KAO WAO NEWS No. 47

An electronic newsletter for social justice and freedom in Burma

June 22-July 7, 2003

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READERS' FRONT

MON CEASE-FIRE ON THE WANE

VILLAGERS FLEE MILITARY TRAINING

MONKS FORCED TO AVOID POLITICS

COUNTER INSURGENCY EXPANDS IN YE

FARMERS PROTEST FOR THEIR RIGHTS

CIVILIANS BLAMED FOR INCOMPLETE ROAD

MYANMAR OFFICIAL WANTS TO SOLVE SUU KYI ISSUE

RECITING MON LITREATURE IN NORTH AMERICA

FISHERY WORKERS ON THE RUN

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READERS' 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 Burma and Thailand. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. Above all, we hope the newsletter will be used as a vehicle for those who want to share their views and experiences.  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

[email protected]

http://www.burmalibrary.org/show.php?cat=1215&lo=d&sl=0

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Dear Kao-Wao,

I have seen wonderful reports from the border but rarely heard campaigns and activities of other Mon groups in exile. Is there any news about Mon organization in Europe and Australia?

In Metta,

Mon Chan Mon (Thailand) 

Dear friends,

It seems the junta will continue to detain Aung San Suu Kyi and confiscate more land. People inside Burma are too weak to fight unless the Burmese Army itself would split. Where is the US, UN or other alliances? We have no choice but to pray for help.

Ms. Aye Aye

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Mon National Affairs

MON CEASE-FIRE ON THE WANE

(Kao Wao: June 29, 2003)

While New Mon State Party moderately celebrates the 8th year of a cease-fire agreement in Moulmein, the party is being criticized by the majority of Mon over the lack of any political improvement.

The Mon Unity League, an umbrella organization, comprised of various groups from Burma and Thailand issued a statement on the 8th anniversary of the cease-fire agreement between the NMSP and ruling regime urging civilians both in homeland and overseas to join in with the democratic forces to speed up activities for political change in Burma.

The statement of the MUL’s Central Executive Committee accused the State Peace and Development Council for blocking a political dialogue and breaching the cease-fire agreement reached in the capital city of Mon State on June 29, 1995. Despite a small level of development, gross human rights violation and the abuse of power continue in Mon State and the suppression of the ethnic and democratic groups (NLD) has worsened.

The Australia based Mon National Council, on the same day, strongly urged the NMSP to reconsider its policy over the cease-fire. The party’s lack of self-confidence has fallen prey into the hands of junta, it said. The MNC sees the agreement as vehicle for surrendering to the enemy (SPDC) benefiting only the junta, while civilians continue to suffer from human rights violation such as force labour, land confiscation, arrest, torture, rape and murder by the Burmese Army.

Chairman of Monland Restoration Council (USA) Nai Pon Nya Mon said the SPDC does not honor the cease-fire agreement; thousands of acres of land have been confiscated with people being uprooted from their homes, while Burmese troops continue to be deployed in Mon state. These operations violate the cease-fire agreement and also threaten the security of both the NMSP and Mon people. If the SPDC continues such violations, the cease-fire between the two parties cannot be sustained for very long, he said during the interview with Kao Wao.

Mon human rights groups and the local Medias reported that the Burmese Army confiscated more than 8,000 acres of land in Ye, Thanbyu Zayat and Mudon townships after the cease-fire.

Inside Mon State, leaflets have been secretly distributed since late March over the cease-fire and the general political situation in the area. IMNA reported the statement, written by a Mon patriot, was widely distributed after he discussed with a Brigade Commander of the Burma Army in Rangoon who is a Mon national.

The statement said that although the NMSP requested for political talks several times, the regime does not respond so as to prolong the process until the NMSP loses its commitment. It is senseless for the NMSP to negotiate with the regime and it needs to resume an armed struggle.

The Mon commander who served in the Burmese Army for over 30 years said that the SPDC would never grant political rights to the ethnic nationalities nor ever even consider offering a greater autonomy. A thousand copies of the leaflet were distributed among the Mon people.

The underground leaflet stated that there will be no benefit or profit for the Mon people and the current regime’s development projects costing many millions Kyat will be on the backs of the people to pay for, the regime only wants to prolong the ceasefire until the NMSP loses its control over the area.

