[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

ILO: FORCED LABOUR IN BURMA-38



[ILO COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON FORCED LABOUR IN BURMA, SLICE
38]

136
 
Ethnicity:          Shan
Age/sex:            32, female
Family situation:   Married with children
Occupation:         Day labourers
                    (village had about 30 households)

The witness's family came to Thailand about two years ago
because life was difficult, they had not enough to eat, little
time to work for themselves and too much time to work for the
authorities. Forced labour started long ago, she could not
remember how long. Her parents' and husband's families had to
grow vegetables, guard the roads and railroads, do portering,
build the military camp. Also, the military always asked one
way or another for money and food. They had to go mostly once
a week, sometimes for four to five days straight, including
building the military camp. The soldiers beat some people
doing forced labour (not in her family) and if they tried to
respond, they were kicked and beaten even harder. She only
knew when her husband had to go and work for the Burmese
military, not what for. He went three to four times a month,
mostly for one to two days, to do different kinds of forced
labour, until they fled to Thailand. The order came through
the village head. She herself also did forced labour when her
husband was not at home/not available. She had to dig trenches
for the military camp, build a railroad. She also had to go
from early morning until late evening, many times for almost a
year. The soldiers also came to the work site and gave
instructions, people could return only after completion of
their assignment. They took turns in the family. Her father
and brother, who lived in separate houses, also had to go
independently. This was when she was about 26/27 years old,
for the railroad from Mongnai to Namhsam. Her family could not
make a living anymore because, when they did not have to go
and do forced labour, they had to try and find money to give
to the soldiers, who always asked for one reason or another,
three or four times a month to be given at least 100 to 200
kyat at a time. The bigger families had to pay more. Her
family usually had to give 200 to 300 kyat, although it was a
small family and they had nothing, no land. It was very
difficult because her husband earned 30 to 40 kyat a day, as a
labourer: forced labour and the money exactions were equally
difficult. She herself generally worked as a labourer in other
people's gardens, fields and farms to earn money, about 30 to
40 kyat a day, depending on how the labour was needed by the
employer. She would work as a day labourer even if there
was no money exaction.
                     _______________________

137

Ethnicity:          Shan
Age/sex:            33, female
Family situation:   Married
Occupation:         Agricultural day labourers
                    (village had about 100 households)

The witness's family came to Thailand at the end of 1996
because the Burmese military were very oppressive, they had a
very difficult life, with every household asked for porter
service one day out of five. When all the men ran away, they
even took the women. Women normally would be taken not for
portering but for showing the way, but sometimes they took the
women for one or two days until they found someone to replace
them. In her father's family three people did portering in
turns. Sometimes, when the military badly needed more porters,
they would take all the rest of the family. It had happened to
many families in the village, including her own. When one was
away on portering and had not returned, and the military
wanted more they seized all they could. Her husband had to do
portering ever since she married him (when she was 13, 20
years ago). In the last year before they fled, about every
five days her husband had to go and wait at the military camp,
even if they did not need porters. Then, if they took him for
portering, he would have to go for five to six days or more,
sometimes 10 to 20 days. Often, after he returned, he had to
go again. The longest time her husband was away on portering
was for over one-and-a-half months, but some people had to go
for much longer, some for three months, and some did not
return. When porters could not walk properly, the soldiers
would kick them, sometimes beat them with rifle butts, fill
water in their mouths. She had seen it done on two or three
occasions to two or three people, even to the village-tract
head of Kung Pak. Her family members were also beaten,
sometimes kicked so that they fell down, but they did not have
water poured in their mouths. She saw it happen to porters
from other villages when the military passed through their
village, but not to people from her own family because that
happened far from her village. The witness herself had not
done portering, but twice she had to guide the soldiers,
holding up a torch and walking in front to the next village
for two or three hours, depending on the route. Her husband
also had to cut bamboo or wood for the army, once a month,
sometimes for two or three days. For the last seven to eight
years, they had to cultivate corn (maize) every year for the
military, from planting until harvesting, the full season.
Villagers took turns. Her husband had to go sometimes three
times in a season, mostly one day from early morning to late
evening. Some people from other villages had to bring their
bed and sleep there, because their village was far away.
Thirty to fifty people worked together, sometimes from two to
three villages. Her husband also had to do work on a road near
Panglong. This started about eight years ago, and three or
four times her village had to go, her husband included. They
had to bring their own food and stay on the site for about a
month. Her husband had to go twice. When they fled, roads were
still being built here and there. About 25 or 26 times a year,
they had to use three bullock carts at a time to carry water
to the military camp. Because her family did not have a cart,
they had to give money, sometimes 60 kyat, sometimes 180 kyat.
Her husband paid, so he did not have to go, the owner of the
bullock cart did the work. The soldiers even asked for rice,
which the villagers had to give. They also asked for chickens
and meat. For the latter, the villagers had to collect money
to buy a cow or bull to give to the soldiers. When her husband
was away portering, she worked as a day labourer, tending
gardens or collecting natural fertilizer. If her husband had
not been away, she would only have helped part-time, and
mostly looked after the children. 
                     _______________________


