SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2006

COMMENTARY

FORCED LABOUR
        For members of the Burmese military junta in Shan State, the comfort of enjoying the use of forced labour of the people in virtually all their activities seems to have become a deep-rooted addiction, or habit, that is very difficult to give up altogether.
        Like addictive drugs, slavery is also highly addictive for those who have enjoyed using it for some time, as clearly proved by numerous events in history, especially the American civil war in the early 1860s.
        Members of the Burmese military in Shan State have been enjoying the comfort of using forced labour, which is a manifestation of a modern form of slavery, of the people for decades.
        The attitude of the current Burmese military junta is proof as to how unwilling they are to give up the long-standing habit when pressured by the international community.
        They have been using all the various means at their disposal in the attempt to avoid the pressure while at the same time still enjoying the use of forced labour, albeit in disguise in many cases.
        It is interesting to see what kind of action will be taken by the concerned parties against the Burmese junta after the coming deadline for reform, if they still find it difficult to believe the junta has stopped using forced labour.
        Like this year’s June issue of this newsletter, this month’s issue also carries mainly incidents of civilian forced labour, often coupled with extortion of money and possessions, being requisitioned by members of the Burmese military junta in Shan State.

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SITUATION OF FORCED LABOUR IN SHAN STATE
        The use of unpaid forced labour of civilians remains one of the most rampant types of human rights violations committed by the Burmese military authorities in Shan State up to the present.
        Although they have been trying for several years to cover up or deny outright the use of civilian forced labour, the authorities seem to have little interest in actually abandoning the long-standing habitual practice.
        All the incidents reported in this issue are of civilian forced labour, many of them coupled with extortion of money and possessions, being used by the SPDC authorities in Shan State as received by SHRF over the last few months:

VILLAGERS FORCED TO SERVE AS PORTERS SUSTAIN SERIOUS INJURIES IN MURNG-NAI
        In April-May 2006, SPDC troops from LIB576 forced villagers of Pa Sa village in Nawng Hee village tract, Murng-Nai township, to serve as porters for 6 days, causing their shoulders to sustain serious injuries from the heavy loads they had to carry.
        LIB576 is based a little to the east of Pa Sa village in Nawng Hee village tract, Murng-Nai township, and is known as “Tap Maan Pa Sa”, meaning Pa Sa Burmese military camp, in the area.
        On 28 April 2006, a patrol of 55 SPDC troops from LIB576, led by Capt. Thein Htun Oo, conscripted 4 villagers from Pa Sa village to serve as unpaid porters. They were Zaai Aw (m), aged 29, Kaw-Na (m), aged 36, Kan-Thi (m), aged 35 and Zin-Ta (m), aged 53.
        The villagers were forced to carry heavy loads on their shoulders and go with the SPDC troops in patrolling Nawng Hee village tract for 6 whole days, resting only at night, circling a wide area until they got back to the base of LIB576.
        The villagers were then released. All of them sustained serious injuries in their shoulders, which took several weeks to heal, caused by the weight and friction of the heavy loads they had to carry for 6 consecutive days.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO SERVE AS PORTERS FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN KAE-SEE AND LAI-KHA
        In February 2006, villagers of Nawng Wo in Wan Zing village tract, Kae-See township, were conscripted by SPDC troops from LIB543 to serve as unpaid porters for 3 days, and villagers of Wan Yurng village in Lai-Kha township were conscripted to replace them.
        On 5 February 2006, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng-based LIB543 came to Nawng Wo village in Wan Zing village tract, Kae-See township, and conscripted 4 villagers to serve as porters.
        The villagers were forced to carry heavy loads and go with the SPDC troops on their patrol. At one point during the day, one of the porters threw down the load he was carrying and fled into the nearby jungle and escaped.
        The SPDC then divided the load left by the escaped porter into 3 portions and gave one to each of the remaining 3 porters, saying it was their duty to carry also the load left by their fellow villager, and continued their patrol.
        After 3 days, the SPDC patrol reached Wan Yurng village in Lai-Kha township in the evening and stopped for the night. The next morning, the 3 porters were released by the SPDC troops, saying that villagers of Wan Yurng would be conscripted to take their place.

