News, Personal Accounts,
Report & Analysis on Human Rights Situation in Mon Territory and Other
Areas Southern Part of Burma
The
Mon Forum
Issue No. 1/2001 January 31, 2001
The Publication of Human Rights Foundation of
Monland (BURMA)
Contents
News:
(1)
SPDC buys paddy at low price in Mon
State,
(2)
Forced labour continues in Mon
State
Report: Part I
(1) Cruel and degrading treatments against
civilians in Tenasserim Division, in Year 2000 Topics:
(1)
Portering cases and abuses during
porter service, and,
(2) Conscription
of forced labour
Some Acronyms in This Issue
SPDC- State Peace and Development Council,
SLORC- State Law and Order Restoration Council,
MOI- Ministry
of Interior (of SPDC)
IB- Infantry
Battalion (of Burmese
Army),
LIB- Light Infantry Battalion (of Burmese Army),
NMSP- New
Mon State Party,
KNU- Karen
National Union,
KNLA- Karen National Liberation Army,
News
SPDC
Buys Paddy at Low Price in Mon State
(January 2001)
In Mon State, SPDC authorities have opened paddy-buying centers in all 10
townships, and forced the farmers to sell their paddy at low price, which is 3
times less than market price. It plans to buy about 3 million baskets of paddy (one
basket is about 46 pounds) in Mon State alone and Mon State's Agriculture
Products Trading Department has taken responsibility to buy paddy by
cooperation with the respective township authorities.
To
manage buying the set amount of paddy from farmers, the authorities also paid
advance payment to every farmer about one third of total payment that they
needed to pay if the farmers sold the set amount of paddy. They paid 350 Kyat
per basket in August/September 2000 while the paddy price in the market was
800-1000 Kyat per basket. But unlucky for SPDC, in recently November/December
2000 during harvest season, the crop price dropped suddenly and then the
authorities worried they would lose the payment and asked money from farmers on
behalf of paddy. However, in January 2001, the rice price gradually rises and
then, the authorities forced farmers again to sell their paddy at low price to
designated paddy buying center.
According
to Mon State PDC order and sources from Mon State, the authorities could buy
only about 35% of the total set amount of paddy in mid-January 2001. As every
township could buy this amount of paddy, so Mon State PDC authorities ordered
to every township authorities to buy paddy as much as they could. Then,
Township PDC authorities again ordered the respective village tract and village
leaders to force the farmers to sell the set amount of paddy as quick as
possible.
In
an order from Kyaikmayaw Township PDC authorities to village leaders, it
mentions that "in Year 2000-2001 paddy-buying season, Township planned to
buy 348, 000 baskets of paddy totally for the whole township. However, we could
buy only 129, 482 baskets of paddy until January 13. Thus, Kyaikmayaw township
has the least buying force among all townships in Mon State and asks all town
sections and village leaders to cooperate (with us) in buying paddy from
farmers."
Similarly
to Kyaikmayaw township, other township could buy only 35-40% of paddy that they
required. In Paung Township, the authorities chose only high quality paddy and
did not accept normal and low quality paddy. Paung Township PDC authorities
also tried to buy over 500, 000 baskets of paddy. Among ten townships, the
authorities to buy 800, 000 baskets of paddy from Mudon and Chaung-zone
township respectively.
In
buying paddy to farmers, the authorities have used various ways including
threatening to detain or to confiscate lands, if they failed to buy paddy.
Township authorities also forced village authorities by ordering that how many
baskets of paddy the farmers must buy on which day and all processes of paddy
must complete in February 2001, according to order from Mon State PDC.
Forced Labour Continues in Mon State
(January 2001)
In
January 2001, when Kyaikmayaw Township PDC authorities in Mon State, planned building
a 10 miles long motor road from Kyaikmayaw to Kyun-ywa, the authorities have
not only forced the villagers to contribute their labour but also forced them
to provide fund for buying facilities in building this road. This was an old
WWII road built by Japanese imperialist. Although this road was abandoned for
many years by Rangoon governments, now, they tried to build it to use for
better communition to extend their power to civilians in Mon State and Karen
State, which
road
is connecting.
