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Last| Chapter 1: Forced Labour and Forced Conscription | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Despite Burma’s ratification of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Forced Labour Convention 1930 (No. 29) in 1955, there continued to be countless credible reports of the widespread use of forced labour by the ruling junta; the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), throughout 2006. Forced labour in Burma takes many forms, from the construction of roads and infrastructure, including projects for gas pipelines carried out in collaboration with multinational corporations, through to the building of military bases, forced sentry duty and forced porting for the military. The primary victims of forced labour are innocent villagers, and increasingly, prisoners from the Burmese penal system. Furthermore, there continued to be numerous reports of villagers being forcibly conscripted into the military and into forming local militia groups. The most prevalent use of forced labour has been in the ethnic minority rural areas of Burma where it has long been shown that an increase in the military’s presence results in an increase in human rights violations, including forced labour. In 2006 the ongoing military offensives against Karen, Mon and other ethnic resistance groups have increased the militarisation of many areas. The expansion of troop deployment has been a major factor for the continued use of forced labour in 2006, particularly in the Karen areas of Toungoo, Nyaunglebin and Papun, as well as in Kwar Zar sub-Township in Mon State. Thousands of civilians have been forced into portering for the offensive in Karen State, as well as thousands of prisoners who are often subsequently summarily executed. [2] Furthermore, the establishment of mining enterprises, hydro electric dam sites and gas pipelines are concomitant with an increase in SPDC military presence around these areas, ensuring a secure zone around the site. [3] An increase in forced labour as well as other human rights abuses has been shown to generally accompany such a military build up. In ethnic areas where the SPDC has already established military control, instances of forced labour remain commonplace used to sustain a hierarchical militarised society where civilians are at the mercy of the military and are used to serve their needs. In northern Arakan State, reports of forced labour have been on the increase since the SPDC military took over the entire area in March 2005. [4] Similarly, in Thaton District, arguably the most extensively controlled of all seven Karen Districts, the SPDC and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) made frequent demands for forced labour upon local villagers throughout 2006. [5] As stated by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Burma, in February 2006:
Mindful of international condemnation of the use of forced labour, in recent years the SPDC have employed new tactics when requisitioning labour to try and avoid criticism. The SPDC has for a long time tried to justify their use of forced labour through semantics. The terminology used to describe the practice by the SPDC is “loh ah pay” which refers to the Buddhist notion of contributing voluntary labour to gain merit, and in 2006 it was reported that local authorities were informing villagers that they had to contribute to the development of their area by repairing the roads in front of their houses as well as working in public areas. During a press conference in December 2006, Deputy Minister of Labour Maj. Gen. Aung Kyi, denied the use of forced labour but asserted that the SPDC was justified in requesting its citizens to work in certain cases, including “tasks for regional development”. [7] Whereas, in the past, written orders were frequently distributed to villages to supply labour, the SPDC has increasingly used only verbal orders issued at meetings with village headmen and local VPDCs who then instruct their villages what they are required to do; thus distancing themselves somewhat from the orders and doing away with any paper trail. [8] The position of village heads does in itself amount to a form of forced labour. Incumbents are forced to assign villagers to perform labour for the SPDC, report visitors to the village, and summon villagers for interrogation and torture at the army camp. They are also unable to give over enough time to sustaining their own livelihoods, and face greater risk of abuse at the hands of the military. In 2006, the SPDC issued orders in areas of Burma insisting that village council chairmen are not permitted to resign from their posts. [9] There has also been a reported increase in the use of the members of GONGOs in forced labour practices, justified by the fact that such groups contain in their mandates points of national development. [10] However, given that such organisations rely on forced recruitment in the first place, the coercion is again simply one step removed. Further, the SPDC has increased its use of convict labour, again seemingly to cloud international condemnation. In one instance in 2006, the SPDC employed forced prison labourers whilst forcing them to wear the uniforms of the auxiliary fire brigade and army, thus disguising their forced employment. [11]
Continual demands for forced labour place a huge strain on villagers’ daily lives and livelihoods. The time spent performing forced labour takes villagers away from their own fields and jobs, leaving crops vulnerable to animals, and reducing yields at harvest time. Education is also adversely affected. Villagers informed the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), that they were only able to study for one week out of every three or four due to the demands of forced labour. Such impacts of forced labour on the lives of villagers is a major cause for villagers to flee their homes when the military approaches and settles in their area, fleeing either into the surrounding jungle as IDPs or crossing the border into a neighbouring country. KHRG assert that most of the internal displacement that occurs in Thaton District comes about because of this. [12] Hopes of a change in the regime’s attitude towards forced labour surfaced in 2005 when perpetrators of the practice were officially prosecuted for the first time. Su Su Nway, a Burmese labour activist, successfully brought convictions against local officials who forced villagers to work on a road building project for which they received sentences of 8 months. However, hopes were short lived, as in October 2005 Su Su Nway was countersued for “abusing” state officials and sentenced to 18 months in prison. This trend continued, and other cases were brought against people for supposedly making “false reports” to the ILO on the use of forced labour. In 2006 the issue of prosecuting complainants remained high on the agenda in the negotiations between the junta and the ILO in Geneva. The regime’s relationship with the ILO had been steadily deteriorating during 2005 due to its lack of cooperation on addressing the issue of forced labour. 2006 saw a significant toughening of the ILO’s stance towards the Burmese regime, after years of trying to engage them in effective dialogue had resulted in no significant progress. At the ILO Governing Body meeting in March 2006 the members agreed to begin reviewing new courses of action which could be taken against the regime for its non-compliance with the Forced Labour Convention. The key sticking point was the continued lack of any viable complaints mechanism for accusations of forced labour, and the new practice of prosecuting people for “false complaints”. Three options for future action were presented the annual ILO conference in June. Two involved referring Burma to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the other would see the establishment of an ad hoc tribunal to rule on the matter. In response to this increased threat of international legal measures the regime released Su Su Nway during the conference, and later released another high profile prisoner, Aye Myint, who was being held on similar charges. Even though the regime had taken some steps to address the ILO’s concerns it was widely felt among members that the actions did not go far enough and as a result the ILO remained firm on its insistence that effective action on the establishment of a complaint mechanism had to be made by November 2006. This deadline subsequently passed with no further progress on the issue. The ILO Governing Body then agreed to begin full preparations to refer Burma to the ICJ for an advisory opinion on the matter and placed the issue on the agenda for a final decision at the Governing Body meeting in March 2007. 2006 also saw the start of the distribution of US$6.12 million from the settlement of the Total lawsuit in 2005. The majority of the funds were allocated for use by humanitarian aid organisations working with Burmese refugees in Thailand. Several organisations refused the money but two, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the National Catholic Commission on Migration (NCCM) did agree to accept and distribute the financial aid. Other international joint ventures such as the Salween Dams and the Shwe Gas Project continued to be negotiated with many human rights groups worried that they too will result in an increase in human rights violations in the future, including the use of forced labour. Forced Portering Throughout 2006 reports continued of civilians and prisoners being forced to carry goods and supplies for the SPDC military. Portering is a particularly dangerous form of forced labour as victims are often overloaded with goods and given no time to rest. If the porters collapse they are often beaten, murdered, or simply left by the side of the road to die. Porters are often forced to walk at the front of the convoy to protect the soldiers from landmines. [13] In previous years civilian porters were often taken by a battalion and used for several weeks on end, however in the last two years, a column of soldiers will more likely pass through a village and demand “emergency porters” to carry goods to the next village where they will be released if another porter can be secured. [14] According to KHRG the use of prisoners for the heavy portering duties has increased. (For more information