Selected SPDC Orders
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Appendix # 1. To. Chairman Quarter Peace Development Council (QPDC) – xxxxx village (18.9.2000 ) Subject: Informing you to cut bamboo. For the military base that is on security duty for Lai Ba factory, (300) bamboo poles are to be supplied by xxxxx village for the walling of the base camp. It has also been found that the chairman has failed to report the situation of the area and so the chairman is to come to the military base to explain, on August 18 by the latest. Without fail. Sd/- Army Camp in charge Lai Va
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Appendix # 2. Dated : 19.8.2000Subject —— Request for help. You are requested to provide (2) chickens to the camp for breeding by 21.8.2000. Remark: Send the remaining bamboo poles on 21.8.2000. sd/- camp in charge Lai Va Camp.
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| Appendix # 3
Stamp:
Subject: Calling for loh ah pay Regarding the above subject, Gentleman’s village must send 4 people to build on Ka Na Soe Bin road construction, come to xxxx Camp on 10/3/2000 at 10 o’clock in the morning with 3 days of supplies and mattocks and machetes. Be informed that if [you] fail, it will be the Gentleman’s responsibility.
[Sd.]
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[Mattocks are large hoes used for digging. On the back this order is marked "Urgent" and "Send this quickly". The stamp has a blank unit number which the officer has written in by hand.]
[This order was also published as Order #3 in "SPDC & DKBA Orders to Villages: Set 2000-B" (KHRG #2000-04, 12/10/00)]
| Appendix # 4
Stamp: xxxx Village Tract Peace & Development Council To: Than Daung Township Chairperson / Secretary The condition of the Pa Leh Wah - Baw Ga Li Gyi [Kler Lah] vehicle road is no good at all. Therefore, as a show of public strength, one person per house with mattock [large hoe], machete and food for 3 days must come without fail from Gentleman’s [your] village to the Ya Ya Ka [VPDC] office tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.
[Sd.] [This order was also published as Order # 120 in "SPDC & DKBA Orders to Villages: Set 2000-A" (KHRG #2000-01, 29/2/00)]: |
| Appendix # 5
Order # (Papun) [Note: this order is written on a piece of stationery torn off of a pad; the references to Army Day and the Armed forces shown in bold at the top are part of the stationery. The rest is handwritten. Army Day is celebrated on March 27 th each year by the SPDC.]Year 2000 Date: 4-9-2000 [Armed Forces 55 th Year Anniversary of Army Day Place: yyyylogo] ____________________________ To: Mother Head Daw aaaa Respectfully writing a letter. The subject is to send 15 men, each with a machete, from Mother’s village as soon as you receive this letter. Send them along with the messenger who brings this letter now. The Battalion Commander said that the roadside was not cut clear enough by Mother’s village. Must send [the men] without fail. If [you] fail, it will be the responsibility of Mother Head. [Sd.] Capt. bbbb Frontline IB #xx yyyy [Army Camp] [Villages are routinely ordered to cut and clear the scrub along the roadsides, and this village has not managed to satisfy the Battalion Commander with their work.]