Under
the program of border area development program, this road building project was
adopted in December 2000. In December, Commander-in-Chief of Southeast Command,
Maj. Gen. Thiha Thura Sit Maung came to Kyaikmayaw town and called a meeting
with all town section and village level leaders in township hall. In meeting,
he ordered to them that the construction of this Kyaikmayaw -Kyun-ywa motor
road must be built by the participation of civilians or must be
"self-help" road construction, which meant the civilians must
contribute labour and provide fund. Therefore, the rough building of motor road
begins in January 2001.
On
Similarly,
on January 10, 2001, the village headman from Matkatar village ordered his
villagers to go to road construction and contribute labour in crashing stones.
As the villagers had to walk for one hour to reach the construction site, they
waked up early about 4:00 a.m. in the morning, made foods and walked to motor
road to reach to work-site at 6:00 a.m. The villagers are forced to work from
6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. in evening except one-hour time for lunch in mid day.
In
conscription of forced labour, one member from each household in the village
has to go and work in the construction. The whole village has to work for one
day. So, on a rotation basis, the civilians from Kyaikmayaw town sections and
villages near motor road, such as, Kanaing-kraing, Kayin, Chan-gone, Mya-gone,
Nee-tone, Kaw-dun, Kaw-kalart, Shan-lay, Shan-gyi, Myawe-house, Pan-gone,
Kyunywa and Matkatar, have been ordered to work in January 2001. The
authorities also used women and children to work in this construction.
Accordingly to reliable source from Kyaikmayaw, now, the
authorities is planning to collect fund from civilians to buy many tanks of tar
from foreign country and every household from the above mentioned Kyaikmayaw
township sections and villages may have to pay 5000 Kyat per household. After
the road embankment is completely laid by pieces of stones, it needs to lay tar
for the whole length of embankment and the authorities need a lot of money from
civilians. There are about 4880 households from these town sections and
villages and so, the authorities could collect about 24 million Kyat fund
totally to buy tar.
Report
(Part
I)
Cruel
or Degrading Treatments against Civilians
In
Tenasserim Division, in Year 2000
Background of Tenasserim
Division
Tenasserim
Division situates in the southernmost part of
However,
during the course of civil war over five decades, large jungle and rural areas
of Tenasserim have been used as rebel bases to revolt against the Rangoon
governments and Burmese Army. Thus,
most parts of the region have remained as conflict area since the beginning of
civil war. The rebel groups such as
KNU, NMSP, MDUF and the current a Mon splinter group, have been active for
several years and government troops could not oppress all activities of the
rebels.
Because
of armed conflict, the local inhabitants are always accused as
"rebel-supporters" by troops of Burmese Army (tatmadaw) and
treatments to civilians by the government soldiers have always been cruel,
inhumane and terrible. Until now, human
rights abuses such as forced relocation and dislocation, conscription of forced
labour and frontline porter, sexual harassment against women, arbitrary
killing, torture and arrest and others are still and widespread violated by
tatmadaw soldiers or the current SPDC soldiers in Tenasserim Division.
The
collective information about these cruel and degrading treatments against
civilians in Year 2000 in Tenasserim Division describe as below with
categories. In this Part I report, it
describes about (1) portering cases and abuses during porter service and (2)
conscription of massive forced labour.
Portering Cases and Abuses
During Porter Service
In
Year 2000, when SPDC and Burmese Army planned to launch offensives against
KNLA, MDUF, God's Army and one Mon splinter group in various parts of
Tenasserim Division, they have arrested many civilian porters in all districts
and townships in Division.
In
operating military offensives against the rebel forces, the Burmese Army have
used many battalions, such as Light Infantry Battalions from LIB No. 401 to No.
410, LIB No. 282, LIB No. 273 and Regular Infantry Battalions
IB No. 101, No. 104, No. 25. Among many rebel groups, the main target from SPDC
to launch the military offensives was God's Army and Vigorous Democratic
Student Army, which took base in opposite area of Ratchburi Province of
Thailand. The offensive was planned as reprisal because SPDC dissatisfied on
them after the seizure of its embassy in Bangkok in 1999.
Recently,
SPDC'S Coastal Region Military Command (Coastal Command) recently led by Maj.
Gen. Thiha Thura Sit Maung deployed LIB No. 401 to No. 410 in Yebyu Township
together with another two battalions of LIB No. 282 and LIB No. 273. After Embassy seize happened in Bangkok,
Coastal Command withdrew ten battalions of LIB No. 401 to No. 410 and deployed
them in Tavoy, Laung-lone, Mergui and Tenasserim (Tanintaryi). Under the command of Coastal Command, the
military battalions jointly have operated military offensives against all rebel
groups.
