The New Settlements

Almost all the new settlers conceded that the new land they had arrived at was, despite being unfamiliar, better in terms of fertility than their homeland in the north.

Wherever the new settlers arrived, they set to work immediately building their houses and planting their crops.

“Everyone was busy planting new farms during the first month. Everyone tried hard to work hard. I planted 32 “pyi” of paddy, and I got 2,048 pyi because of the good soil... We felt we were better off than in our native place.” (LNDO interview #1)

All appear to have been given assistance on arrival by the Wa organisation. Each family was given 1,000 baht, and a monthly ration of rice: 1 large tin each for adults, and half a tin each for children. Adults, including women, received military uniforms. Those who were on the UWSA roster also received allowances, 20 yuan for men, 15 for women and 10 for children. (Most Wa villagers still use old silver rupees from the British era for day-to-day trade, but the Chinese yuan is the official currency of the UWSA).

Wa settler in the south

Some villagers fleeing areas to which Wa had been resettled reported that each Wa family was also given an automatic rifle by the UWSA. Some schools were set up in the new settlements, but apparently not enough to enable all the children to access education. For example, one Shan who had fled from the Mong Karn area (in eastern Mong Hsat township) reported that only two schools had been set up by the UWSP for the over 18,000 new settlers in the area. It was reported that there were Chinese teachers at the school, where Chinese, Burmese and Wa languages were taught. Health care appears to have been provided to the new settlers mainly through UWSA medics, although a few small hospitals have been set up, for example one in Mong Karn.