Forced Labor and Portering
A convict porter forced to work repairing the military access road from Kyauk Kyi to Saw Hta by SPDC IB 382, 383 and 388. He escaped at the beginning of January 2005. (Source: KHRG, 2005)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Convict porters who escaped from Papun District in the beginning of 2005. These men were portering for SPDC LIB 3, 119, and 120. Most of the men shown here were arrested and imprisoned for petty ‘crimes’ including illegal border crossing, playing cards in a funeral parlor, causing a car accident, cockfighting, and selling illegal lottery tickets, while the remainder were imprisoned for petty drug offences or murder. Regardless of their original crime or sentence, all of them say they were treated brutally as porters and chose to escape as soon as they could. No international agency is presently willing to help these men. (Source: KHRG, February 2005).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Three convict porters who escaped from various SPDC Army columns in Papun District, January 2005. (Source: KHRG, 2005)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A villager from Thaton District who had just returned from a shift of forced labor at the nearby camp of SPDC LIB 350 in late February 2005. People from his village and the surrounding villages are required to report everyday for forced labor. (Source: KHRG, 2005)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In January 2005, area villagers were forced by SPDC IB 73 led by Lwin Oo to cut clear all the grass and scrub along both sides of this road to protect military convoys against ambush. The Kler Lah – Bu Sah Kee vehicle road is used by the SPDC to supply Army camps in southern Toungoo District. (Source: KHRG, January 2005)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Piles of thatch and bamboo collected by villagers to comply with the late February 2005 order of officer U Y’Khaing of SPDC LIB 350 demanding a particularly quantity from each family. (Source: KHRG, 2005)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Villagers carrying their quota of bamboo and thatch to SPDC LIB 350 camp on 25 February 2005. (Source: KHRG, 2005)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Villagers from Dweh Loh Township gathering bamboo and rafting them down the Bilin River to deliver to the DKBA after soldiers ordered them to provide 100 pieces of bamboo measuring at least 12 cubits (6 m./18 ft.) long and two handspans in circumference. Women are forced to deliver the logs despite the dangers involved because men run a greater risk of being forcibly recruited into the DKBA forces (Source: KHRG, 29 January 2005).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~