Independent Mon News Agency

July 16, 2003

Maj. Gen. Maung Bo’s urgent decision for new road in Pa-an Township, Karen State

In the previous trip in the first week of July, Maj. Gen. Maung Bo from Ministry of Defence also called for the agreement of the local village headmen and their supporters in making a decision in building a road in Pa-an Township, Karen State, said by the villagers source.

SPDC authorities planned to build two parallel roads along a river called Gyaing, which is the border of Pa-an and Kawkareik Townships in Karen State. With this plan Maj. Gen. Maung Bo went to a Mon village in the area, Zarthapyin, and called the meeting with village SPDC authorities and their supporters.

With aim to get the participation from the civilians, Maj. Gen. Maung Bo asked for the agreement from the village headmen and their supporters. Most of said that they agreed with the decision. But the majority of the villagers were absent in the meeting and not invited.

“The authorities did not ask every household to attend the meeting. They asked the village headmen and their supporters with a number of 50 persons from each village to attend the meeting. If many people, especially the people who understand the SPDC’s plan to use forced labour, attended the meeting, they worried that the plan will not be supported”, said by a villager from Zathapyin village.

Since last year, the villagers found the SPDC authorities have used thousands of villagers in building 30 miles road from Mon State to Karen. About 16 miles of road lies in eastern part of the river and the villagers in the area nearby are forced to work in there. Now, the authorities plan to build another road in western part of the river.

After making this decision, the civilians are worrying that the SPDC authorities would use forced labour again in the near future.

Some lands confiscation plan is in on-going situation and some lands belonged to the Mon people are also confiscated in Kawkarein Township, Karen State.