In
Yebyu Township, in which only one Mon splinter group and KNLA have operated military
activities, Coastal Command have however used only LIB No. 273 and 282, and
other battalions from LIB No. 401 to 410 on a rotation basis, as main
battalions to operate military activities.
However, these two battalions have to take responsibility to provide the
required number of civilian porters for other battalions, which operated
military activities against rebel forces.
When
the Burmese Army is operating military operations, they have two types of
activities. The first type is a
military patrol in a specific area by taking civilian porters for a few days
and take porter from every village. The
second type of military operation is offensive against the rebels and their
bases that far from semi-control area of the Burmese Army, and the civilian
porters must be taken for at least one month and most of them are taken for
several months.
In
the case of porter service for the military patrol in Yebyu Township area, LIB
No. 273 or LIB No. 282 (which were changed every three months period) ordered
the headmen from their village that they had to provide at least 3 civilian
porters everyday. Normally, the village
headmen had to send these regular porters to their nearest military outposts,
or provide them when the army column into their village.
Besides
Sin-swe village, all villages in township area were ordered to provide
permanent porters and depending on the household numbers and population in one
village, the villagers have to provide 3-7 civilian porters for every day. These porters were used for at least three
days in army bases and most of them were brought along with military patrol
that operated in all parts of township area.
If
one family could not provide for a civilian porter accordingly village
headmen's instruction, that family had to pay 1500-1800 Kyat to army commander
as fine for their failure to be porter for 3 days. Sometimes when urgent
situation happened, army commanders did not ask any fine but asked civilian
porters.
In
the porter service for military offensives, as the Burmese Army required a lot
of civilian porters urgently and so, the soldiers suddenly went into villages,
took all male villagers and brought them as civilian porters. During the villagers are used as civilian
porters at frontline where the Burmese Army launched offensives against rebel
armies, there were various types of inhumane abuses and treatment were
committed by SPDC soldiers.
In
April 2000, when LIB No. 407 conscripted many villagers as civilian porters
from Kan-bauk village of Yebyu township area, 6 villagers are arrested and
brought by soldiers. Then, they were
taken away by soldiers for nearly two months totally. Most porters were forced to carry
ammunitions and food supplies along the military operation. During the porter service, when the porters
could not manage for quick walk like soldiers or when they fell sick, soldiers
always beat them. Among the arrested
porters, an ethnic Tavoyan escapee, U Soe Win (23 years old) was beaten for
three times by gun-butts by soldiers while he could not walk like soldiers
because of his 30 kilograms heavy loads.
After two months, that man could manage to escape in a jungle.
Another
five porters from the same village, U Ngwe Ya (40 years old), U San Aye (33
years old), U Hla Maw, U Kan Kyi and U Maung Kyaw Bo were taken for nearly 6
months. This was the whole length of
military offensives that the Burmese Army' battalions have taken them. During porter service, even some villagers
were too weak and could not walk longer, the army beat and forced them to walk.
Many
porters in the porter service are beaten by soldiers because of several
reasons, such as slower in walking, could not manage to walk, felt sick, and
others. According to one porter
escapee, U Soe Win, from Kan-bauk, was an eyewitness that the soldiers from LIB
No. 407 in front-line beat three porters, who were in serious sick, until
died. Accordingly to escapee the
porters who were beaten were in estimation of 30, 35 and 59 years old representatively. They were not from his village but he knew
most of them are from Yebyu Township area.
While
the army was operating military offensives in most parts of frontier, on the
other hand, some battalions in Yebyu Township, especially, LIB No. 273 and LIB
No. 282 had to take responsibility for security of Ye-Tavoy motor road, railway
and Yatana Gas-pipeline, which are the important communication and business in
Tenasserim Division.
Accordingly to
one villager, who was arrested as porter, from Mayan village,
"I was regularly (in 2000) arrested as porter and the
soldiers always came into our village and suddenly arrested all male villagers
in village and took all of us as porters to sometimes carry rice or shells or
ammunitions along with soldiers. As our
villagers were accused as rebel-supporters or as it was far from army bases,
whenever the Burmese soldiers came into our village, they always arrested all
people to use as porters. Differently
from other villages that the headmen had to arrange the required porters for
army, they didn't treat our village like that.