Even though Vice President General Htaw Mon said the Party would not give up its arms, the SPDC has expanded several regiments near their strong hold areas. Recently a senior leader of the NMSP said that the cease-fire is a tactic of weakening NMSP armed forces while some guerrillas are involved in personal business rather than politics.

Besides the Mon civilians, some members of the NMSP were not satisfied with the cease-fire deal. The NMSP faced two major splits over the past eight years while Mergui Army in southern area broke away in 1996 and Colonel Pan Nyunt split from the Party and formed Hongsawatoi Restoration Party in 2001.

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Life in Mon State

VILLAGERS FLEE FORCED MILITARY TRAINING

(Based on IMNA and Kao-Wao: July 4, 2003)

Local villagers in Ye township of southern Mon State have fled from forced military training conducted by the Burmese Army in their region two days ago.

Some of the villagers from AruTong and Jamsai in northern Ye were ordained into the monkshood to take shelter in monasteries while some escaped into areas controlled by the New Mon State Party at the Thai-Burma border to avoid the compulsory training.

The Burmese Army Battalion No. 343 is conducting a section of training for 500 trainees nearby their base with a master plan to break down potential uprisings in Burma.

A villager who recently arrived to the border said, “The Burmese Army has given military training to USDA and SPDC members in the various towns, now the local authorities in Mon State are also recruiting villagers in Northern Ye to expand training.

According to a local headman from Mawkanin, every man from 18 to 40 years old is expected to sign up for the training.

Members of Township PDC authorities in Mon State went to villages and called emergency meetings to register villagers for new recruits to attend the military training in the last two weeks.

“The authorities did not explain to us (villagers) why we have to attend this training. They just said we can’t refuse,” a villager from Mudon township told IMNA about the registration. According to the source, if the person fails to attend, they have to pay a fine of 20,000 Kyat (Burmese currency) to the authorities.

The authorities recruited about 1,000 men from Yaung-daung village near Thanbyu Zayat city alone and many villages are ordered to prepare for the training. Nai Myint, a businessman from Moulmein said the order was issued directly from the Minister for Home Affairs. Since the ambush attack of Aung San Suu Kyi in late May in De-Pe-Yin of upper Burma, the State Peace and Development Council has grown paranoid about the possibility of a nation wide uprising that could prompt military intervention from a foreign army into Burma, he added.

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Forced signing to abstain from political involvement

MONKS FORCED TO AVOID POLITICS

(KaoWao: June 28, 2003)

Buddhist monks in Mon State are being forced to sign an agreement stating they are not to get involved in any politics, a measure being taken following the ambush attack over supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi by the pro-government groups in upper Burma.

According to an abbot from the capital city of Mon State, the State Peace and Development Council authorities have approached all monasteries forcing the monks to sign a paper prepared by the authorities stating formally that they are not to get involved in any political activities and are to remain peacefully in their temples.

Talking over the phone from Moulmein, the Mon monk Rev. Sumana said, “following this order on June 24, the local authorities started to visit every monastery in all cities telling our monks to sign the document promising not to get involved in politics”.

The Thai-Burma border based Independent Mon News Agency reported that Mon State authorities recently ordered all village headmen and the Sangha Association to inform the monks in all monasteries about the agreement paper. The village headmen in rural areas were informing monks of the document, following the orders from the SPDC authorities.

The source said that even though the civilians are denied media access from the government about the incident, which occurred in De-Pe-Yin, the people are aware, upset and angry with the junta.

“The SPDC junta is scared of a further uprising, so they will prevent by any means possible and use all their resources to control civil society”, said a retired member of New Mon State Party from Three Pagodas Pass border.

As in all of Burma, Buddhist monks play a major role in society as they do in Mon State; Mon monks educate the civilians and are actively involved in politics and the social affairs of the community, an ancient practice that dates back almost two thousand years.

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News Report

COUNTER INSURGENCY EXPANDS IN YE

(Bop Htaw, Thai-Burma Border, June 22, 2003)

The Military Operation Command No (19) based in Ye, southern Mon State has formed militia groups backed up with armed equipment and decked out in special uniforms.

According to a local source, the Burmese army led by the senior military official of current ruling junta has formed a counter insurgency force in Ye Township in recent years. A source from a Mon political organization in Ye said, the State Peace and Development Council led by Senior General Than Shwe has ordered the local Burma army commanders to secretly form local militia groups and counter insurgent forces in the black areas (rural areas partly controlled by the rebels).