see the following section regarding Forced Convict Labour). The baskets that the porters carry can contain anything from food and clothing to ammunition and mortar shells with the average load weighing between 16 and 33 kgs. Porters are very often not supplied with food and have to carry their own rations in addition to their loads. The practice of forced portering takes villagers away from their fields and livelihoods and therefore directly affects whole families and communities. In some cases, especially if civilians are too sick or weak to carry loads, they will hire itinerant labourers to work as porters in their place. [15] Military camps are supplied with monthly or bi-monthly rations which are often brought by truck to a central point from where villagers are used to transport the rations to the individual camps. There have been reports of hundreds of civilians at a time being used for these operations. For example, in May 2006 in Toungoo District, 850 villagers were taken for just one of these camp re-supplies. [16] The use of forced porters has actually decreased in some areas in 2006, most notably in northern Arakan State, where this trend can be attributed to the improvement of road networks to the military bases, meaning goods can now be transported by vehicles instead of using civilian porters. [17] However, the overall increase in the road network allows the SPDC to more easily extend its control over the population, and residents in northern Arakan experienced increased demands for other forms of forced labour throughout 2006. In addition to the widespread use of forced porters by the SPDC military, and armed groups aligned to the regime, there have also been reports of their use by opposition groups such as the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). However, in contrast to their treatment by the SPDC, reports suggest that KNLA porters are at least provided with food and medical treatment of the same standard as the soldiers, although this is still of a relatively poor quality. In addition they are reported not to be tortured, mistreated or used as human minesweepers. [18] Forced Labour For many years the SPDC military have routinely forced civilians to work on state infrastructure projects, such as the building of roads, bridges, towns, military bases and various economic enterprises, and 2006 was no exception. Wherever these projects are carried out, the military will typically demand labour from local villages, with the threat of fines if households are unable to supply the required amount of people. Projects vary in length, but always mean that people are taken away from their land and livelihoods and are not given any remuneration in return. In addition, the forced labourers are often expected to supply their own tools, materials and food, which all result in severe economic hardship. [19] In 2006 the practice of forced labour continued unabated, particularly in the ethnic border areas. The increased militarization which has accompanied the large scale offensive in the northern Karen areas has produced weekly reports of forced labour in Toungoo District. The most common types of work civilians are forced to do in these areas are the clearing of land, road building, and the construction and maintenance of military camps as well as the regular clearing of vegetation from roadsides to reduce the possibility of the SPDC troops being ambushed as they use the roads. [20] In Northern Arakan State, forced labour has been on the increase during 2006 and the type of labour has changed with the seasons. In the rainy season villagers are forced to cultivate paddy fields for the military as well as clear areas of jungle, while at the same time they are busy with their own crop cultivation. In the dry season the nature of the forced labour changed to demands for brick baking, road and village construction, wood collection and crop procurement. A number of new road projects used forced labour in 2006, mostly in Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships, the roads link military bases to towns and to other bases, and are designed to facilitate the movement of troops and supplies. The construction of “model villages” for Buddhist settlers also continued in Arakan State during the dry season. Local Muslim villagers not only had their land confiscated, but were forced to supply building materials and construct the settlers’ villages. All of this seasonal labour is in addition to the year round demand for sentries, porters and labourers to maintain the military bases. [21] A new development in forced labour began in January 2006 with the SPDC announcing an ambitious new “national project” which compels people throughout the country to grow physic nuts. These nuts produce oil which can be used as an alternative to diesel fuel, which, if produced on a large scale could potentially save the regime millions of dollars in foreign exchange due to rising oil prices. [22] The SPDC plans to cultivate 500,000 acres in each state, which has already led to the confiscation of fertile land in many areas. Villagers have been instructed to plant the nurseries around their homes or face fines, and forced labour has frequently been used to prepare, plough and maintain the plots of land for the nurseries. It is feared that once the saplings are matured, more land will be confiscated and more forced labour used to establish large scale plantations. (For more information see Chapter 5: Deprivation of Livelihood) When the SPDC troops enter a village and make their demands for forced labour, their task is made easier by the existence of registration documents which detail the exact number of inhabitants, property and livestock within a village. Inhabitants have no choice but to apply for national identity cards and register their details or risk arrest or fines. This information is then used by the soldiers to tailor their demands for labour and materials. [23] Forced labourers in Burma are very rarely remunerated for their labour or even costs incurred during their employment, such as for food and tools. Regardless, the SPDC will often extort money in the name of such payment. Throughout 2006, fees were collected from civilians under the pretext that the money would be used to pay those contributing their labour to state projects in the area. The pretence is a complete sham, with villagers fully aware that their money will not be paid to their peers but will instead line the pockets of local officials and senior army officers. [24] Other pretences utilised by the army in 2006, were in some ways crueller, given that local villagers actually believed them. For example, in North Buthidaung Township, Arakan State, SPDC forces announced that they would rent out their land against the supply of a number of baskets of paddy per acre. Once villagers had completed the ploughing and planting of their acres, the SPDC reclaimed the land, employing forced labourers to continue their work. [25] Although the use of prison labour is not specifically prohibited by the Forced Labour Convention, the ILO does not support the practice [26] and in the case of Burma, the severe manner in which it is employed is in clear contravention of regulations within the Convention and also Article 3 common to all four of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, to which the SPDC is a signatory, and is acknowledged to be customary international law, regardless. Human rights organisations have reported an increase in the use of forced prison labour in Burma in recent years and especially in 2006. Some prisoners are sentenced to serve terms of ‘prison with hard labour’ and are sent to prison labour camps, where it has been estimated that as many as 20 percent of prisoners die because of the conditions of their detention. There are thought to be 110 such camps, throughout Burma, with between 50 and 1000 inmates in each of them. Prisoners are forced to work from 6 am to 6 pm, without rest, bar one meal break. The sick are not exempted from their work. [27] (For more information see Chapter 3: Arbitrary Detention and Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances). One Chin woman interviewed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide, told of her visit to a labour camp, 55 miles outside of Kalaymyo on the road to the Indian border. Prisoners were reported to be yoked around the neck and forced to work ploughing the fields, akin to the treatment of buffalo. [28] Whilst those sent to such camps are often informed at their trial that they will be required to perform hard labour as part of their sentence, for many others, there is no mention of the fact that they will be required to perform labour during their sentence. KHRG reports that thousands of prisoners have been brought from prisons around Burma to carry supplies and act as minesweepers as part of the large scale offensive in the northern Karen areas which began in November 2005. [29] It is believed by many that this move towards a greater use of convict porters has been a means to try and deflect international criticism. The rights of prisoners are generally less clear cut than those of civilians and the SPDC may well hope that because of this, they will receive less criticism with labour and rights activists less likely to take up their case . [30]
