by Thanbyuzayat Township Agricultural Products Trade
Department's Manager, U Shwe Yin, and appointed 6 managers for 6 paddy-buying
centers. This managing committee plans to buy about 800, 000 baskets of paddy
from this township alone. As yearly paddy tax, the government authorities
bought the paddy from the farmers at low price. The authorities instructed to the local
farmers to buy paddy from 10-16 baskets of paddy per acre. This amount of paddy is nearly two third amount
of the paddy produced by the farmers.
If some farmers' crops are destroyed by flood, they were unable to sell
this amount of paddy. However, the
authorities used various methods in pressuring the local farmers to obtain the
set amount of paddy from the local farmers.
Forced Shut Down of Paddy-husking
Mills
During October
until December, 1999, when the paddy-buying managing committee tried to obtain
paddy from the local farmers, the Township authorities also ordered the local
paddy-husking mill owners, to close down all their mills. If not, the authorities will take actions
against them. The forcible closing down
of the local paddy-husking mills was happened only in some townships in Mon
State and Karen State.
In some township
areas, the authorities have allowed only some farmers, who completed selling the
set amount of paddy tax, to husk their paddy to get polished rice. The authorities also stopped the farmers who
failed to sell the set amount of paddy to the paddy-buying center, to not husk
their paddy in mills, or to sell to traders. Therefore, during this period, the
authorities or the members of paddy managing committees went around from one
village to another and checked the situation how many farmers had completed
selling the complete amount of paddy and how many remained. In Mon State, when the authorities met that
many farmers in a village failed to complete the duty, they closed the mill
down in that village to not husk paddy for all farmers.
There are some evidence of government's restriction against the
paddy-husking mill owners to stop the activities.
On November29,1999,
when Paung Township authorities and deputy manager (paddy-buying managing
committee went around the villages in the administrative areas of Paung
Township, they also dosed a paddy-husking mill in Kyone-hor village tract,
which was owned by Nai Par. The forcible
closing down of the mill happened after the authorities knew there were many
farmers in the village tract area who have not completed selling the set amount
of paddy to government paddy-buying center. The authorities also gave that
order through village tract leader and the manager of paddy-buying, U Myint
Kyaw, to carefully watch the activities of that paddy-husking mill and take
actions if the mill owner did not follow accordingly to the order.
Due to this order, the villagers in this village
tract has faced insufficient foods, and the farmers have to buy the
polished rice with high price from the town traders. Then the village tract
leaders informed to township authorities about the situation of the villagers,
and so requested to re-allow the husking of paddy. And, the township re-allowed
for operating of the mill, but allowed to farmers who completed selling the set
amount of paddy, to husk the paddy by taking permission from village tract
leaders. The village tract leaders took 10 Kyat per basket from those farmers
when they asked permission to husk the paddy.
Similarly, in Kya
Inn Seikyi township, before the government received
the set amount of paddy from the local farmers, the township authorities
officially issued the orders the respective village tract to stop all
paddy-husking activities in all mills in the township area. To close down these mills, the authorities
officially sat a meeting and made decisions
from the meeting. The full translation
of the order is as below:
Township
Peace and Development Council
Kya Inn Seikyi Township, Kya Inn Seikyi
Letter
No. 5/41 - 10/U, 6/100
Date:
November 4,1999.
To
Chairman
.............Ward/Village
Tract
State Peace and
Development Council
Kya Inn Seikyi Town
Subject: To close
down all paddy-husking mills
Reference: The
decision from the meeting of paddy-buying management committee 2/99, which was
held in the Township Chairman house on October29,1999.
1. According to the subject mentioned above, we
have planned to buy paddy from all farmers in villages in the Township
area. During the period of buying the
paddy, all paddy-husking mills must be closed down temporarily, accordingly to
our meeting 2/99's decision no. E.
2. Therefore,
village PDC members must take responsibility to encourage the farmers to sell
the set amount of paddy to government's paddy-buying center. And, for the villages where the farmers in
there have not completed selling the paddy, the paddy-husking mills from those
villages must be closed definitely.
Authorized by —
Signature
On behalf of the
Chairman
Saw E Naw
Secretary
Copies to:
1. Military
Operation Command (Base), Kya Inn Seikyi Town
2. Agricultural Products Trade Department, Kya Inn Seikyi Town
Personal
Account
The Plight of a Mon Farmer
Name: Nai Pyo
Sex/Age: Male/ 72 years
Nationality/ Religion: Mon/ Buddhist
Occupation: Farmer
Interview Date: January 12, 2000.
Where is your native place and what is the major occupation of
your villagers?
My native village
is Kaw-mi village, Kaw-bein village tract of Kawkareik township. In my village, there are about 350
households and all villagers are Mons.
Most of them are paddy growing farmers like me and only a little number
of families, who have no land, had to work for fishing. I own about 10 acres of land and worked as
paddy growing farmers.
How is
your crop situation this year?
I lost nearly
half of the total crops, because of flood this year. Around my farm, there are about 250 acres of
farmlands that growing paddy, owned by our villagers. When the flood water (in October) was high,
estimated about 200 acres of the lands were under water and the flood took
about two weeks period. Most paddy
plants sunk under for two weeks and at the end, they died.
In the
normal situation, if there is no flood, how many baskets of paddy you could get
from your farms?
In the normal
situation, if we could give enough of fertilizer in our farms, one acre of land
could produce about 50 baskets of paddy.
However, as my farm is close to
river (Gyaing river), I always has faced flood every year. If the flood took for many days, we lost
more paddy. If
not, we are lucky.
