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SHRF MONTHLY REPORT - FEBRUARY 2007
Shan Human Rights Foundation
SHRF MONTHLY REPORT -- FEBRUARY 2007
COMMENTARY
FORCED LABOUR
After trying several stratagems without much success, the Burmese military junta seems to have recently come up with what they expect will be the most effective scheme in disguising forced labour.
The SPDC authorities are now planning to require all the people to join at least one of the many so-called nongovernment organizations, formed and functioning under their supervision, so that they can use forced labour of these people in the names of those organizations, instead of just forcing people in general.
There are several such organizations, e.g., Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), National Red Cross, Maternity, Women’s Affairs and Fire Fighters, etc..
The process has already started recently in Ta-Khi-Laek township. In the area of Ta Lur village tract or sub-township, each member of every family has been required to join one or another of the organizations. For instance, in a family, while the husband has to join the Fire Fighters the wife has to join the Maternity, the son the USDA and the daughter the Women’s Affairs, or the National Red Cross, etc..
When forced labour of these people are required, they will have to go as members of their respective organizations, not anymore as ordinary villagers or people in general. Thus, there will not be any more forced labour of the people in the future, but only willing help by civilian organizations in support of the military.
All the reports in this month’s issue are about unpaid civilian forced labour used by the SPDC authorities during the early part of the second half of last year up until the present.
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SITUATION OF FORCED PORTERING
Unpaid forced portering of civilians, one of the worst types of forced labour imposed on the people in Shan State since the Burmese military took power more than 4 decades ago, is still occasionally used by patrolling SPDC troops although in many cases convicts are now being used for portering, especially in the rural areas.
Forced portering was widely and blatantly used, sometimes including hundreds or even thousands of porters, by the successive Burmese juntas’ troops in their patrols and military operations until recently when it was reduced to some extent.
Lately, prisoners have been used instead of villagers in military operations where a number of porters were required. However, in small patrols by local SPDC troops, local villagers are still often forced to serve as porters.
Sometimes villagers were conscripted ostensibly for different purposes but were actually used as porters. The following is one of such incidents:
VILLAGERS FORCED TO SERVE AS GUIDE AND PORTERS, AND BEATEN AND TORTURED, IN NAM-ZARNG
In mid 2006, 3 villagers of Tin Paet village in Nawng Hee village tract, Nam-Zarng township, were conscripted as a guide and porters by SPDC troops from LIB516. The SPDC troops also beat and tortured the villagers during interrogations.
On 19 June 2006, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB516 came to Tin Paet village in Nawng Hee village tract, Nam-Zarng township, and conscripted 3 villagers to serve as guides. But only one villager had to serve as a guide and the other 2 had to carry cooking utensils, e.g., pots and pans, etc.. The 3 villagers were: Zaai Kyan (m), aged 37; Zaai Sa (m), aged 20; and Kaw-Ling (m), aged 30.
After they had patrolled the area for 3 days, the SPDC troops started to interrogate the 3 villagers about the movements of Shan soldiers in the area. As the villagers denied any knowledge of the Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops beat and tortured them, dripping drops of burning plastic sheets on their heads.
The next day, the SPDC troops took the villagers to a village and continued to interrogate them. As it was in the area of a Pa-O ceasefire group, they heard about the incident and pleaded with the SPDC troops for the release of the villagers, saying that they were just innocent villagers.
The SPDC troops released the villagers on the plea of the Pa-O ceasefire group, but warned the villagers not to talk about the forced portering, and the beating and torture during interrogations, at their village, threatening to come back and kill them all if they did.
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FORCED LABOUR IN STATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Mass forced labour in state infrastructure projects is still widely used by the Burmese military authorities up to the present.
The following are 3 of such incidents in which people have been forced en masse to repair roads and railways:
PEOPLE IN LOI-LEM, NAM-ZARNG AND MURNG-NAI FORCED EN MASSE TO REPAIR RAILWAY
Since late October 2006 up to the present, people in Loi-Lem, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai townships have been forced en masse by the SPDC authorities to repair a railway line that had been damaged by the rains during the last rainy season.
During the last rainy season, the railway line spanning Loi-Lem, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai townships was damaged by flash floods, erosions and landslides caused by heavy rains at many places and since the end of the rains the SPDC troops in the areas have been forcing people to repair it.