They came and arrested us. And,
the soldiers also didn't define how many days we have to go along with them. If they conducted only a military patrol in
the area, we would be taken for at least 3 days and in maximum 15 days. If the soldiers took us to frontline, they
would use us for at least one month, sometimes, up to six months.
"During we were used to serve as porters, we had to go
along with soldiers while they were taking security far railway road, motor
road and gas-pipeline. Sometimes, we
passed across pipeline and sometimes, we walked along pipeline to take
security. We didn't see foreigners,
but mostly we walked in eastern part of (Ye-Tavoy) motor road."
Likely
the villagers in Yebyu Township area were suffered from the mistreatment in
porter service, in which they didn't receive any payment, other Mon, Karen and
Tavoyan civilians in Mergui, Laung-lon and Tenasserim Townships had been
suffered from porter service.
During
the similar time, in May 2000, another one Burmese Army's battalion, IB No.
103, by coordinating with other township departments and battalions had
arrested many porters in Tenasserim and Laung-lon and Mergui Townships to use
them in military offensives for long period.
In
Mergui Township, which has many island villages, LIB No. 103's Tactical
Commander, Col. Thein Ye, ordered all village headmen in islands to provide the
set number of civilian porters from their own village to use in offensives
against KNLA and God's Army. Depending
on population and household number in one village, the defined number of
civilian porters varied. Or, the
commander added, if one village could not provide the set number of porters,
that village had to pay 4000 Kyat for one porter with reason the army needed to
hire substitute. In some villages, the
village headmen would like to avoid providing porters and tried to pay the
battalion. However, a new instruction
among the villages was that if one family could not pay porter fees, a man from
that household must go for porter service.
In this case, many poor families who could not afford to pay for porter
fee have suffered from porter service more if compared with others.
As an instance:
"One villager from Win-thaung village of Mergui
Township, U Tun Wai, 28 years old a Tavoyan man, was requested to pay for
porter fee and after he could not afford to pay, he was transferred to township
police department by village headmen. He
was detained in the police for some days and then the police transferred him to
IB No. 103 battalion and was brought with army offensives for one month."
Accordingly
to his experience, he said when the Burmese Army's battalion, IB No. 103 troops
launched offensives and passed into rural villages, they looted belongings
owned by villagers. He said as he
recognized when the soldiers went into Tha-git village, the soldiers looted
foods, livestock of chicken and ducks, and even valuable belongings owned by
villagers. He said they were likely
robbers.
On
the other hand, he also said, the soldiers used civilian porters as
mine-sweepers or human-shields. As a new tactic, the soldiers forced the
porters to wear their own clothes or soldiers' uniforms and let them walk in
advance of soldiers without arms. By
this way, during fighting were happening between two sides, the civilian
porters were used as "human-shields" for Burmese Army.
He
said, while they forced the civilian porters to walk in advance, one village
from War-yit
In
another case, one escaped porter from Magyi village, Yebyu Township explained
when the soldiers arrested porters in his village; they could arrest him and
other villager, Nai Zan Than (24 years old) and brought them along military
patrol. When they arrived in one place,
when the soldiers met a suspected man in jungle, the nearest soldiers put his
gun on shoulder of Nai Zan Than and shot to enemy, and used him as
human-shield. And, when the suspected
man fled, another soldiers shot and the bullets hit him. So, he died on the
spot.
Death
during porter service not only because of porter service, when the village
porters could not manage to walk or did wrong, they were severely tortured or
beaten. Because of this condition, some
porters died because of torture during service.
As an instance,
"On May 28, 2000, LIB No. 273 troops led by Maj. Myint
Htay arrested one village from Sin-swe village of Yebyu Township, Nai Han Thein
(20 years old) and brought him as porter along their military offensives.
Troops passed Ye-Tavoy railway road and moved to eastern of the road to attack
against the Mon splinter group and other rebel forces. When they arrived to Mayan village, they
turned direction and moved to Singu village and find the way to crass motor
road. They did not get any guide to
show the ways and at the end, they selected Nai Han Thein to show the way. As he did not know the way to reach
destination, he made wrong. The movement of troops delayed and soldiers angered
to him. Then they beat him severely and
he got a lot of internal and external injuries. When he arrived home, he could stay only 6
days and died because of torturing."