On 22 August 2006 it was reported that the SPDC military authorities had begun the transfer of thousands of prisoners from across Burma to northern Karen areas to serve as porters for military columns in the ongoing offensive. The military transferred porters from prisons across the country including Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States and Mandalay, Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Pegu and Magwe Divisions. Most were sent to military bases along the Kyauk Kyi – Saw Hta road in Mone Township, northern Nyaunglebin District and Lu Thaw Township, northern Papun District. Some prisoners were transited via various prisons along the way or where the offensive battalions were based, namely those at Toungoo, Thaton and Moulmein. Convicts from Thayet prison in Magwe Division were sent to Insein Prison near Rangoon and then to Moulmein Prison in Mon State, where they were handed to a battalion that took them to Karen areas. From these bases and prisons, porters were assigned to battalions under the control of MOC #10, MOC #15 and LID #101 to be used in operations throughout Tantabin Township, southern Toungoo District, Lu Thaw Township and Mone Township. All of the prisoners were deployed in Papun and Nyaunglebin Districts. Almost half of them were sent to Baw Hser Ko, an SPDC military base overlooking Pwa Ghaw along the Kyauk Kyi – Saw Hta road in western Papun District. Other Army bases from which prisoners were deployed were strung out along the Kyauk Kyi – Saw Hta road at (from west to east) Kyauk Kyi, Mu Theh, Plah Ko, Yunzalin camp (near Maw Pu) and Saw Hta; some were also sent to Pah Heh camp just north of Papun. Prisoners being sent to Toungoo District were brought to Kler Lah and then deployed to Army camps throughout the District. Previous reports have also documented the large-scale use of convict porters in 2006 by MOC #16 and MOC #21 in Nyaunglebin District and by LID #66 in Toungoo District. [31] It has been claimed that the SPDC takes prisoners from areas far away from where the offensive is taking place, so as the porters will be less likely to try to escape, not knowing the language or area, and being fearful of treatment by insurgents in the area. [32] A constant supply of prison labour is assured by the continuing arbitrary arrest of civilians by the SPDC, as well as the imposition of lengthy sentences for minor misdemeanours. Those arrested are often dealt with without any due legal process and told they will be released on payment of a bribe. Those who are unable to pay the police or the judiciary are automatically sent to prison, whether there is evidence against them or not. Many escaped porters interviewed by KHRG reported that police officers had demanded between 10,000 and 500,000 kyat for their release after being arrested. [33] At no time during their sentencing were these prisoners told that they will be forced to work for the military. When prisoners are rounded up and transferred to military bases they are often given the opportunity to bribe the prison officers to avoid being taken. [34] The living conditions, food supplies and general treatment of forced prison labourers are widely reported to be far worse than for civilian forced labourers. The work is more dangerous and health provisions are non-existent. The military view the prisoners as expendable labour and there are countless reports of their torture, beatings and killings. [35] It is common for convict porters to carry loads of between 33 and 44 kgs, much heavier than their civilian counterparts. As a consequence of overwork and poor conditions, prison labourers frequently fall ill and suffer injury. Neither illness nor injuries are treated by the army medics, who state explicitly that medical care and medicine is only for soldiers. Regardless of the severity of their condition, porters are forced to continue at the pace of the soldiers and hence often die from illness or exhaustion, or killed for not being able to keep up. [36] One escaped convict porter, who had portered for LIB #251 as they moved from Thaton to Papun District, reported that they were told, “You are going on a pilgrimage. If you can’t continue, you won’t be left behind alive.” [37] Forced Military Conscription Following the pro democracy demonstrations of 1988, the Burmese junta began a large scale expansion of its military forces, requiring many more recruits leading to much forced recruitment into the ranks of the army. This forced recruitment into the tatmadaw continued throughout 2006, mirrored and impelled by high rates of desertion throughout the year. [38] In 2006, one Major whom had defected from the SPDC, to the Kachin Independence Organisation, told Christian Solidarity Worldwide, that each month every battalion is ordered to recruit at least five new soldiers. If they cannot meet the quota they face a fine. If they are able to exceed the quota they are rewarded with a bonus and the opportunity for promotion. [39] Children are frequently targeted in such recruitment drives, being vulnerable and more easily connived. In Mong Ku District, northern Shan State, over 30-40 children, aged between 15-16 years old, have reportedly been forcibly recruited from one Township alone in 2005 and 2006. A report in June 2006 suggested that as many as five children were recruited each day at Rangoon’s main railway station. [40] Elderly men, in no physical condition to serve in the armed forces, are also targeted. [41] The most frequent tactic used by SPDC recruiters is to give their targets the option “join the military or go to jail.” Recruiters often “lurk in train stations and other places where impoverished children not attending school during the day can be found,” promising children good salaries and opportunities. [42] Often, recruiters ask a child if he has a national I.D. card. If, as is often the case, he does not have an ID card, the recruiters threaten the child with arrest if he refuses to join the military. [43] Homeless children, orphans and street traders are particularly vulnerable to the threat of arrest for ‘loitering’ or trading without a license. [44] In some instances, the Burmese police sell young offenders directly to military recruitment camps. On 22 August 2006, three 15 year old boys, Than Naing Aye, Lin Lin and Yan Lin Maung, were sold in such a way by Police Lt. Sgt. Min Aung Thein from No.1 Police Station Meikhtila, Mandalay Division. They were sold to Mandalay Taung Thone Lone Army Recruitment Camp for 65,000 kyat. They had been arrested on 3 August and charged with theft. [45] Officers at recruitment camps then sell recruits to individual battalions. [46] The practice of compulsory military training and forced conscription into local militias also continued in 2006, notably in Arakan and Mon State as well as Thaton District. Reports continued of SPDC officials issuing orders to villages to set up militia groups to help protect the state’s interests, and in particular, to assist the SPDC forces in controlling dissidents and dealing with external security threats. [47] In 2006, in Arakan State, the SPDC forcibly recruited and trained civilians to serve alongside Fire Brigade and Red Cross members in increasingly large militia forces. The reasons given for such recruitment, included the threat posed by the U.S. to local Muslims, as well as the threat of elements, both inside and outside the country, disrupting gas exploration in the area. [48] These auxiliary militia forces have been around since 2000 and are formed under pseudonyms such as the ‘Anti-Foreign Invasion Force’ or the ‘People’s Vigorous Association’ (PVA). Villages in Thaton District were forced to pay a fine of up to 80,000 kyat a year if they failed to supply the required number of persons for the training. As the SPDC does not pay the members of the militias, the villages are forced to provide food and shelter for them. [49] Often people are first forcibly recruited into one of the SPDC’s numerous GONGOs, and then required as members to attend military trainings and serve in militias. Members of GONGOs are also utilized in the recruitment of non-members into such militias. [50] The PVA, for example, is made up of Myanmar Red Cross members, ‘firemen’, troops, Myanmar Women’s Affair Association members, Maternal and Child Welfare Association members, Retired Soldier's Organization members, village militias, and the members of the USDA. [51] An SPDC press statement in 2006 asserted that the mandate of the Auxiliary Fire Brigade and the Myanmar Red Cross was to “crush the destructive elements who have encroached upon perpetuation [sic] of the sovereignty.” [52] In the run up to Martyr’s day in 2006, state run media threatened that any demonstrations would be countered by ’people’s power-holder members', a euphemism for such militia forces. [53] Reports from inside Burma claim that the junta has ordered authorities in large cities across the country to train as many as 5,000 people each, with the USDA not only providing recruits but financial and material assistance. [54] In keeping with such a move, in October 2006, it was reported that the junta was planning to launch a national conscription service for a people’s militia, a proposal that had reportedly been agreed upon by delegates at the SPDC controlled National Convention process for the drafting of a new constitution. [55]
In July 1998 the ILO reported that forced labour was practiced in Burma in “a widespread and systematic manner”. [56] Since that time, the ILO has attempted to engage with the Burmese regime to bring about and end to this practice. In November 2000, the ILO made moves to invoke Article 33 of its constitution which allows member states to take actions to pressure a government into complying with its recommendations. The members threatened Burma with the imposition of trade and other sanctions if it did not discontinue the use of forced labour. In response, the Burmese regime issued a Supplementary Order to Order No. 1/99, which made forced labour a criminal act and specified that this order applied to all persons, including authorities, members of the armed forces, police and public servants. In addition they allowed the ILO to open a regional office in Rangoon and in March 2002 to appoint a Liaison Officer to Burma. After further negotiations, the SPDC agreed with the ILO to a “Joint Plan of Action for the Elimination of Forced Labour Practices in Burma” which was signed by both parties on 28 May 2003. The plan was designed to demonstrate that the SPDC could take clear and decisive steps toward ending forced labour including the implementation of new procedures for the filing and investigation of allegations of forced labour. Implementation of the plan was then suspended twice, firstly following the Depayin Massacre and the crackdown on pro-democracy supporters and again in November 2004 when three Burmese citizens received death sentences for their contact with the ILO and the Federation of Trade Unions Burma. Previously the SPDC had allowed the ILO to appoint a facilitator to help victims bring forced labour cases to the courts, but in November 2004 the ILO Liaison Officer in Rangoon reported that the regime’s methods for dealing with complaints was inadequate and represented a conflict of interests, as allegations of forced labour by the military were referred to the Ministry of Defence and as such, the cases were routinely dismissed.
