Independent Mon News Agency

June 25, 2003

The civilians are blamed for uncompleted construction of Tarana-Kyonedoe road

The Southeast Command and SPDC authorities in the area blamed to the civilians in the construction of 30 mile long Tarana-Kyonedoe that connects Mon State and Karen State for their incomplete works in the set time.

Southeast Command leads in this construction project and gave responsibility to Kawkareik Township authorities in Karen State to conscript the civilians’ labour to contribute in the construction without payment. The authorities have conscripted the villagers from 25 villages along the road. The road was constructed from Tarana village in Kyaikmayaw Township to Kyone-doe village in Kawkareik Township. The road construction was started in April.

The villagers are conscripted on a rotation basis and each time when the arrived to the construction site they have build about the road embankment with 3 feet in height, 15 feet in width and 3 feet in length for each family.

While the civilians are busy with their livelihood activities, they also had to work at least for 3 days each time when they were conscripted to work in the construction. In some places, where the authorities were unable to monitor, the civilians built the embankment in a quick way by putting leaves underneath. The embankment was destroyed when the flood came in the beginning of rainy season, which started in mid-May in the area.

When the local SPDC and construction authorities monitored the construction, they found some parts of the embankment destroyed. Therefore, the authorities called the headmen and blamed the civilians who constructed the embankment carelessly.

The Chairman of Kawkareik Township PDC, Col. Ko Ko Gyi has often monitored the road construction.

The road construction is not along the civilians’ use paths and the authorities found the new way and forced the villagers, including women and children to construct the road.

When the SPDC authorities planned to build the road with use of forced labour, the New Mon State Party, also urged the authorities to not use the civilians’ labour but to use the machinery. If necessary, the NMSP said they would take security for their machinery, such as tractors, bulldozer and other equipment.

The Chief Commander of Southeast Command, Maj. Gen.Thura Myint Aung also blamed to NMSP leaders from Thaton district and asked to not interfere in their use of forced labour. Southeast Command also constructed another part of this road in Kawmayaw Township of Mon State with forced labour.

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