138
 
Ethnicity:          Shan
Age/sex:            42, male
Family situation:   Married with three sons
Occupation:         Farmer
                    (village had 300 families)

The witness gave his testimony in the presence of witness 139.
He left Myanmar in 1992. He was a porter for the first time at
the age of 17, 25 years ago. The assignment lasted 33 to 34
days. The village head told him about the order from the
military. He had to carry munitions and soldiers' clothing. He
had to bring his own food. He was not paid. He was ill
treated. He was beaten. He had even been shot at but the
bullet missed. He saw other people beaten because they were
not fast enough. It was possible to engage a substitute: 3,000
kyat a time (five days). Bribes were not possible. On road
building and work in a military camp, he confirmed what
witness 139 said (see statement of witness 139). 
                     _______________________

139
 
Ethnicity:          Shan
Age/sex:            41, male
Family situation:   Married with two sons and one daughter
Occupation:         Farmer
                    (village had 300 families)

The witness gave his testimony in the presence of witness 138.
He left Myanmar in 1992. He had been a porter five times, the
first time at the age of 21 (1978) and the last time about
seven years ago (1990). He was not always fed and the ration
was in any case always inadequate. He had to sleep in the
forest. The soldiers slept above the porters to stop them
running away. He could not say where he was a porter. It was
possible to engage a substitute: 3,000 kyat each time (five
days). It was impossible to bribe anyone. He had seen porters
beaten to death by soldiers. He had personally been beaten
because he had not been able to carry the load he had been
given. He also participated in building roads between Wan Hat
and Salong, Wan Hat and Mawkmai and Wan Hat and Langkho about
nine years ago (1989). He worked there on two or three
occasions during the year for five days at a time. The place
of work was five hours march away. More than 100 men worked at
the same time as him, aged between 15 and 60. He had to carry
and break rock. The day began at 8 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m.
The work was supervised by a civilian, although soldiers were
present. They had to sleep at the work site. Food had to be
shared by those people who had been able to bring some. He was
not paid. It was possible to engage a substitute: 200 kyat a
time (five days). He had no money to do that. Finally, he
worked in a military camp one hour's march away. He worked
there once for five or six days about seven years ago (1991).
He had to dig a trench and install defensive spikes. Fifty to
60 men were working at the same time as him. The village head
told him the work that was to be done. He had to bring his own
food. Only water was supplied. It was possible to engage a
substitute: 100 kyat a day. He could go home to sleep. He was
not ill treated and did not see others ill treated at this
time. 
                     _______________________

140
 
Ethnicity:          Shan
Age/sex:            70, male
Family situation:   Married with four children
                    (village had 12 households)