In April 2005 the relationship with the ILO became further strained by the SPDC’s announcement that “false” allegations of forced labour were detrimental to the dignity of the State and, as such, legal action would be taken against the complainants. This lead to the conviction of Su Su Nway on 13 October 2005 who was counter-sued after she had successfully secured the prosecution of local officials in Htan Minaing and Mya Sinnai villages in Rangoon Division for perpetrating forced labour. She was sentences to 18 months in prison. Two further notable cases include the sentencing on 31 October 2005 of Aye Myint, a lawyer from Pegu, to seven years in prison after allegedly supplying “false information” to the ILO in relation to his assistance to a group of farmers who had their land confiscation by the military. [58] Similarly, three NLD members, Thein Zan, Zaw Htay and Aung Than Tun from Aunglan, Magwe Division, had cases brought against them on 20 October 2005 for giving “false information” to the ILO when reporting the death of Win Lwin, a villager from Ngapyin, who died during a forced labour session in December 2001. [59] At the subsequent meeting of its Governing Body in November 2005, the ILO expressed grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Burma, particularly in relation to the legal measures being taken against those who report incidents of forced labour. They were also severely critical of the regime’s attempts to pressurise and intimidate the ILO by using state-sponsored organisations to hold protest rallies against their involvement in Burma. In addition, a series of death threats were made against the Liaison Officer. This resulted in the Governing Body recommending that the ILO members revisit the issue of actions against Burma at their conference in 2006. [60] In March 2006, Richard Horsey, the ILO Liaison Officer in Burma, submitted a report to the meeting of the ILO Governing Body in which he further stated his concerns regarding the lack of a competent authority to which he could refer complaints of forced labour for investigation. He declared that this will “tend to reinforce the climate of impunity surrounding government officials who have recourse to forced labour”. He also noted how the recent convictions of complainants of forced labour was undermining any previous progress made on this issue and called for a speedy resolution of this issue, referring specifically to the three cases mentioned above. The question of his own personal safety was subsequently considered closed after he received assurances from the Minister for Labour. [61] On the final day of the two-week long meeting, the ILO Governing Body put forward a resolution to “review what further action could be taken by the ILO in accordance with its Constitution in order (i) to effectively secure Myanmar’s compliance with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and (ii) to ensure that no action is taken against complainants or their representatives.” [62] Crucially this resolution differs from previous statements as it is not solely a question of reactivating the previous measures from 2000, but opens the door to discussions on additional measures. [63] As such the Governing Body was instructed to prepare an analysis on all the available options in time for the annual ILO members’ conference in June 2006. [64] In the following months, the investigative work of the ILO office in Rangoon remained effectively stalled as no new cases of forced labour could be referred on, for fear of prosecution of the complainants. The ILO concluded that this situation “contradicts the very raison d’être of the ILO presence” [65] in Burma and subsequently drew up three possible courses of further action to be presented at the members’ conference. [66] The three courses of actions refer specifically to the regime’s practice of prosecuting complainants and its incompatibility with Forced Labour Convention No. 29. Option one involved an ILO member requesting a binding ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which would then be enforceable by the United Nations Security Council. Option two would see the establishment of an ad hoc ILO tribunal to rule on the matter and option three involved the ILO requesting an advisory opinion from the ICJ which although not binding, would carry significant judicial weight. Further, requests for advisory opinions do not enter the queue of contentious cases before the Court, and are therefore dealt with more quickly. [67] The 2006 annual ILO conference began on 31 May and during the two weeks there were an unprecedented one and a half days of meetings to discuss the situation in Burma and the possible course of actions. The representative for the Burmese junta responded to the negotiations by announcing on 3 June that they would “place a six month moratorium on the prosecution of complainants on an experimental basis” during which time any new complaints would be dealt with jointly by the Director General of the Department of Labour and the ILO Liaison Officer. In addition, as a goodwill gesture, they also announced they would release Su Su Nwe. [68] On 6 June 2006, Su Su Nwe was indeed released from Rangoon’s Insein prison. Her release was welcomed by many including the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who urged the Burmese authorities to follow up this action with the “lifting of remaining restrictions” on over 1000 other political prisoners including opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. [69] At the conference, the Burmese authorities appealed to ILO members to see their recent steps as evidence of their willingness to cooperate with the organisation and urged them not to adopt any of the further “harsh measures” being discussed. [70] Although the ILO welcomed the actions by Burma, the general consensus among members was that the steps “came very late and did not go far enough,” said Richard Horsey. [71] However, they did feel that the path of cooperation and dialogue could be continued on the proviso that “any such cooperation needed to rapidly produce tangible and verifiable action from Myanmar towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry”. To demonstrate its insistence on this matter the ILO then set a deadline of November 2006 (the next Governing Body meeting) for tangible progress to have been made on the establishment of a credible complaints mechanism. The ILO also demanded that the regime release Aye Myint and cease all pending prosecutions on other forced labour complainants. [72] On 8 July, Aye Myint was released from Pegu prison after serving nine months of his seven year sentence. The ILO welcomed the release and confirmed that they were not aware of any other people still being detained in Burma for similar offences. [73] On 27 September 2006, following continual adjournments in the case, the SPDC announced to the UN Human Rights Council, that the three Aunglan NLD members had been freed of all charges. [74] However, on 10 November 2006, Altsean reported that nine persons sentenced in November 2005 remained imprisoned following making complaints to the ILO. Wai Lin received a 25 years sentence while another defendant, Win, was given 17 years. The remaining seven people, Thein Lwin Oo, Ye Myint, Hla Myint Than, Aye Chan (f), Aye Thi Khaing (f), Yin Kyi (f) and Myint Lwin each received 8 year prison terms. [75] The deadline for the Burmese regime to establish a credible forced labour complaints mechanism expired at the start of the ILO Governing Body meeting on 14 November with no tangible progress having been made. All three member groups of the ILO, the Workers, Employers and the majority of Governments agreed on a toughening of their stance towards Burma. In their concluding statement the Governing Body expressed “great frustration that the Myanmar authorities had not been able to agree on a mechanism to deal with complaints” and criticised the regime for missing “a critical opportunity to demonstrate a real commitment to cooperating with the ILO…, which once again raised serious questions as to whether any such commitment existed.” [76] As a result, the Governing Body agreed to place an agenda item for their next session in March 2007 to move forward on the legal options outlined during the June 2006 conference, including making full preparations to request an advisory