People still yoked to rice procurement policy

People still yoked to rice procurement policy 

Human Rights

Even as Rangoon announced the termination of the 40-year-old rice procurement policy that requires farmers to sell a part of their produce to the government at the "government price" that will take effect by the next year, people are still submerged under the system that is still in effect, said travelers returning to Thailand from Shan State. 

On 15 February, all village and tract headmen in Kunhing Township were summoned by the area commander to receive instructions on the quota of rice each village was required to sell. The quota for Hpanglang, that has 15 villages, was 3,500 baskets. "We don't know and we don't want to hear whether or not you have paddy fields," the commander was quoted as saying, "but all of you must sell". 

A tract headman was reported to have protested by informing the commander that many of the people now were able to survive only by "working in the morning and eating in the evening" (meaning a hand-to-mouth existence), but the officer cut in by saying: You still must have rice to sell us even if you don't have it to eat. 

As if to prove the point said a new arrival from the area, one of the farmer's monsoon paddy was almost entirely purchased by Infantry Battalion #246, 370 kyat for each basket on 3 April, when the market price was K 2,500. The farmer, Zai Woon, 27, was paid K 29,600 for 80 baskets. He had managed to harvest 120 baskets, but 36 baskets already taken by the landowner for the use of his field and paddy seeds. Zai Woon's wife, Nang Hseng Mawn, 25, finding there was only 4 baskets remaining for their whole year's efforts swooned and had to be taken to the hospital where she died. She left, apart from Zai Woon, one son: Zai Kam, 5, and one daughter, Hseng Leun, 3. the family was originally from Khao Ngawk Village, Kunbu Tract, but they were forced to move to Kunhing during the 4-cuts campaign against the Shan State Army, 1996-98. 

In Hsihseng, hundreds of farmers were arrested and held until their relatives paid for their release. 
On 16 March, Pangkarn village, 7 miles west of the township seat, was surrounded and the farmers were held in custody at the village temple for failure to fill the year's quota. Each household paid the required amount to buy 8 baskets (K. 24,000) calculated at the market price, K. 3,000 per basket. 
From Pangkarn alone, the military was able to "make off with" K 7,400,000, they said. "If you add that to what they ripped off from the surrounding villages, the total loot would be no less than 50 million," maintained a source. 

However, on the official receipts, they claimed that only the official figures, K 300 for each basket instead of K 3,000, were shown. 

The upshot of the whole affair was that Pangkarn had to cancel their plans to hold the Sanglawng (novitiation) ceremony for their sons, because the whole village became broke and in debt overnight, said the sources. 

Asked how the new policy would affect the people, one of the monk's attendants replied laconically, "That's next year."