People have to take responsibility to repair sections of the railway that pass through the populated areas of their respective townships. For sections that pass through non-populated jungles and mountains, people from villages chosen by the SPDC troops have to take responsibility.
For example, in Murng-Nai township, people in Naa Khaan and Haai Phak village tracts have to repair the sections of the railway that pass through their respective village tracts. Each household has to provide one worker every 5 days to work for one day, during which the workers also have to provide their own food and tools.
Although SPDC troops from IB248, IB66 and IB9 are in charge of overseeing the work in Murng-Nai, Nam-Zarng and Loi-Lem townships respectively, for a section between Murng-Nai and Nam-Zarng which passes through mountains and jungles, villagers from Loi-Lem and Nam-Zarng have been brought in by IB9 and IB66 to do the work.
For that particular section, 2 villages in Loi-Lem and 3 villages in Nam-Zarng had already been forced to provide one worker per household to work for a shift of 7 days during which they had to stay and work at the site and provide their own food.
The said railroad which the people are being forced en masse to repair without pay is said to be about 27 miles long, and the work has been continuing up to the time of this report.
LANDSLIDE DURING ROAD REPAIR KILLS 2 FORCED LABOURERS IN MURNG-TON
In October 2006, 2 villagers were killed in a landslide while being forced to fix a road by the SPDC troops from IB65, in Murng Haang village tract, Murng-Ton township.
On 16 October 2006, villagers of Murng Haang village were forced to fix the motor road between Murng Haang and Naa Kawngmu villages which had been damaged by the rains in the last rainy season.
Since it was an unpaved road, rain water had eaten away the surface creating potholes and landslips at many places. In places where the road ran through steep mountain slopes, there were several landslides, with piles of earth and rocks blocking the road.
While some of the villagers were fixing a section of the road on a mountain slope where there was a landslide, digging away the earth that had covered the road, more land from above suddenly slid down and covered 2 of them, killing them instantly.
The SPDC troops overseeing the work at that moment took no responsibility for the accident. The only thing they did was tell the relatives of the dead to take them back to the village and conduct a proper funeral for them, saying that it was just their fate.
VILLAGERS FORCED TO SPLIT ROCKS AND CONTRIBUTE MONEY FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN MURNG-TON
In September 2006, people of Pung Pa Khem village in Pung Pa Khem village tract, Murng-Ton township, were forced by the SPDC troops from IB65 to split rocks and contribute money for road construction.
On 15 August 2006, the commander of IB65 issued an order to community leaders of Pung Pa Khem village to collect money from the villagers and contribute to the road building project in the area. The amount required was 4,500,000 kyat, to be collected by 30 September 2006.
There were about 300 households in Pung Pa Khem village and to get the demanded amount of money each household needed to provide either 50,000 or 30,000 or 15,000 kyat in accordance with their social and economic status.
The money was said to be used to pay for the transportation of rocks and sand, and to buy tar for paving road. The amount collected from the people was only about 1/3 of the total cost of the construction and the rest, about 2/3, would be provided by the government, said the SPDC authorities.
According to the local people, however, some of the money collected from the people would still remain for the authorities concerned to line their pockets because unpaid forced labour of the people was used in many ways in building the road.
“For example, this month alone (September), villagers have to split rocks and load them on to the trucks for not less than 10 days altogether, all without pay”, complained a local villager.
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FORCED LABOUR IN STATE-RUN PLANTATIONS
In state-run plantations of all sorts, e.g., physic nut and other seasonal crops, mass forced labour of the people is still widely used. In setting up such plantations, lands already cultivated by local people have been confiscated, in some areas to the extent that local farmers were left with no land to work on.
The following are some instances of such incidents:
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT IN TA-KHI-LAEK
Since July 2006, people in several village tracts in Ta-Khi-Laek township have been forced to cultivate physic nut plantations by the SPDC authorities in the township.
In Ta Lur village tract, or sub-township, each household was required to grow physic nut plants on 1 acre of land. The lands were designated by the SPDC authorities, usually farm and woodlands confiscated from the local people.
Each household had to cultivate the 1-acre plot of land designated to them. They had to clear the land, prepare the ground and build fences. They also had to buy physic nut seedlings from the SPDC troops at the rate of 5 baht (Thai money) per plant.