opinion from the ICJ. They also stated that ILO Director General Juan Somavia could make information available to the United Nations Security Council when they next come to consider the Burma situation and also to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for use in any future proceedings. The ICC has the authority to prosecute individuals, including military and government officials, for the most serious crimes within the international community. Forced labour could conceivably fall under the crime of “enslavement” which is referred to as a “crime against humanity”. [77] The unprecedented move towards legal action against the SPDC was seen by many ILO members to be crucial to ensure the credibility of the organisation and to demonstrate that they take the issue seriously. [78] Director General Jean Somavia commented in November that “Forced labour is a scourge on humanity. Any government or regime intent on perpetrating it will clash with the ILO head on…The ILO has been committed to dialogue with the Burmese authorities to solve the problem, but for some time now the message hasn’t been getting through….The door is still open, but if negotiations are not conducted in good faith, then other ways have to be explored”. [79] However, some member countries particularly from Asia claimed that dialogue was still the best course of action. While the ICJ itself has no power to enforce a potential ruling, it could be referred to and enforced by the Security Council. [80] Russia asserted it would not accept the authority of an advisory opinion by the ICJ as binding. [81]
1.3 Forced Labour Resulting from International Joint Ventures The Settlement of the Total Lawsuit Total, the French multinational oil and gas company were involved in a consortium in the 1990s to develop the off-shore Yadana gas field in the Andaman Sea and construct a 65km gas pipeline across Burma to Thailand. The SPDC military were contracted to provide security for the project. During the construction of the pipeline the military engaged in serious and widespread human rights abuses including the widespread use of forced labour. In the following years several lawsuits were brought against consortium members, namely Unocal and Total, centring on their knowledge, complicity and liability for the human rights abuses carried out by the military during the project. Total has been sued in two separate lawsuits, the first in the French courts in 2002 and the second in the Belgian courts, where the case was finally dismissed in 2005. The French case was brought by eight Burmese citizens who claimed that the military forced them to work on the pipeline construction site with threats of physical violence and death and that the Total executives were present at the sites and witnessed the actions of the military. [86] Charges were brought against Total’s President Director General Thierry Desmarest and Director of On-Site Operations Herv Madeo for recruiting and paying battalions of the military and for promoting a situation of forced labour on the construction site. The court case came to an end in November 2005 with an out-of-court settlement for 5.2 million euros (US$6.12 million) despite Total still denying any direct or indirect responsibility for the situation and asserting that neither they nor any of their sub-contractors used forced labour. [87] The settlement terms include 10,000 euros (US$12,000) to each plaintiff on agreement that they drop the charges against Total, 1.2 million euros (US$1.32 million) for other victims who can verifiably prove that they were subject to forced labour on the pipeline project and a further 4 million euros (US$ 4.7 million) for development and humanitarian aid to Burmese refugees along the Thai border areas. [88] The allocation of the settlement money began in 2006 with the two larger sums being channelled through NGOs working in the Thai border regions. Initially Total encountered problems when two organisations refused to accept the funding. The Migrant Assistance Programme and the Thailand-Burma Border Consortium both declined the settlement money, citing Total’s ongoing business involvements with the Burmese regime and their previous involvement in forced labour as the reason. Jackie Pollock of the Migrants Assistance Programme stated that “It would be unethical to be funded by a company that has ignored human rights abuses.” [89] However, two other organisations: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the National Catholic Commission on Migration (NCCM), did agree to accept and distribute the financial aid. The UNHCR will spend the settlement money on aid projects in seven refugee camps in Thailand and the NCCM stated that it would use the funding to continue education and health projects in the Mon and Karen State areas. In addition the NCCM would also assist with the allocation of compensation to other victims of forced labour. They will manage a support fund for people subjected to forced labour for one week or more between 1995 and 1997 in southern Mon State and Tenasserim Division. [90] To receive the compensation the victims have to provide proof in the form of written or oral accounts which must be officially verified by a recognised international, regional or local organisation. By July 2006 Total’s lawyers were investigating 18 claims from victims in Kanbauk, Paukpinkwin and Yebyu Township. [91] Potential Use of Forced Labour on Internationally Sponsored Projects Throughout 2006 the Burmese junta conducted negotiations with many neighbouring governments and multinational corporations concerning future development and energy projects in the region. Several new projects also began during the year. As has been show in the past, development projects in Burma usually mean an increase in militarization in the surrounding areas, which then increases the prevalence of human rights abuses, particularly forced labour and portering. All of the following projects raise serious concerns regarding potential new human rights violations. Salween Dams In December 2005 the SPDC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Salween River. Thailand has almost exhausted all of its domestic hydroelectric capability and is hugely dependent on foreign oil, so it is keen to secure energy deals with its neighbouring countries. It is estimated that Thailand will receive as much as 85-90 percent of the energy produced by the Burmese Salween dams. [92] Of the five proposed dam sites the two that seem to have the most developed plans are the Hat Gyi Dam in Karen State and the Tasang Dam in Shan State. [93] The Hat Gyi Dam is due to be completed first, work is scheduled to start in 2007 and the project should run for five to six years. However, the joint dam project is reportedly going ahead without social or environmental impact studies having been carried out. [94] The project has generated widespread criticism from environmental and human rights groups who claim that the dam will force thousands from their homes, depriving people of their livelihoods and that forced labour will be used by the military on the construction sites. [95] Whilst, there is a complex web of reasons behind the 2006 military offensives in Karen State, a direct link can be discerned between the offensives and proposed dam sites. “In terms of the offensives, this is quite clear,” said David Scott Mathieson, of Human Rights Watch. “The current offensives have to do with dams, as did the Shan forced relocation campaign between 1996 and 1998. The best way to (see) this is to place maps of proposed dam sites next to maps of the offensives and previous campaigns. The SPDC is clearing people away from development sites.” [96] According to KHRG, relocated people are being used to clear forest areas and build access roads to newly established SPDC camps in areas near the dam sites. [97] Increased militarization in the area has also resulted in villagers being conscripted to serve as guides and porters for the military, as well as labouring on their bases. [98] The terms of the MoU state that all information on the project is to remain confidential. This has angered many in Thailand, and throughout 2006 there were protests calling for the information to be made public. Reports have emerged from local NGOs that 10,000 refugees have already fled into the Mae Hong Son area in Thailand as a result of the