ROUTINE FORCED LABOUR TO STAY ON STANDBY AND SERVE AS GUIDES/PORTERS IN MURNG-KERNG
        (Forcibly conscripting civilians to stay on standby and run errands or serve as  porters and/or guides is one of the routine types of forced labour used by virtually all the Burmese military camps and bases, especially in the rural areas.)
        For years, up to the time of this report, people in Murng Khun village tract, Murng-Kerng township, have often been forced to stay on standby at military camps and serve as guides and porters by SPDC troops of LIB514 and IB286.
        On a daily basis, villagers of Murng Khun tract have to provide at least 1 forced labourer to go and stay on standby at each of the said 2 military camps, the Murng-Kerng-based LIB514 to the south and the Kae-See-based IB286 to the northeast.
        At least 4 times per month, often 3-4 days per time, villagers on standby have to go with the SPDC troops on patrols either as guides or porters, or both. Those who tried to escape were, when caught, severely beaten up.
        The villages of those who did escape were later forced by the SPDC troops to pay a fine as punishment, often in the form of livestock, e.g. pigs and chickens, worth not less than between 160,000 and 200,000 kyat per case.
        Villagers of Nawng Kio, Wan Paang and Ta Saa Le villages in Murng Khun tract said they had to face the same situation for years, and they thought the other villages in their village tract and other village tracts also had to face the same fate.

MASS FORCED LABOUR IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN LAI-KHA
        (The following is a more detailed version of forced labour being used in a road building project involving 3 townships, Lai-Kha, Kae-See and Murng-Su, that has been briefly reported on in the June issue of this newsletter. But the following is only about the incidents that have taken place in Lai-Kha township alone)
        Since March 2006 up to the time this report was received in late June, villagers of 9 village tracts in Lai-Kha township have been forced by SPDC authorities to build a road starting from Lai-Kha town up to the boundary of Murng-Su township.
        On 13 March 2006, SPDC authorities of Lai-Kha township called a meeting of 9 village tract leaders at the SPDC township office in Lai-Kha town. At the meeting, the village tract leaders were told that they were required to help the SPDC government in building the said road.
        The 9 village tracts were Paang Saang, Wan Heng, Wan Saang, Wan Lur, Nawng Kaw, Haai Seng, Taad Mawk, Wan Thi and Naa Yawng.
        Each village tract was required to pave at least 3 miles span of the road with rocks and stones, which they also would have to take the responsibility to split elsewhere and transport to the road, using their own means and resources.
        In short, the people would have to build a stone-paved road all on their own. Then the SPDC authorities would bring in roller machines to flatten the road and provide tar which the villagers would have to take the responsibility to spread on the road.
        The villagers had no say whatsoever, but to go back to their village tracts and carry out the order as soon as possible because the road was expected to be completed by the end of June 2006.

FORCED RICE PLANTATIONS, EXTORTION, IN 5 TOWNSHIPS IN SOUTHERN SHAN STATE
        Since April 2006, SPDC police forces in Larng-Khur, Murng-Nai, Murng-Pan and Mawk-Mai townships, and Kaeng Tawng sub-township, have been using forced labour of the people in cultivating rice for them and their families.
        On 24 April 2006, SPDC authorities in Larng-Khur township called a meeting of the heads of the police forces from the said 5 townships and said that for the year 2006 the police were required to grow their own rice to support themselves.
        Since then the police have been busy carrying out the order for which forced labour of the people, including tractors, has been widely used in their respective areas of control.
        In Murng-Nai township and Kaeng Tawng sub-township, the police asked the local farmers to provide them with some rice of a certain Burmese strain, which the authorities have forced the farmers to grow in some parts of their fields each year, to be used as seeds.
        They then chose some of the deserted rice fields, abandoned by farmers who were forcibly relocated or forced to flee some years ago, in the areas to grow their rice. Since each member of the police was required to grow 1 basket of rice seeds, according to the order, the area of the land in all had to be big enough for all the police members, which were thought to be over 100.
        Mini-tractors of the local farmers were then forced to plough the fields and local people were forced to help the police in many aspects in growing the rice. Although the police said they would provide fuel for the tractors, the labourers would just have to help them for free.
        The situations in the 3 other townships were not much different from that of the 2 townships described above.