After planting, people have been required to continue to take responsibility for their respective plots of plantations. Up until the present, people still have to look after the physic nut plants, watering them, weeding the ground and replacing the dead and dying plants with new ones.
One more problem for the people is, the SPDC troops occasionally stealthily and deliberately cause some physic nut plants to die so that people need to buy more seedlings from them from time to time. To reduce this problem, people have to collect money among themselves, 50 baht per household per month, to hire guards to look after their plantations.
Some other village tracts such as Murng Laen, Nam Kherm and Pa leo Kaeng Laab, which have been integrated into Ta Lur sub-township, have also been forced to grow physic nut by the SPDC authorities in a similar manner.
LAND CONFISCATION FOR PHYSIC NUT CULTIVATION IN KUN-HING
Like in many other townships, SPDC authorities in Kun-Hing township also confiscated woodlands and farmlands of the local people for physic nut plantations, and required people to buy seedlings from the SPDC troops and plant them in the plantations.
The following is a list of land acreage, number of physic nut seedlings planted and amount of money spent to buy the seedlings in each of the 15 villages, details of which were obtained recently, in Kun-Hing township. The seedlings were bought at the rate of 4 kyat per plant:
1. Wan Paang village = 115 acres; 138,000 plants; 586,500 kyat.
2. Waeng Naang village = 45 acres; 90,000 plants; 382,500 kyat.
3. Waeng Long village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,900 kyat.
4. Pa Lao village = 40 acres; 48,000 plants; 204,000 kyat.
5. Nam Kham village = 40 acres; 48,000 plants; 204,000 kyat.
6. Paang Leng village = 20 acres; 24,000 plants; 102,000 kyat.
7. Terng Phen village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
8. Paang Kwaai village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
9. Naa Khawk village = 65 acres; 78,000 plants; 331,500 kyat.
10. Naa Pawng village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,500 kyat.
11. Wan Tong village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,500 kyat.
12. Naa Keng village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
13. Nam Wen village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
14. Long Zaan village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
15. Ho Mawn village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,500 kyat.
Thus, in just 15 villages in the township, altogether the villagers have been forced to buy 720,000 physic nut seedlings at the cost of 3,006,000 kyat and grow them on 600 acres of land, which was completed sometime in late 2006.
PEOPLE FORCED TO LOOK AFTER PHYSIC NUT PLANTATIONS IN KUN-HING
After forcing people to grow physic nut on lands confiscated from the people and turned into state plantations, SPDC authorities in Kun-Hing township have still been forcing people to look after and maintain those plantations.
Villagers who lived far from the plantations were transported by SPDC troops using mini-tractors, but the villagers had to pay for the fuel. For example, on 11 July 2006, 70 villagers of Wo Long village in Wan Lao village tract were required to go and work for one day at a plantation that was quite far from their village.
Early on that day, the SPDC troops came with several mini-tractors and transported the 70 Wo Long villagers to the said plantation, saying that they needed to reduce travelling time in order for the villagers to have more time to work on the plantation.
However, after they reached their destination the villagers were required to pay 500 kyat each to the SPDC troops who said they did not take the money for themselves, but to buy fuel for the mini-tractors.
There were 5 villages in Wan Lao village tract that had to take turns to go and work at the said plantation to look after the physic nut plants, each village every 5 days, and the villagers often had to pay for their transport despite the fact that they received nothing for their time and labour.
In a small family like that of Naang Naang of Wo Long village, consisting of a single woman and an elderly mother, it was simply impossible for her to fulfill her forced labour duty and at the same time earn enough to support her mother.
Naang Naang had no choice but to take her mother and flee to the Thai border. According to them, there were still many people from her village, not less than 20 families, who were thinking of fleeing to the Thai border when they left their village sometime late last year.
Furthermore, in October 2006, in addition to having to work on physic nut plantations every 5 days with those who faild to turn up being fined 6,000 kyat each, people in 5 village tracts in Kun-Hing township were required to collect physic nut seeds for the SPDC troops of IB246.
Each household in Wan Paang, Kaali Murng Yaai, Nawng Mai, Wan Lao and Saai Khaao village tracts was required to hand over 2 pyi of physic nuts to the SPDC troops. The physic nuts were to be collected from the plantations which the villagers had been required to cultivate. If there were not enough physic nuts, 6,000 kyat of money would have to be paid as a fine.
