Document Actions
SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - APRIL 2006
SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - APRIL 2006
SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - APRIL 2006
COMMENTARY
Already overburdened with various types of forced labour and extortion imposed on them by the SPDC authorities, people in Shan State have been over the last 4-5 months forced to endure even more burdens as the authorities launched their ‘grand plan’ of physic nut/castor-oil plantations countrywide.
The ‘grand plan’ of the SPDC junta does not seem to have a proper blueprint or systematic implementing stages other than sending instructions to their battalion commanders who in turn are requisitioning forced labour of the people in their respective areas to do the job, with varying degrees of intensity and magnitude.
Each and every household, both in urban and rural areas, has been required to grow certain numbers of physic nut/castor-oil plants around their houses, along the roads, and even in gardens and fields near the roads and collective farms, etc..
The places and numbers of plants needed to be grown by each household varies from place to place in accordance with the whim of the military commanders in charge. In any case, the work requires months of attention and labour, effectively taking people away from their daily chores for survival, and has caused many people to flee.
Although the SPDC junta’s stated aim for this ‘grand plan’ was to produce biobased-fuel, many people believe they were just practising superstitious rituals to ward off evil.
Together with other reports on rape, beating and forced labour, there is a special section on the forced physic nut/castor-oil plants plantations in this issue, which includes a commentary and several reports received by SHRF over the last 3-4 months.
----------------------------------
GANG-RAPE AND BEATING IN NAM-ZARNG
Sometime in late December 2005, 2 villagers, husband and wife, were arrested, beaten and raped by a patrol of SPDC troops near Kung Leng village in Naa Poi village tract, Nam-Zarng township.
On the day of the incident, Naang Lern (not her real name), aged 25, and her husband were returning from their remote farm to their village, Kung Leng, in Naa Poi village tract, Nam-Zarng township, when they ran into a patrol of SPDC troops on the way about a half-hour-walk from the village.
As the SPDC troops were arresting them, Naang Lern ran away and tried to escape while her husband was seized by the troops. But some of the troops chased after Naang Lern and caught up with her in only a few minutes.
The SPDC troops brought the couple together at a place and beat up the husband while forcing the wife to watch. The troops then gang-raped the wife and forced the husband to watch while his wife was being raped.
After beating and raping the villagers to their satisfaction for some time, the SPDC troops left them at the place and went away. The SPDC troops were from one of the local military bases.
Although the couple complained about their plight to their community leaders, no one dared to take the case to the military authorities for fear of further abuses.
A CIVILIAN GUIDE BEATEN, VILLAGERS ROBBED OF THEIR PROPERTY, IN LAI-KHA
In late 2005, a villager who was forced to serve as a guide was severely beaten up by SPDC troops from LIB515 who also robbed villagers in several villages of their rice and livestock, in Nawng Mai village tract, Lai-Kha township.
Sometime in September-October 2005, a patrol of 30-40 SPDC troops from LIB515 came to Paang Ae village in Nawng Mai village tract and conscripted a villager, Zaai Mawng (m), aged 17, to serve as a guide.
After continuing their patrol for about an hour, the SPDC troops became angry at Zaai Mawng because he was not able to answer some of their questions and beat him. The SPDC troops beat and kicked Zaai Mawng until he was rolling on the ground, and they left him near dead lying on the road.
The SPDC troops continued their patrol, taking what they wanted from the villages they passed through. They killed and took away one pig and several chickens at Saam Seng village, and robbed the villagers of Ho Khaai village of 3 baskets of their rice. They also killed and took 4 chickens at Kung Keng village before they rounded up their patrol.
A 15-YEAR-OLD BOY SEVERELY BEATEN UP, IN NAM-ZARNG
In September 2005, two villagers who were visiting a village fair were arrested and one was severely beaten up, while the other escaped, by SPDC troops from a military camp at Kho Lam village, in Nam-Zarng township.
On 18 September 2005, Zaai Kaw (m), aged 17 and Zaai Kham (m), aged 15 (not their real names), from Nam Hu village in Naa Poi village tract, Nam-Zarng township, went to a village fair at Paang Ae village in Nawng Mai village tract, Lai-Kha township.
While they were roaming in the fair, a patrol of about 5-6 SPDC troops from Kho Lam camp came and arrested Zaai Kaw and Zaai Kham, and took them back to Nam-Zarng township. On the way, Zaai Kaw managed to escape by running into a roadside forest.
