KAO WAO NEWS No. 27
An electronic newsletter for social justice and
freedom in Burma
No. 27
READER’S FRONT
RICE FARMS FLOODED OUT BY HEAVY RAINS
HUNGRY VILLAGERS LOOT RICE STOCK
FARMERS FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
BESEIGED BOAT PASSENGERS TO PAY FOR LOST WEAPONS
EU
NCUB IN TENTH YEAR
DEPLETING RAIN FOREST IN
NEW WORKERS ON EDGE FOR REGISTRATION CARDS
HARD TIMES AHEAD FOR INJURED MIGRANTS
BURMESE TO OBTAIN REFUGEE STATUS IN
READER’S FRONT
Dear Readers,
We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao-Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Wao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of
those seeking social justice in
We reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include your full name and address.
Regards,
Editor
Life in
RICE FARMS FLOODED
OUT BY HEAVY RAINS
(Kao-Wao,
Heavy rains flooded several acres of rice farms in
Rice farms in Ye Township have been affected more than others
with local farmers estimating that rice fields between Kwandoon
and Jaohalel of northern Ye, more than (50) acres of
rice fields, were destroyed and a total of (500) acres in the entire Ye
Township. Rice farms at Taungbauck- Weizali in
"It will be difficult for farmers to give the quota of rice to the government because several fields have been destroyed by rains this year. Although we didn’t want to accept the advanced money by authorities, they gave it to us forcibly", said a farmer from Jaohalel village.
Rice farms unable to grow another crop due to the rice season now being over will find it ever more difficult to meet the rice quota stipulated by the authorities who have already forced the deposit cash for the rice quota, with (300) Kyats per basket and (10) basket per acre at the start of the growing season in June this year.
The Myanmar Times reported on Aug 26 that
The Burmese junta SPDC asked for help from assistance agencies instead of relief groups, said a spoke woman from Myanmar Red Cross Association to AFP. Spoke person of the SPDC said that they would be grateful for international assistance for the flood victims.
HUNGRY VILLAGERS LOOT RICE STOCK
(Based on IMNA and Kao-Wao,
Facing a rice shortage and increasing difficulties due to a deteriorating economy, a group of local farmers from Kamawet, the largest Mon community in southern Burma as well as the main exporter of rice in Mon State, looted a warehouse.
According to witnesses, forty villagers were rounded up by
the Burmese police force and local authorities on the morning of September 18
at Kamarwet village,
The Independent Mon News Agency reported the villagers including one woman were detained at Kamarwet police station then brought to Mudon for punishment.
A Kamarwet villager said the rice price jumped up about 6,000 Kyat per basket (30 kilograms) in the village that left people eating boiled rice as they could not afford to purchase enough food. He assumed that the people were hungry and not having enough to feed their families decided to loot the rice from the stock.
FARMERS FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
(Kao-Wao,
After the Burmese Army confiscated their land in
Nai Kroke’s land from Lamine village, Northern Ye Township was snatched from him; he lost about (50) acres. This included (25) acres of rubber trees he had planted and another (25) acres that was ready for harvest this coming winter season, according to Nai Kroke who just arrived recently at the Thai-Burma border. There are (10,000) rubber trees on his land and all were scooped up by the Burmese military shortly following the visit of General Maung Bo. The farmers were made to sign an agreement set out by authorities for seizure. Authorities allow them to produce their rubber for three years and farmers receive no compensation
According to local villagers from Mokanin,
Ye Township, General Maung Bo met the village headmen and farmers on
The junta already conscripted more than 1,000 acres of farmland in southern Ye and 2,050 acres in northern Ye in 2000 and 2001 for military reasons. The villagers have used this land for generations to sustain a livelihood based on farming vegetables, fruits, rubber and rice and will face increased hardship as a result of the confiscation.
