Non-ILO Reports on forced labour, including forced portering, in Shan State

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Description: "During the last week of April 2021, Burma Army troops and their militia allies used villagers as forced laborers and human shields, and looted property, during a multi-pronged operation against the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) in Namzarng, southern Shan State. On April 21, the Burma Army’s Eastern Central Regional Commander, Major-General Kyaw Kyaw Naing, summoned leaders of four of their militia allies to a meeting in Namzarng town, and ordered them to help crack down on the Civil Disobedience Movement and clear out RCSS/SSA troops from around Kengtawng, southern Shan State. Each militia group was ordered to provide 100 men each. The militia groups were the Mak Keng militia, Na Yai militia, SSS militia, and Kali militia, which all operate in southern Shan State. About 500 Burma Army troops were then deployed from north, south and west towards the Nam Teng river valley in southeast Namzarng township, adjoining Kengtawng. On April 22, around 7-8 am, Burma Army troops from Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 332 and 575 based in Mong Pan clashed with RCSS/SSA troops north of Mong Nai, around Na Khan and Kawng Yao villages. On the same day, Burma Army troops from Namzarng clashed with RCSS/SSA troops near Loi Ngern village, about 20 kilometers east of Namzarng town. On April 23, at 3:10 pm, over 100 Burma Army troops from LIB 574 and LIB 576, based in Kengtawng, together with militia members, arrived in the village of Pha Sawn, about 25 kilometers south of Kho Lam on the Nam Teng river, and forced seven male villagers to carry water for them in two small trucks to the road intersection east of the village. At 3:30 pm, these Burma Army troops ordered all the villagers in Pha Sawn to gather at the local temple. There are 80 houses in Pha Sawn, with about 300 villagers. The Burma Army troops then divided into two groups; one went to search in the village and the other stayed guarding the villagers at the temple. At 5 pm, some Burma Army troops patrolling in the jungle ran into RCSS/SSA troops and fighting broke out near Pha Sawn village. At about 6 pm, during the fighting, the Burma Army troops at Pha Sawn temple arrested six male villagers from the temple and tied them up outside the temple. At 7: 30 pm, the Burma Army and militia troops in Pha Sawn looted property from six villagers’ houses. Due to the fighting and Burma Army abuses, some inhabitants of villages around Pha Sawn fled to take shelter in nearby towns. On April 24, at 4:30 pm, some Pha Sawn elders appealed to the Burma Army troops to release the six villagers who had been arrested from Pha Sawn temple. The troops untied them, but did not release them. On April 24, another group of Burma Army soldiers forced two men from Seven Mile village, 10 kilometers south of Kho Lam, to guide them south to Na Law village on the Nam Teng river. The two villagers were released at 7:30 pm. On April 25, at 11 am, the Burma Army and militia troops at Pha Sawn split up into two groups: one group went south, and the other group went to the northeast of Pha Sawn village. The six Pha Sawn villagers arrested by the Burma Army were taken south, and made to walk with the troops as human shields for about five kilometers until they reached the village of Wan Khai, beside the Nam Teng river. After spending the night at Wan Khai, the troops released the six Pha Sawn villagers, and allowed them to return home. On April 28, the villagers around Pha Sawn who had fled to take shelter in town returned to their homes. On March 30, the Burma Army warned the Thai authorities they would start attacking the RCSS/SSA camps along the southern Shan State-Thai border, because the RCSS/SSA was siding with the anti-coup protest movement. The Burma Army fired shells at these camps on April 18, 19 and 21, striking fear among the over 6,000 IDPs sheltering in these areas..."
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation
2021-05-03
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: Commentary : Forced Labour... Situation of forced labour in construction and maintenance of infrastructure... Mass forced labour in road construction in Nam-Zarng... Mass forced labour used in repairing roads, building a military camp, in Lai-Kha and Kae-See... People forced to build fences around lamp posts and pylons in Murng-Nai and Nam-Zarng... People forced to clear the sides of the roads in Lai-Kha... The use of forced labour in agriculture sector... Villagers forced to cultivate dry season rice for military in Murng-Nai... Routine forced labour in physic nut plantations in Kun-Hing... Villagers forced to grow corn for military on their own farm lands in Murng-Nai... People forced to grow hardwood trees for military in Murng-Ton... The use of civilian vehicles in forced labour... Civilian mini-tractors forced to transport military rations and troops in Kaeng Tawng sub-township,in Murng-Nai... Villagers? motorcycles forcibly used to power communication device in Kun-Hing... Villagers? ox-carts forcibly conscripted for forced labour in Kae-See.
