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FORCED RELOCATION IN KE SEE
FORCED RELOCATION IN KE SEE
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Map of VILLAGES FORCIBLY RELOCATED IN NORTHERN KE SEE TOWNSHIP (1996 - 1998) |
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Map of VILLAGES FORCIBLY RELOCATED IN SOUTHERN KE SEE TOWNSHIP (1996 - 1998) |
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| Background of the area The northern area of Ke See is mostly rolling hills, so most of the farmers work on the hillsides, growing rice, peanuts and other crops in dry farms rather than wet paddy fields. For that reason, rice is not sufficient for consumption, and has to be brought from surrounding townships. But other crops such as peanuts, coffee, tea and garlic were grown in abundance. To the south, around the area of Murng Nawng, plentiful crops of rice were grown. |
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| Relocation In 1996, the relocations in Ke See were carried out between March and July. Written relocation orders were sent to villages, ordering them to move within 5 days. Villages to the north-east of the town of Ke See were relocated down to the Ke See-Murng Su road. Villages to the south of Ke See were relocated to sites close to the town or along the Ke See-Murng Nawng road. Villages around Murng Nawng were relocated to Murng Nawng itself or to sites along the Murng Nawng-Lai Kha road and the Murng Nawng-Kun Hing road. In March 1997, Wan Zing relocation site to the south of Murng Nawng was ordered to move to Lai Kha, and many of the houses in the site were burned down. In May, Parng Peng relocation site was relocated to Lai Kha and also burned down. Other relocation sites around Murng Nawng, namely Nam Mong, Wiang Kao and Nong Aye were also relocated in May to the town of Murng Nawng itself. |
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| Extrajudicial killings in the Ke See
township in 1997 SHRF has documented the following extrajudicial killings of villagers either found near their old villages or in the actual relocation sites in the Ke See area in 1997:
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| Conditions in the relocation sites In 1996, there were reports of villagers relocated to sites around Murng Nawng having to beg for food because they could not find work. Villagers in the relocation site in Murng Nang were forced to work for the nearby army camp. In Wan Zing relocation site, all the rice was confiscated from the villagers by the SLORC and rationed out at a rate of 2 condensed milk cans per person. In 1997, those relocated to existing relocation sites, such as villagers from Wan Zing who were relocated to the site of Parng Nim near Kho Lam, found it even more difficult to survive than those previously relocated due to the lack of land to cultivate: "It's difficult for newcomers: the people relocated last year have planted near the road, even though there is no water source, and the soil is bad. The newcomers have nowhere left because they can't go far to plant their fields in case they are shot." (SHRF interview with villager from Wan Zing, Sept 28, 1997.) According to an order issued by SPDC commander of LIB # 242 on December 1, 1997, villagers relocated to Murng Nawng were not allowed farther than a radius of 3 miles from the town to farm their fields. If they wanted to go farther they had to ask for a pass for not more than 7 days, and had to take food for just that period. Villagers relocated to Ke See were also not allowed beyond 3 miles from the town, and SLORC troops in the area of Wan Khem deliberately destroyed fences of fields so that stray animals would enter and trample on any remaining crops in the villages that had been relocated. Since December 1997, villagers relocated to Murng Nawng have been forced to split rocks in the jungle in 5-day shifts to build a wall around the military base, and to dig trenches around the base. They also have to guard the motor roads in the area at half-mile intervals, 2 people at each spot for 5 days at a time. |
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Wa: No exportation to Thailand