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW SESAME IN BETWEEN PHYSIC NUT PLANTATIONS IN SEVERAL TOWNSHIPS IN CENTRAL SHAN STATE
Since October 2006, people in townships such as Lai-Kha, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai have been forced by the SPDC authorities in their respective areas to grow sesame between physic nut plantations along the roads.
After forcing people to cultivate physic nut plantations, the SPDC troops of IB64 in Lai-Kha, IB66 and LIB543 in Nam-Zarng, and IB248 in Murng-Nai have again forced people to grow a certain strain of Japanese sesame in spaces between physic nut plantations along the roads in several village tracts joining the 3 townships.
According to eyewitnesses, people were seen growing sesame along the roads from Lai-Kha town to Kho Lam village in Nam-Zarng township, and from Kho Lam village to Nam-Zarng town, and from Nam-Zarng town all the way down to Murng-Nai town in Mung-Nai township, and also from Murng-Nai town along the road towards Naa Khaan village tract in the north.
People in those areas have been required to provide free labour not only for the physic nut plantations but also for the sesame farms for which they have to take responsibility until sesame oil is produced and handed over to the respective military camps.
Working in rotation, every 4 days, one person from each household is required to go for forced labour to work on the physic nut plantations and sesame farms. This means that each household has to provide free forced labour for about 8 days per month just for this purpose, not including many other types of forced labour.
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FORCED USE OF CIVILIAN VEHICLES
Forced use of all kinds of civilian vehicles -- including bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, tractors, ox-carts, mules and horses, etc. -- is still widely practised regularly as well as occasionally in all parts of Shan State.
The following are some of the incidents:
FORCED USE OF MINI-TRACTORS IN KUN-HING
During the second-half of 2006, mini-tractors of villagers in Phaang Laang village tract, Kun-Hing township, were forced to be used by the SPDC troops of IB296 on a regular basis for several months.
Mini-tractors in Phaang Laang village tract had to take turns to transport logs, lumber, rocks, stones, sand and firewood, etc., to the military camp almost every day. There were about 18-19 tractors in the village tract and each tractor was required to go 5-6 times per month.
The tractor owners received nothing in return but even had to provide their own fuel for the tractors and food for the drivers every time. Community leaders were told to tell the villagers not to say that the tractors were forcibly conscripted, but to say that the people offered help to the SPDC troops.
Up until the present, at least 1 tractor per day is said to be still required to be used by the SPDC troops, doing one thing or another on a more or less regular basis.
FORCED USE OF MOTORCYCLES IN KUN-HING
Since some years ago, in addition to requiring villagers to standby at the military camp on a daily basis, the SPDC troops of IB296 in Phaang Laang village tract in Kun-Hing township, also often required villagers’ motorcycles to standby at the camp to be used as necessary.
In order not to have to provide their own motorcycles, the villagers collected money among themselves and bought a motorcycle for the military camp. However, the villagers still have to provide fuel for the motorcycle and pay the costs for its repair as necessary.
When asked what would happen if the villagers refused to provide a motorcycle for the SPDC troops, one of the refugees who came from that area said that the villagers would have been given a lot of trouble and may even have been prevented from cultivating crops on their land.
FORCIBLE USE OF CIVILIAN VEHICLES IN MURNG-PHYAK AND MURNG-YAWNG
Since October 2006, until at least the end of the year, civilian trucks and cars running between Murng-Phyak and Murng-Yawng townships were often stopped on the way by the SPDC troops and forced to carry their things and soldiers either to Murng-Phyak or Murng-Yawng.
Almost every day, some of the cars and trucks were stopped on the way between Murng-Phyak and Murng-Yawng and forced to carry soldiers or their possessions, or both. There were usually about 10 SPDC soldiers at a time and sometimes certain amounts of their possessions.
To make room for the SPDC soldiers and their possessions, some of the original passengers and cargo had to be unloaded from the cars and trucks in the middle of the way, causing great difficulties for both the drivers and the civilian travellers.
Furthermore, if all the SPDC troops that were to board the cars were not already present, the cars were required to wait until they all turned up, and it was quite a waste of time. However, if the drivers refused to take the soldiers and/or their things, they would simply not be allowed to continue their journey.
But the irony was that, the SPDC troops always told the drivers that they were not using people’s forced labour or forcing the drivers to carry them, but they were just asking for help since they were already heading for the same place anyway.