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| Appendix # 6
Order # (Pa’an) Stamp: To: #xxx Light Infantry Battalion Chairperson / Village headwoman Battalion Headquarters xxxx village 26-9-2000 The Elder’s village is required to send 40 loh ah pay workers including carpenters to repair bridges and resurface the road, so be informed to send them to #xxx Light Infantry Battalion on 27-9-2000 at 7 o’clock in the morning. [Sd.] (for) Intelligence Officer
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| Appendix # 7
Order #160 (Nyaunglebin) Stamp: Township Peace and Development Council Township Peace and Development Council Kyauk Kyi town Kyauk Kyi town Letter No. 3 / 42-1 / Yay 5 Date: Year 2000, October 24 thTo: Chairperson xxxx Peace and Development Council Kyauk Kyi town Subject: To repair the Kyauk Kyi - Nat Than Gwin - Than Bo roads Regarding the above subject, at the meeting held on 23-10-2000 at the Kyauk Kyi township Peace and Development Council office attended by the Deputy Battalion Commander of Infantry Battalion #60, the Chairperson of the Township Peace and Development Council, vehicle owners and Ward/Village Tract Peace and Development Council Chairpersons, it was decided to resurface the potholes along the Kyauk Kyi - Nat Than Gwin - Than Bo road as follows. 1) The following wards/village tracts must load and unload gravel by rotation and get the specified number of kyin [1 kyin=100 cubic feet] of gravel starting on 25-10-2000. No. Village Tract Number of kyin Duty Dates a) In Net tract 14 kyin 25-10-2000 to 27-10-2000 b) Ywa Gyi In tract 6 kyin 28-10-2000 to 29-10-2000 c) Naung Gone tract 5 kyin 30-10-2000 to 31-10-2000 d) Nat Than Gwin tract 20 kyin From 25 th until finished2) Aung Soe Moe village, Tha Pyay Gone village, and Kywe Chan village should collect 10 kyin of sand from Aung Soe Moe bridge, carry the sand with taw la gyi [small rice-ploughing tractors], and place it where gravel has been piled. - 2 - 3) Thay Gone, Seik Gyi, Ma Oo Byin Seik, Naung Gone, Yan Myo Aung, Lay Wain Gyi, and Nat Than Gwin villages located along the road must cooperate in the resurfacing process with the People’s Construction department. 4) Vehicle associations and taw la gyi associations must transport gravel from the loh ah pay villages. The type of vehicle, number of kyin of gravel, and the quota of fuel and oil should be listed and reported to the Strategic Command, #60 Infantry Battalion, and the Township Peace and Development Council office. [Sd.] Chairperson ( U Kyit Hlaing - Bpa/2449 ) Copies to: - Strategic Commander, Southern Command Headquarters, Kyauk Kyi town - Battalion Commander, Frontline #60 Infantry Battalion, Kyauk Kyi town - Township engineer, People’s Construction department, Kyauk Kyi town - Executive officer, Township Municipal Board, Kyauk Kyi town - Chairperson, Vehicle Association, Kyauk Kyi town - Chairperson, Taw La Gyi Association, Kyauk Kyi town [Nat Than Gwin is on the Sittaung River, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kyauk Kyi in eastern Pegu Division. Than Bo (also spelled Thaung Bo) is an SPDC Army base about 5 kilometres north of Kyauk Kyi along the road heading east into Karen State. For locations see the map of Nyaunglebin District in KHRG Information Update #2001-U3 (9/4/2001) or in "Death Squads and Displacement" (KHRG #99-04, 24/5/99). Notes: Each village tract consists of 5-10 villages. Nat Than Gwin is being forced to provide the most gravel and also do forced labour on the resurfacing (paragraph 3), and Nat Than Gwin has a higher proportion of Karen people than the other villages. The ‘vehicle associations’ and ‘taw la gyi associations’ are used by the SPDC as a way to systematically commandeer cars, trucks and tractors on a regular basis. The listing of the meeting attendees at the beginning of the document shows a hierarchy, for example that the Deputy Battalion Commander is considered higher than the Township Peace and Development Council Chairman. One ‘kyin’ is 100 cubic feet, usually measured off as 10 feet by 10 feet by 1 foot deep of gravel or sand.] |
| Appendix # 8
Stamp: To: 20-11-2000 #xxx Light Infantry Battalion Chairperson Battalion Headquarters xxxx village Subject: To cut the scrub 50 feet wide on the left and right of the car road In accordance with the subject, starting from today Chairperson’s village must cut and clear all the bushes 50 feet from the left and 50 feet from the right along the yyyy car road over the area that was specified last year. If anything happens along the road, it will be the Chairperson’s responsibility so [you] will have to pay compensation. With friendliness, [Sd.] Captain bbbb LIB xxx [The villagers are forced to clear wide ‘killing zones’ on both sides of all roads used by the military; each village is assigned a specific length of road every year. ‘If anything happens along the road’ means that if there are any ambushes or mines on the road, the village will be punished with fines and possible arrests and other punishments.] |