Southern Ye is in a black area in which some guerrillas are sporadically active in the armed struggle against the military regime.

Local militia groups (in Burmese tha pha ka sa) are under the control of the military command to act as a safeguard for the army personal units during its tour into the local areas, local Mon politician, Nai Kao Dong said.

The Moulmein based Southeast Military Command offers its militiaman about Kyat 3,000 per month. Local villagers are imposed to pay from Kyat 400 to 1,000 per family to cover the costs of over 400 militiamen in Southern Ye Township and Ye Phyu Township. Local villagers are ordered to pay for the costs of stolen or missed military equipment during its field operation, Mr. Dong said.

Militiamen are retired soldiers from the Burmese Army or local poor men who have no job to feed their families. Kyauktalin, Yaphu and Marine villages are under compulsory orders to take a militia duty providing at least 2-4 persons in a group. Militiamen are assigned to guard a route between Ye-Tavoy motor roads.

A Guard Box (hut) is built every half-mile between the route. If a member of a family is not able to oblige by the weekly roster for guarding the route, they must pay cash to find a replacement to hire another person from the village.

Commanders from Regiment No (299) trained local militiamen before they were fully installed with arms and uniforms, a Mon community leader said. “Actually, they (Burma Army commanders) only assign local men to guard their own village and surrounding areas. When they cannot find enough men, (because many villagers flee to the border area to escape) they hire retired soldiers and poor men from the village”, he added.

Burmese private soldiers are awarded Kyat 20,000 each to find a recruit in Thanbyu Zayat Township, this secret grant has existed since March, the local community leader said. Thanbyu Zayat Township is both in the white and grey area in Mon State. (Using the junta’s terminology, the government controls the white area and both the government and rebels control the grey area)

Many farmers and poor men have fled to the Halockhanee camp since last month after the enforcement of local villagers to join militia duty in the black areas. Militiamen are given power to execute villagers who oppose them and to collect force labourers to carry the soldiers’ supplies when they are on duty. They can arrest any suspect in the local community. Local militiamen also guide the Burma Army during its military operation in the areas. Ye Phyu area (between Ye and Tavoy) is one of the most infamous area where counter insurgency forces actively operate in southern Burma.

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FARMERS PROTEST FOR THEIR RIGHTS

(By Banya Hongsar/ Monland, July, 2003)

Farmers who feed the Burmese army officials are standing up to fight for social justice and equal rights in Mon State, a new tactic under the guide of Mon human rights defenders in the country.

Farmers from over thirteen Townships in Mon and Karen States have appealed to the local honorary senior Buddhist monks in May for equal rights in the community after being abused by local government officials. A four-page letter was presented to two influential monks, Sayadaw Rev. Kesara at Win Sein Taw Ya Monastery and Sayadaw Rev. Vinaya, at Tharmanya Monastery.

Local Farmers Associations were formed informally in recent years with the help of community leaders. They write letters to the senior Buddhist monks to represent them in their struggle to seek social justice from the ruling authority, State Peace and Development Council.

The letter states: “We, fellow layman, have worked hard for many decades to sustain a family and bring up children on our farms. Despite having no paddy at home to sell, the authorities order us to provide them (to sell at a price set by the military government) paddy under the order of the authorities. Many of us have no cash on hand to buy food and since we have to give the authority we then must sell our livestock and properties to buy paddy for them. We buy paddy at Kyat 2500.00 per racket in the private market then the authorities in turn grant us only Kyat 350.00.

The final paragraph of the letter concludes: “We, under your obedience, appeal for your kindness to save us from a life in hell. If the government receives accurate information about us through your efforts, we will survive.

Many farmers fled to the border areas and Thailand out of fear of arrest and from being jailed or shot after the authority ordered villagers to comply fully with the order. The ruling State Peace and Development Council imposed that every farmer provides 13-15 racket of paddy (rice) per acre to sell to the State Enterprise. The head of ruling authority issues the order and the local army commanders are assigned to fulfill their duty.

According to an order and resolution passed by an annual meeting of Kyaikmayaw Township Union Solidarity and Development Association on 12 February 2003, members are urged to advocate for local farmers selling duty-bound paddy. If farmers failed to comply with the order they will be jailed indefinitely until they can bring paddy to the authority.

