News,
Personal Accounts, Report & Analysis on Human Rights Situation in Mon
Territory and Other Areas Southern Part of Burma
The Mon Forum
Issue No. 4/2002
April 30, 2002
The Publication of Human Rights Foundation of Monland (BURMA)
Contents
News:
(1) More land confiscation by MOMC No. 19 for
Artillery Regiment,
(2) Looting by Burmese Army and SPDC
authorities,
(3) Deep corruption in village PDC
authorities,
(4) The establishment of a Mon national school
was barred,
SPDC and DKBA's human rights
violations in Brief:
Report:
(1) Burmese Army's constant requisition of
forced labour
Some Acronyms in This Issue
SLORC- State Law and Order Restoration
Council,
SPDC- State Peace and
Development
Council,
IB
- Infantry Battalion (of Burmese Army),
LIB- Light Infantry Battalion (of Burmese Army),
MOMC- Military Operation
Management
Command (of Burmese Army),
NMSP- New Mon State Party,
KNLA- Karen National Liberation Army,
News
More Land Confiscation by MOMC No. 19
for Artillery Regiment
(April
2002, Ye Township, Mon State)
In April, with a purpose to deploy a new artillery regiment
in the northern part of Ye Township, SPDCs MOMC No. 19 commander, Brigadier Ye
Win, confiscated another 300 acres of land between San-pya
and Done-phi villages.
These 300 acres of lands were owned by 30 families from both
villages and most of land owners were Karen villagers from San-pya village and a few number were Mon villagers from
Done-phi village. Most of the lands are grown with rubber trees, betel-nut and
other fruit trees. The estimation cost of the lands and trees is about 30
million Kyat estimated by the local villagers.
In second week of April, Brigadier Ye Win, the commander of
MOMC No. 19 came to San-pya village and called a
meeting with villagers who owned the lands between these two villages along the motor road.
The commander explained to the villagers that they need to confiscate lands to
deploy new artillery regiment and then he forced ail land owners to sign a
document that these lands were not theirs. It meant there were no owners for
these lands and so that MOMC No. 19 had chance to take them.
"As I know, the MOMC No. 19 would deploy only 10
military battalions and they already confiscated many acres of land. Now, they
said they confiscated lands for artillery regiment. Most lands are owned by our
Karen villagers. My land and crop trees plantation costs about 4 million Kyat
and they took it without giving any one Kyat. Many other plantations have more
costs than mines. Nobody get any compensation costs." said by a Karen
villager from San-pya.
"The commander told us these lands are owned by
government. We are only the owners of
the trees in these lands and we do not own the lands at all. However, he said,
after the lands are taken by government, we also lost the chance to harvest our
crops in there." added by that villager.
One Karen villager, who is
about 60 years old said, "I owned two spaces of land in that area. Now,
the Burmese Army confiscated both spaces. I left nothing to eat. My children
cried when they heard the bad news. We had no food more. Only my son, who is a (Buddhist) monk,
has fed our family with small amount of foods."
Most of the lands were registered by the town ship land
registration department and these lands are not ion forestry area said by the
villagers. "They (the
commanders) said these lands are theirs. I am surprised. We paid tax to
the Township office every year and the lands are also registered. They can show
any reason what they like to take these lands" added by a dissatisfied
villager.
In 2001, to deploy a new military command, MOMC No. 19 and
its 10 military battalions, the Burmese Army confiscated about 2000 acres of lands
including about 1000 acres, which were owned by many Mon civilians in Ye Township. These lands were also grown with rubber and fruit
trees. Many villagers suddenly lost their lands and never received any
compensation cost by the regime or Burmese Army.
After land confiscation, the villagers from the areas nearby
were also again forced to construct the military barracks and other
infrastructure for these new battalions. Then they also have to pay irregular
and unfair tax to those military battalions.
During these military battalions launched the military
operations in the area to attack against the Mon splinter groups and KNLA
troops, some local farmers or plantation workers were also killed, tortured and
some women raped with accusation of rebel-sympathizers. The battalions also
made a movement restriction against the civilians in the area, who have been
totally dependent on their fruit plantations.
Looting by Burmese Army and SPDC Authorities
(April 2002, Kya-inn-seikyi and Kawkareik Townships, Karen
State)
On the first week of April, when a military column of LIB
No. 354 troops launched a military operation around in the rural area of
Kya-inn-seikyi Township, they also confiscated wooden lumbers owned by
villagers and levied payment from saw mill owners in the area.
On April 6, 2002, when they arrived into Win-yaw-seikyi village, they arrested one saw (hand-saw) owner, Nai
Myat (32 years old Mon man), and threatened to
confiscate all his lumbers kept in his house. Although the Mon man explained that
he got permission from Township to saw woods and produce lumbers, but they
still tried to take his woods. After the discussion by the headmen, they agreed
to take 30, 000 Kyat as ransom and did not take his lumbers.