Similarly,
during the porter service, soldiers have fed the civilian porters with very
little amount of foods and they ate first and gave the remaining foods for
porters. The porters themselves shared the remaining foods among them. Because of insufficient foods provided by
soldiers, the porters always suffered from weakness and sickness during porter
service and when they could not manage to walk as fast as soldiers, those weak
porters were also beaten and sometimes were killed.
During
porter service at the military offensives conducted for a long period, the army
never released any porter and took them for so many days, or over one month
period in every term. Thus, the porters
always attempted to escape if they had chances to flee.
According to one
porter escapee from Ah-mae village,
"When I was arrested by Burmese soldiers from LIB No.
273, I was taken by them for over one month.
They didn't release, but I had to manage and find chance to flee from
the arrest. Like me, many porters always
tried to escape whenever they have chance.
Some porters fled when the soldiers ordered them to carry water and find
firewoods in forests or jungles. Or,
some porters fled even during fighting and escaped into jungles and then into
rebel control areas. After one month
arrest by LIB No. 273, while we were in the jungle, when the soldiers ordered
me to find water, I fled from them."
Actually,
the Burmese Army's battalions were very careful for the fleeing of civilian
porters while they were in frontlines, because the soldiers themselves have to
carry some logistics if the porters flee.
Whenever the porters flee, the remaining porters have to carry more and
more weight of logistics that abandoned by fled porters. And when the porters remained less and less
number, the soldiers have to carry their own loads.
If
the escaped porters were re-arrested, the treatment against these porters would
be terrible and inhumane. If the
escaped porters were re-arrested in the battlefields, the soldiers would kill
them. During in the normal military
operation in one area, which was not in the battlefields of an offensive, the
soldiers knew whose came from which villages and so, if one escaped, when the
soldiers arrived the village of that person, he must be tortured and asked for
fine.
As an instance,
"In February, to operate a regular military patrol in
southern part of Yebyu township area, the commander from LIB No. 408, also
asked for 7 porters from Sin-swe village of Yebyu township area. And, the headmen had to provide, Nai Than Tun
(24 years old), Mehm Rot (14 years old), Nai Yunt (40 years old), Nai Sun (30
years), Nai Poe, Nai Bot Chot (36 years old) and Mehm Sann (20 years old),
accordingly to a rotation basis arranged in village. While the military patrol conducted for 3
days, among 6 porters, Nai Sun, Nai Bot Chot and Nai Poe escaped from porter
service of LIB No. 408 after they were very tired. Then, after one week, LIB No. 408 troops
suddenly went into village and arrested three escaped villagers. And, they tied them up and beat them for
their attempt of escape. The soldiers
also told the villagers that if porter fled from porter service, he must be
killed in the future. The soldiers tied
three men with chains and beat them unceasingly. They also received a lot of
internal and external injuries because of beating. The soldiers also asked 30, 000 Kyat fine
from men's families to buy foods during military patrol. Because of severe torturing, the injured
villagers had to treat for nearly one month with local herbal doctors to
recover."
Normally,
in frontlines, when the troops and porters arrived in one place, the porters
were rounded by soldiers and prevented to not flee. In some situation, all
porters were tied with one rope altogether for the whole night and untied them
in the morning. And, the soldiers used them as porters again.
When
the soldiers requested regular porters from one village, the village headmen in
that village had to manage providing porters on a rotation basis. However, after the villagers faced a lot of
hardship and abuses in their villages, they gradually left from their village
and at the end, the number of villagers has reduced slowly in most rural villages. However, the demand from army to serve for
porter service and forced labour did not reduce and so, the remaining villagers
had to work more for army after their rounds in rotation basis was closer than
before.
As
an example, Thaung-khun village, Yebyu Township area had about 120 houses at
normal situation and it remained about 80 households at the beginning of
1999. In mid-2000, most families in
village fled from village to escape from hardship and abuses committed by SPDC
soldiers, it remained only 40 households.
So, if compared with 1999, the villagers in village had to serve works
for army 2 times than before.
According a
villager from Thaung-khun village, he explained that:
"When our village has about 80 households, each family
had to go and work for porter service and in construction 3 times in one
month. The village headman had to
manage on a rotation basis and he selected households and shared work-duties
for army, porter service or construction work.
Now, our village(in September 2000) has only 40 households and we are
tired more than two times than before.
W e have to work for 6-7 times at least in one month. Thus, we have very little time to do our own
works at home or farms."