COMMENTARY
FORCED LABOUR
After trying several stratagems without much success, the Burmese military junta seems to have recently come up with what they expect will be the most effective scheme in disguising forced labour.
The SPDC authorities are now planning to require all the people to join at least one of the many so-called nongovernment organizations, formed and functioning under their supervision, so that they can use forced labour of these people in the names of those organizations, instead of just forcing people in general.
There are several such organizations, e.g., Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), National Red Cross, Maternity, Women’s Affairs and Fire Fighters, etc..
The process has already started recently in Ta-Khi-Laek township. In the area of Ta Lur village tract or sub-township, each member of every family has been required to join one or another of the organizations. For instance, in a family, while the husband has to join the Fire Fighters the wife has to join the Maternity, the son the USDA and the daughter the Women’s Affairs, or the National Red Cross, etc..
When forced labour of these people are required, they will have to go as members of their respective organizations, not anymore as ordinary villagers or people in general. Thus, there will not be any more forced labour of the people in the future, but only willing help by civilian organizations in support of the military.
All the reports in this month’s issue are about unpaid civilian forced labour used by the SPDC authorities during the early part of the second half of last year up until the present.
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SITUATION OF FORCED PORTERING
Unpaid forced portering of civilians, one of the worst types of forced labour imposed on the people in Shan State since the Burmese military took power more than 4 decades ago, is still occasionally used by patrolling SPDC troops although in many cases convicts are now being used for portering, especially in the rural areas.
Forced portering was widely and blatantly used, sometimes including hundreds or even thousands of porters, by the successive Burmese juntas’ troops in their patrols and military operations until recently when it was reduced to some extent.
Lately, prisoners have been used instead of villagers in military operations where a number of porters were required. However, in small patrols by local SPDC troops, local villagers are still often forced to serve as porters.
Sometimes villagers were conscripted ostensibly for different purposes but were actually used as porters. The following is one of such incidents:
VILLAGERS FORCED TO SERVE AS GUIDE AND PORTERS, AND BEATEN AND TORTURED, IN NAM-ZARNG
In mid 2006, 3 villagers of Tin Paet village in Nawng Hee village tract, Nam-Zarng township, were conscripted as a guide and porters by SPDC troops from LIB516. The SPDC troops also beat and tortured the villagers during interrogations.
On 19 June 2006, a patrol of SPDC troops from LIB516 came to Tin Paet village in Nawng Hee village tract, Nam-Zarng township, and conscripted 3 villagers to serve as guides. But only one villager had to serve as a guide and the other 2 had to carry cooking utensils, e.g., pots and pans, etc.. The 3 villagers were: Zaai Kyan (m), aged 37; Zaai Sa (m), aged 20; and Kaw-Ling (m), aged 30.
After they had patrolled the area for 3 days, the SPDC troops started to interrogate the 3 villagers about the movements of Shan soldiers in the area. As the villagers denied any knowledge of the Shan soldiers, the SPDC troops beat and tortured them, dripping drops of burning plastic sheets on their heads.
The next day, the SPDC troops took the villagers to a village and continued to interrogate them. As it was in the area of a Pa-O ceasefire group, they heard about the incident and pleaded with the SPDC troops for the release of the villagers, saying that they were just innocent villagers.
The SPDC troops released the villagers on the plea of the Pa-O ceasefire group, but warned the villagers not to talk about the forced portering, and the beating and torture during interrogations, at their village, threatening to come back and kill them all if they did.
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FORCED LABOUR IN STATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Mass forced labour in state infrastructure projects is still widely used by the Burmese military authorities up to the present.
The following are 3 of such incidents in which people have been forced en masse to repair roads and railways:
PEOPLE IN LOI-LEM, NAM-ZARNG AND MURNG-NAI FORCED EN MASSE TO REPAIR RAILWAY
Since late October 2006 up to the present, people in Loi-Lem, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai townships have been forced en masse by the SPDC authorities to repair a railway line that had been damaged by the rains during the last rainy season.
During the last rainy season, the railway line spanning Loi-Lem, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai townships was damaged by flash floods, erosions and landslides caused by heavy rains at many places and since the end of the rains the SPDC troops in the areas have been forcing people to repair it.
People have to take responsibility to repair sections of the railway that pass through the populated areas of their respective townships. For sections that pass through non-populated jungles and mountains, people from villages chosen by the SPDC troops have to take responsibility.