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: This month?s newsletter contains mainly reports on various types of forced labour, and a few cases of beating and extortion, systematically and randomly imposed upon the people by the Burmese military authorities and their cronies in Shan State, that took place during the second half of 2011)..... Commentary: Forced Labour... Contents... Themes & Places of Violations reported in this issue... Acronyms... Map... Situation of forced portering... Villagers forced to serve as porters, village leader beaten, livestock extorted, in Murng-Kerng... Routine forced portering in Murng-Paeng... Random forced portering in Kun-Hing... Mass forced portering in Kae-See... Situation of forced labour in building and maintaining infrastructure... Villagers forced to build fences around military camp in Nam-Zang... Mass forced labour used in clearing the sides of roads in Lai-Kha Villagers forced to fix roads as punishment in Lai-Kha Routine forced labour in Murng-Pan Mass forced labour used in maintaining military camp in Murng-Ton Mass forced labour in building and maintaining military camp in Murng-Nai Mass forced labour used in clearing the sides of roads in Murng-Ton
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
2012-05-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Commentary: Forced Porterage... The rampant use of civilian porters and stealing of livestock during military operations... Villagers forced to be guides & porters, a cow shot, chickens stolen, a man beaten, in Lai-Kha... Villagers forced to be porters, a pig stolen, chickens extorted, consumer goods forcibly taken, in Murng-Kerng and Kae-See... Villagers conscripted as porters, cow shot and eaten, in Kae-See and Murng-Kerng... The use of porters as protection and conscription of women as porters... Women taken as unpaid porters in lieu of men in Kae-See... Men and women forced to be porters and human shields, in Murng-Su... Villagers forced to carry muskets and be porters in the vanguard, in Murng-Paeng... Townspeople forced to be porters and human shields in Kae-See... Forced porterage, a cause of displacement... Excessive conscription of villagers and their vehicles for porterage causes them to flee, in Si-Paw... The use of peoples animals during military patrols... Villagers and their animals conscripted as unpaid porters, money extorted, in Murng-Pan .
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
2011-11-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Commentary : Forced Labour... Villagers forced to build a new military camp, lands confiscated, in Nam-Zarng... Villagers forced to build military camp and provide routine forced labour, in Nam-Zarng... People forced to fix roads in Kun-Hing and NamZarng... Villagers forced to clear sides of road in Murng-Sart... Villagers forced to keep watch and work at militarycamp in Lai-Kha... Villagers forced to grow crops and provide other routine forced labour in Murng-Nai... Forced labour and extortion in Murng-Paeng... Forced labour and extortion in Lai-Kha... Forced labour in Murng-Nai... Forced labourers told to say they volunteered, in Kun-Hing... Forced labour of villagers? vehicles in Murng-Yawng... Forced labour used in military operations in Murng-Paeng.
Source/publisher: Shan groups via Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
2011-10-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Themes & Places of Violations reported in this issue... Acronyms:... Map... The use of forced labour in maintaining and building infrastructure and military facilities, and other activities... Routine forced labour in maintaining state property, in Murng-Nai... Mass forced labour used in renovating military base, in Murng-Kerng... Villagers forced to fix and build fences at a military base in Lai-Kha... Villagers forced to make bricks, transport lumber wood, do other routine work, in Kae-See... Villagers forced to build road, in Murng-Paeng... Routine forced labour and extortion continue in Murng-Nai... Villagers forced to clear the sides of a road, in Lai-Kha... Villagers forced to clear the sides of roads in Nam-Zarng... Routine forced labour of civilian vehicles in Murng-Ton... The use of forced labour by Burmese army troops related to government projects... Forced labour and extortion in pipeline area, in Maan-Tong (Nam-Tu)... Forced labour in prospecting activities, in Murng-Kerng
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
2012-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Commentary: Forced Labour, Forcible Guide and Porter Services... Villagers forcibly seized and used as unpaid porters in Nam-Zarng... Villagers forced to be on standby for guide and porter service in Kae-See... Commentary: Forced Labour, Forcible Guide and Porter Services... Villagers conscripted as unpaid porters in Nam-Zarng... Villagers forced to serve as unpaid porters in Kae-See... Villagers forcibly seized and used as unpaid porters in Nam-Zarng... Villagers forced to serve as unpaid porters in Kae-See, Kun-Hing and Murng-Su... Villagers forced to serve as unpaid porters in Nam-Zarng.. Villagers forced to serve as unpaid porters in Murng-Kerng... Villagers routinely forced to serve as guides and porters in Larng-Khur... Villagers forced to serve as guides, threatened, money extorted, in Nam-Zarng... Villagers forced to serve as guides and porters in Kun-Hing... Villagers forced to be on standby for guide and porter service in Kae-See.