In
some rural villages, which were mainly accused as rebel bases by SPDC
battalions, when SPDC troops went into a village, normally, most men fled to
escape from the arrest of civilian porters or inhumane or degrading
treatment. Only elder persons over 60
years old who could not be used civilian porters would remain in villages. Sometimes, when troops arrived into
villages and did not meet any young men, they angered and beat the old men
remained in villages.
As an instance,
"In April 2000, when IB No. 104 led by Lt. Col. Yat
Kha went into Kywe-tho-nyima village, Yebyu Township, the soldiers did not meet
any young villagers in village, because most of them fled to escape from porter
service. And, the commander and soldiers went to monastery and arrested four
men, Nai Win, Nai Thein, Nai Ong and Nai Ba Htoo, who were over 60 years old.
These old men stayed at monastery to do religious purposes in there. After
arrest, the soldiers interrogated them why most villagers fled from village and
during interrogation, they also beat, slap and kick the old men. Among four
men, Nai Ba Htoo, who was clearly weak in health, was severely tortured until
he died."
Among
various types of human rights abuses, the use of civilian in porter service for
the military purpose is the most inhumane and terrible abuse. In every year many civilian porters died
because they are used as mine-sweepers, human-shields and tortured by
soldiers. Since the Burmese Army,
tatmadaw, has not equipped with modernized logistics facilities, the civilians
in the whole country have been suffered from unpaid and terrible porter service
for army.
Conscription of Forced Labour
SPDC
and Burmese Army, which attempted to get more control in the area, have tried
to improve communication in Tenasserim Division during 1990s. Since 1992, the regime planned to provide
security for Yadana gas-pipeline in this area and then deployed more military
battalions to protect it in the northern part of Tenasserim Division. Before the end of 1993, the regime built a
strategically important 110-mile-long Ye-Tavoy railway road and used many
hundreds of thousands of Mon, Karen and Tavoyan local inhabitants from Mon
State and Tenasserim Division, as forced labourers or forced to contribute compulsory
labour in the construction. This
construction lasted over 4 years and completed in 1998.
Continuously,
in 1998, the regime re-built Ye-Tavoy motor road for two years' dry season. In
this construction, because of international condemnation against SLORC/SPDC's
use of forced labour, the regime has used only some hundreds number of
villagers from Yebyu and Tavoy townships.
In
1997, after the regime's instruction to its military battalions, to create
"self-reliance", many military battalions under the Coastal Command
have tried to create paddy-growing farms and cash tree plantations in Yebyu and
Tavoy townships. In this program, the
battalions found new lands, built water dikes, dug water canals and created plantations. In every activity for self-reliance program
of the SPDC battalions, the local villagers have been constantly forced to
contribute free labour to the concerned military battalions.
After
NMSP-SLORC ceasefire, under the name of border area development program, the
Mon people are similarly suffered like other ethnic people for the use of
forced labour. In various types of
development projects, the civilians regardless of ethnicity have been suffered
not only contributing free labour but also have to pay fund for every
project. Until Year 2000, the use of
forced labour continued and payment for development projects has been asked by
authorities and army.
Since
1998, a battalion LIB No. 273, have forced the villagers from Kwethonyima
village tract of Yebyu township, to construct a 2000 meters long water dike in
Kwethonyima island to keep water. In
1999, the battalion could explore about 200 acres of land near water dike area
and take water from it. However, in every year, at the end of rainy season,
some parts of embankment of water dike were destroyed and the battalions have
ordered the local villagers to rebuild it again. Therefore, from January to March 2000, the
villagers from Kwethonyima, Chabone, Mae-tha-taung, Chattaw, Kan-taung and Ah-mae
villages were forced to rebuild the embankment of water dike.
Similarly,
LIB No. 273 have forced the villagers from above villages in Kwethonyima
village tract during rainy season to plow lands, grow paddy seeds, plant small
paddy plants and other works until harvesting crops. The villagers were forced to work for at
least three days or until they could complete a piece of work set by
battalion. The villagers have to carry
and take their own foods and tools from their homes to work in work sites.