The younger boy, Zaai Kham, was left alone in the hands of the SPDC troops who interrogated him, beat and tortured him. The SPDC troops wanted to know about the Shan soldiers and when Zaai Kham could not answer their questions, they beat and kicked him.
After several cycles of questioning and beating and kicking, when Zaai Kham still could not give them the answer they wanted, the SPDC troops gave up and went away, leaving him lying on the road.
FORCED LABOUR IN CONSTRUCTION OF MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE IN KAE-SEE
Since late last year, 2005, SPDC troops in Kae-See township have been forcing people to work in constructing a new military base at one location and in building a road and other military facilities at another, both in Kae-See township.
Since October 2005 up to the time of this report, SPDC troops of IB2 have been forcibly using unpaid forced labour of the people in Murng Nawng village tract in Kae-See township in building a new military base in the area.
People are being forced to split rocks and mini-tractors have to transport the stones and rocks from the rock-splitting sites to the site of the new military base on a regular basis.
Each day, 10 mini-tractors have to transport the rocks 2 times and 3 labourers have to go with each tractor to work in loading and unloading the rocks. All the mini-tractors have to provide their own fuel and all the workers have to provide their own food.
Since November 2005 up to the time this report was received in February 2006, SPDC troops of IB131 had forced the townspeople of Kae-See to work in building a road leading to the military base and other facilities in the base.
People were forced to split rocks in the mountains and mini-tractors were forced to transport the rocks to the road building sites and the base. All the 43 tractors in the town were required to take turns and work on a daily basis and 3 persons had to go with each tractor to load and unload the rocks.
In addition to receiving nothing for their time and labour, the mini-tractors had to provide their own fuel and the labourers had to provide their own meals.
ROUTINE FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-PAN
Since August 2005 up to the present, SPDC troops at a camp near Ho Phaai village in Murng-Pan township have been forcing villagers to provide occasional as well as routine forced labour.
One of the routine types of forced labour is called “pai wan” in Shan, literally meaning “stay in wait for the day”, which requires at least one villager to standby at the camp for 24 hours at a time.
Villagers have to work in rotation replacing one another every 24 hours so that there is always at least one villager at the camp anytime day and night.
Villagers on “pai wan” duty are mainly used as messengers to send messages and as guides to guide the SPDC troops on their patrols.
But when there are no messages to be sent to community leaders or other military units, and no patrols to be made, the villagers are forced to do other things in the camp.
Work the villagers have to do includes clearing camp compounds, digging trenches, making bamboo spikes, laying booby traps with those spikes outside the fences around the camp and fixing fences, etc..
One villager from every house has to do the work. Even houses where there are only elderly or widows and small children are not spared, and to hire a labourer for 24 hours cost about 2,500 kyat.
This is one of the causes that have been making people flee to different places, including Thailand.
FORCIBLE CULTIVATION OF PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS IN SHAN STATE
Over the last 4-5 months, since around October-November last year up to the present, SPDC authorities have been forcing people to grow castor-oil plants or physic nut plants in townships all over Shan State, on so large a scale that it should be termed “physic nut mania” (or castor-oil mania) of the junta.
People have been forced to find physic nut seedlings/saplings or branches by themselves or buy them from the SPDC troops and grow them in large numbers around their houses and villages, and along the roads, including in gardens, fields and farms close to the roads.
The reason for this “physic nut mania” is said to be an attempt by the SPDC authorities to substitute petroleum-based fuel, which is now becoming more and more scarce and expensive, with castor-oil-based fuel which can be grown and produced.
But some people believe that the Burmese junta’s troops are just practising superstitious rituals to prevent political unrest as life has become more and more difficult for most people due to the ever increasing prices of commodities and the worsening situation of human rights abuses.
One of the superstitious beliefs is like this: The hysic nut or castor-oil plant is called “kyet suu” in Burmese, which means “noisy chicken” or “chicken makes noise”. When a lot of chickens make a lot of noise, human beings are not able to make so much noise, or make their voices heard over the din of the chickens’ noises.
The key mantra for this superstition is “kyet suu, luu ma suu” in Burmese, which means “when chickens make noises, human beings will not”, and to ensure that the ritual works there has to be a lot of “kyet suu”. Hence the mass forced cultivation of physic nut plants.