BESEIGED BOAT PASSENGERS TO PAY FOR LOST WEAPONS
(By Nai Taw,
Boat passengers were forced to pay for the loss of guns
taken by deserters of the Burmese Army, said a rice trader who arrived at
The No.103 Battalion Commander at Kya-in Seik-kyi being responsible for the two guns is finding a way to make up for the loss of arms and passengers from three boats were forced to hand over 240,000 Kyats (200 US $). Last month two soldiers fled from the army while on patrol at a local Karen village about two miles from Kya-in-seik-kyi town, said a local Karen women. The Commander joined hands with the township authority to crack down on migrants and targeted the traders from the three boats, known to have a ready supply of cash on hand. Now all passengers are under threat by the local authorities.
On September 17, forty people were arrested and charged for
attempting to migrate to neighboring countries, all their money was seized,
said a trader who witnessed the arrest. Most were from the
EU
(Based on AP and Kao-Wao,
Burmese ethnic nationality leaders met with a European Union
delegation in
The EU team arrived earlier Sunday for its first visit to the military-ruled country since the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in May.
The mission met with representatives from eight ethnic groups in two separate meetings on Sunday evening, according to Dr. Saw Mra Aung, chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy. He said members of the Shan, Arakan and Mon ethnic groups told the four-member EU team that they were striving for political reconciliation, the release of political prisoners and the revival of banned political parties.
They also demanded the convening of a national parliament
based on the results of 1990 general election. That year
The mission, led by Carsten Nilaus Pederson the regional director at the Danish Foreign
Ministry, accompanied two other EU officials and the first secretary of the
Greek Embassy in
On August 21, the ethnic umbrella organization, United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) held a meeting with the leaders of National League for Democracy (NLD) including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The UNA was formed by eight nationality parties which participated in the 1990 election.
It was the first time, the NLD leaders met with the UNA after it was founded at the end of July. Members of UNA are Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD), Kachin State National Congress for Democracy (KNCD), Karen National Congress for Democracy (KNC), Kayah State all Nationalities League for Democracy (KNLD), Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) and Zomi National Congress (ZNC).
NCUB IN TENTH YEAR
(Kao-Wao
The main political body of
The National Council of Union of Burma (NCUB) issued a
statement to mark its 10th anniversary of formation which analyzed the current
political, social and economic situation in
NCUB is comprised of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), the National League for Democracy-Liberated Area (NLD-LA) and the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), whose goal is to work for national reconciliation.
Issued from the liberated area, NCUB observes that since the
current regime does not respect the political processes, it calls upon the
application of a stronger political and diplomatic pressure invoked from the
outside political forces and the international community, which includes
international sanctions to bring about a stable political environment in
Environment
DEPLETING RAIN FOREST
IN
(By Tar Rar Mon)
After the cease-fire, the Burmese military junta known as the State Peace and Development Council and the New
Mon State Party authorities have both played a significant role in the
destruction of tropical forest by allowing logging traders to cut logs in
southern
For one ton of log, the traders have to pay 6,000 Kyats to
the NMSP and 15,000 to the SPDC local authorities; 5,000 Kyats to local
forestry department, 5,000 Kyats to Military Intelligence No.19; and 5,000
Kyats to the local military battalion, said a trader from Yabu
village, which is the main center for logging trafficking in southern
The log buyers or traders transport their logs to Ye township and must pay 130,000 to the two parties: 20,000 Kyats to NMSP and 110,000 Kyats to SPDC authorities.
The logging market in this area has grown since the NMSP and SPDC reached a cease-fire agreement in 1995.
In 1997, due to soil erosion from mass logging, several landslides took place around this area after a heavy downpour of rain, which killed over 100 people and affected thousands of acres of farmland. According to local elders they never experienced landslides like these in the past, it is viewed that depleting of logs has contributed to landslides. "Landslides are a direct result of the forest being destroyed", a Mon soldier said, appraising the environment.
Apart from this natural disaster, the people in this area suffer from the result of ongoing civil war carried on between the SPDC and the Mon splinter armed groups.
