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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)
>
>
>
>
>