Another belief goes as follows: It is said that the name “kyet suu” has certain astrological relations with the name “Suu Kyi” (Aung San Suu Kyi). While the words “Suu Kyi” have “s” and “k” as their initials, “kyet suu” have “s” and “k”, the reverse of the former.
In order to silence and render a person with a certain name inactive, something with an astrologically powerful reverse name has to be in abundance, and “Kyet suu” happens to be just the one that will destroy “Suu Kyi”. By growing “kyet suu” in large numbers all over the country to overshadow “Suu Kyi”, she will not be able to raise her voice or head again!
Whatever the reasons, the people have had to bear the brunt. They have been forced en masse to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants in unreasonably large numbers for unreasonable lengths of time. This has been forced on them without relieving any other already existing compulsory duties they have had to perform, causing extreme difficulties and prompting many to flee.
The following are reports on the incidents of forced labour and extortion being imposed on the people in Shan State in the said forcible physic nut/castor-oil plants cultivation, which is one of the State-run projects, as received by SHRF during the last 3-4 months.
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS IN NAM-ZARNG
In November 2005, villagers of several villages in Nam-Zarng township were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC troops of IB66 based in Nam-Zarng.
Starting on 6 November 2005, each household was required to grow 600 physic nut/castor-oil plants around their houses and along the main roads until the villages were joined with one another by the lines of physic nut/castor-oil plants. This was to be completed by 4 January 2006.
The labour and the time required to do the forced labour were too much for many villagers who needed to work on a daily basis to earn enough to survive and have caused some villagers to flee to other places, including the border areas with Thailand.
The following villages were among those ordered to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants:
1. Wan Pung, 48 households
2. Naa Lao, 24 households
3. Loi Yai, 20 households
4. Tai Kaao, 30 households
5. Pet Lak Ho Oo, 20 households
6. Naa Khaa, 21 households
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS, CAUSING DEATH, IN MURNG-PAN
In January 2006, people in Murng-Pan township, including those in the town and all the village tracts, were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC troops of LIB332 based in Murng-Pan.
Each household was required to find seedlings, saplings or branches of physic nut/castor-oil plants by themselves and grow not less than 200 plants around their houses. Those who failed to do so could be fined or have to face punishment.
An elderly man of Murng-Pan town, Paw Thao Laek, aged 76, died while gathering physic nut/castor-oil plants. In order to grow them as required by the authorities, Paw Thao Laek went to gather physic nut/castor-oil plants at an old village, Naa Ing (relocated), some distance from the town and brought them back home a little at a time.
One day, he was seen sitting and leaning on his shoulder-loads on a bridge in a field south of Naa Ing village by other people who had also come to gather physic nut/castor-oil plants. But when people got near him, they found that he was already dead for some time.
Local people said that Paw Thao Leak died trying to help his granddaughter, a widow who lived alone with 3 small children in a house, who needed to fulfil her forced labour duty but could hardly do it.
PEOPLE IN RELOCATION SITE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS IN KUN-HING
In January 2006, displaced people in a relocation site adjacent to Kun-Hing town, which has now become No. 3 town quarter called ‘Wan Paang’, were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC military authorities.
In the said Wan Paang relocation site, there are now about 500 households of displaced people who have been forcibly relocated from the surrounding villages during the 1996-97 mass forced relocations carried out by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops.
These people were required to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants around Kun-Hing town and along the main road from the town to Ka Li village about 5 miles to the east. The seedlings, or branches of physic nut/castor-oil plants, were provided by the SPDC troops at the rate of 45,000 kyat per truckload.
Those who could not go to work personally had to hire others to fulfil their forced labour duty at the rate of 1,500 kyat per person per day. Those who could pay 5,000 kyat to the SPDC troops did not need to go to work during this physic nut/castor-oil planting course.
However, out of the 500 or so households of displaced people, only a few could afford such luxury. Most of them had to go personally on a daily basis, using their own tools and providing their own food, effectively disabling them from catering to their own necessities.
Furthermore, these displaced people have been subjected to other extortion by the Burmese junta’s troops. They have been required to pay a monthly tax to the military authorities at the rate of 3,000 kyat per household per month since they were first relocated in 1996-97 up to the present.
They have always been required to pay taxes whenever any occasions or events, be they weddings or funerals, took place in the relocation site, and lately they have also been forced to pay taxes for the lands where they used to grow rice and sesame.