The witness left Myanmar in 1992. He did portering four times
over a 14 year period: twice at age 50, once at age 60 and
once at age 64. Completed the work the first three times. Fled
the last time because he feared for his life if he did not
flee. He was given no special treatment because of his age.
The last time he was a porter for 19 days before fleeing. The
last day he received no food. Nine people fled at the same
time. He was never beaten, but saw others beaten when they
could not carry their loads. Two other porters were his age
(over 60), the rest were younger. There were no women. They
received three rest breaks per day. They had to walk all the
rest of the time. Only a handful of rice and some salt was
given to them. The reason they took old people was that there
were few families in the village, so there were not enough
younger people to fill the quotas. The amount of portering
required was very variable, because he was old he did not do
as much as the others, which varied from twice a month to
twice a year. If porters tried to run away they would be shot.
He witnessed many beatings and kickings, but never saw anyone
shot. Porters would be beaten if tired or could not work
because of fatigue or age. Other work involved working for
soldiers at their army camps. Seven years ago he did this work
also (at age 63). Went once or twice a month for one day. It
was almost a half-day's walk to the army camp, so he had to
leave very early to get there and returned very late. Six
years ago the village was relocated. That was part of the
reason he felt the need to leave too. 
                    _________________________

141
 
Ethnicity:          Shan
Age/sex:            40, male
Family situation:   Married (wife and two children)
Occupation:         Farmer
                    Langkho township, Shan State (village had  
                    about 40 households)

The witness came to Thailand four years ago because the
Burmese soldiers were so oppressive. When he wanted to go to
work, even to his own fields, every time that he had to go to
some other place, he had to ask for permission, a pass from
the soldiers; without a pass he could go nowhere. Whenever the
soldiers wanted people to do something which the people wanted
to avoid, they kicked and beat them. He had seen this happen
to people from his village. Besides his family, six or seven
other families from his village have come to Thailand for the
same reasons. If they did not have to do forced labour for the
soldiers, they would not have come. He had to do portering
once, at age 13, for 26 days. He was told to do so by the
village head, who had been asked by Burmese soldiers. Many
people had to go at the same time. His younger brother also
had to do it once, for 20 days. He saw soldiers beat a porter
into unconsciousness, and the porter then had to be carried
back. This was because they did not give him anything to eat,
so he was very weak and could not carry anymore. He himself
was beaten, but was able to explain that he could not go
further, and was released. "We will find someone else". While
saying that, the soldiers also scolded and beat him before
letting him go. Starting at about the age of 22 until he came
to Thailand, witness also had to do road building work, on the
main road from Mark Oon Lao to Salong, three or four days at a
time, and often had to go back after five days. They had to
stay at the work site, received no food, nor a place to sleep
(had to sleep in the forest). He was not tied up at night,
there were no soldiers to look after the work, so he could
have run away if he wanted, but they had brought their rations
and bullock carts with them. The soldiers had marked a certain
stretch of the road for each group to make, and they had to
work until their section was finished, then they could go
home. On the days he went there, about 20 people and ten
bullock carts (to carry rocks and stones) from his village
were there, as well as people from other villages: all
together 200 to 300 people. He did not see anybody hurt or
injured by the soldiers while doing this work. He never got
paid for this work. When he was out at road work, he would
leave a pyi (2.5 kg) of rice for his wife and children to
survive on until he came back. In addition, people from his
village had to work at military camps, one old, deserted, then
re-occupied, plus a new camp they had to build before he left.
Four villages around had to work for the camps, one person
from each family (his village had about 40 houses, the other
three villages had about seven, ten and 20 houses
respectively). People who did not work properly were scolded
by the soldiers. They had to dig trenches, make fences. He
also worked there, making fences, about five times for two to
three days each time, depending on how long it took him to
finish the work assignment. They also had to stand guard, once
in five days. That started about two years before he left and
still continues. With regard to taxation, he also had to give
money and rice once a month to the soldiers. The poorest
families had to give at least one pyi of rice and 50 kyat, the
richer, three pyi of rice and up to 500 kyat per month. 
                    _________________________

142
 
Ethnicity:          Muslim
Age/sex:            40, female
Family situation:   Widow with seven children (husband died    
                    ten years ago during portering): five boys 
                    (eldest is 27) and two girls
Occupation:         Day labourer
                    (village had around 100 families)

