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NEWS FROM INSIDE BURMA (r)



	Eyewitness traveling through Burma by land from Moulmein to Ye in
the Mon State have reported that resumption of forced labor on the
Ye-Tavoy railroad is occurring.  Thousands of people are being forced to
labor on a new section of the railroad from Ye to Kanbauk. Villagers from
Kan Bauk in particular was suffering enormous hardship a deadline was
given for the embankments on wither side of the railway to be finished by
December 15,1995.
	Over the last two years reports from human rights groups,
embassies, media, and relief agencies have given details of how forced
labor was being used to build a new section of railroad from Ye to Tavoy.
These reports revealed how 30-60,000 civilians were being used as convee
labor by the Slorc army. Village headmen from villagers in the Ye-Tavoy
townships were receiving orders directly from Slorc commanders to send
members of their village for work on the railway. Many people died, were
forced to work even though sick, and no one whether you were man, women,
child, pregnant old or sick was spared.
	the situation in the Ye-Tavoy area is again very serious. 
According to reliable sources in Rangoon, the Slorc were told not to build
the railroad along the route they have taken, that is west of valley in Ye
township as there could be problems come rainy season with the earth
possibly subsiding. The rainy season is now over and indeed the valley has
completely subsided leaving the railway track suspended with very little
support. So, a new route is now being used, from Ye to Kan Bauk and
reports of up to 50,000 people being forced to work on the railroad are
being confirmed by those fleeing from the area to Thailand. Foreign
eyewitnesses have also confirmed that forced labor is being used along the
railroad from Moulmein to Ye and have seen people living in makeshift
tents supplied by the Slorc from the Ye-Kan Bauk railway. The big
difference this time is that the majority of people being forced to work
on roads and railways at the moment are children, some as young as eight
years old. It is harvest time in Burma and villagers are having to fulfill
their increased rice quotas. Thus men and women are fully engaged at work
on the harvest. At the same time, orders come from the Slorc demanding
labor from the villages for work on the railroad. The only labor left in
most village is therefore children.
	According to the statement issued by Professor Yokota, the Slorc
have said that they have sent a "secret directive" to regional commanders
to stop forced labor. As the above information proves this is not the
case.
	Other eyewitness account state that there is forced labor being
used to repair and widen the highway in Pegu township. Local sources state
that each household is being ordered to 50 kyats per member in the house
every two weeks for their contribution to the construction of this
highway. The money is not going to those who are being forced to work but
towards the use of steamrollers and machinery for making tar.  The jobs
that people do range from sorting out stones that come from the quarry,
carrying the stones from one point to another, sifting gravel through
bamboo sieves and mixing and laying down the tar. The eyewitnesses state
that conditions are very bad, heat and dust being the major factors of
hardship, especially for the children. The quarry is being worked on by
prisoners, some of whom are extremely young, and all are in chains. Other
areas of confirmed reports from eyewitness of forced labor are in Yin
Nyein, Belin, Thaton township and periodically on the car road to
Moulmein. 
	Impact of tourism on local communities in Mandalay, Sagaing,
Ammarapurra is now becoming apparent. Children wait for tour groups to
arrive in places such as Pagodas and other sites of interest. They follow
tourists around begging for presents and money and at times perform for
the tourists, smiling, holding their hands etc.  these children are
earning up to 800 kyats a day which s four times what their parents are
earning. According to conversations that eyewitness had with some parents
and other local sources at these sites these children are now being sent
to earn money for their families in this way and not going to school.
There is great concern about the increase of this situation especially for
young girls who will when older be uneducated and unable to have a chance
to enter into what is already a competitive workplace.
	The Slorc have now issued a directive that all hotels in Burma
must join the recently created Hotel and Tourism Committee. Hotel managers
are complaining that you have to pay to join, then contribute funds to the
committee for "community projects".  Their attitude is that these
"community Projects" do not benefit the community at all but a corrupt
State raking in the money from tourism. 

Forced labor in Pegu division
	Local villagers from Ban Laung district, Pyu township, Pegu
division were ordered to work for the building of three-mile-long water
drain during October and November 1995. One convee laborers from each
household brought their own food and tolls and worked three days per week
until the work was done at the end of November 1995. At least 500 people
were at the worksite daily. Similarly, villagers from Kyauk Kyi township,
Pegu Division were also forced to work for the construction of motor-road
between Kyun Bin Seik and Tha Htay Gone village. For the government -owned
fish pond project in Kanyunt Kwin township, Pegu Division, all villagers
from the township were required to work unpaid laborers. 

Monks are under pressure for attending "people forum" of Daw Suu
	Buddhist monks from Nyaung Done monastery in Bahan township and
Gandha Yon monastery in Kaba Aye Pagoda road were threaten by Slorc not to
attend the "people Forum" weekly gathering in front of the Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi house. The Slorc authorities ordered the abbot to issue a
regulation for the monks and novices in the monastery forbidding
participating in the weekly gathering. 

Refugee killed in Bel Kalaw refugee camp
	Fifteen DKBO entered the Bel Kalaw refugee camp, Ma la in Tha Song
Yang district and killed Phu Thaku (former KNU general) who was suffering
paralysis. DKBO entered about 1:00am on January 11, 1996 and shot down in
in his house. 

ABSDF NEWS AGENCY
ABSDF( DAWN GWIN)