In December 2005, farmers from Wan Paang relocation site who intended to grow crops in Loi Long area were forced to pay taxes by SPDC troops of LIB524 before they were allowed to use the lands. The taxes were 3,000 kyat for 1 plot of sesame farm and 1,000 kyat for 1 plot of rice farm.
PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS FORCIBLY GROWN IN LOI-LEM
In January 2006, villagers of Ho Nam village in Ho Nam village tract, Loi-Lem township, were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC township authorities.
The villagers were required to buy the seedlings (or twigs and branches) from the SPDC troops at the rate of 1,500 kyat for 1,000 seedlings, and grow them around their houses and along the roads around their village.
After the villagers had planted some of the seedlings the SPDC troops came every 2-3 days and examined and ordered the villagers to replant those that they said had not been properly planted. The villagers also were required to buy more seedlings from the SPDC troops to replace those that had died.
Even without having to replant the seedlings, the work would have taken not less than a month. With the frequent replanting, it has taken much longer, causing some villagers to flee for not being able to earn enough food for lack of time.
Another report said that each and every house in Loi-Lem township has been forced to grow at least 200 physic nut/castor-oil plants around and in front of their houses. People were also required to find the saplings themselves.
In addition, each village in the township was required to collectively cultivate at least 5 acres of physic nut/castor-oil plants. The SPDC troops of IB12 themselves were also growing physic nut/castor-oil plants on plots of land confiscated from the people.
The townspeople and villagers alike were required to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants at their houses. Those who failed to do exactly as instructed were given 5 days of forced labour in other works as punishment.
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS IN MAWK-MAI
In January 2006, people in Mawk-Mai township were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC troops of IB32 based in Mawk-Mai.
On 22 January 2006, SPDC military authorities in Mawk-Mai issued an order requiring people in the township to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants along all the main roads. Each household was required to grow at least 1,000 plants and those who failed to do so could face punishment, said the order.
The township Forestry Department was told by the military to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants on 3,000 acres of land, causing the officer in charge to resign and join the monkhood in anticipation of the enormous burden that he would surely be unable to bear.
The SPDC troops themselves were also going around, cutting and/or uprooting and trucking away physic nut/castor-oil plants which villagers had a long time ago planted around their houses, gardens and farms as fences. It has been a long tradition for the villagers in the area to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants as fences around their houses, villages and lands.
By cutting and/or uprooting and taking away the physic nut/castor-oil plants which the villagers had planted around their lands, the SPDC troops have actually destroyed the fences that protected the villagers’ lands and property.
VILLAGERS FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS IN KUN-HING
In February 2006, villagers of Wan Lao village in Wan Lao village tract, Kun-Hing township, were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC troops of IB246 based in Kun-Hing.
There were about 150 households in Wan Lao and each household was required to grow 450 physic nut/castor-oil plants along the sides of the main road from Wan Lao village up to Kun-Hing town. Those who did not have the seedlings had to buy them from the SPDC troops at the price of 200 kyat for 3 plants.
Wan Lao village was once deserted due to the mass forced relocations carried out in 1996-97 by the then SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) troops. People were allowed to return just a few years ago and there were only about 150 households scattered in and around the original village site at the time of this report.
Newly arrived refugees from Wan Lao complained that in addition to different kinds of human rights violations and forced labour, villagers of Wan Lao still had to serve the SPDC troops frequently as unpaid guides and occasionally as porters. The villagers only had about 15 days per month to work for their own survival; the rest were for the Burmese military.
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT/CASTOR-OIL PLANTS IN LAI-KHA
In February 2006, villagers of Paang Ae village in Nawng Kaw village tract, Lai-Kha township, were forced to grow physic nut/castor-oil plants by the SPDC troops of LIB515 based in Lai-Kha.
Each of the 31 houses in Paang Ae village was required to grow 60 physic nut/castor-oil plants in straight lines along the sides of the roads and in the gardens and lands close to the roads. Furthermore, the villagers were liable to a fine of 500 kyat for each of the plants that had died.
Since then the villagers have been burdened with the duty of looking after the physic nut/castor-oil plants, e.g., protecting them and watering them on a daily basis, to make sure that they take root to avoid having to pay the fines they could hardly afford.
This has caused some villagers who made their living on a day to day basis to flee to other places because they did not have enough time to earn money to buy enough food for themselves and their families.
Villagers tortured for "not seeing" the rebels