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: All the reports in this month?s issue are about the use of unpaid civilian forced labourers, especially as guides and porters, and a few incidents of other violations, committed by Burmese army patrols in rural Shan State during the period from early up to late 2012...... * Commentary: Forced Labour: Forced Portering Continues *Contents *Acronyms *Map *Situation of forced portering in Nam-Zarng *Villagers forced to serve as porters during military operation in Nam-Zarng *Villagers forced to serve as porters after being robbed of their chickens in Nam-Zarng *Routine use of forced labour of civilian guides and porters, and extortion, in Nam-Zarng *Situation of forced portering in Murng-Paeng *Villagers forced to routinely serve as unpaid guides and porters in Murng-Paeng *Frequent forced portering causing a village to become almost deserted in Murng-Paeng *Increased forced portering in Murng-Paeng *Situation of forced portering in other townships *Many days of mass forced portering in Murng-Su and Kae-See *Frequent and lengthy forced portering causing people to flee, in Larng-Khur *Civilian guides forced to carry ammunition in Kun-Hing
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
2012-12-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Commentary: ILO Should Apply More Pressure... Situation of forcible guide service and porterage... Arbitrary arrest, detention and forced porterage in Kae-See... Mass forced porterage in Lai-Kha and Ho-Pong... Villagers forced to serve as guides, livestock and food stuff extorted, in Nam-Zarng... Knowledgeable villagers required to be on standby to serve as guides in Murng-Pan and Larng-Khur... Forced porterage and extortion in Murng-Paeng... Guides forced to be porters in Kae-See... Situation of the use of forced labour in building and maintaining military facilties and state infrastructure... Mass forced labour used in renovation and maintenance of military camps in Lai-Kha... Mass forced labour in fixing and maintaining road in Lai-Kha... Mass forced labour used in fixing military camp and extortion in Lai-Kha... Routine forced labour in road building and extortion in Murng-Paeng... Other types of forced labour and extortion... Civilian tractors forced to transport troops, food extorted, villagers forced to serve as porters, in Ho-Pong... Forced labour of civilian vehicles, extortion of money and conscription of recruits, in Lai-Kha.
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
2011-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Shwe Pipeline Brings Land Confiscation, Militarization and Human Rights Violations to the Ta?ang People. The Ta?ang Students and Youth Organization (TSYO) released a report today called ?Pipeline Nightmare” that illustrates how the Shwe Gas and Oil Pipeline project, which will transport oil and gas across Burma to China, has resulted in the confiscation of people?s lands, forced labor, and increased military presence along the pipeline, affecting thousands of people. Moreover, the report documents cases in 6 target cities and 51 villages of human rights violations committed by the Burmese Army, police and people?s militia, who take responsibility for security of the pipeline. The government has deployed additional soldiers and extended 26 military camps in order to increase pressure on the ethnic armed groups and to provide security for the pipeline project and its Chinese workers. Along the pipeline, there is fighting on a daily basis between the Burmese Army and the Kachin Independence Army, Shan State Army ? North and Ta?ang National Liberation Army in Namtu, Mantong and Namkham, where there are over one thousand Ta?ang (Palaung) refugees. ?Even though the international community believes that the government has implemented political reforms, it doesn?t mean those reforms have reached ethnic areas, especially not where there is increased militarization along the Shwe Pipeline, increased fighting between the Burmese Army and ethnic armed groups, and negative consequences for the people living in these areas,” said Mai Amm Ngeal, a member of TSYO. The China National Petroleum Corporation and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise have signed agreements for the Shwe Pipeline, however the companies have not conducted any Environmental Impact Assessments or Social Impact Assessments. While the people living along the pipeline bear the brunt of the effects, the government will earn an estimated USD$29 billion over the next 30 years. ?The government and companies involved must be held accountable for the project and its effects on the local people, such as increasing military presence and Chinese workers along the pipeline, both of which cause insecurity for the local communities and especially women. The project has no benefit for the public, so it must be postponed,” said Lway Phoo Reang, Joint Secretary (1) of TSYO. TSYO urges the government to postpone the Shwe Gas and Oil Pipeline project, to withdraw the military from Shan State, reach a ceasefire with all ethnic armed groups in the state, and address the root causes of the armed conflict by engaging in political dialogue."
Source/publisher: Ta?ang Students and Youth Organization (TSYO)
2012-11-07
Date of entry/update: 2012-11-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 2.03 MB 1.44 MB
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