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Appendix # 9 To: Chairperson / Village Head Date: 14-12-2000 xxxx village tract (tttt / uuuu / vvvv / wwww / yyyy / zzzz villages) The Elders’ villages must take responsibility to lay stones / lay sand / make ditches / clear the ground along the Yin Kweh Taung to Nat Zin Gone road. One person from each family and 8 bullock carts must come and wait at the LIB xxx rubber plantation field tomorrow, 15-12-2000, at 0800 hours, and do not work [i.e. wait for further orders]. May you have peace in your mind and be able to serve the work of the country. Respectfully, [Sd.] Mobile LIB xxx |
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Appendix # 10 Stamp: Date: 13-5-2000 Peace and Development Council To: Head Date: 13-5-2000 yyyy Village Tract Subject: Loh ah pay matters Regarding the above subject, to build the yyyy (VPDC) office, 10
male loh ah pay people from the Head’s village must come on
14-5-2000, Note [Sd.] Bring along short bamboo ties / long bamboo ties. Stamp: Member Village Peace and Development Council yyyy village tract, Papun township [With the exception of the ‘Note’, this entire order is written in red ink, which is commonly used by SPDC units to indicate urgency/threats, and is definitely interpreted that way by the villagers.] |
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Appendix # 11 To Chairman ————— Village Subject: To help sending unpaid labor 1 As the subject mentioned above, your ——— village must send the required villager laborers accordingly to the following instruction and dates: (a) On September 18, 2000, to send about 50 men to weed out the paddy plants, (b) On September 19, 2000 to send about 50 women to grow paddy plants. 2. To manage doing these types of works, one village leaders must lead the group of the villagers. Signed – (a Commander) LIB No. 545 |
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Appendix #12 To Chairman ————— Village On August 18, 2000, we asked your help to provide about (50) villagers as laborers to work in our LIB No. 545 farms, to take seedling plants and grow them in farms. But you didn’t send any villagers to the workplaces, and you must explain why you could not send the set number of villagers. As our works in farms is quite important and we are busy, we really need some villagers to grow the paddy plants. Signed – A Commander, LIB No. 545 Date: August 18, 2000 |
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Appendix #13 To: U aaaa 16-8-2000 Send 3 people from the Elder’s village to carry supplies to zzzz [Army camp] on 17-8-2000. [Sd.] Chairperson yyyy [village] [This was followed by Order #314 the following day.] |
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Appendix #14 Stamp: 8-1-2000 #xxx Infantry Battalion To: Company #x Chairperson As soon as you receive this letter now, to build the vehicle road sentry huts and to sentry, send quickly 5 villagers from the Elder’s village with full rations. Chairperson, come to send 1 cart to the Company Commander at yyyy on the Kway Thay river. If [you] fail, it will be the responsibility of the Elder, you are informed. [Sd.] Stamp: Company Commander Company #x #xxx Infantry Battalion [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx village. Important/Urgent."] |
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Appendix #15 No. 343 Light Infantry Battalion Ye Township, Aru-taung village, Letter No. 343/12/Htout 4 Date: June 20, 2000 Chairman Village Peace and Development Council ————————————— Village SUBJECT: Informing you to send laborers. 1. For construction work at the battalion base, we inform you that you must send village laborers according to the listed dates, and the set number of villagers as shown below: (a) Taung-bon village, (from June 28 to June 30) to send 20 laborers, (b) Kwan-du village, (from June 28 to June 30) to send 7 laborers, (c) Thaung-pyin village, (from July 1 to July 3) to send 20 laborers, (d) Zar-ga-le village, (from July 1 to July 3) to send 7 laborers, (e) Aru-taung village, (from July 4 to July 6) to send 20 labours, (f) Hnin-son village, (from July 4 to July 6) to send 20 laborers, (g) Son-na-thar village (from July 7 to July 9) to send 5 laborers, (h) Ah-plaing village, (from July 7 to July 9) to send 5 laborers, (i) Taung-zun village, (from July 7 to July 9) to send 5 laborers, 2. We inform you that as the battalion has important work to do, the set number of village laborers from every village must come. Everyone must bring tools with them. Signed/- Lin Oo (on behalf of) Battalion Commander Copies to: - Office copy - IB No. 106 (Source: HURFOM) |
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Appendix # 16
VPDC Sa-Kan-Gi group, Ka-Lay Township Date July 10 2000
To Members of the school committee
Subject Invitation to supervise forced labor According to above, we have asked 27 people to give their labor on July 11, 2000 (Tuesday), at 7 AM, to move the (middle school) fence. We invite you to come without fail to supervise this forced labor.
