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INSIDE BURMA (r)



Dear Ko Brian,
Could you please give me a date of incident took place? I need it for the
DAWn urgently.
Send it back to here and caroline@xxxxxxxxxxxx, please.

thanks
Aung Myo Min
ABSDF

At 03:06 AM 1/22/97, you wrote:
>From: "ABSDF (WB)" <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Further information relating to farmers' protest.
> 
>Date 22nd January 1997.
> 
>        Regarding the farmers' protest in Dipeyin township of Shwe 
>Bo district Saggaing division had been already broadcasted briefly 
>on Democratic Voice of Burma radio (Norway) evening program 
>on 19th Jan. 1997.
> 
>        It was happened due to dissatisfaction of the farmers who 
>were forced to sell their paddy to State Law and Order Restoration 
>Council at the rate of 14,000.00 Kyats per 100 baskets where the 
>market price is 35,000.00 Kyats.
> 
>        The protest started by the farmers from Inpin village of 
>Dipeyin township and they went on street and marched to Dipeyin 
>town. More than 3,000 farmers from Ohndabin, Pauktaw, Khada 
>and Methae villages located along the car road to Dipeyin joined 
>the protest.
> 
>        While the farmers were marching on the way to Dipeyin the 
>University students joined hand in hand with them and guide them 
>to be systematic and peaceful demonstration. They shouted their 
>demands while on the way to Dipeyin.
> 
>Their demands are as follow;
> 
>1. Stop unjust repression upon peasants.
>2. Reduce the heavy taxation upon farmers.
>3. Stop force-buying of crops by inappropriate price.
>4. Allow to form independent peasants union.
> 
>        Despite the threat of gunpoint by the arm forces led by the 
>Township Law and  Order Restoration Council, chairman U Tin 
>Htoo and police (O.C) U Than Oo, the peasants rally advanced to 
>Dipeyin.
> 
>        After half an hour of the arrival of the rally at Dipeyin, the 
>Divisional LORC chairman and commander of North West 
>Command Maj. Gen. Hla Myint Swe asked the peasants for a 
>negotiation. When the peasants rally enter the Saya San Hall at 
>Dipeyin, the SLORC people used video cameras to film  each and 
>every one, who  participated in the rally.
> 
>        When the farmers discussed with Maj. Gen. Hla Myint Swe, 
>they demanded to stop forced buying of paddy and crops by 
>unsuitable price and demanded to sell fertilizer to those farmers 
>who sell paddy to the S.L.O.R.C. Beside that they complained 
>regarding the false statistic and data forwarded to higher concers by 
>the Township L.O.R.C.in which they have shown less acreage of 
>paddy growing fields. They also complained against the corruption 
>of irrigation department where has been an usual practice of talking 
>money from the farmers while irrigating their fields.
> 
>        Maj. Gen. Hla Myint Swe responded as follows;
> 
>1. Farmers demands will be forwarded to the higher SLORC 
>authorities.
>2. If there is any problem for peasants they can represent those 
>things step by and   systematically.
>3. This act of demonstration of farmers is an act which provoke 
>instability of the state law order and also against the present rules 
>and regulations.
>4. Those we can forgive the recent peasants' protest but we can't 
>bear  any such repeated activities in future.
>5. Such actions will be drastically responded.
> 
>        Soon after the above mentioned discussion, the farmers 
>were sent back to their respective villages by buses arranged by 
>authorities.
> 
>        On that very night military forces entered the concerned 
>villages and arrested those who actively  participated in the rally. 
>Among the persons arrested upto now, Ma Moe Moe a Mandalay 
>university student in also included. Family members of anyone is 
>not allowed to meet those arrested and nobody knows the  venue of 
>their detention.
>           
>           The chairman of the Dipeyin Township Law and Order 
>Restoration Council summoned one person from each house hold 
>to attend the independence day meeting at Min Swe village without 
>fail.There he told that the chairman of Divisional Law and Order 
>Restoration Council and the Divisional Commanding Officer is very 
>much angry with the recent demonstration of farmers and he 
>warned that this kind of farmers' action will be strictly responded in 
>the future.      
> 
> 
>Brian
>News and Information Unit
>ABSDF (Western-Burma)
> 
>  
>
>
>