On the next day, they also found some lumbers in river bank (Zami
river) and inquired the owners of
lumbers. But as the people were afraid of being arrested, the lumber owners did
not show up and kept silence. Then, the commander took ten oxen-carts from Mi-pran village and confiscated all these lumbers without
giving any reasons. They ordered the oxen-carts to carry these lumbers to Taung-dee village, which is about 4 miles long, from the place they seized the lumbers.
For loading up and down of lumbers and the transport with
oxen-carts, they did not pay any money to villagers from Taung-dee
village, said by a farmer. "When the Burmese Army arrived into our rural
area, they have all power and authority to mistreat the people. These lumber
owners have very little income to feed their family and now they took all their
things", added by that farmer.
But in Kawkareik Township of Karen State, Township PDC
authorities themselves confiscated civilians' owned lumber sawing mills and
lumbers in their Township. On
These villagers lost nearly 3 million Kyat
for their mills, equipment and lumbers. After confiscation, they
gathered in the Village PDC office for several days and then carried back to
Kawkareik Town on March 13, 2002, accordingly to the local source.
Deep Corruption in Village PDC authorities
(April, 2002, Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State)
In the second week of March, the Village PDC Chairman, Nai
Poe Sein and his two secretaries, Nai Hla Htun and Nai San Nuu explained to
the villagers that accordingly to the instruction by Township PDC, their
village needed to buy a fire truck and to provide payment, 5000 Kyat per
household.
Although the villagers did not satisfy for the collection of
this fund, however they could not complain because these village authorities
are too close to Township PDC Chairman, Col. Thaw Zin, said by a villager.
The village authorities ordered to complete gathering of the
money within three days. Many poor families faced a lot of difficult to get this
amount of money in limited time. As the village has about 1250 households, the
authorities received about 6. 25 million Kyat fund from the civilians.
On March 22, these three authorities also went to Moulmein
and met with Col. Thaw Zin. Then they went to Rangoon for 5 days and returned
to the village. Until the end of April, the village still do
not see any fire truck belonged to their village. They also suspected these
village authorities would take their money without accountability.
Again, in April 2002, the authorities also collected 3
baskets of paddy from every household for the wages of the village militiamen.
The village has only 10 militiamen and according the rule, each militiaman
would receive 100 baskets of paddy as their salary.
When the village authorities collected 3 baskets of paddy
per household, they received about 3750 baskets of paddy from 1250 households
in the village.
Then they gave to 10 militiamen with 1000 baskets of paddy
for their salary for the whole year and took the remaining amount of paddy.
Then they brought them to Moulmein and sold to paddy-husking mills, with 1200
Kyat per basket, said by another villager. They would receive about 4 million Kyat money and would share among three of
them.
The villagers added that they would also bribed District and
Township PDC authorities to keep them in the positions. They have remained in
power for over 8 years and when they first became as Village PDC authorities,
they also needed to bribe Col. Thaw Zin, with 800, 000 Kyat. Later they also
regular bribed him, said by the villagers.
Since SLORC/SPDC came into power in 1988, there was no
election to elect low level village leaders except in the areas control by
rebel armed force. The SPDC authorities just appointed their supporters or who
bribed them to be village chairmen or committee members.
The establishment of Mon National School was barred
(March 2002, Ye Township)
In March 2002, when the committee for the Establishment of
National School in Morkanin village, Ye Township, planned
to build a primary school in the village, by the support of Mon Buddhist monks
and community people, it is barred by VPDC (Village Peace and Development
Council).
To build this school, two Mon monastery in the village
donated one space of land since 2000, but the land was later confiscated by
Brigadier Gen. Thiha Thura
Sit Maung, the former Commander-in-Chief of Southeast Military Command, based
in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State. At that time, he also barred the
establishment of this school. Later, he died in helicopter crashes.
Now, the committee for the Establishment of the school
planned to build school again, as they thought they could do. However they were
stopped by VPDC Chairman.
The Mon people are intending to build Mon national school, in
many parts of Mon State, to provide education to their children in Mon language
as a main language and other subjects. The curriculum is provided by Mon
National Education Committee sponsored by News Mon State Party.
SPDC
and DKBA's Human Rights Violations in Brief
* Unfair Tax
Tax
for Tatmadaw Day (March 2002, Mon State)
To celebrate 57th Anniversary Armed Force (Tatmadaw) Day on
March 27 in the hall of Southeast Command in Moulmein, Mon State, the authorities
in every Township are requested to provide fund for the celebration.
In Mudon Township, every village was asked to provide fund
for the ceremony. Depending on the household numbers, the demanded fund is from
3000 Kyat to 15000 Kyat for each village.
For example, three Mon villages in Township, Kwan-hlar
village had to pay 7500 Kyat; Yaung-daung village had to pay 4500 Kyat; and
Hnee-pa-daw had to pay 11000 Kyat respectively. Many other villages also have
to pay like these villages.
In Mudon Township alone, the authorities collected about
250, 000 Kyat from 45 villages in Township.
Southeast Command requested 2 million Kyat from 10 Townships in Mon
State for this ceremony.
Tax
under the name of rural development
(February
2002, Ye Township)
In order by Township authorities to get enough water in Taung-pyin village, Ye Township, the village authorities
collected fund from the civilians to dig a village wed and to build a concrete
container.