Several villagers are forced to join the local militia (PyiThuSit) led by the SPDC to fight against Mon armed groups. Last month, even pregnant women and infant-mothers have been recruited to attend the militia training, said a man from Kyauk-ta-lin village. To top it all off, villagers must pay 500 Kyat twice a month to the military. Local people find it an increasingly risky business to work on their farms and plantations to earn money for tax to supply the local military, because they risk being accused of supporting the Mon armed splinter group.
Migrant Watch
NEW WORKERS ON EDGE FOR REGISTRATION CARDS
(Kao-Wao,
Unregistered and new migrant workers are concerned that new
(issued) work permit cards in
"The workers here are worried about their legal
situation. We've heard the Thais will not issue cards for the new workers this
year. The worst situation for workers since they will face further inquiries
and arrests by Thai authorities before the end of the work permit card,"
said Nai Lahoin, a migrant community leader from
The one-year period working registration will expire
September 24th. A total of 568,249 workers including 451,335
from
The Thai authorities decided to issue work permit cards for the next working period year. The workers holding a year work permit card from the last will pay 3,350 Thai Bahts and workers holding cards issued during the first (6) months of last year will have to spend 3450 Bahts.
The first group with more than 410,000 workers holding the one-year period card will have to extend their card from Sep 15 to Nov 15. More than 140,000 workers in the second group holding their card in the first 6 months of last year need to extend their card from Nov 15 to Dec 15.
On a positive front, according to the decision of the Department of Alien workers, on September 6, the workers will be allowed to change their employers and factories in the next coming working period.
Back in
At these townships in two states, the team held meetings with regional Working Committees for Women's Affairs. According to the government source, civil servants, officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross and NGOs also took part in the discussions. The new formation of the subordinate bodies at different levels of the MNCWA, efforts being made to curb human trafficking and the task to prevent violence against women and trafficking in women and children were explained at the meetings.
The government’s organized MNCWA reported they visited villages and met with local women's affairs committees and social organizations. The junta’s report found that young women in Mon State were not interested in working in Yodaya (Thailand); that they were trying to improve their living standard through traditional weaving and agriculture; that they were enjoying good business and education; that some Mon girls were earning about Kyats 40,000 (30 US $) per month from weaving business.
HARD TIMES AHEAD FOR INJURED MIGRANTS
(MUL,
An injured worker is an expendable resource to be abandoned, used and tossed aside like a disposable lighter. Recently a migrant was sent to the hospital after being fired by his employer without compensation.
Zaw Min Nain (Nai Suk), a 24-year-old migrant worker was severely injured at a construction work site on September 16 while chiseling a concrete block, his left hand accidentally slipped under the block, which severed most of his fingers. He was then taken by his foreman to Samutsarkhorn Provincial Hospital, robbed of his last 150 Baht by the foreman and abandoned. Incidents like these occur on a regular basis to migrants living in another country, such as Thailand.
According to Zaw Min Nain, who is lying in bed No.17 on the 3rd Floor of the hospital, he will have no money to pay for the treatment and be dismissed promptly by the hospital. He was hired 18 days ago and has not received, or ever likely will any payment from the employer.
On the same day, there was another severe accident to befall
another Mon migrant. Than Tun, a 24 year old from
Zaw Min Nain who left a wife and a
baby at home in Mudon,
BURMESE TO OBTAIN
REFUGEE STATUS IN
(Cited from the
The Korean government is expected to grant refugee status to
three
If the refugee recognition process is completed, it would be
only the second such case in
KAO WAO NEWS GROUP
Email: [email protected], Phone: 661 561-0860
ABOUT US Kao-Wao Newsgroup is
committed to social justice, peace, and democracy in
SUBMIT YOUR NEWS If you are an organization or individual who is committed to the same principles as Kao-Wao please use this eNewsletter as a tool to disseminate your views, articles, and issues pertaining to social justice and political, social and cultural freedom. We are open to all but please ensure to source your material either through email contacts or website. To ensure that it is widely read, you can use this email: [email protected] to tell others about this newsletter, and to let them know about your work, events, and public debate.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter send a message from the address you want to remove to us. Please contact editor should you need further assistance.