Similarly
to LIB No. 273, another military battalion, LIB No. 282 created a palm
plantation near their headquarters area (near 52 mile area) and forced the
villagers from Kwethalin, Natkyisin, Yapu, Kalein-aung, Sin-swe, Mintha, and
many other villages in Yebyu township area to contribute free labour in this
plantation. During the battalion use
of forced labour, the villagers have to carry their own foods and tools to do
clearing lands, cut bushes, dig holes, plant palm plants and other works. The battalions has asked about 20-30
labourers to work in the plantation. In
October 2000, during the battalion was using villagers as unpaid labourers,
some women were raped.
Although
Ye-Tavoy railway road completely built since 1998, as the regime had not used
heavy machines to build it and just used manual labour of the civilians, the
road is not strong enough. When the
rain fell during rainy season in 1999 and 2000, many parts of embankment of
this road were destroyed by flood and the authorities or battalions have
ordered the villagers in Yebyu and Tavoy township again to rebuild the railway
road.
Normally,
when the road was destroyed in the northern part or in Yebyu township area, the
battalion and authorities have used the villagers in Yebyu township area to
rebuild the collapsed embankment. Similarly, they used the civilians in Tavoy
township area when the southern part of the road was destroyed
Accordingly to a
Shwe-ta-maw villager in Tavoy township area, he explained:
"After rainy season (in 1999) some parts of railway near
New-lein area were destroyed by flood and a military battalion, LIB No. 408
ordered our village headmen that one household must have to rebuild with 50
feet long. Our village has about 150 households, pieces of work for rebuilding
the railway road was set by army. Then,
about 30 villagers, one or two members from each household, went to
construction site everyday. To complete
a piece of work, one family had to take about one week. From December 1999 until April 2000, we were
forced to work in construction. If we
could not go and work in the construction, we have to pay 3600 Kyat per
household."
Besides
Shwe-ta-maw village, many other villages in Tavoy township area such as
Pauk-wa, Chaung-tha-oo, Thet-kar-kyun villagers were constantly used to rebuild
the collapsed railway road. The
villagers from these villages were shared with works like villagers in
Shwe-ta-maw and they had duty to complete repairing of 50 feet length
road. Therefore, the villagers had to
work for over four months to complete all repairing of railway road. If one family could not go and work in
construction set by soldiers, they might have to pay 500 Kyat per day.
Similarly
to this experience, the villagers in Yebyu township were forced to work in
railway road in August and September 2000, after some parts of embankment
collapsed because of floodwater.
According to a villager from Kanbauk village, Yebyu township, he
explained that:
"LIB No. 403 led by Lt. Col. Aung Win ordered our
village headmen that our villagers have to work in Ye-Tavoy railway
construction for one month in August to reconstruct some parts of railway
embankment, which were collapsed by flood. Every time, we have to go and work
for three days and in one month we have to work for three times without payment
by soldiers. If one village could not go
and work, they have to pay 500 Kyat per day. If they could not pay, the headmen
will arrest and bring them to soldiers and so, they might have to work in road
construction and other works for army for many days."
In
many cases, most villagers were not only forced in one type of project, such
as, rebuilding railway road, they were also forced to work in other types of
project. According to Ah-mae villagers,
while they were ordered to rebuild the embankment of water dike in Kwethonyima
island, they were at the same time forced to work in Ye-Tavoy railway road
reconstruction.
In
2000, the local military battalions, LIB No. 273, No. 408 and No. 282 also
forced some villagers to contribute unpaid labour in repairing of Ye-Tavoy
motor road for one month. Many
villagers were forced to work in this road repair construction. In this road construction, most villagers
close to motor road were forced to work.
In 2000, with a plan to construct a gas-pipeline along Ye-Tavoy motor
road, army managed by forcing the villagers to clear all bushes, trees, fruit
gardens and houses along the planned new gas-pipeline route. (This
gas-pipeline connects from Tenasserim Division, via Mon State and to Karen
State, to provide energy for a cement production factory near Pa-an city, the
capital of Karen State.)
According
to a Kyaukadin villager, who was forced to work in motor road construction and
lost house explain about the construction of forced labour as below:
"LIB No. 408 mainly asked for forced labour in
construction (/widening of motor road.
Our villagers had to work in the part from our village to Aleskan
village (about 5 miles long). At least
about 30 villagers were ordered to work every day, each round we were ordered
for three days. The soldiers mainly
ordered us to widen the road, and dear all bushes, trees along the road. They instructed to clear 50 feet each side
of the road. W e had to work for three
days each round of work-duty. In April,
when I was working in widening the road and away from home, my family in
village was ordered to move my house as quick as possible, because my house was
close to road. They gave only three
days time to complete moving houses. My
wife could not manage to move the house and when the deadline arrived, the
soldiers came and burnt my house down.