First, on
household. As
the village has about 1500 households, they got 1.05 million Kyat. Similarly, on March 30, with a purpose to
keep water, they planned to build a concrete container. So that the village
authorities collected 1000 Kyat from every household and received another 1.5
million Kyat from the villagers.
This amount of money was too much and two times of the
total. requirement, and so they would not use it all
but would share among them', said by a villager from that
village. Most village authorities also did not have to
report for their use of money in such development activities and 'no need for
the accountability' for any money they have collected from the civilians.
After the village authorities received water and then kept
in containers and then they also sold to the villagers again. Many villagers did not satisfy for the misuse
of the authorities, but could not complain against them.
Unfair
tax and corruption (Ye Township, Mon State)
On March 31, the village chairman from Hangan
village collected one basket of paddy from each household to provide the
village militiamen. The Village PDC
chairman Nai Khin Maung Thaung collected 1250 baskets
of paddy from the whole village, because the villages have about 1250
households.
After paddy collection, the chairman and his committee gave
only 400 baskets of paddy to four members of militiamen in the village. They remained
850 baskets of paddy at their hands. Although the villagers suggested to sell the remaining amount of paddy for fund to construct
a school in village, however, the chairman and committees refused.
At the end, they sold all paddy at
price, 1500 Kyat per basket. They did
not make any accountability for this money and just shared among them. Many villagers believed they would also
shared this money to Ye Township authorities, because they exactly knew the
collaboration between the village authorities and Township authori-
ties.
* Forced purchase of paddy
Army's
involvement forced buying of paddy
(February
2002, Kya-inn-seikyi Township, Karen State)
In an order dated on February 3, 2002, a commander from LIB
No. 354 that bases in Taung-dee village,
Kya-inn-seikyi Township sent the order to a village in Tagundaing
village tract, to sell their their paddy as quick as
possible.
In order, he asked the headmen that they must report the
amount of paddy (in
baskets) their villagers needed to sell to paddy-buying center in Tagun-daing village, the amounts of paddy they already sold
and to immediately sell the remaining amount of paddy. He also asked the chairman of village
headmen to come and meet him on February 5, for reporting the progress of
selling paddy crops.
Similarly, on January 20, a Tactical commander from IB No.
31, Lt. Col. Aung Kyaw Nyein, cooperated with
Township PDC Chairman, U Thet Naing Oo, went into Htee-paukhlo village, Kya-inn-seikyi Township and forced
the farmers to sell 3,000 baskets of paddy to a paddy-buying center set in
Kya-inn-seikyi Town. Then, they also
went to Kyauk-pone village and forced the farmers to
sell 1650 baskets of paddy to the paddy-buying center.
Arrest
of farmers for failure of selling paddy
(Kawkareik
Township, Karen State)
At night time of March 16, Township PDC General Secretary, U
Aung Lin and 4 policemen entered into Kaw-bein village and arrested 17 farmers
and forced them to completely sold the remaining paddy
to the village paddy-buying center set by the authorities.
The reason of the arrest was these farmers failed to sell
paddy and gave wrong the number of acres in their lands. After arrest, the
authorities forced them to sell another 20 baskets of paddy more for another
acre of land. The authorities set to the
farmers to sell 10 baskets per acre of land.
At that night, they also asked the promise of that farmers that they would sell the remaining paddy-buying
center.
* Shooting
Shooting at a Mon woman (Ye Township, Mon State)
On January 16, when LIB No. 587 troops led by Maj. Soe
Min Htun, were taking patrol in Thaung-pyin
village, Ye Township, one of their soldiers suddenly shot at a 50 years old
woman, Mi Sae, when she went to monastery for food
donation.
After she got serious injury, she was sent to Ye hospital.
However, the commander of LIB No. 587 still refused that their man was not the
person who shot at the woman when the village leaders inquired about the
case. They also refused to pay for the
hospital cost. As the monks from the monastery saw about the shooting during
the incident, at the end, they could not refuse, but paid some hospital cost.
There are some other cases about shooting in Ye Township.
On October 25, when the troops of LIB No. 588 operated a
military patrol in eastern part of Township, they also shot at Nai Lae (40 years old) from Morkanin
village and he was treated at hospital.
However, the commanders of that battalion did not pay any hospital cost.
In many cases, when the troops from the battalions under the
command of MOMC. No. 19 went around in the forests and fruit plantations in
eastern part of motor road, they often made mistake shooting to villagers as
they thought the rebel soldiers are taking bases in forests or plantations.
Some were also killed, because of mistake shooting against farmers.
* Torture
DKBA soldiers tortured a Muslim man
(Kya-inn-seikyi Township, Karen State)
On February 12, a group of DKBA soldiers led by Nga Kywe, went into Tagundaing village and beat a Muslim farmer, U Ra Dhi (50 years) who stayed outside of the village. Because
of severe beating, he was also sent to hospital in town for treatment. This man
was innocent and not a Muslim leader.
DKBA, most of their members are Buddhists, have some hate
sentiment against Muslim communities in Karen State and always tried to make
oppression against them.