FORCED PLANTATION OF PHYSIC NUT AND EXTORTION IN KAENG-TUNG
        Since May 2006, dry-rice farmers in Kaeng-Tung township have been forced to buy saplings of physic nut and grow them around their farms by the township SPDC authorities in Kaeng-Tung township.
        On 1 May 2006, village and village tract leaders in Kaeng-Tung township were summoned to a meeting by the township SPDC authorities and told that every dry-rice farm in the township was required to grow at least 450 physic nut plants around it, no matter how far and remote the farm was.
        Farmers were required to buy 450 physic nut saplings from the Burmese military at a rate of 120 kyat per plant. The money, which was meant for supporting the families of the Burmese troops, was to be handed to the authorities in accordance with the numbers of farms in each village tract.
        The saplings would then be trucked to the main village of the village tract that had paid the money. Physic nut plants that were not bought from the military would not be counted. Even if there were physic nut plants brought from elsewhere planted at the farms, the farmers would still be obliged to buy 450 saplings from the authorities.
        Farms around which were not planted physic nut bought from the authorities would be confiscated, if they were found by the authorities on inspection after a certain period of time, the community leaders were told.

FORCED PHYSIC NUT PLANTATIONS IN KUN-HING
        Since March 2006, people in southern and southeastern parts of Kun-Hing township, comprising 8 village tracts, have been forced to grow physic nut plants by the SPDC military authorities of IB246.
        In March 2006, SPDC authorities of IB246 called a meeting of community leaders of the following 8 village tracts from the south and southeastern parts of Kun-Hing township: Kaeng Lom, Kaeng Kham, Wan Lao, Ho Yaan, Saai Murng, Wan Tong, Wan Phaai and Waeng Phui.
        The community leaders were told that they were required to cultivate physic nut plantations for the Burmese military in their areas. The plantations were to be at 2 places each of which would be the responsibility of 4 village tracts.
        The 4 village tracts on the western side of the Nam Paang river were to collectively cultivate about 3 square miles of land in their area, and the 4 other village tracts on the eastern side of the river were designated to work about 5 square miles of land in their area.
        Villagers were allowed to find the seeds and saplings of physic nut by themselves if they could. But if they could not, they would have to buy them from the families of the SPDC soldiers. The saplings were sold at a rate of 150 kyat per plant, and the seeds 1,500 kyat per condensed-milk-tin.
        The plantations were required to be completed within 2 months, after which the villagers would still continue to be responsible to look after them until they produce physic nuts, for at least 3 years.
        The said 8 village tracts were once forced relocation areas and had been deserted since 1996-97 until a few years ago when some people were allowed to resettle in the area. There were only a small number of households, about 1,200, in all the village tracts at the time of this report.

PEOPLE FORCED TO BUY MULES, FORCED TO SERVE AS MULETEERS, FOR THE MILITARY IN NAM-ZARNG
        In May 2006, people in Kho Lam village tract, Nam-Zarng township, were forced by SPDC troops of LIB543 to provide money to buy 2 mules to be used to carry things in patrolling the area. Later, villagers in the area were also required to serve as muleteers when the troops went out on patrol.
        Although the amount of money each household had to give to the SPDC troops was not known, each of the mules bought cost about 600,000 kyat, according to the market price in the area.
        When the SPDC troops went out to patrol the area using the 2 mules, often for about 4-5 days, at least one villager was required to go with them to serve as a muleteer and look after the mules.
        The SPDC troops went out on patrol at least 2 times a month, and each time they collected 4,000-5,000 kyat of money from the villagers, supposed to pay the muleteers. But no muleteers had ever received any payment for their labour.
        According to people in the area, villagers in other village tracts in Nam-Zarng township were also forced to do more or less the same by the SPDC troops in their areas.

OX-CART BURNT, OXEN KILLED, AFTER FORCED LABOUR IN MURNG-KERNG
        Sometime in late 2005, an ox-cart was seized when the owner was not found to conscript as a porter by SPDC troops from IB214 at Naa Khao Lurng village in Ham Ngaai village tract, Murng-Kerng township.
        On the day of the incident, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB214 came to Naa Khao Lurng village and seized 4 villagers, who were going to their farms at the entrance of the village and conscripted them to serve as porters.
        The SPDC troops continued into the village to conscript more porters, but they found only women and children as all the adult males fled when they saw the troops seize the said 4 villagers. So they took an ox-cart with 2 oxen they found in one of the houses instead.
        The troops used the 4 porters and the ox-cart to carry their things and continued their patrol until they reached the area of Kung Pao village (relocated), where they released the 4 porters.
        But the ox-cart was driven until they got to Ho Ha village in the same village tract, where the troops killed and ate the 2 oxen and burnt the cart. The cart and oxen were said to belong to Zaai Pan-Ti, male, aged 30, of Naa Khao Lurng village.