Did the
government help you to provide fertilizer and how did you give fertilizer to
your farm?
The government
does not give fertilizer, we could not get the required amount of paddy and so,
we have to buy factory made fertilizer every year. In my farm, I have to give
four sack of fertilizer for one acre of land and we have to put three types of
fertilizer. Those fertilizers are quite expensive. The three types of
fertilizer are at prices about 2, 600 Kyat, 4000 Kyat and 2000 Kyat
respectively. We always heard from the radio that the government would provide
fertilizers at low costs. We also knew
that the officials in Kawkareik town also brought many thousands sacks of
fertilizer from Moulmein. Those
fertilizers were for farmers. However,
when we asked the price of fertilizer, the price were
similar to price at the market. When we
asked the officials why the government fertilizer price was quite high, they
complained that the government did not provide for the transportation cost for
those fertilizer sacks and they have to calculate for transportation costs and
combined with actual fertilizer prices.
However, the government could not provide sufficient amount of
fertilizer. The official could provide only a half sack of fertilizer for one
acre of land. So all
farmers are depending on the fertilizers from the shops. We can get fertilizer anytime when we need
it in the shop. Normally, the
government officials sold those fertilizers to private shops and the farmers
have to buy from those shops.
Did the
government authorities asked to sell the set amount of paddy to the government?
Yes, they
asked. In our township, they asked 8
baskets of paddy per acre to sell to the government paddy-buying center. For our village, we have to sell the paddy
in Kaw-bein paddy-buying center. Before the authorities set order to farmers to
sell paddy, they also lent money to the farmers. When the authorities came to
our village, they forced the farmers to take their money and ask to sign a
promise letter that we must sell the paddy to paddy-buying center. The deadline for all farmers to complete
selling the paddy was before the end of October, 1999. The price of the paddy that government
bought from us is 350 Kyat per basket, which was three times less than the
market price.
How you
can manage to sell the paddy to the government to be completed your duty?
I have to give
totally about 80 baskets of paddy. From
my farms I received only 260 baskets of paddy.
Did you
have to hire the labourers to work with you or did you work alone?
No. I have to
hire one labourer for the whole year, because I am too old to work alone at my
farm. Thus, I have to give about 100 baskets of paddy to that labourer
alone. Additionally, during the periods
when I grew the small paddy plants and reaped the crops, I also have to hire
some day labourers by paying 300 Kyat per day.
Thus, I have to spend another 40, 000 Kyat for that labour cost. Additionally, I also have to buy fertilizers
for 100, 000 Kyat every year to provide in 10 acres of my lands. At the end I left nothing after giving paddy
to government.
And how
you can survive?
Soon after I gave
paddy tax to government, I have to sell two acres of lands and received 150,
000 Kyat from that. But this was not
the end of the story. I had to sell
another a half acre of my land.
Why?
On January 9,
2000, the army officers from Kawkareik town came and called a meeting with all
farmers from our village. In the
meeting, one army officer explained besides the paddy selling to the
government, the army also required additional 2 baskets of paddy from each
acre. The meeting was held in the house
of village chairman.
Then,
what happened to the farmers?
Among many
farmers, I was the oldest one and I told to the army commander that we already
sold the paddy to government paddy-buying center with 8 baskets per acre and
explained him about the flood conditions in the last rainy season. And the commander angered to me and asked my
name. He shout
to me and said that all lands are owned by government and not owned by
farmers. Then, the commander and the
two soldiers brought all farmers including women to Kaw-bein police station and
forced them to give additional 2 baskets of paddy per acre. Then they released the farmers who gave
promise them to sell the paddy. And,
they detained me for one night because I did not give them promise. On the next day, my wife another
a half acre of land and then bought 20 baskets of paddy from other rich
farmers and gave to the paddy-buying center for the army. Then they released me.
This type of
order also forced the local villagers to face food-shortage or starvation
problems in their own villages. In Kya
Inn Seikyi Township, during the month of November, the authorities have not
allowed any activities of husking paddy and so, the villagers have a lot difficulties, to husk their paddy to get the polished
rice. Normally, although they have used the traditional methods of
paddy-husking, by wooden equipment, because of large number of population in
Mon villages, the amount of paddy is insufficient to all villagers. In Kya Inn Seikyi township,
this order also effected to village tracts such as Takuntaing, Kha-lae,
Taung-dee, Winyaw-seikyi, Kyone-kha-wan and Pha-pya. There are about 40 villages under these village
tracts.
For the farmers
to get the polished rice for their own foods, they must have to buy rice from
traders from Kya Inn Seikyi town. However, these farmers must have to sell
their paddy to buy the rice instead.
But the Township authorities also warned the traders from town to not
buy paddy from the farmers who have not completed selling the set amount of
paddy to the paddy-buying centers.
On the other
hand, when the villagers from these villages bought rice and brought to their
villages, they also worried for the accusation from the Burmese Army, that they
provided foods for KNU troops.
Normally, some rural part of Kya Inn Seikyi township
under the control of KNU. Because of
this accusation and careful transportation of food supplies from towns to
villages, some villagers including paddy growing farmers, otherwise also have
faced food shortage or starvation during the period the SPDC authorities forced
the farmers to sell their paddy to government's paddy buying centers.
Unlike to the
whole township of Kya Inn Seikyi, such restriction also has taken place only in
some villages in Mon State. The government authorities believed there were more
amount of paddy in Mon State than Karen State and that was why the Mon State
PDC authorities only stopped the paddy-husking activities only in some specific
villages, where the majority of farmers failed to sell their paddy completely
to the paddy-buying centers.