DKBA is under the command of the Burmese Army and have lots
of authority in
DKBA soldiers tortured a Mon woman
(Kawkareik Township, Karen State)
On
The DKBA soldiers arrested her with accusation that her son
was a trafficker for migrant workers into Thailand and failed to send some Karen
migrant workers, who were the relatives to DKBA soldiers. She even did not know
whether her son was a trafficker or not, as he left from home for several
months. But they still accused her son
took money from Karen migrant workers and did not bring them to the designated
work places in Thailand. They accused
her son also took the money already and failed to complete his duty to send in
the migrant workers.
Then, she was severely tortured. Then they requested her to give them 700,000
Kyat ransom for her release. After her relatives paid that amount of money,
they released her.
Report
Burmese Army's Constant Requisition of Forced Labour
I. Uncased Conflict in southern part of Burma
During the current military regime, State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC), is implementing the militarized program in the southern part of
Burma, it has deployed many military commands and battalions with a main
objective to uproot the rebellious activities of the main Karen armed
opposition, Karen National Union (KNU), and its military faction, Karen
National Liberation Army (KNLA).
For many decades, KNU and the Mon political armed group, New
Mon State Party (NMSP) have waged war against the central governments in
Rangoon for the equal racial rights as the main armed organizations in the
southern part of Burma. NMSP reached an agreement for ceasefire in 1995 without
a political discussion, while the KNU and KNLA have fought on against the
regime because it wants the political negotiation after there is a ceasefire
agreement.
However, the regime has no willingness for the political
talk with even the ethnic ceasefire groups like NMSP and just protracted the
time year by year. At the same time,
after ceasefire, the regime also has more opportunities to deploy more of their
troops in Mon areas and other area southern part of Burma.
Additionally, the several battalions of Burmese Army (now, it is called
Later, some Mon veteran resistant soldiers' also took arms
and revolted against the Burmese Army or MAF after two years of ceasefire,
because of the regime's constant mistreatment and human rights violations
against the Mon people in rural areas. After that rebellion, the Burmese Army
has taken more chance to deploy more troops in Mon State. In year 2001, with a
purpose to deploy a military command, MOMC No. 19 and many battalions under its
command, the Burmese Army confiscated about one thousand of lands from Mon
people in Ye Township.
This made much dissatisfaction among the Mon people and one
MNLA commander, Col. Pan Nyunt, and his 80 men also split out form the main
MNLA and declared to resume fighting against the regime. Since then, the
Burmese Army has intensified its military offensives against both KNLA and the
Mon splinter armed groups.
II. Burmese Army's Two
Main Activities
The Burmese Army or MAF or Tatmadaw has not only one
activity for operating the military offensives against the rebel armed forces
to uproot their rebellious activities, but the Army also has another
responsibility to be the leaders in administration or the main implementers for
various development projects in the whole country.
After SLORC seized the political power from the
pro-demonstrators in 1988, the regime appointed all military commanders as
State and Division LORC Chairman and similarly the SPDC, which changed its name
from SLORC, also has appointed the military commanders in all important
positions. The military commanders in one specific area or in the military
divisions or commands are also appointed as State/ Division PDC Chairman and
all members of the SPDC District/Township Chairman are the military commanders.
Thus, these military commanders have both responsibilities not only to involve
in the administration, but also have to manage for the military affairs.
For example, the current Command-in-Chief of Southeast Military
Command, which bases in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, is also appointed
as the Chairman of Mon State PDC. He has main responsibility not only to
operate the military offensives against rebellion in Mon State and Karen State,
but also he has another responsibility to manage administration for all affairs
in the whole Mon State. Similarly, the General Secretary of Mon State PDC is
Col. Aung Maw Maw and he has both responsibility for
administration for Moulmein District and operating the military operations
mainly in Moulmein District.
Naturally, since these commanders has responsibility in
administration affairs, they normally select their subordinated military
commanders rather than the educated people in the several administration
activities and development programs. They also appointed the commanders or
retired commanders to be Township PDC Chairman. Even the Chairman of Village
PDC, they also tried to appoint their retired soldiers or low-rank commanders
to get the position.
Additionally, when they planned to implement development
project, the Mon State PDC authorities always ordered the military
commands or
battalions concerned to take responsibility for all management. Similarly, when
they planned to launch the military offensives against the rebels in the
conflict rural areas, they also ordered these commanders to operate military
activities.
As the commanders of Burmese Army have many responsibilities
to both launch offensives and involve in the administration activities and
management for development projects, they have demanded the unpaid labour from
the civilians to be in porter service and labour contribution in development
projects.
As the regime could not provide the better and modern
logistic system, the local Burmese Army's local battalions have demanded many
porters during their offensives to carry their ammunitions and food supplies to
use for several days in forest and jungles.
As the regime has not had enough
budgets to provide for the development projects: such as construction of
railway road, motor road, bridge, dam and dyke and other infrastructure;
building of school, clinic and hospital, library and creating of army's paddy
farms, shrimp farms and fruit plantations; the commanders have constantly
forced the local civilians concerned to contribute unpaid labour.
