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Mon Appeal for International Attent



Subject: Mon Appeal for International Attention 

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Is there a UNHCR presence overseeing this repatriation?  If so, how many
observers are there and where?  If not, why not?

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END OF REFUGE FOR THE MON

"Even though there is a cease-fire, the war has not ended." 

This woman's concerns appear to be typical of most, if not all
Mon refugees in this area of Kanchanaburi province on the
border of Thailand and Burma. Her statement, and the fact that
hundreds of new refugees have fled to Thailand recently, are
testimony that the horrors of war are far from over.

While the Thai and Burmese governments are in the process of
repatriating the Mon refugees to Burma, Mon villagers are still
fleeing into Thailand. In the past few months, over 100 families
have sought refuge in Payaw Camp, west of Sangklaburi.

In June 1995, the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the pro -
democratic Mon government, and the SLORC signed a cease -
fire agreement. Despite the cessation of fighting between the
Mon army and the SLORC, the civilians continue to suffer
heavily under the Burmese army.

One of the conditions of the cease - fire was that the SLORC
stop the practice of forced labour in Mon areas, but this promise
has not been kept. As the completion of the Ye - Tavoy railway
nears, more and more villagers are being forced to work on its
construction

The new arrivals to Payaw camp report how they were given no
food, medicine, tools or wages when they were taken. Villagers
who fell ill were beaten for working slowly. If they were unable
to build shelters, they had to sleep in the cold or rain.

"SLORC doesn't say exactly what will happen to you if you
don't finish the work, but everybody knows. They have the right
even to shoot you, or to say, "You can't live in this village
anymore..." They have that power ... Since the cease-fire, the
SLORC treats the people just like before," says a recently
arrived Mon refugee.

The SLORC has argued that the use of volunteer labour is
actually a traditional practice, as villagers wish to make merit
and help the country in its development. "This was NEVER a
custom!" a Mon woman passionately exclaims. "We never
worked without the promise of pay. Yes, in hard times we
would help each other out in the community, but it was never
like this! Now we must leave our villages, we are never paid,
and our rice paddies suffer."

If villagers cannot provide the labour, they must pay the
SLORC up to 4,000 kyats, and up to 2,000 kyats to hire
someone to replace them. "We also have to pay porter fees, 200
Kyat per month. If the soldiers ask (the village headman) for
pork we have to give pork. If they ask for 1,000 Kyat we have
to pay it," recounts a young Mon fisherman, who fled to the
border four months ago.

Women and children continue to suffer gross human rights
violations. One Mon woman, returning to Payaw from a family
visit over Christmas, was captured along with 7 girls in the
jungle. She was forced to witness the rape of a 17 - year - old
girl by a SLORC soldier, later that night, a fellow soldier came
to the group, claiming concern about the girl's condition, but
then forced the 55 - year - old woman into his barrack and
raped her as another soldier looked on.

It is apparent that the Mon - SLORC cease - fire has not
improved conditions for civilians. Forced labour, porterage,
torture, rape and arbitrary killings continue to this day. Given
this level of abuse, it is inevitable that many more Mon will
continue to flee. However, as the camps will soon be closed,
these new refugees will have nowhere to go.  
  --From:  Burmese Relief Centre Newsletter March 1996

COMMITTEE
(February, 1996)

Resettlement in Progress

For the smooth repatriation and resettlement of refugees, the
MNRC and Mon Resettlement Committee hired a bulldozer to
rebuild the road to Payaw Mon refugee camp. Even though the
road rebuilding process has been implemented since mid of
January, it has been delayed as the machine sometime broke
down and had to repair. However, the road rebuilding was
completed in mid of February. At the moment, the
transportation of supplies to Payaw camp is more easier than
before.

At the same time, when the MNRC transporting supplies to
Payaw, it also arranged to bring back the refugees who would
like to move Bee Ree or Halockhani camps. In first week of
February, when it sent rice to Payaw, the ten - wheel trucks also
brought back about 20 families of refugees to Halockhani. In
second week and last week of February, the trucks also brought
nearly 100 families of refugees from Bee Ree to resettlement
site of Tavoy District, Kwan Tamoit (Shown in map). Actually,
the MNRC needs more ten - wheel trucks to bring both supplies
and refugee families who would like to move.

At the moment, it can hire four ten - wheel trucks for all
transportation and it has used the four wheel trucks to bring
supplies from Loh Loe old refugee campsite to reach Bee Ree.
Because of steep and high mountains, it is impossible for ten -
wheel truck to climb up and reach Bee Ree camp. Anyhow, it
can save the time for ten - wheel and enable turning its ways to
send supplies to other camp more quickly. But for the refugees
who would like to move to Bee Ree camp have to wait four -
wheel trucks in Loh Loe or Ri Car, then to continue their trip to
Bee Ree.

The making of permission for transportation of rice in District
level is smooth without any problem and hopefully, the MNRC
can send all assistance in time. But on 20th and 21th February,
the unexpected heavy rain in the border area had destroyed the
road to every camp and the MNRC and its camp residents had
to fix it and took some time and delay for transportation. It had
made time waste and if the MNRC did not complete its
transportation process in time with April 30 dead - line, it may
have to ask the Thai authorities for time extension. The all
transportation processes of supplies up to May will probably
complete in first week of next month and continuously it can
send another provided assistance delivery.

For MNRC, it always the transportation charges for all trucks
in hurry. Normally, the all truck owners, for checking engine
and fixing engine or other body parts, they always need their
transportation charges in time. For the smooth repatriation, it
always needs the best collaboration of all groups which
participated in the process. Furthermore, the MNRC expresses
its thankfulness to donor organizations, UNHCR, international
government agencies and NGOs and concerned authorities, for
their best endeavors in helping the Mon refugees while they are
suffered because of unstable Burma.

Requesting for International Presence

As the MNRC has described in previous reports, it firmly
believes that only international monitoring or presence in the
repatriation process can create the self - confidence of the
returnees and assure for the safety of them. The Mon
community that is weak in every sectors in politics, economy
and protection forces, it always needs appeal for the protection
of world community in accordance with international principles.
The community that is an ethnic minority group and has been
suppressed for many decades from central government and its
armed forces. Like Mon community, the other ethnic
communities have also experienced prolong suffering and the
Burma has inquired of best political solution to get genuine
peace.

When concerned authorities of UNHCR and US Embassy
visited to Payaw, they had chances to meet and conduct
interview with some new arrivals escaped forced labours from
Ye - Tavoy railway construction and other violations of human 
rights. To realize the real situation of Burma's ethnic
communities, the MNRC makes a suggestion to international
community, to create a monitoring body for investigation of
human rights situation in Burma. The serial cease fire
agreement in Burma could not protect all abuses in local areas
and clearly, it need the international access in Burma.

Even though the UN Human Rights Commission has adopted
serial resolution every year on Burma human rights situation,
but no permanent international access or monitoring in the areas
where the abuses has consistently violated. For Mon refugees
who have no more choice except returning to New Mon State
Party controlled areas, they also need protections according to
international recognized principles adopted by international
conventions of refugees and asylum seekers.

The MNRC has asked for international community, to
participate in the repatriation process of Mon refugees and
hopefully, information for that process must provide how to
solve the problems in Burma and implement according to UN
resolutions on Burma.

At the moment, the MNRC already started the repatriation
process of refugees and therefore, it really needs the
international organization to carry out their responsibility
permanently in refugee camps and resettlement sites. The
MNRC and Mon Resettlement Committee ask for the attention
and collaboration of international community in time before
April 30 dead - line.


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