Not only forced labor

Not only forced labor, but also forced outing, say Shans

Shans who fled to Thailand recently reported that more than a hundred villagers were forced by the military authorities to take a two-week excursion trip to lower Burma in December. 

The guided tour began on 2 December and ended on 15 December during which 114 farmers from Kengtawng and Kengkham from the township of Mongnai visited Taunggyi, Rangoon and other cities. The New Light of Myanmar also reported the group's arrival in Rangoon. 

"Apart from a few who did not have do farming, everyone of us was worried about our paddy fields waiting to be harvested and onions waiting to be planted," said one. "And when we came back, we found some of our crops had already wasted away. I remember Uncle Awzingna, 55, from Kunmong and Uncle Hpawka, 53, from Pahsa broke down and wept on their return." 

Mongnai was the scene of the forced relocations of 4,000 households of people from 99 villages in 1996-97. Most of them have been recalled by the military authorities two years ago reportedly to engage in forced labor in the Kengtawng Urban Project.