III. Army's Involvement in Development Project and Use of Forced Labour
Like the order in the army, whenever the soldiers or
low-rank commanders received the order for their higher commands, they always
tried to find the ways to complete their duties. Similarly, when the Southeast
Command bases in Moulmein gives order to the local military battalions or
commanders to implement a development project with a deadline, they are always
trying to complete their duties and to overcome all difficulties. If they did
not have enough budget for the projects to implement,
they would collect fund from the civilians and would try to get enough budget
during the implementation. Similarly, if they did not have enough labour, they would
force the local villagers to contribute labour, but they would not pay them,
because they did not have money for payment.
Before the end of 2001 and early 2002, the Mon State PDC
authorities also implemented various types of development projects, such as
road construction, dam construction and others. Normally, the Chairman of Mon State PDC
directly ordered the commanders of local military battalions or commands
concerned to implement these projects.
When they implemented a development project, the Mon State
PDC authorities could provide only small amount of budget to the local military
battalions, but just ordered them to implement as "self-help program"
which means to collect fund from the civilians. In most time, their budgets are
not enough not only for the implementation of development
projects, but also even to feed the soldiers who are guarding the project
sites.
Therefore, the local military commanders or soldiers forced
the local civilians to provide some fund for the projects and in most cases
they also forced them to contribute labour. There are many evidences that the
local military battalions in Mon State and Karen State have involved in the
conscription of forced labour in the recent months.
Case 1:
In January and February 2002, when the Mon State PDC
authorities planned to build the road from Kyaikmayaw to Chaung-htit-kwa, which is situating in the same township area,
they also ordered IB No. 208 led by Col. Nyunt Win to guard the road and to
help implementing with the local construction authorities. This motor road was
built during Japanese era in WWII and most parts are destroyed. So Mon State
PDC authorities tried to rebuild it again.
According to the villagers, the Chairman of Mon State PDC or
the Commander-in-Chief of Southeast Command visited to Kyaikmayaw Township in
December 2002 and instructed to the Township authorities that they must rebuild
this motor road.
He announced that Mon State PDC authorities planned to
develop this new road and supplied stock such as rock and other machinery
equipment and he instructed that the villagers must do volunteer works for the
project.
This Kyaikmayaw-Chaung-htit-kwa
motor road is about 37 miles long and it connects the town and a border
village, with Karen State. Recently in January, the LIB No. 208 commander and
the local authorities forced 120 villagers every day to work in the
construction. The soldiers guarded along the road to watch while the villagers
were working there.
In February, the commander increased conscription of the
number of villagers from the villages, which are situating along the motor
road. The soldiers and village authorities in the areas increased the number of
conscripts from 120 to 150 villagers. They conscripted the villagers from many
Mon villages, such as Tarana, Kaw-hlein,
Kaw-ha-laight, Kyaik-paran,
Kyon-wan, Kaw-don, Kaw-panaw,
Ka-don-si, Wae-pa-ngae and
many other villages on the motor road had been forced to contribute labour.
The villagers who were forced to work in the construction
said, despite the regime provides a bulldozer for the construction, no one see
the machine was being used and they believed the required gasoline for the
machine was not provided. However, instead of using machine, Col. Nyunt Win
ordered the villagers to work by hand.
The villagers added they were not only forced to work in the
construction, the commander also forced them to take the security for the
bulldozer, machinery and construction equipment to protect from steeling of
equipment or attack by the rebel soldiers. If man is not available, a woman had
to replace him when the roster is due to his duty.
Women and children were also forced to work for the project
while it was against their wills, when the men did not have free time to work in
the construction.
Besides the villagers were forced to work in the
construction, the authorities and Col. Nyunt Win collected 5000 Kyat per
household from the above mentioned villages along the motor road, to buy rocks, tar and other
construction material, and to buy foods to feed soldiers, who were taking
security along the road.
In most development projects, the authorities and army
always claimed that these projects would make profit for the civilians and so
that they must need to contribute in the construction.
Case
2:
In the period from mid-December 2001 until February, IB No.
106 that bases in Morkanin village and Ye Township
PDC authorities built a dyke to keep water by closing a stream, called Mee-laung-chaung. In this dyke construction, as the army
and authorities claimed the dyke would provide water for the villagers, so they
needed villagers to contribute labour for the construction.
The army and authorities planned to build this dyke with 80
feet in length, 14 feet in height and 10 feet width embankment because tey fixed the water doors. To build the embankment, they
forced the villagers from Morkanin village to
contribute their labour.
According to the source, although IB No. 106 and the
authorities received 10 million Kyat for the construction of the dyke and
concrete water doors to hire labourers, but forced the villagers instead.
As a recognition of welcoming Armed
Force Day, which was held on March 27, MOMC No. 19 Commander held the opening
ceremony for the dyke and water doors on March 25.
In the most construction works, the villagers are forced to
work in the appalling conditions. Most
works are hard works, as the army commanders and authorities have less used
machinery. Additionally, the villagers
have to bring foods from their homes, even though they are working for the
regime's development projects.
