Shan teak houses for Burmese resettlers Human rights

Shan teak houses for Burmese resettlers
Human rights 

A village in southern Shan State whose residents were relocated by the Burmese military during the 1996 - 98 forced relocation campaign has recently been opened for resettlement to arrivals from Burma proper, according to Shans coming to Thailand. 

"I couldn't bear to stay there and watch outlanders living in my home while my family had to struggle each day just to survive", said a former native of Nayok Village, Nawng-hee Tract, Kengtawng Township. (Kengtawng, formerly part of Mongnai Township, was named a separate township last month, said migrants from the area.) "So we decided to leave". 

Nayok, comprising 47 households, used to be a thriving hamlet and was known for its delicious loganberries. There are 22 houses, 5 two-storied and 17 one-storied, built entirely of teakwood, according to its former occupants, half of whom are already in Thailand. 

"When the Kengtawng urbanization project was announced two years ago, we went back to apply for permission to return to our homes but were rejected," added another one. "The trouble with us Shans is that most of us don't have any official document to show we own the place, because we were never given any since the day of Zaofahs (Shan ruling princes)." 

Rangoon's massive eviction program had uprooted 99 villages, consisting of 3,850 households in the area, according to Dispossessed: Forced Relocation and Extrajudicial Killings in Shan State by Shan Human Rights Foundation, April 1998. 

Kengtawng had been slated for resettlement of 3,000 families coming up from Burma proper, according to the sources. "So far about 500 have already been resettled there," said one. 

It is also known for its teakwood forests. Asia World, owned by Law Hsinghan, and Shan State South, owned by Mahaja, are two of the firms that have been granted logging concessions in the area by Rangoon. 

"One piece of good news is that forced labor in Kengtawng has lessened since the ILO row over last year's killings of 7 villagers (who complained to authorities of the existence of forced labor despite official banning)," said one. "But we would be happier if we were given back our lands and homes."