For example, in Murng-Nai township, people in Naa Khaan and Haai Phak village tracts have to repair the sections of the railway that pass through their respective village tracts. Each household has to provide one worker every 5 days to work for one day, during which the workers also have to provide their own food and tools.
Although SPDC troops from IB248, IB66 and IB9 are in charge of overseeing the work in Murng-Nai, Nam-Zarng and Loi-Lem townships respectively, for a section between Murng-Nai and Nam-Zarng which passes through mountains and jungles, villagers from Loi-Lem and Nam-Zarng have been brought in by IB9 and IB66 to do the work.
For that particular section, 2 villages in Loi-Lem and 3 villages in Nam-Zarng had already been forced to provide one worker per household to work for a shift of 7 days during which they had to stay and work at the site and provide their own food.
The said railroad which the people are being forced en masse to repair without pay is said to be about 27 miles long, and the work has been continuing up to the time of this report.
LANDSLIDE DURING ROAD REPAIR KILLS 2 FORCED LABOURERS IN MURNG-TON
In October 2006, 2 villagers were killed in a landslide while being forced to fix a road by the SPDC troops from IB65, in Murng Haang village tract, Murng-Ton township.
On 16 October 2006, villagers of Murng Haang village were forced to fix the motor road between Murng Haang and Naa Kawngmu villages which had been damaged by the rains in the last rainy season.
Since it was an unpaved road, rain water had eaten away the surface creating potholes and landslips at many places. In places where the road ran through steep mountain slopes, there were several landslides, with piles of earth and rocks blocking the road.
While some of the villagers were fixing a section of the road on a mountain slope where there was a landslide, digging away the earth that had covered the road, more land from above suddenly slid down and covered 2 of them, killing them instantly.
The SPDC troops overseeing the work at that moment took no responsibility for the accident. The only thing they did was tell the relatives of the dead to take them back to the village and conduct a proper funeral for them, saying that it was just their fate.
VILLAGERS FORCED TO SPLIT ROCKS AND CONTRIBUTE MONEY FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN MURNG-TON
In September 2006, people of Pung Pa Khem village in Pung Pa Khem village tract, Murng-Ton township, were forced by the SPDC troops from IB65 to split rocks and contribute money for road construction.
On 15 August 2006, the commander of IB65 issued an order to community leaders of Pung Pa Khem village to collect money from the villagers and contribute to the road building project in the area. The amount required was 4,500,000 kyat, to be collected by 30 September 2006.
There were about 300 households in Pung Pa Khem village and to get the demanded amount of money each household needed to provide either 50,000 or 30,000 or 15,000 kyat in accordance with their social and economic status.
The money was said to be used to pay for the transportation of rocks and sand, and to buy tar for paving road. The amount collected from the people was only about 1/3 of the total cost of the construction and the rest, about 2/3, would be provided by the government, said the SPDC authorities.
According to the local people, however, some of the money collected from the people would still remain for the authorities concerned to line their pockets because unpaid forced labour of the people was used in many ways in building the road.
“For example, this month alone (September), villagers have to split rocks and load them on to the trucks for not less than 10 days altogether, all without pay”, complained a local villager.
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FORCED LABOUR IN STATE-RUN PLANTATIONS
In state-run plantations of all sorts, e.g., physic nut and other seasonal crops, mass forced labour of the people is still widely used. In setting up such plantations, lands already cultivated by local people have been confiscated, in some areas to the extent that local farmers were left with no land to work on.
The following are some instances of such incidents:
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW PHYSIC NUT IN TA-KHI-LAEK
Since July 2006, people in several village tracts in Ta-Khi-Laek township have been forced to cultivate physic nut plantations by the SPDC authorities in the township.
In Ta Lur village tract, or sub-township, each household was required to grow physic nut plants on 1 acre of land. The lands were designated by the SPDC authorities, usually farm and woodlands confiscated from the local people.
Each household had to cultivate the 1-acre plot of land designated to them. They had to clear the land, prepare the ground and build fences. They also had to buy physic nut seedlings from the SPDC troops at the rate of 5 baht (Thai money) per plant.
After planting, people have been required to continue to take responsibility for their respective plots of plantations. Up until the present, people still have to look after the physic nut plants, watering them, weeding the ground and replacing the dead and dying plants with new ones.