IV. Use of Forced Labour in Battalions' Works
During the Burmese Army newly deploy the military battalions
in the rural areas, the commanders of these battalions have constantly forced
the civilians to contribute labour in clearing lands, leveling grounds,
constructing the military barracks, bunkers and trenches, and making fences.
When the battalion commanders forced the villagers to contribute labour, they
have not only forced the villagers from one village, but forced from many
villages.
After the deployment of the battalions and construction of
the required bases, the commanders continuously force the civilians, to regular
dear the grasses, to grow vegetables in gardens, to make charcoal, to collect
firewood and even to cook in their bases.
As the demand of labour have taken
roots for several years among the Burmese Army's battalions, it became as a
common practice for army commanders and soldiers. Whenever they have to do
sometimes, they always try to find the villagers to do instead. Even for the
case of daily cooking in the battalion base, although the soldiers or wives of
soldiers could do that, however, they still force the villagers to cook for
them.
Some evidence for the use of forced labour in the
battalions' works are as below: ^
Case
1:
In April, 2002, a military battalion in Kya-inn-seikyi
Township, Karen State, LIB No. 354, which bases near Taung-dee
village have requested 10 villagers every day to work in their battalions. The
works were not constant. Depending on the decisions of battalion commander, Lt.
Col. Kyaw Soe, the works in the battalion base varied.
The commander conscripted 10 villagers every day to do the
works in the base. Normally the soldiers forced these villagers to rebuild
their barracks, to make secured fence and other works. The
village headmen from 11 villages nearby, Taung-dee, Kha-won, Pha-pya, Myaing-gone, Talaing-gone, Nong-plein, Maw-lon-daing, Myit-tar-yar, Win-taung, Nong-khu and Law-shan. The village headmen from have to manage to send 10 villagers when
due arrive to their village. So that every 11 days,
one village has to send 10 villagers to army base.
Case 2:
On April 4, 2002, the commander of LIB No. 586 bases in
northern part of Ye Township, Lt. Col. Ngwe Soe,
ordered the villagers from Kyone-paw village to
contribute labour in clearing lands in his battalion base. In his order, he
asked one villager from every household must come and work in the base. He also
warned if someone failed to come, he/she must be punished.
When the villagers came and worked on that day, they also
brought their own food and tools. They were ordered to work from early morning
to late evening, except were allowed to take lunch for half an hour.
Case 3:
In January, 2002, when LIB No. 591 and No. 583 that base in
eastern part of Ye Township planned to build a motor road from Ye Town to Kyaung-ywa village, they also ordered the village headmen
to provide them 3 oxen-carts and 3 cart drivers to carry stones from the Ye river
to the road.
The soldiers from these two battalions collected stones in
the river and the villagers had to buy these stones for the road construction. So that the villagers also had to pay for all costs of the stones.
Additionally, they forced 3 oxen-carts and 3 drivers every week and needed to
carry stones for 7 days. After 7 days, they were also replaced with another 3
oxen-carts. But they did not pay the labour cost to those carts and drivers for
one-week works.
Sometimes, these battalions also conscripted the trucks from
Ye town and forced them to carry stones without payment. Although the villagers
from the whole village were not forced to do construction or to collect stones,
each household in Kyaung-ywa village had to provide
2000 Kyat payment fund to the authorities every month.
Case 4:
From January 11 to January 15, 2002, LIB No. 547, which
bases near Kyon-doe village, Kawkareik Township,
Karen State, also forced the villagers from three villages near the base, to
clear grasses, bushes and small trees in the surrounding of their base. The
villagers who were forced to work in these works were from (1) Doe-Ian, (2)
Kaw-tar, and (3) Kwan-poe villages.
As the battalion commander was afraid of being attacked by
the rebel soldiers, they forced the villagers to clear outside of their base
and rebuild the fences round the base.
Case 5:
On November 10, 2001 the Burmese Army's LIB No. 538 based in Phaya-ngote-to village, Kya-innseikyi
township, Karen State, conscripted 45 villagers from Taung-dee
village; 45 villagers from Kha-won village and 45
villagers from Kyauk-paya village to build their
military barracks and did some works in battalion headquarters.
On
In these military battalions, they also created paddy farms, shrimp farms, some
fruit and rubber plantations their battalion regular income. Sometimes, they
also forced the villagers nearby to work in these activities without any
payment. (See
in The Man Forum Issue No. 3/2002)
V.
Forced Labour in Burmese Army's Porter Service
As the regime has not developed or modernized its military logistic system, the
use of civilian porters in the frontlines of civil war is still an on-going
situation. Depending on the scales of offensives, massive or minor, operated by
the troops of Burmese Army's tactical commands concerned the conscripted number of civilian porters are varied. The most offensives
occur after the end of rainy season and the soldiers arrested the villagers
from many parts of rural areas and brought them several weeks, or even 2 to 3
months along with them.