The witness testified in the presence of witness 143. She left
Myanmar in May 1997 with her family. There was a military camp
nearby. The whole village was burned down some twenty years
ago by the KNU army because there was a military camp there.
The villagers lost everything. Some went back. Others settled
in the neighbouring fields. There was still a military camp
nearby. Women had to go and work for the army when their
husbands were away or deceased. She personally worked for a
military camp. She had to get information on the movements of
the KNU army. She had to do this work once a week for 20 years
every month. This work had to be done on a rota basis between
20 villages. She worked with one other person. It was mainly
women who had to do this work. The day began at 8 a.m. and
ended at 4 p.m. If there was no news to pass on, she had to
stay at the camp and work there: fetching water, putting up
fencing, digging trenches. On one occasion, she had to
carry food for the military (one day). She was personally
beaten on one occasion with a bamboo stick for arriving late
for work. She had also been ill-treated and kept in wooden
stocks, which immobilized her feet, for a whole day (8 a.m. to
4 p.m.) for arriving late. She confirmed the point explained
by witness 143 that, if the work was not done, she had to pay
(300 kyat each time) or be put in the stocks. She saw several
people who had been ill-treated. As a punishment for arriving
late, they were made to stay in the sun for long hours. She
also worked on the building of the road between Dawlan
(Natkyun village) and Hpa-an. Witness 143 worked on the same
road, but on a different section. That road was used by the
army, and civilians dared not use it. It needed rebuilding
after each rainy season. The work site was a day's walk away.
She worked there on three occasions, each time for a week, in
1994. One hundred other people also worked at the same time on
the section assigned to her, including men and women aged from
17 and to over 60. There were more women than men, since the
latter had to provide for their family's needs by doing paid
work. Each family had to provide one worker, as usual. A
civilian supervised the work in accordance with orders given
by a member of the military. She had to move earth. The day
began at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. with a one hour break at
noon. She had to bring her own food and sleep at the work
site, near the road. She was not paid. It was possible to
engage a substitute: the cost of doing this varied depending
on the distance and the work to be done (it was approximately
100 kyat). She confirmed the description given by witness 143
of the treatment received: she said she had been beaten and
had seen several other people suffering the same treatment for
not working fast enough. Her husband had acted as a porter. 
                    _________________________


143
 
Ethnicity:          Muslim
Age/sex:            48, female
Family situation:   Widow with eight children: four sons and
                    four daughters
Occupation:         Day labourer
                    (village had around 100 families)

The witness testified in the presence of witness 142. She left
Myanmar in October 1997. She did the same work as witness 142
for the military camp. See the statement by witness 142 in
this regard. She added that if the work was not done, she had
to pay or be put in the stocks. She had to pay on numerous
occasions: 300 kyat each time. She was also beaten on more
than ten occasions for being late as a result of trying to
provide for the needs of her family. She also worked on the
building of the road between Dawlan (Natkyun village) and
Hpa-an. Witness 142 worked on the same road, but on a
different section. She worked there more than five times in
1994. Each assignment lasted one week, except for one which
went on for 15 days. She had been beaten several times for not
working fast enough. She confirmed the description of the work
and the site given by witness 142. 
                    _________________________

144

Ethnicity:          Muslim
Age/sex:            12, male
Family situation:   Nine (him, parents, six siblings)
Education:          None

The witness was forced to work from the age of seven/eight on
road-building and for a military camp. He left Myanmar in
early January 1998 with one of his aunts. With regard to
forced labour, he had to carry earth for a road from Paung to
Yebu. The road was not far from his village. He had to work
there on four or five occasions when his parents could not go,
as they were trying to provide for their family. Each
assignment lasted a day and he could go back home to sleep. He
had to bring his own food. He had been beaten with a rifle for
not working quickly enough. More than half of the people
working on the road at the same time as him were children of
his age (he could not give a total number). He also worked for
a military camp from the age of seven or eight. He had worked
there for one day on more than five occasions, cutting wood or
putting up fences. There were children of his own age working
at the same time, but the majority were adults. He also worked
for this same military camp more than ten times cutting the
grass. He was hit with a stick and punched for showing signs
of tiredness. He had to work at the military camp when his
parents were away providing for their family. 
                    _________________________