dam project areas. [99] The exodus of villagers in the construction area was said to be prompted by the settlement of Burmese troops near a proposed reservoir for the Hat Gyi dam. [100] In March 2006 a group of Thai senators submitted an official letter to the Ministry of Energy demanding information on the project, as they became increasingly concerned about the negative impact of the dam on local communities. Still no information was made public, as the company asserted that they were unable to publicise anything without the permission of the SPDC. [101] On 19 September 2006, a military coup took place in Thailand and the government of Thaksin Shinawatra was removed from power. Thasksin’s government had previously developed a strong relationship with the Burmese junta including strengthening economic ties on projects such as the Salween dams. With a new regime in power, local environmental and human rights groups saw a renewed opportunity for a change in the relationship with Burma and began petitioning for an end to the dam projects. [102] In early November the new regime signalled that it intends to reassess its relations with Burma, particularly in the area of power generation. The new Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand stated that they may possibly abandon the Salween dam projects; however, many observers believe that at least two of the five dam projects (Hat Gyi and Tasang) may be considered too far advanced to back out of. [103] When completed, the proposed Tasang Dam in Shan State will be the tallest hydroelectric dam in South East Asia, measuring 228 meters high with a generating capacity of over 7,000 megawatts. The project is estimated to cost US$6 billion and take 15 years. In April 2006 the Burmese regime signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Thai company MDX to build the dam. [104] The flood plain is expected to cover hundreds of kilometres which will mean the displacement of thousands of people. The Shan Sapawa Organisation reported in September 2006 that over 60,000 had already been forcibly relocated from the flood zone and that MDX were building roads, staff buildings and other facilities in the area. Due to conflict in the region the SPDC military has tripled the number of battalions in the area, increasing the corollary risk of human rights abuses and forced labour. [105] Shwe Gas Development In August 2000 the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) signed a deal with the South Korean multinational Daewoo International to explore and develop natural gas fields in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Arakan State. In 2004 they announced the discovery of a large off-shore gas field containing several blocks of gas. The largest lock being A-1 is estimated to contain upwards of 3 trillion cubic feet of gas. The subsequent development project was named “Shwe” which means gold in Burmese. [106] The estimated market value of the A-1 block alone is US$80 billion. The Shwe Gas Consortium was set up to oversee the development of the project. Consortium members include Daewoo International with a 60 percent share, the Korean Gas Corporation with 10 percent, India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation with 10 percent and the Gas Authority of India (GAIL) with a 20 percent share. The gas field is thought to have a lifetime of around 20 years and it has been estimated that the project will increase the junta’s income by 150 percent, bringing in between US$580 and US$824 million each year, or up to US$17 billion over the life of the project. [107]
The Shwe Gas Movement, a coalition of NGOs, is calling on the Consortium members to cease cooperation with the Burmese regime as the gas revenues from the project will only strengthen the junta’s oppressive control of the country and allow for further development of the military. “The hopes of many people in Burma for democratic change will be dealt a serious blow by the Shwe gas project if it goes ahead,” said Wong Aung, coordinator of the Shwe Gas Movement in Thailand. [108] Daewoo have stated that they will not withdraw from the project and that “it is not the right time to discuss a human rights abuse issue because we are…yet to begin development”. [109] Previous gas deals have been directly linked to arms purchases by the junta. [110] At the end of 2006, 14 Daewoo International executives were indicted in South Korea for violations of international trading law and technology development facilitating law, for illegally exporting gunnery production factory, equipments, and technical skills to the Burmese military regime. [111] The Gas from the A-1 field was initially earmarked for Indian consumption which would mean building a pipeline overland through Arakan and Chin States, then through Bangladesh to India. However during bilateral negotiations between India and Bangladesh, the latter imposed conditions on any pipeline agreement including access for commodities and energy from Bangladesh to Nepal and Bhutan through Indian territory. India could not agree to the conditions so the project stalled. On 7 December 2005 the Burmese Junta and the Consortium unexpectedly signed a MoU with PetroChina, a private oil and gas company from Beijing, to supply gas from the A-1 field, including an overland pipeline to China. The route of the proposed pipeline will stretch from Taungup Township to Mindon, then through Shan State and into Yunnan in China. [112] In January 2006 Burmese officials confirmed that despite the deal with China, they could still supply gas to India but it would have to be from block A-2 which being further out would require an additional 150km of pipeline. [113] Daewoo International also continued to explore the A-3 block which is estimated to carry reserves worth around US$4 billion. In April 2006 they sold 20 percent of the development rights to India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp. [114] By August 2006, GAIL had completed a feasibility study on the construction of a 1,400 kilometre pipeline, by passing Bangladesh, running through Arakan and Chin States along the Kaladan River to Gaya in Bihar via Mizoram State of India. [115] The Shwe Gas Movement reported that the SPDC military, in charge of protecting the project, had already begun building 15 new army bases along the proposed pipeline route. The military has reportedly used forced labour to build these bases, as well as in the construction of roads in the area. Forced relocations have also reportedly increased along the proposed route. Following previous experiences on the Yadana and Yetagun pipelines, the concern is that when the project begins, the number of human rights violations will increase. [116] Road and Rail Projects In 2006, the SPDC was a partner in ‘The Asian Highway’, an inter-governmental project which aims to connect 32 countries throughout Asia, and has been organised in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Within Burma one section already under construction is intended to run from Thailand via the border town of Myawaddy in Pa-an District, continuing north to Rangoon, through Thaton District. The DKBA has been charged by the SPDC with implementing the construction of the Highway in Thaton District. In doing so, the DKBA have in turn forcibly relocated villagers, and forced local residents to clear the land, dig irrigation trenches and build bridges. KHRG have asserted that “similar destruction can be expected along the Asian Highway’s entire route through Burma”. [117] Throughout 2006 negotiations continued between the Bangladeshi government and the Burmese junta on the construction of a “friendship road” which would connect the two countries. The proposed 153 km route would stretch from Taungbro to Kyauktaw in Burma via Ramu-Gundom to Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh. [118] In January 2006 the government of India announced that plans to construct a railway link with Burma were to go ahead. On the Indian side the proposed rail route will cover 98km from Manipur State to the Indo-Burma border. The junta will construct a further 130km via Kalaymyo to Mandalay. [119]