In this type of porter service, the villager porters are
forced to walk along with troops of Burmese Army by carrying heavy loads of
ammunitions, mortor shells or food supplies. Such
these porters could be killed in frontline by stepping on land-mine or when the
fighting happens between the Burmese and rebel armed groups. They are also not
fed with sufficient foods and most of them could suffer from dangerous diseases
such as malaria, diarrhea and other diseases, while they are in jungles.
There have been some evidence in
the recent months how the local battalions under the command of Southeast
Command have used porters in offensive.
Case
1:
For over five weeks since the last week of March 2002, when
IB No. 61 troops and a company of Military Engineering built a rough motor road
from Ye to Three-Pagoda Pass (see in the map), which is about 50 miles long,
the 100 troops of IB No. 61 led by Lt. Col. Win Nyunt took inner security to
protect two bulldozers and other machinery and engineering members and
construction workers.
At the same time, about 60 troops of IB No. 106, led by Col.
Aung Lwin also took outer security to clear the areas. Although IB No. 61 did
not take porters, but IB No. 106 troops 42 porters along with them.
In clearing the area, to protect the possible attack to
their construction activity, IB No. 106 troops also have to launch offensives
against KNLA and Mon splinter troops in the area outside of the road. For five
weeks during the offensives, these porters are constantly used to carry
ammunitions, mortor shells and food supplies for
soldiers and traveled in dangerous area along the border in where the rebel
groups also planted land-mines.
They were not allowed to return homes or to be replaced with
other porters because they went into the area where there was no village or
conflict area. They could get sufficient foods from the soldiers and could not
have enough sleep said by an escaped porter.
"We climbed many mountains and sometimes we walked along
the streams. Within one day, we had to walk for over 12 hours. We are too
tired. Two porters got serious sick (malaria) and when they arrived near one
Mon village, the soldiers left them behind." added by that escaped porter.
In the normal military patrol in one specific area to
protect the rebels' activities, the troops of the local military battalions
always walked around in the area where they have to take security, and forced
the villagers in the areas to be porters for short days. The commanders also
ordered the village headmen concerned to arrange for providing the porters for
their military columns on a rotation basis among the villagers.
Case
2:
On February 4, 2002, when 40 troops of LIB No. 299 led by
Maj. Ngwe Oo, launched the military operation in the southern part of Ye
Township, the soldiers took about 15 villagers as porters in their 5 days long
operation.
On that day, the LIB No. 299 commander asked 5 porters each from three Mon
villages, Hangan, Kaw-hlaing
and Singu, which are situating in the southern part
of Ye Township. They informed to village headmen to send the villagers to their
military headquarters near Hangan village.
According to a porter who arrived back to the village after 5 days, he said
that the soldiers forced the porters to climb many mountains with their heavy
load on their backs. The porters were also shout by
the soldiers to walk quickly like soldiers. He, a porter from Hangan village, also added that he also met a porter with
60 years old from Singu village could not walk fast
like soldiers because he was old and weak.
While that porter could not manage to walk fast, the commander, Maj. Ngwe Oo,
also kicked the man three times with his army boot and then they left him
behind by giving 200 Kyat for him.
According to another villager from Hangan
village, the village has provided porters to LIB No. 299 very often since
January 2002. He said, the village headman has managed
in providing 2 trucks for army for their use in the battalion headquarters and
for travel, and 5 porters to work various works in their battalion base. This
conscription of villagers has been on a daily basis.
At the same time, the villagers from every household in Hangan village also had to pay porter fees even when the
LIB No. 299 has no military activity. When they launched military operation in
the area, they asked both porters to carry their food supplies and ammunitions,
and porter fee for their expenses during the operation. The porter fee was 500
Kyat from every house.
Case
3:
Again, in March and April, when LIB No. 299 troops led by
the battalion commander, Col. Aye Tun, operated the military patrol in the
southern part of Ye Township area, they also conscripted many villagers as
porters without payment.
LIB No. 299 also ordered to the village headmen in Singu, a village in the southern part of Ye Township, to
arrange the villagers to be ready to provide them as regular basis when they
arrived into the village. The headman also have to
arrange for the rotation basis and put some villagers for ready in the village
and when the troops arrived to their village, they provide them with porters.
But these village porters are never paid by Burmese Army.
On March 19, when LIB No. 299 troops arrived into Sin-gu
village about 4:00 p.m. in the evening, they also took four Mon villagers: (1)
Nai Oo - 29 years old; (2) Nai Myint Htwe - 35 years
old; (3) Nai Tun Kyin - 32 years old; and (4) Nai Saw
Win - 20 years old and forced them to carry ammunitions. They were taken by LIB
No. 299 for two days and were also used as human-shields.
They were forced to walk in advance and the soldiers stayed at behind when they
went into forests and climbed the mountains.
Then, after the military patrol, LIB No. 299 troops also came back to Singu village on March 22, and asked another four porters
again. The village headmen provided another four villagers: (1) Nai Shaung - 40 years old; (2) Nai Blai
- 30 years old; (3) Nai Ta Mort - 21 years old; and (4) Nai Hote
Lun - 24 years old; to LIB No. 299 troops. They were
taken as porters for one day and then the soldiers released them.
Continuously, on March 23 and asked another four porters.