145
 
Ethnicity:          Karen
Age/sex:            23, male
Family situation:   Married with two children
Occupation:         Farmer
                    township,Kayin State (village had about    
                    100 households; two military camps nearby)

The witness gave his testimony in the presence of witnesses
146, 147 and 148. He left Myanmar in early February 1998. He
worked as a porter, on road-building and for a military camp.
He also had to grow food for the military. He left Myanmar
because he no longer had the time to attend to his own work.
Three days a week had to be reserved for the different jobs
required of him by the military. Moreover, the military had
taken all his possessions without any form of compensation.
The assignments for all the forms of forced labour were
communicated to him through the village head. He was not paid 
and received no compensation. He could, however, pay a
substitute. The sum involved varied depending on the work to
be done and the time needed. He first acted as a porter at the
age of 18 (1992) and had done this more times than he could
remember since then (around twenty times). He last had to work
as a porter just before he left for Thailand. The sum required
to pay a replacement was 2,500 kyat for five days. He had paid
a substitute on four occasions. It was also possible to pay
the village head to be exempted: 400 to 500 kyat. He had paid
this sum on ten occasions because he had to take care of
certain members of his family who were ill. So far as food was
concerned, he very often had to take his own since what the
soldiers gave them was never sufficient. The assignments
lasted five days on average and were carried out in Kayin
State. He had to cross both flat and mountainous terrain. He
had to carry ammunition. He was caught up in an engagement
with the KNU on one occasion two years ago. The battle lasted
one hour. The porters tried to hide. None were wounded. The
last time he acted as a porter there were three men from his
village with him. He was not able to give the total number of
porters on that occasion. There were, however, around a
hundred soldiers. He was never personally ill-treated.
However, other porters were severely beaten for being too
tired or exhausted to carry the load allotted to them. He also
had to work on the road from the village to the military camp
on ten occasions three years ago. Each assignment lasted one
day. This was a road which could be used by carts and cars,
and which was built in six months (November to April). The
military and the villagers used it. One member per family had
to work on it. The work was carried out under the supervision
of the military. He had to dig earth and carry and break
stones. Some one hundred persons from two villages worked at
the same time as him, including both men and women. The women
worked when the men could not go. Though he had never paid a
substitute, the sum for doing so was 300 kyat per day. In
addition, he had worked on the building and maintenance of two
military camps. The sum for paying a substitute for this was
300 kyat per day. He had paid a substitute on ten occasions.
Three years ago, he worked on the building of the older of the
two camps. He worked on this on four occasions, one day in
every seven. As regards the more recent camp, he worked on
this seven times, one day in every three, just before his
departure. In both cases, ten men worked with him. He was
subsequently required to perform different forms of
maintenance work on the camps - including cleaning duties,
cutting wood and bamboo, and putting up fences. This work had
to be done every three days for the new camp. Ten persons
worked with him. The same thing had to be done for the older
camp every ten days with two other persons. He had to go to
the military camp five days before his departure to do
cleaning work and build bunkers there. He also had to fetch
logs. He was never beaten, though the soldiers did shout at
the workers when they thought the work was not proceeding fast
enough. Finally, since 1995, he had to grow rice for the
military twice a year during the rainy season. He was not paid
and received no compensation in return.
                    _________________________

146

Ethnicity:          Karen
Age/sex:            30, male
Family situation:   Married with three children
Occupation:         Farmer
                    township, Kayin State (village had about   
                    100 households; two military camps nearby)

The witness arrived with witnesses 145, 147 and 148. He heard
witness 145's statement. He personally left Myanmar because
he was no longer able to survive. He added that he had acted
as a porter on more than ten occasions. The last time was
approximately two months ago (end of 1997). All the portering
was done in Kayin State. The portering assignments lasted
between a week and a month. He was caught up in a battle with
the KNU. He was severely beaten on several occasions (he still
has scars). He also worked on road construction on ten
occasions, the last time being one month earlier. 
                    _________________________

147
 
Ethnicity:          Karen
Age/sex:            37, male
Family situation:   Married with five children (three          
                    daughters and two sons)
Occupation:         Farmer
                    township, Kayin State (village had about   
                    100 households; two military camps nearby)

