Forced labor goes on

Forced labor goes on

Potatoes, sesame and peanuts for the army 

Free labor from the people in several southern townships is being called to assist in the army's self-sufficiency programs, reported sources from Mongnai. 

Since the beginning of November, people in Kengtawng, Mongnai township, about 1,000 households, had been given the responsibility of growing potatoes, Japanese sesame and groundnuts for the army. This was in addition to building roads and barracks for the local units, said the sources. 

"We had just harvested their paddies and now this," said a villager who fled to the border. "We had to work in 5-day shifts with 50-60 people per shift for each battalion." 

At present there are 4 battalions there, one of which is IB 246 from Kunhing, they said. On their way to Thailand, they also met villagers in Langkher, Mongpan, Mongton and Monghsat, who told them they also had been assigned the same task.

Update: 30 November 

More details were reported later that in the 3 tracts in Kengtung the following items of seeds were distributed for planting: 

They were told a ten-fold yield from the Japanese sesame and potato and a twenty-fold yield from the groundnuts were expected "or else".