One more problem for the people is, the SPDC troops occasionally stealthily and deliberately cause some physic nut plants to die so that people need to buy more seedlings from them from time to time. To reduce this problem, people have to collect money among themselves, 50 baht per household per month, to hire guards to look after their plantations.
Some other village tracts such as Murng Laen, Nam Kherm and Pa leo Kaeng Laab, which have been integrated into Ta Lur sub-township, have also been forced to grow physic nut by the SPDC authorities in a similar manner.
LAND CONFISCATION FOR PHYSIC NUT CULTIVATION IN KUN-HING
Like in many other townships, SPDC authorities in Kun-Hing township also confiscated woodlands and farmlands of the local people for physic nut plantations, and required people to buy seedlings from the SPDC troops and plant them in the plantations.
The following is a list of land acreage, number of physic nut seedlings planted and amount of money spent to buy the seedlings in each of the 15 villages, details of which were obtained recently, in Kun-Hing township. The seedlings were bought at the rate of 4 kyat per plant:
1. Wan Paang village = 115 acres; 138,000 plants; 586,500 kyat.
2. Waeng Naang village = 45 acres; 90,000 plants; 382,500 kyat.
3. Waeng Long village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,900 kyat.
4. Pa Lao village = 40 acres; 48,000 plants; 204,000 kyat.
5. Nam Kham village = 40 acres; 48,000 plants; 204,000 kyat.
6. Paang Leng village = 20 acres; 24,000 plants; 102,000 kyat.
7. Terng Phen village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
8. Paang Kwaai village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
9. Naa Khawk village = 65 acres; 78,000 plants; 331,500 kyat.
10. Naa Pawng village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,500 kyat.
11. Wan Tong village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,500 kyat.
12. Naa Keng village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
13. Nam Wen village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
14. Long Zaan village = 30 acres; 36,000 plants; 153,000 kyat.
15. Ho Mawn village = 25 acres; 30,000 plants; 127,500 kyat.
Thus, in just 15 villages in the township, altogether the villagers have been forced to buy 720,000 physic nut seedlings at the cost of 3,006,000 kyat and grow them on 600 acres of land, which was completed sometime in late 2006.
PEOPLE FORCED TO LOOK AFTER PHYSIC NUT PLANTATIONS IN KUN-HING
After forcing people to grow physic nut on lands confiscated from the people and turned into state plantations, SPDC authorities in Kun-Hing township have still been forcing people to look after and maintain those plantations.
Villagers who lived far from the plantations were transported by SPDC troops using mini-tractors, but the villagers had to pay for the fuel. For example, on 11 July 2006, 70 villagers of Wo Long village in Wan Lao village tract were required to go and work for one day at a plantation that was quite far from their village.
Early on that day, the SPDC troops came with several mini-tractors and transported the 70 Wo Long villagers to the said plantation, saying that they needed to reduce travelling time in order for the villagers to have more time to work on the plantation.
However, after they reached their destination the villagers were required to pay 500 kyat each to the SPDC troops who said they did not take the money for themselves, but to buy fuel for the mini-tractors.
There were 5 villages in Wan Lao village tract that had to take turns to go and work at the said plantation to look after the physic nut plants, each village every 5 days, and the villagers often had to pay for their transport despite the fact that they received nothing for their time and labour.
In a small family like that of Naang Naang of Wo Long village, consisting of a single woman and an elderly mother, it was simply impossible for her to fulfill her forced labour duty and at the same time earn enough to support her mother.
Naang Naang had no choice but to take her mother and flee to the Thai border. According to them, there were still many people from her village, not less than 20 families, who were thinking of fleeing to the Thai border when they left their village sometime late last year.
Furthermore, in October 2006, in addition to having to work on physic nut plantations every 5 days with those who faild to turn up being fined 6,000 kyat each, people in 5 village tracts in Kun-Hing township were required to collect physic nut seeds for the SPDC troops of IB246.
Each household in Wan Paang, Kaali Murng Yaai, Nawng Mai, Wan Lao and Saai Khaao village tracts was required to hand over 2 pyi of physic nuts to the SPDC troops. The physic nuts were to be collected from the plantations which the villagers had been required to cultivate. If there were not enough physic nuts, 6,000 kyat of money would have to be paid as a fine.