The witness arrived together with witnesses 145, 146 and 148.
He heard witness 145's statement. He added that he was wounded
at the age of 21 when his friend stepped on an anti-personnel
mine during portering. He worked as a porter seven times
thereafter. The last occasion was one year ago. Each
assignment lasted approximately five days. He was caught up
twice in engagements with the KNU. He also had to do road
construction one week before his departure. Ten days before
leaving Myanmar, he went into the forest, accompanied by his
nephew, as they had been conscripted by the military to fetch
wood. They were not paid. His nephew stepped on an anti-
personnel mine and lost both his legs. He took him to the
hospital. 
                    _________________________

148
 
Ethnicity:          Karen
Age/sex:            28, male
Family situation:   Married (no children)
Occupation:         Farmer
                    township, Kayin State (village had about   
                    100 households; two military camps nearby)

The witness arrived together with witnesses 145, 146 and 147.
He heard and agreed with witness 145's statement. 
                    _________________________


149
 
Ethnicity:          Karen
Age/sex:            31, female
Family situation:   Married with three children
Occupation:         Day labourer

The witness left Myanmar in mid-February 1998. She had to work
just before leaving, both for a military camp and as a porter.
Her husband was often away for the whole month. 
                    _________________________

150
 
Ethnicity:          Burman
Age/sex:            24, male

The witness left Myanmar in 1996. He was arrested in 1988 at
age 13 when involved in pro-democracy demonstrations on 8 
August 1988 near the Shwedagon Pagoda. Army cars with machine
guns surrounded the demonstrators and fired on them, killing
and injuring several. He was put in prison without trial for
one month but released because of his age when he signed
agreement not to be involved in political activities. Between
1988 and 1996 he travelled extensively to various places
throughout Myanmar, including Shan State, the Ayeyarwady
Delta, all over. Called for forced labour wherever he was at
the time. It was not done on a voluntary basis. People were
ordered to work. The military ordered a certain number of
labourers and indicated how much had to be paid if a person
could not go. He did forced labour in Yangon and at a quarry
in Patu, Taunggyi township splitting stones for surfacing
roads for seven days. Had to pay 1,000 to 2,000 kyat to avoid
going. People who had little money, not even enough to buy
rice, had to do the work. Orders came from the area LORC down
the chain of command through the local area chairman. The
quarry was close to home so he did not need to stay at the
work site overnight. He also, saw forced labour being done by
prisoners. Forced labourers received no food or pay, but those
who lived in town had no tools, so these were provided.
Villagers in rural areas had to bring their own tools. All the
people in Yangon, even the civil servants like his parents,
had to take part in forced labour. All his brothers did work
on the Ayeyarwady road. His father was a police officer and
his mother worked in a Government factory. They used to get
week-ends off, but days off were reduced from two to one, with
that day used for forced labour. This system started in
1993/94. Also, forced conscription was going on. There were
three choices available involving forced labour: do the work,
pay to have someone else do the work, or pay a fine for not
working (usually more than paying to have someone else do the
work). The amount of forced labour depended on what was needed
at the time. In the Yangon area there was the every Saturday
assignment. Then there were bigger special projects. Saturday
work involved cleaning at the LORC office or doing
administrative work. Also, when there was a big military
offensive somewhere there were roundups of people to serve as
porters. During his time in Yangon area, he also saw land
confiscated and road building work with forced labour on the
road from Yangon to Danubyu to Pathein (Bassein). Soldiers
served as guards but did not do the work. He left Yangon in
1989, but has returned pretty regularly, at least once a year
since then. Last time in Yangon was 1995. He did portering
once and forced labour two or three times in the various
places where he happened to be visiting outside Yangon.
Longest time was portering in 1991. He was called by the
village LORC chairman. He was a porter for one month,
including carrying rice sacks on a pole (one sack between two
people). From his experience he had seen a big difference in
the way forced labour works in urban and rural areas. In
richer places people use their money to buy their way out, or
to pay for the building work to be done using equipment and
paid labour. It was the poor who bore the brunt of forced
labour problems.
                    _________________________

[END OF SLICE 38]