The village headmen also have to provide four villagers and they were: (1) Nai
Tun Kyaw - 23 years old; (2) Nai Wee - 50 years old; (3) Nai Naing - 29 years
old; and (4) Nai Aung Zein - 60 years. The soldiers
took these villagers for another 3 days and then they released them after they
received porters from another villages.
Again, on April 1, 2002, this battalion arrived to Singu village again and asked another 4 villagers for
porters. The village chairman provided them with four porters and they were:
(1) Nai Kyaw Tin - 28 years old; (2) Nai Ah Hmaw - 18
years old; (3) Nai Baw - 35 years old; and (4) Nai
Aung Myint - 40 years old. The soldiers forced Nai Kyaw Tin to carry one basket
of rice (about
33 kilograms weight), forced Nai Ah Hmaw and Nai_ Baw to carry ammunitions and some food supplies, and forced
Nai Aung Myint to carry 6 mortor shells. They were
taken as porters for one week and walked along with soldiers.
According to one porter among them, he said the soldiers
also arrested farmers to be porters if they met them in the paddy-fields or in
fruit plantations while they were working. When the soldiers went into
villages, they looted many things of the villagers' properties.
While these last group of villagers
are at porter service, there was also one fighting happened between LIB No. 299
troops and a Mon splinter soldiers. Luckily, they did not get any injuries. But
some Burmese soldiers died.
The conscription of porters from the villages not only
happens to Singu village alone, LIB No. 299 also took
potters from many other villages, such as, Hangan,
Kaw-hlaing, Yin-dein,
Yin-ye, Kapya, Khaw-za, Kyon-nyae, Magyi, Mi-htaw-hla-gyi andMi-htaw-hla-kaly.
Case 4:
Similarly to LIB No. 299, another military battalion bases
in Ye Township, IB No. 61 also used many porters in the same area, southern
part of Ye Township. But the request for porters is not very often like LIB No.
299 did. When the troops of IB No. 61 arrived into one village, they just asked
the village headmen to provide them with some porters and the headmen had to
manage.
On April 10, 2002, when a military column of IB No. 61
troops went into Yinye village, they also requested
the village headmen to provide them 8 villagers for porters. The village
headmen suddenly managed to provide this number of villagers for the army.
Then, some soldiers led by a Sergeant went into one house
and arrested one man. And, they forced him to show the houses of relatives of
the Mon splinter soldiers. When the man refused he did not know, the soldiers also beat him. They kicked his stomach and
his back several times. Because of inner injury, he could not work for many
days.
In Mon State, if compared with other area, Ye Township has
remained as a war zone even after the ceasefire. The military battalions in
this area, have to launch more military activities
against the rebel armies. Whenever the Burmese Army launches
for offensives or military patrol, the civilians are forced to be porter for
long days or short days.
VI. Conclusion
After SPDC issued the Order 1/99 in 1999 and later the
supplementary order in October 2000, to halt all the requisition of forced
labour in Burma after intensive pressure by ILO and international community,
the scale of the requisition of forced labour has gradually reduced.
Most SPDC authorities in towns/cities, village tracts and
villages, have respected the order and stopped using forced labour if there is
not necessary. However, for the religious affairs, such as building the
pagodas, monasteries and other monuments, some civilians voluntarily contribute
their labour due to their religious belief. By sometimes, when the authorities
or army takes responsibility in building of, especially pagodas, they also
forced the civilians to contribute their labour.
But the various battalions of Burmese Army in Mon State,
Karen State and Tenasserim Division, which always have to launch the military
offensives or area patrol have constantly used porters in frontline or along
with them and during their deployment of new bases or repairs of old bases,
they always forced the civilians to contribute labour in the construction.
Actually, under the rule of military regime, these
battalions have the highest power in most area and no authorities or people can
stop them to halt the
requisition of forced labour. SPDC, itself, has not enforced these orders to
them for a respect of human rights and blinded its eyes for years. In the
hardship conditions of battle-fields in Burma, the regime's soldiers have been
much relied on the porters and it is also hard for them to abandon this
practice, using of porters, immediately.
Commentary
Forced Labour Review:
We heard a good news in
In 1999, the Burma's military regime, SPDC issued an order,
which was well-known as Order 1/99 to halt all activities of the requisition of
forced labour by the regime authorities and members of Burmese Army. It did not get done even one year period
passed. Then the regime issued another
supplementary order for the previous order and clear described members of armed
force must stop using forced labour, which also means to stop use of civilian
porters.
We have found that there has been less use of forced labour
in the regime's full control area and in the cities, after these orders. However, these orders have not made any
effect in the ethnic rural areas in where the armed conflict is taken place.
The requisition of forced labour for development projects,
troop deployment and porter service has continued and several battalions of
Burmese Army (Myanmar
Armed Force) have involved in violating Order 1/99 and the supplementary
order. However, they are not received
any punishment by the regime's higher authorities.
ILO and international community should make assure to SPDC
and Burmese Army to respect their own issued orders.
Information
on HURFOM and Invitation for Feedbacks from Readers
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