PEOPLE FORCED TO GROW SESAME IN BETWEEN PHYSIC NUT PLANTATIONS IN SEVERAL TOWNSHIPS IN CENTRAL SHAN STATE
Since October 2006, people in townships such as Lai-Kha, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai have been forced by the SPDC authorities in their respective areas to grow sesame between physic nut plantations along the roads.
After forcing people to cultivate physic nut plantations, the SPDC troops of IB64 in Lai-Kha, IB66 and LIB543 in Nam-Zarng, and IB248 in Murng-Nai have again forced people to grow a certain strain of Japanese sesame in spaces between physic nut plantations along the roads in several village tracts joining the 3 townships.
According to eyewitnesses, people were seen growing sesame along the roads from Lai-Kha town to Kho Lam village in Nam-Zarng township, and from Kho Lam village to Nam-Zarng town, and from Nam-Zarng town all the way down to Murng-Nai town in Mung-Nai township, and also from Murng-Nai town along the road towards Naa Khaan village tract in the north.
People in those areas have been required to provide free labour not only for the physic nut plantations but also for the sesame farms for which they have to take responsibility until sesame oil is produced and handed over to the respective military camps.
Working in rotation, every 4 days, one person from each household is required to go for forced labour to work on the physic nut plantations and sesame farms. This means that each household has to provide free forced labour for about 8 days per month just for this purpose, not including many other types of forced labour.
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FORCED USE OF CIVILIAN VEHICLES
Forced use of all kinds of civilian vehicles -- including bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, tractors, ox-carts, mules and horses, etc. -- is still widely practised regularly as well as occasionally in all parts of Shan State.
The following are some of the incidents:
FORCED USE OF MINI-TRACTORS IN KUN-HING
During the second-half of 2006, mini-tractors of villagers in Phaang Laang village tract, Kun-Hing township, were forced to be used by the SPDC troops of IB296 on a regular basis for several months.
Mini-tractors in Phaang Laang village tract had to take turns to transport logs, lumber, rocks, stones, sand and firewood, etc., to the military camp almost every day. There were about 18-19 tractors in the village tract and each tractor was required to go 5-6 times per month.
The tractor owners received nothing in return but even had to provide their own fuel for the tractors and food for the drivers every time. Community leaders were told to tell the villagers not to say that the tractors were forcibly conscripted, but to say that the people offered help to the SPDC troops.
Up until the present, at least 1 tractor per day is said to be still required to be used by the SPDC troops, doing one thing or another on a more or less regular basis.
FORCED USE OF MOTORCYCLES IN KUN-HING
Since some years ago, in addition to requiring villagers to standby at the military camp on a daily basis, the SPDC troops of IB296 in Phaang Laang village tract in Kun-Hing township, also often required villagers’ motorcycles to standby at the camp to be used as necessary.
In order not to have to provide their own motorcycles, the villagers collected money among themselves and bought a motorcycle for the military camp. However, the villagers still have to provide fuel for the motorcycle and pay the costs for its repair as necessary.
When asked what would happen if the villagers refused to provide a motorcycle for the SPDC troops, one of the refugees who came from that area said that the villagers would have been given a lot of trouble and may even have been prevented from cultivating crops on their land.
FORCIBLE USE OF CIVILIAN VEHICLES IN MURNG-PHYAK AND MURNG-YAWNG
Since October 2006, until at least the end of the year, civilian trucks and cars running between Murng-Phyak and Murng-Yawng townships were often stopped on the way by the SPDC troops and forced to carry their things and soldiers either to Murng-Phyak or Murng-Yawng.
Almost every day, some of the cars and trucks were stopped on the way between Murng-Phyak and Murng-Yawng and forced to carry soldiers or their possessions, or both. There were usually about 10 SPDC soldiers at a time and sometimes certain amounts of their possessions.
To make room for the SPDC soldiers and their possessions, some of the original passengers and cargo had to be unloaded from the cars and trucks in the middle of the way, causing great difficulties for both the drivers and the civilian travellers.
Furthermore, if all the SPDC troops that were to board the cars were not already present, the cars were required to wait until they all turned up, and it was quite a waste of time. However, if the drivers refused to take the soldiers and/or their things, they would simply not be allowed to continue their journey.
But the irony was that, the SPDC troops always told the drivers that they were not using people’s forced labour or forcing the drivers to carry them, but they were just asking for help since they were already heading for the same place anyway.
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