W e could get only a little belongings that my wife gathered."
According
the conscripted villagers, the soldiers set time for them to start working in
the road and if they were late, they must be punished. When LIB No. 409 was managing to widen
Ye-Tavoy motor road, if villagers came late to work sites, they must be slapped
three times by commander and sometimes, they ordered to run 100 meters back and
forth for three rounds. Such
punishment is used in army and they treated the same to civilians during
conscription of forced labour.
Depending
on the works or development projects in one area, the villagers from one
village were not only forced to work in projects near their villages, but were
forced to also work in other village tract.
As an instance,
'The villagers from Kywe-tho-nyima village were not only
forced to work in water dike near their village, sometimes, they were ordered
to work in another water dike project.
In August 2000, 14 villagers from that village were ordered to work in
construction of water dike near Chattaw village, which was known, "Chattaw
water dike", for 7 days. When the
water level increased during rainy season, there was flood in some places-near
water dike and some embankment was destroyed.
Thus, the soldiers from LIB No. 273 ordered all villagers from nearer
villages to work in rebuilding embankment of water dike. During the villagers-were working there,
another part of embankment collapsed again and so, the soldiers accused the
villagers in the construction that they were careless. Then, the soldiers asked fine from villagers
to pay 1000 Kyat per head from whom in construction for their careless. When some villagers could not pay, the
soldiers ordered their headmen to take money from their families in
village."
Sometimes,
although an implementation of an development project did not occur actually in
one area, but the battalion told the civilians that there was a case to
contribute labour and so, the battalion commander asked for money from the
villagers to pay to avoid from working in a project. Normally, the villagers who were busy with
their own work also tried to pay to army to avoid such conscription of forced
labour.
As an instance,
"In June, 2000, while the villagers were busy in their
own works in preparation for new cultivation of paddy, a military battalion,
LIB No. 408 told to villagers in Sin-swe that the battalion required some villager
labourers to contribute (unpaid) labour in building of embankment of Y e-Tavoy
railway. And, the battalion also gave
another choice that if the villagers would not like to go and work in railway
reconstruction, the whole village could pay 350, 000 Kyat totally to avoid from
the whole construction process. To get
this amount of money, the village headmen needed to collect from 70 households
in village and each household had to pay at least 5000 Kyat to avoid from
contributing unpaid labour in railway construction. From the families who could not afford to
pay this amount of tax, they had to go and work in construction."
Sometimes,
during the civilians are working in construction or project site, the soldiers
also guarded them. If they did not satisfy on one person, who delayed in
working or was wrong in works, he must be severely tortured by soldiers. In June, after some Sin-swe villagers could
not pay for fund to avoid from contributing of forced labour, had to go and
work in project sites. When one
villager, Nai Chot (46 years old), could not work well, the soldiers also beat
and tortured him. They rolled his legs
and body with iron bars until he lost consciousness.
Beside
the army was conscripting forced labour for road construction and other
self-reliance projects, they also forced the local villagers to build military
barracks in their bases. If the
villagers could not go and work in the construction of military barracks,
soldiers could punish them or they had to pay fines for their failure to
contribute labour.
As an instance,
"In September 2000, when LIB No. 282 that temporarily based in
Paukpingwin village, Yebyu Township, built a military barrack in the base near
village and forced the villagers to contribute labour in there. On a rotation basis, the soldiers requested
about 30-40 villagers every to work in the base. The headmen had to manage to provide
villager labourers for construction. If
one villager could not go and work in there, they have to give fines 4000-5000
Kyat for one month. It was
calculated with 10 days work within one
month. Thus, each family's member,
either man or woman, had to work for 10 days for army within one month for
barrack construction."
At
the end of October, 2000, SPDC'S Ministry of Interior ordered all military
battalions, Township, village tract and village authorities to stop all
practices of using forced labour in every area. However, as Burma has lost "rule of
law" several years, the corrupted military commanders and authorities have
still conducted to get labour from civilians.
Note: In Part
II of this report, it describes topics (1) Abuses against ethnic women, (2)
Abuses related to accusation of rebel-supporters, and (3) Population
Displacement.