FORCIBLE USE OF MINI-TRACTORS, OWNERS FORCED TO PROVIDE FUEL, IN KAE-SEE
        In February 2006, 2 mini-tractors of the villagers of Wan Zing village in Wan Zing village tract, Kae-See township, were forcibly taken and used by SPDC troops of IB287, and the owners were also forced to provide fuel for the tractors.
        Without asking or informing them, the SPDC troops went to the houses of the owners of the 2 tractors and drove them off. Only then did the owners learn that their tractors had been conscripted by the SPDC troops from IB287.
        Each day, the SPDC troops came back with the tractors to the owners and forced them to buy 2 gallons of diesel fuel for each of the tractors. For 4 consecutive days, the owners had to buy fuel for the SPDC troops at a rate of 8,000 kyat per gallon.
        A few days after the SPDC troops stopped coming back for fuel and had not returned the tractors, the owners went to enquire about them at the military base, and had to drive them back themselves.

FORCED LABOUR AND EXTORTION IN FIXING SCHOOL BUILDING IN MURNG-TON
        In March 2006, villagers of Mawk Zali village in Mae Ken village tract, Murng-Ton township, were forced to saw lumber and buy tin roofing for the renovation of a school building by the SPDC authorities of LIB519.
        A patrol of SPDC troops from LIB519, led by commander Min Htut, came to Mawk Zali village and, after inspecting the elementary school, said that the school building was in a state of decay and needed to be repaired.
        It was the only school in Mawk Zali. The school was a single long wooden building with tin roofing, and consisted of 12 compartments. Some wooden planking in the walls of the school was ruined and some of the roofing sheets were rusting and leaking.
        Commander Min Htut then called a meeting of village leaders and elders and told them to repair the school building, saying that SPDC authorities would later provide 300,000 kyat of money to help in restoring it.
        After that the school building was measured and building materials needed were calculated. The villagers were required to buy 30 sheets of tin roofing and produce some lumber. The SPDC authorities would allow the villagers to cut some teak trees and saw them into lumber.
        The villagers had to saw and produce the following lumber: 120 pieces of 3”x2” planking, each 12 ft. long; 135 pieces of 6”x1” planking and 20 pieces of 4”x2” planking; and fix the school building all by themselves, which took them several days to complete.
        Only after the school building was properly restored did the SPDC troops come and take pictures of it which, according to them, would be shown to the concerned authorities in order to get some funds.
        The SPDC troops even emphasized that the villagers should be grateful to them for helping to renovate the decaying school building so that their children could study comfortably, and further told the villagers not to hesitate to tell them when they needed help in the future.
        Although they waited for some time for the money promised them by the SPDC commander, there was no sign or news of it. So the villagers had to collect money among themselves and paid for the tin roofing, and those who had provided full-time labour in restoring the school, thinking they would be paid later.

A PALAUNG VILLAGER FORCED TO ACT AS A DESERTER, A PIG KILLED, IN KAE-SEE
        In March 2006, a pig was shot and eaten by SPDC troops from IB131 at Luk Kud village in Murng Kaao village tract, Kae-See township, and later a Palaung villager was forced by them to act as a dead deserter.
        On 10 March 2006, a patrol of SPDC troops from IB131 came to Luk Kud, a Palaung village in Murng Kaao village tract, Kae-See township, at around 8 o’clock in the morning. They shot dead one of the villagers’ pigs and ate it with rice as their morning meal in the village.
        After eating their meal, without caring to pay for the pig or even to ask who the owner of the pig was, the SPDC troops left the village to continue their patrol. They stopped when they saw a man working in a remote farm about 1-1/2 miles northeast of Luk Kud village. The man was Zaai Awng, aged 30, from Luk Kud.
        Zaai Awng was ordered to change into a set of Burmese military fatigues and lay prone on the ground and some red liquid that looked like pig’s blood was doused on his head. Some pictures were then taken with one of the SPDC troops standing over Zaai Awng and aiming his rifle at his head.
        Zaai Awng was then ordered to take off the military fatigues and wash them in a nearby stream. After a while, as the clothes left hanging on some bushes were almost dry, the SPDC troops called him to come to them.
        The SPDC troops told Zaai Awng that one of their troops had deserted and they could not find him anywhere. So they had to do what they had just done in order to take the pictures back to their superiors to prove that they had killed the deserter.
        Just before they left, the SPDC troops also warned Zaai Awng not to tell anyone about the incident.