The farmers who have no legal recourse for help have appealed to the local Buddhist monks to represent them in dealing with the case. Forty-two farmers from Kaw Seik village in Kyaikmayaw Township also signed a document in an appeal to reject the local headman who acted unlawfully in March. A local farmer, Nai La (78 years old) was arrested and received serious injuries from being tortured. The appeal document obtained by the Independent Mon News Agency recently indicated that local farmers who could not write in the Burmese language had to apply their fingerprint on the document while many of them could not even write their own names.

On the occasion of celebrating the Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) Day on March 27th this year, farmers distributed a leaflet letter in Moulmein city about the government action toward farmers whose farms were damaged by floods. The letter in Burmese indicated that we don’t want a government that oppresses farmers. This campaign is the first of its kind ever done in Mon State for farmers who have been oppressed for many decades. The majority of the population in lower Burma is farmers who have feed the ruling government, its officials and soldiers.

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Forced labour continues despite ILO resolution

CIVILIANS BLAMED FOR INCOMPLETE ROAD

(Based on IMNA and Kao Wao: June 25, 2003)

Local civilians are blamed for the incomplete construction of the thirty-mile long Tarana-Kyonedoe motor road that connects Mon and Karen State.

According to local sources, the Southeast Command and the State Peace and Development Council authorities in the area complained to civilians about the way in which the construction was done, which started in April.

The Southeast Command is leading the construction project giving responsibility to the Kawkareik Township authorities in Karen State, which is conscripting civilian labour to contribute in the construction of the road without payment. The authorities have conscripted 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 villagers are conscripted on a rotational basis, each time when they arrive to the construction site they have to build an embankment adjacent to the road, 3 feet in height, 15 feet in width and 3 feet in length for each family.

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

When the local SPDC and construction authorities inspected the construction, they found some parts of the embankment destroyed; they called in the headmen blaming the civilians who constructed the embankment carelessly. The Chairman of Kawkareik Township PDC, Colonel Ko Ko Gyi has often oversees the road construction.

When the SPDC authorities planned to build the road with the use of forced labour, the New Mon State Party urged them not to use civilian labour but to use machinery instead. 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 the NMSP leaders from Thaton district and asked them not to interfere in their use of forced labour. The Southeast Command also constructed another part of this road in Kyaikmayaw Township of Mon State with forced labour.

Meanwhile, the Oslo based Democratic Voice of Burma radio reported, on June 22, that the chairman and secretary of Zathapyin Village in Karen State, Ko Kyi Win and Ko Hla Nyein were ordered by the local army, Battalion 81 to collect 10,000 kyats from each household from villagers in nearby villages.

The Pa-an-Khaya Bridge, which also connects Karen and Mon State, is to be built for goods carrying trucks and passenger buses. An army officer is coming to inspect the bridge on July 5 and each household will be forced to contribute one person for forced labour to clean the road.

The SPDC authorities in Mon and Karen States and Tenesserim Divisions are still forcing local people to contribute money and ‘voluntary’ labour for the government projects in many places despite recent efforts of the International Labour Organization’s to work with the military government in publicly eradicating forced labour.

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Political development after ambush attack in De-Per-Yin

MYANMAR OFFICIAL WANTS TO SOLVE SUU KYI ISSUE

(Cited from Reuters: By Elaine Lies, Jul 04, 2003)

Tokyo - A top Myanmar official told Japan on Friday that his nation wants to resolve the situation over detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as soon as possible, as a top aid donor, Japan is pressing for her release.

Japan has frozen fresh assistance to the impoverished Myanmar to protest against the military government's detention of Suu Kyi and is considering further punitive measures unless she is freed.

Khin Maung Win, a top aide to junta leader Than Shwe, arrived in Japan with a message from him and met with officials including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Yano. He is set to meet with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi later in the day.

"I hope you brought us a good answer," Yano said, to which Khin Maung Win replied: "I did." The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that he told Yano her detention was only temporary but did not give any details.

Fukuda later told a news conference that Khin Muang Win had told him Myanmar is seeking to resolve the situation "as soon as possible," but did not give further details.
He also said he did not know the contents of the letter from Than Shwe, which is believed to be a reply to a letter from Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who had it conveyed through Yano during a visit to Myanmar last month.

A Foreign Ministry official said Tokyo will look at what Than Shwe has to say before deciding on its future relations with Yangon.

Fukuda said he had been shown photographs of Suu Kyi and it did not appear she was being held in a prison.

