Shan Worker

Shan Worker: Wa Relocation Program Put Off

A Shan worker from Monghsat told S.H.A.N. that motor columns from the Wa capital of Panghsang had ceased to come down for almost a month now.

"Since early February, we have not seen trucks carrying Wa settlers anymore," he said. "Instead, we are seeing trucks carrying rice and building materials coming to the 5 relocation sites".

The 5-relocation sites are Mongkhid in Mongton Township and Banhoong, Site 46, Mongyawn, Hoyawd and Mongkarn in Monghsat Township.

"Although they had initially planned to resettle 50,000 households, I doubt the total up to now exceeds much more than 25,000 (about 125,000 persons)," he said.

He cited several reasons for the abrupt suspension of the program:

One was the explosions in Mongyawn that damaged a 40-room two-story hotel in construction, an electricity plant and the house of Wei Hsaitang, the Wa commander in the area that filled the Was with suspicions that the Burmese might be behind the sabotage;

Two, the killing of a Burmese soldier in Piangkham near Mongyawn on 12 February; although the Burmese army had arrested some Shan laborers, the Wa army was still held responsible for the affair;

Three, the necessity to stock rice for those that had already been resettled during the coming rainy season.

"Maybe they have other reasons," he said "But I'm just as outsider".

The Was, in cooperation with the SPDC Army, had been launching a publicized forced relocation program since late October aiming at a zero production of opium in the Wa region near the Chinese border. The program has been criticized as an act of human rights violation by rights groups and as a disguised attempt to increase production along the Thai-Shan border by skeptical Burma watchers.