1.4 Forced Portering – Partial List of Incidents for 2006 Arakan State Buthidaung Township On 26 January 2006, it was reported that civilians were forced to carry goods and commodities from Taung Baza market to Sai Din Army Camp where at least three SPDC battalions were stationed. The distance between Taung Baza market and Sai Din Army Camp is 23 miles (more than 38 kilometres) and it takes at least seven hours on foot each way. The porters were forced to carry army rations including rice, peanuts, cooking oil and fuel including diesel. Villagers reported that if a family refused they were fined at least 500 kyat. The army also forced people to work as sentries at night, especially in villages close to the Bangladesh border. Twenty to 30 persons from each of the following villages were forced to work as porters on a rotational basis:
Chin State Matupi Township On 8 January 2006, troops from LIB #30 arrived at Satu village, and stopped a Sunday church service in order to commandeer 20 persons to porter for their unit. The church president, Mr. Vansen, was given an hour to select 20 people. Those who subsequently portered for the SPDC troops included 2 church elders, and a 15 year old girl called Ma Yin. [121] On 10 October 2006, it was reported that Major Aung Lin Thwat, and troops from LIB #16 camped in Sabawngte village forced villagers from the surrounding area of Chin State to carry their supplies. The soldiers called up seven villagers from Sabawngte and forced them to carry backpacks and rations to the military camp in Darling Village. The goods carried by each villager weighed around 12 kilograms. [122] Karen State Dooplaya District In August 2006, two soldiers deserted SPDC LIB #308 after being accused of rape. They were later captured, and as punishment for deserting and stealing a pistol they were used as porters to carry ammunition and rations during an offensive against the KNU, 25 km west of Three Pagodas Pass, along the Thai border. One of the soldiers died while portering and the fate of the second is unknown. [123] Mergui/Tavoy District On 20 September 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #558 ordered villagers living in Ta-nin-tha-yi Township to transport food supplies for SPDC IB #24 in the Moe-taw area. Villagers required for this task were: Thee-daw village, 80 persons; Ta-gu village, 80 persons; and Thay-baw-na village, 50 persons. [124] Nyaunglebin District On 28 April 2006, it was reported that TOC #1 Commander Thin Aung, had ordered the forced employment of 2,000 villagers from the Kler La/Baw Ga Lyi Gyi area, Mone Township, in the portering of food supplies, as part of a major re supply of camps on the Kler La- Busakee road; including Naw Soe, Busakee and They Mu Ko camps. [126] On 11 May 2006, it was reported that the SPDC had been forcing villagers in Shwegyin Township to work as forced porterers during their offensive. For three months, villagers and bullock carts from Donzayit, Salu Chaung, Kyunchaung, and other villages in Shwegyin Township were commandeered to transport food supplies to the frontline and transport SPDC troops back to Shwegyin and military hospitals. As a result, farmers were largely impeded from sustaining their own livelihoods. [127] On 5 July 2006, SPDC IB #57 Commander Min Kyaing Thant commandeered 90 bullock carts from Pa-deh-gon village Tract and 150 carts from Ma-bee village Tract, with 3 persons per cart, to carry the battalion’s food supplies. Despite villagers’ protestations that they were unable to go due to heavy flooding, they were refused the option to decline. [128] On 15 August 2006, SPDC LIB #599 troops ordered Maladaw villager Maung Ro to carry durian fruits from Wah-khee to Maladaw. [129] Thaton District In early 2006, DKBA Battalion #333 Commander Boh Lweh shot 25 year old Saw B--- 30 times in the head with a slingshot before demanding he porter for their battalion. [130]
On 16 February 2006, a DKBA unit in Bilin Township forced the Kaw-heh village head, Par Noe, and fellow villager, Par Na Da, to serve as porters for a month, under the justification that they had connections with KNU solders. If they refused, they were told that they would instead be sent to prison for the month. [131] On 11 February 2006, Captain Aye Aung with 60 of his soldiers from LIB #104 entered E--- village, Pa’an Township, and ordered the village head to find him four guides. Once they left the village the guides were also forced to porter for the battalion, with each villager having to carry loads weighing around 24 kgs. When they reached the next village the troops again demanded guides from the village head and released the E--- villagers. [132] On 21 February 2006, Captain Than Htun along with 40 soldiers from DKBA Headquarters Security Battalion came to P--- village, Pa’an Township, and ordered the village head to find him 13 porters. The 13 villagers were forced to serve the battalion as porters for three days. [133] On 23 February 2006, Captain Than Htun along with 40 soldiers from DKBA Headquarters Security Battalion entered K--- village, Pa’an Township while the villagers were worshipping. They captured all of the men and took six of them as porters, only releasing them two days later. [134] In March 2006, DKBA troops apprehended Poe Choh, of Gk’Wah Htah village, Bilin Township who had been staying in Dtah Meh Kee village. They forced him to serve as a porter, during which time he was assaulted by the troops. [135] In June 2006, DKBA Brigade #333 troops, under the command of Mo Kyo, began operations in Bilin Township. From this time on through to through to the end of 2006, troops have frequently entered villages demanding information and porters, threatening that anyone caught fleeing from portering duty would be fined 300,000 kyat. [136] On 11 June 2006, DKBA troops under Hla Maung forced 17 residents of Ta-eu-ni village, Bilin Township to serve as porters for their unit. [137] Toungoo District On 4 February 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #440, based at Kaw-thay-doe camp in Tantabin Township, forced 4 men and 7 women from Kaw-thay-doe village to carry 3 sacks of rice to Naw-soe and then on to Kaw-thay-doe camp. [138] On 24 February 2006, SPDC TOC #663 Commander Tin Aung, based at Play-hsa-lo camp, Tantabin Township, forced 5 Play-hsa-lo villagers and one Yar-lo villager to carry army rations from Htee-lo to Play-hsa-lo. [139] On 27 February 2006, Major Aye Lwin of LIB #6, in Thandaung Township, forced villagers of Htee-tha-saw and Ka-mi-lo to carry rations comprising of:
On 3 March 2006, LID #66, TOC #3, under Commander Tin Aung, made 70 bullock carts from Za Ya Gyi take rice from Za Ya Gyi to Hti Loh. [141] On 9 March 2006, SPDC TOC #663 Commander Tin Aung forced 10 Play-Hsa-Loh villagers to transport rice from Hti Loh back to Play-Hsa-Loh. [142] On 11 March 2006, the SPDC TOC #663 Commander Tin Aung, based at Play-Hsa-Lo camp in Tantabin Township, forced Ya-lo and Plaw-baw-doe villagers to carry army rations from Paw-per-lay-la to Play-hsa-lo. The victims from Ya-lo village were:
And Plaw-baw-doe villagers:
Also on 11 March 2006, SPDC LID #66 Commander Khin Zaw Oo, based at Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi) in Tantabin Township, ordered all the truck owners in Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi) and Kaw-thay-doe areas to transport army rations from Pa-let-wa to Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi). [144] On 12 March 2006, in Tantabin Township, SPDC TOC #3, IB #35, Column #2 Commander Bo Nay Myo, based at Klaw-mee-doe, forced: 8 women and 22 men from Ler-ka-doe, 10 women and 17 men from Hu-mu-doe and 18 women and 60 men from Klaw-mee-doe villages to carry army rations from Paletwa to Klaw-mee-doe army camp, for the next three days. [145] Also on 12 March 2006, SPDC TOC #663 Commander Tin Aung, in Tantabin Township, forced 9 Yer-lo villagers, 9 Paw-per villagers, 8 Ka-mu-lo villagers and 5 women and 13 men from Play-hsa-lo village to carry army rations from Lay-lar-taw to Play-hsa-lo army camp. [146] On 17 March 2006, LIB #108 troops, in Tantabin Township, forced Htee-lo villagers to carry army rations from Htee-lo to Play-hsa-lo army camp. [147] On 18 March 2006, SPDC troops from Play-hsa-lo camp under TOC #663 of LID #66, led by Commander Tin Aung forced 16 villagers from Play-hsa-lo, 9 from Yu-lo, 2 from Por-pa and 3 from Yeh-lo to carry their rations and ammunition from Nart-kyar area to Play-hsa-lo army camp. [148] On 18 March 2006, SPDC troops from LIB #11 led by Bo Han Moe Aung, forced 15 villagers from Khaw-law-kar village, 15 from S’bar-law-khee and 15 from Khu-thay-doe to carry their rations and ammunition to Khu-thay-dar army camp. [149] On 3 April 2006, the SPDC military forced villagers from Ger Mu Loh to go to Hti Lo, pick up rations of rice and take it back to Play Hsa Loh camp. The villagers were:
