EXTORTION

SPDC officials buy rice by force.

7.11.02

In the beginning of November, 2002, the township Land and Agricultural Corporation ( LAC ) officials of the State Peace and Development Council ( SPDC ) in Tavoy district came to meet the farmers, and restricted everyone not to sell their rice to others until they finished selling their ' dutiful rice’ (quota of rice) to the government.

According to the source, the LAC authorities from Yebyu, Tavoy, Laung Lon, and Theyetchaung townships in Tavoy district arrived in time while the peasants were harvesting rice in their fields. With the assistance of the village administration, the LAC authorities started to buy the rice from the peasants. The peasants had to sell what the authorities called 'dutiful rice’ (quota of rice) to the government as compulsory deal in confined price. 'Dutiful rice ' means a must to sell 12 to 15 baskets of rice per acre to the government's Land and Agricultural Corporation. (A basket is the standard unit of measurement of rice. 1 basket = 46 pounds or 21 kegs.)

The normal yield of rice per acre is 50 baskets if there are no destructions and the peasants have enough time to tend their fields.

Last year, the government-confined price was 350 kyats per basket of rice while the local market price was at 850 kyats. In addition to ‘dutiful rice’, the peasants had to pay rice in confined price for the debt they owed to the government by purchasing fertilizer from LAC.

As 2002 rainy season brought floods in some areas, the yield of some peasants' rice fields reduced. They would not get more than 30 baskets per acre; even some abandoned their fields. Most of the peasants worried that they would have to buy rice from others at local price in order to fill up their quotas, at government confined price.

On November 4, 2002, the Burmese troops base in Palauk village (in southern Theyetchaung township, Tavoy district, Tenasserim division) demanded 200 pieces of roofing leaves, 2,000 pieces of bamboos, four logs and 1,200 slits of bamboos from the villagers. Everyday three villagers had to report to the army for building the outpost and doing chores.

On November 6, 2002, the Burmese troops from Infantry Battalion 104, which bases in Kaw Paw village about 35 kilometers in the east of Tavoy, demanded fire wood from a local villager in a relocated village Kamaik. Saw Tin Lah (about 38 years old, son of Saw Chaw) was ordered by Burmese troops to send three bullock-cart-load of fire wood to their base.

On November 10, 2002, camp commander Aung Myo Win of Burma army's Light Infantry Battalion 410 demanded 5000 betel nuts from Mawmatru and Tameh Hta villages (about 60 kilometers to the south east of Tavoy, Tenasserim division).

On November 20, 2002, camp commander Maung Myo Win of Burmese army's Light Infantry Battalion 410, which bases in Htu Ler (Kyathtu, about 60 kilometers to the south-east of Tavoy) demanded 100,000 betel nuts from local villagers in Kaw Htee (Thabyuchaung), Htu Ler and 100,000 from Kahtawni village. On the same day the Burmese troops from Light Infantry Battalion 410 led by Battalion Commander Aung Soe forced two villagers from Htu Ler as guides for their patrol to the frontline.

FORCED LABOUR

Villagers in forced relocation site gather for forced labour on the road

On November 4, the Burmese troops who were taking security in southern Theyetchaung township, Tavoy district, ordered local villagers in southern Theyetchaung township to collect and pile up at least 50 zin of stones beside Tavoy-Mergui car road, which passed through their village. (1 zin, a pile of stones, which is 10 feet long, 10 feet wide and 1 foot high). According to the local villagers, the villages of little population has to pile up at least 50 zins of stone and the villages of large population have to pile up more than 50 zins. The village, which could not perform the task, had to give 500,000 kyats to the army or had to go forced labour at Tamoak bridge construction. The villagers had to bring along their own food.

Regional Development Program in Yebyu township.

7.11.02

As the rainy season had almost gone by, Yebyu township Peace and Development Council instructed all the village tracts under its control to repair all the bullock-cart tracks so that motor vehicles could travel.

According to a villager from Natkyizin village in the northern area of Yebyu township, the villagers were ordered by the village PDC (Peace and Development Council) to build a car-road between Natkyizin and Da Ni Chang (a village on the sea beach) along the bullock-cart track. The distance is 4 miles and the villagers have to build that road with their own expense - what the government called ' Ko Htu Ko Htaat Saint', which means self supporting system. One person from each household had to work on that road and had to bring along their own tools and food, including drinking water.

On November 23, 2002, Pa Ti Tah Preh, the leader of Pyithusit (People militia also known as Thakasapa -Anti Insurgency Group, which is formed and backed by Burmese troops) from Kaw Paw village forced villagers of Wahsuhko (Seikpyone) and Kawpaw (Myinkanbaw) to build a monastery in Pawpaw village, about 35 kilometers to the east of Tavoy. Three villagers from each section had to go and work. There are six sections in Wahsuhko village and 12 sections in Kawpaw village.

On November 3, 2002, the Burmese troops ordered the villagers from Noh Pah Doh (Inmmagyi, in Theyetchang township, Tavoy district, Tenasserim division) to plant beans for the military. The villagers were ordered by the troops to clear the land and plant the beans at least four acres. According to the local villagers, every Karen village in the southern part of Theyetchaung township was ordered to grow the beans for the army. There are 29 Karen villages in the southern part of Theyetchaung township.

On November 23, 2002, the Burmese troops from Infantry Battalion 104, which bases in Kawpaw village and led by Battalion Commander Zan De, forced the villagers from Wahsuhko to transport chainsaws and food supplies. Two bullock-carts from Wahsuhko were ordered to transport the troops' food supplies and chainsaws to the east of the village, where the Burmese troops were building a road with bulldozers. The chainsaws were confiscated by the Burmese troops from the villagers and forced the villagers to cut down the tress or logs to clear up the forest for the bulldozers. According to the villagers, those bulldozers could not bulldoze some hard trees.

On November 24, 2002, the same troops from Infantry Battalion 104 forced the villagers from Wahsuhko to transport their food supplies and oil. Ten bullock-carts from Wahsuhko were ordered to transport the food supplies and diesel to the east of the village, where the Burmese troops were construing a road to the Burma-Thai border with bulldozers.

CONSCRIPT TO MILITIA

On November 9, 2002, the Burmese troops ordered local villagers in Pe Hkee area (in Theyetchaung township, Mergui district) to serve as Pyithusit (People militia formed and backed by Burmese troops). The villages under the instruction are Pe Hkee, Petakah, Htee Oo Ooo (Panbyoke), Lukwedoh, Takohhta, Kosekwee. One person from each village has to serve one month in term. Anybody who fails to serve his term will be fined 15,000 kyats.