(Sd) VPDC Sa-Kan-Gi group, Ka-Lay Township
Members of school committee 1)******* 2)******* 3)********* (Source: Inside Burma) |
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Appendix #17
Date: September 29 2000
Subject: Asking for help
We invite the people listed below to come to the Sakan Gyi Village PDC office on Saturday, September 30, 2000, at 7 AM, to move the office 100 feet further from the road.
People Invited: 1) xxxxx (to organize) 2) xxxxx 3) xxxx 4) xxxxx 5) xxxxx (to work as carpenters) 6) xxxxx 7) xxxxx ( carpenter group) 8) xxxxx (Signed) |
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Appendix #18
Stamp: Township PDC Date: October 6, 2000 xxxxx, Kalay Township
To: All village headmen Subject: Laborers to build a oxen-lane beside the car road The village leaders listed below are responsible to collect one person from every household to come to the Township PDC office on October 7, 2000 at 6 AM. You must bring your own machetes, hoes, and shovels. Group leader xxxx and xxxxx Ward Leaders 1) xxxxx 2) xxxxx 3) xxxxx 4) xxxxx 5) xxxxx 6) xxxxx 7) xxxxx 8) xxxx 9) xxxxx 10) xxxx 11) xxxxx 12) xxxxx (Signed ) Village Peace and Development Council xxxxx, Kalay Township |
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Appendix # 19 No. (10) practicing Military Unit Quartermaster Department Ka-Lay City Bulletin 1002/ 10/ ***** 1 Date May 8 2000 To xxxx. yyy villages Subject: To help with buffaloes and cows We inform you that we are in need of gentlemen’s help. In order to grow the rainy season paddy crop for the fields of Practicing Military Unit No. 10, we need 30 pairs of buffalo and 30 pairs of cows on May 5 2000 to harrow the fields.
The old banana garden, morning at 6 o’ clock (Sd) On behalf of the Military Unit |
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Appendix # 20 Stamp LIB (546) Commander To- Chairman ——— Village Date: December 6, 2000 Subject: Asking for forced laborers Your village must send thirty laborers, with food, to LIB 546 on December 7, 2000. Severe penalties will be given if you fail to abide to this order. (Sd) Headquarter commander For LIB (546) (Source: Yoma3) |
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Appendix # 21 Stamp: Township PDC Township Peace and Development Council Pekhon Town Pekhon Town Bulletin No. 4/39-7/00-6 Date: February 25, 2000 To: Chairman Xxxxxx village/ Pekhon town Subject: Villages within a 20 mile radius of Inle Lake will be required to plant trees 1// According to the order of General Than Shwe and the chairman of the NPDC, there is a need for reforestation of a 20 mile surrounding area, for the conservation of Inle Lake and Mobye Dam. 2// Regarding carrying out the above task, township administration committees are being organized; the chairman of the PDC need to organize committees for wards and villages to plant 1.5 million trees from 2000-2001 to 2004-2005 3// Therefore, the wards and villages listed below are required to plant the tree saplings to grow. (Sd. ) Chairman (U Khin Zaw Myint - P/3557) CC -
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Appendix # 22 To: Chairman Xxxxxxx village Date: 1-10-2000 Subject: Informing you that we need a trology and bullock carts 1// On 2-10-200, we are in need of a trology and bullock cart for carrying gravel and sand for practicing our duty. 2// Hence, 2 floor and side covered trologies and 5 bullock carts need to be sent from your village to arriver no later then 08:00. (Sd.) for the Battalion Commander Frontline IB 102 |