Narinjara News


The tale of the confiscation of rice paddies

Maungdaw, 15^th March 03:  The Burmese military regime, SPDC, have ordered the realization of three tinns (bushels) of rice from each acre of the land confiscated for the use of the military, in the western Burma, according to our correspondent.

On the other hand the junta has been realizing twelve tinns (bushels) of rice from each acre of the civilian owned paddy fields.  Worse, in Maungdaw Township, in Rakhine State, the Nasaka security forces have been engaged in realizing the three bushels of rice from the villagers in the nearby area instead of from their own fields.  In this township there are 1,140 acres of paddy land confiscated for the use of the Nasaka security forces in the name of support for the upkeep of the family members of the junta’s military guards.  In that way a total of 3,420 bushels of rice have been forcefully taken away from the local rice farmers.

Our correspondent quoting a village leader said that the amount of rice so appropriated has again been sold to the villagers of the junta-constructed model villages in the area including Ngaraing-chaung village tract, at the price of three thousand kyat for a bushel.  The price of a bushel of rice in the open market is three thousand and five hundred kyat.  While the security forces including members of the Burmese Army buy the same bushel of rice from the growers at only three hundred and fifty kyat a bushel.

All the rice so forcefully realized from the rice growers are now stored in big silos built in the battalion headquarters and Nasaka areas.  Though the rice was supposed to be ‘sold’ to the Agriculture Produce Corporation the law enforcing agencies have been storing the confiscated rice for their future consumption.  It may be mentioned that, all the law enforcement personnel in Rakhine State receive rations from the junta, and the rice stored in this way is in excess of the existing rules, alleged the village leader.  #