It didn't look so bad," he said. "It seemed like a normal residence."

The trip is part of a diplomatic drive by Yangon to counter international criticism of its detention of Suu Kyi, 58, who has been held in an undisclosed location since May 30.
Michel Ducreaux, the International Committee of the Red Cross representative in Myanmar, said on Thursday he had heard a rumor she had been moved to a "more appropriate" location from Insein prison in Yangon, where Britain has said she was being held, but could not confirm it.

He also said the Red Cross was optimistic that Myanmar's rulers would allow it to meet Suu Kyi.

Japan has repeatedly demanded that Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) be swiftly freed, along with allowing the opposition group - which won a landslide election victory in 1990 but has never been allowed to govern - to freely engage in political activities.

International outrage and concern about Suu Kyi's condition have risen as her detention continued, with the United States and the European Union (news - web sites) threatening harsher sanctions.

Tokyo has long taken a policy of engagement toward Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Analysts say this stems from feelings among older Japanese that Japan helped the country win independence from Britain after World War II.

Japan stopped large-scale loans and economic assistance to Myanmar after the military government took power in 1988, but is still one of its biggest donors through small-scale humanitarian and other assistance. It has also provided debt relief worth 11.3 billion yen ($95.6 million) in the past five years.

 Khin Maung Win visited Thailand on Tuesday and is set to make trips to other Asian capitals.

An Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were waiting for an answer from Myanmar to "various options" but that things had not yet reached the point of dispatching any ASEAN delegation to Yangon.

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RECITING MON LITERATURE IN NORTH AMERICA

(Kao Wao: July 5, 2003)

Mon children in North America are studying their literature at a Mon Buddhist temple and in a community home during summer.

In Fortwayne, Indiana of USA, more than (50) Mon children are attending the Summer Mon Literacy Class that has opened on June 21. Ven. Dhamma Deanna, the Abbot of Mon temple and the principal of the class, has been leading the class with (6) Mon volunteer teachers for (5) months.

“Having known only (10) superscripted “devoweliser arc Gajot 10” are not enough for the Mon new generations. We shall continue teaching them the old Mon literature and history,” said Nai Thet Lwin, one of the Mon teachers.

This summer, the Mon Teaching Class in the USA is celebrating its 3rd anniversary and the classes provide from primary class to grade 4. The class opens for two days on the weekend every week.

“The Mon children at home don’t want to speak to each others in their mother tongue, as they are keen to talk only in English, so we are concerned about their future in preserving Mon literature and culture,” said the young Abbot Ven. Dhamma.

There are (90) Mon children in Fort Wayne, Indiana State and more than (50) are, in their school age, now learning the Mon language.

In Calgary, Canada, Mon classes have opened since April 6, 2003, resumed over the summer vacation. Organized by the Mon Cultural Society (MCS), teachers Nai Khaing Waeng and Nai Ong Tamah teach the children at a community house in two classes.

The aim of the Mon communities in North America is to promote and preserve Mon culture, literature, and social life and to assist the Mon in the homeland and in exile.

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Migrant Watch

FISHERY WORKERS ON THE RUN

(Kao Wao: Samutsakhorn, July 3, 2003)

Migrant workers at fishing sites are living in fear of arrest after the recent crackdown on illegal migrants by the Thai authorities.

According to local news reports, the crackdown is aimed at boosting national security preparing for the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in October when Thailand will host world leaders including President of the United States, George W. Bush.

Last week, the Thai authorities stepped up a crackdown on illegal workers, rounding up 814 in just one night in an operation in the capital reported AFP news in Bangkok.

In Maharchai, many Mon migrant workers who do not hold a work permit are hiding in the bush near by the river, reported Nai Chan, a community worker.

“I just came from my village in Mon State and I have nowhere to go. There is no income and the Burmese Army doesn’t allow us to stay on the farm there,” said Amyint from Ye township.

Recently, the Thai Labour Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said there are more than one million illegal workers in Thailand; they not only pose a threat to national security but also to the Thai health care and the economy. The illegal workers, mostly from Burma, Laos and Cambodia, will be repatriated to their home countries.

Maharchai is a home for migrant workers from Burma mostly Mon State. The Thai government gives permits to migrant workers in specific types of jobs, mostly in the fisheries, construction and agriculture where the work is dangerous, dirty, and poorly paid, work shunned by Thai workers who refuse to do it.

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