re Total 's forced location

[cd@xxxxxxxxxx]

Headline: Villagers face forced labor and forced relocation under new 
TOTAL security
Keyword: TOTAL, forced labor, Slorc, Burmpa, Kanbauk, Eindayaza, Yebyu, 
Tenassaarim, Brig-Gen. Zaw Tun
Date: Apr 2 1996
Source: Caroline Lurie <caroline@xxxxxxxxxx,  ABSDF News Agency,  (DAWN 
GWIN), Conference "reg.burma" <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx, ed.  UVI.
 
Villagers face forced labor and forced relocation under new TOTAL 
security
 
Shortly after the military battle at French TOTAL oil firm's field 
office,
near Kanbauk village, Yebyu township by a reportedly unknown armed group 
on
last February, local villagers from Eindayaza village in Yebyu township,
Tenassarim division  have been ordered to move out by the end of March, 
according to the office of 
SLORC  strategy commander Brig-Gen. Zaw Tun. At the time of the attack 
reported in the world press, TOTAL issued an unequivocal denial of any 
battle engagement, from its headquarters in Paris. The denial from the 
French Ambassador in Rangoon, Bernard Pottier, also contradicted rebel 
reports that a French citizen had been killed in the attack

The  Eindayaza village, mostly  Karen villages , is  situated 7 miles
near  the TOTAL's field office. Slorc?s order of forced relocation  
requires villagers to 
 move to "54-mile"  on the Ye-Tavoy motor road. Villagers were allowed to
 bring only basic belongings and deprived of their home possessions.

The reason for the relocation  remains unclear, and once again 
contradicts TOTAL?s denial of the violent clash with the anti-government 
fighters.  Adding further mystery is the suspicion that the forced 
relocation is viewed a  reprisal for the February 8 attack.  

On February 12, 1996, 11 Karen civilians including village headman from 
Eindayaza village
 were arrested by the troop from Slorc' LIB 273 and tortured for 
allegedly
 having contact with the attackers.  Twelve villagers from Eindayaza were 
arrested while on their way to their hill-side cultivation on
 the Phya Gone hill, on the same day in which a 107  rocket launcher was 
used in the attack  from the same hill which was only 5 furlongs from the 
TOTAL's office.

In addition,  under the pretext of  security for TOTAL's office, 10
 civilians - mostly women -  were summoned from each village in Kanbauk 
village
 group by the LIB 273.  Over a  hundred people were ordered to a 
 security quarter between Kanbauk and Eindayaza. Twenty villagers from 
every village in Kanbauk group are
 being conscripted by Slorc LIB 273 to work forced labor in the
 construction of three-mile-long Kanbauk- Pyin Gyi motor road between 
TOTAL?s
 office and the sea port. The road will be used for transportation of the
 materials for the building of natural gas pipe.  

According to reports, TOTAL is allegedly paying 50 kyats per day for the 
each Slorc soldier supervising the forced  labor  in the construction 
project.

TOTAL continues to deny that any forced location is conducted on their 
pipeline or payin Slorc soldiers to do it.