On 13 May 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #108 under LID #66 forced 6 residents of Ye-tho-gyi village, Tantabin Township, to transport army rations from Ye-tho-gyi to Ku-leh-doe army camp. [151] On 20 May 2006, LID #66 Commander Khin Zaw forced the residents of 10 villages in Baw-ga-li-gyi village tract, a total of 350 villagers, to transport 200 sacks of rice to Naw-soe military camp. [152] On 6 June 2006, troops from SPDC TOC #2 of MOC #16, led by Major Ko Ko Kyi, forced 72 villagers from Play-hsa-lo, Yeh-lo, Plaw-baw-doe, Ta-pa-khee, Mwee-lo, Paw-pa and Lay-wor-lo villages to carry their army supplies from Htee-lo camp to Tain-pu camp. [153] On 5 July 2006, SPDC TOC #661 ordered villagers from the west bank of Thauk-ye-khat River to carry food supplies from Thandaung town to Tahuk-ye-khat river suspension bridge camp. The villages included in this order were:
On 6 August 2006, SPDC MOC #16, TOC #2, IB #241 and Southern Command attempted to capture 700 villagers in Tha Bin Nyut to carry food for the SPDC soldiers from Play Hsa Lo camp. [155] On 15 August 2006, SPDC LIB #10 forced 10 villagers to carry food from Kaw Thay Der (Ye Tho Gyi) to Noe Soe (Mong Di Gyi) camp. [156] On 15 August 2006, SPDC TOC #662 troops forced 6 Der-kah villagers and 13 Htee-pu-khee-der-kho villagers to carry food supplies from Waw-gyi camp to Ka-ya-khee camp. [157] On 19 August 2006, SPDC LIB #439 commanded by Kyaw Htun Win from Shasibo Camp forced 16 villagers to carry food to Hti Lo Camp. [158] On 23 August 2006, SPDC IB #35 battalion commander ordered the following groups of villagers to carry food supplies for the army: Ker-weh village, 40 persons; Ler-gi-kho-doe-ka village, 15 persons; Ler-gi-kho-doe-kho village, 30 persons; Ku-thay-doe village, 30 persons; Sa-ba-ler-khee village, 15 persons; and Kaw-law-ka village, 15 persons. [159] On 21 September 2006, SPDC MOC #16, based at Teik-pu camp, seized 59 villagers of Teik-pu village, taking them to Tha-byay-nyunt to carry food supplies. [160]
On 2 October 2006, Commander Aung Min of SPDC IB #1, based in Maung Ko Der camp, forced 35 villagers to carry their food rations for them. [161] On 4 October 2006, Bo Zaw Win of SPDC LIB #5 ordered 8 men and 12 women of Ler-gi-kho village and 30 men of Kher-weh villager to carry food supplies from Thandaung to Kher-weh camp. [162] Also on 4 October 2006, SPDC LID #66 Commander Maung Maung Aye, ordered Bawgali-gyi villager Po Pyu to transport bamboo cut by Kaw-thay-doe villagers to Bawgali-gyi. [163] On 7 October 2006, Commander Kyaw Tun Win of LIB #439 forced 8 Shasibo villagers to carry rice to Hti Lo Camp. [164] On 18 October 2006, Major Zaw Min of SPDC IB #1 based at Maw-koe-doe camp, ordered 6 Peh-kaw-doe villagers to carry food supplies from Baw-gali-gyi to Maw-koe-doe camp. [165] On 21 October 2006, SPDC IB #580, based at Play-hsa-lo camp, Tantabin Township, ordered 42 villagers from Play-hsa-lo, Ler-lo, Plaw-baw-doe, Paw-pa and Ka-nue-lo villages, to carry military supplies from Tha-bye-nyunt camp to Play-hsa-lo camp. [166] On 21 October 2006, SPDC LID #66, TOC 662, IB #11, under Commander Aung Min forced 12 Beh Kaw Der villagers to carry supplies from Kler La to Maung Ko Der camp. Commander Maung Maung Aye, based in Kler La camp, also forced villagers to carry food from Kler La to Busakee. [167]
On 30 November 2006, LIB #590 ordered 20 villagers and 6 ox cart owners from Mae Ta Taw, Myaw Oo, Paw Pi Der, Aung Chan Tha and Htee To Lo villages to carry food supplies from Ye Oh Sin to the Htee La Baw Hta army camp. [169] On 5 December 2006, LID #66 Commander Maung Maung Aye, ordered LIB #6 Battalion Commander Aung Soe Win to send 35 people from Kaw Thay Der village to carry army supplies from Kaw Thay Der to Naw Soe. They were subsequently ordered to carry supplies from Naw Soe camp back to Baw Ga Li Gyi camp. On the same day General Maung Maung Aye ordered villagers from Wa Thee Ko to cut 300 pieces of bamboo and take them to Wa Thee Ko for the construction of the camp. [170] Mon State Ye Township On 8 January 2006, two soldiers deserted from SPDC IB #31, based in Khaw Zar sub-Town, and reportedly joined a Mon rebel group operating in the area. As a result, SPDC forces began threatening the people of Mi-Htaw-Hlar Kyi village and forced six villagers, on a rotational basis, to patrol the village and act as porters to track down the deserters. “Our villagers are being used as porters to track down the deserters. At least two or three men were used and they had to carry supplies for the soldiers. Sometimes we were used for four days,” one villager explained. [171] Shan State Kae-See Township On 5 February 2006, a patrol of about 30 SPDC troops from Nam-Zarng based LIB #543 conscripted 4 villagers from Nawng Wo village in Wan Zing village tract, Kae-See Township, to serve as porters. The villagers were forced to carry heavy loads whilst on patrol with the troops. One porter escaped into the jungle, and the load was divided into 3 portions. After four days, the 3 porters were released at Wan Yurng village, and replaced with villagers from Wan Yurng. [172] Murng Kerng Township In September 2006, it was reported that villages in Murng Khun village tract had to provide at least 1 person each day to go to each of the two local SPDC military camps; the Murng-Kerng-based LIB #514 to the south and the Kae-See-based IB #286 to the northeast, to be ready to serve as military porters if and when required; which was said to be frequently. If villagers escaped, their whole village was liable to punishment, often paying a fine in the form of livestock. Villagers of Nawng Kio, Wan Paang and Ta Saa Le villages in Murng Khun tract said that the arrangement had been in place for many years. [173] Murng-Nai Township On 28 April 2006, SPDC troops from LIB #576, under Capt. Thein Htun Oo, forced 4 villagers of Pa Sa village in Nawng Hee village tract, to serve as porters for 6 days, seriously injuring their shoulders as a result of the heavy loads they were required to carry. The four villagers were:
Namkhan Township On 4 January 2006, it was reported that during battles with the Shan State Army-South in the area three miles from Namkhan, the SPDC military had forced 20 people from each surrounding village to act as porters during the day and to work as sentries during the night. At night they were forced to stand guard along the Namkhan-Namphatkar road and at the ferry ports on the Shweli River. [175] Nam-Zarng Township On 19 June 2006, a patrol from SPDC LIB #516 conscripted 3 villagers from Tin Paet village, Nawng Hee village tract, to serve as the patrol’s guides. The 3 male villagers were: Zaai Kyan, aged 37; Zaai Sa, aged 20; and Kaw-Ling, aged 30. Once they left the village, two of the men were forced to porter cooking utensils for the patrol. After three days of patrol, they were interrogated about the movements of Shan soldiers in the area, during which time they were assaulted, and cruelly tortured, with burning plastic sheet dripped on their head. The following day, a Pa-O ceasefire group negotiated for the release of the villagers, who were threatened with death if they informed anybody what had happened. [176]
1.5 Forced Labour – Partial List of Incidents for 2006 Arakan State In February 2006, The Arakan Liberation Army burned a temporary SPDC Army camp. In response, SPDC troops accused local villagers of being rebels, demanded 80,000 kyat as compensation, and forced the villagers to rebuild the camp. [177] On 9 May 2006, it was reported that villagers from Kyaukpan Du, Thawin Chaung, Inndin, and Mrin Lwet in Maungdaw Township, as well as Atwin Byin, Chut Byin, Owe Thima, Thein Daung and Taungmaw in Buthidaung and Rathidaung Townships, were being forced to construct an 18 mile road between a ‘model’ village for Buddhist settlers in Rathidaung Township and a border village in Maungdaw Township. Whilst local authorities promised to pay the villagers 500 kyat for each days work they later refused to honour their promise. [178] Buthidaung Township From January 2006 to at least the time of this report on 8 May 2006, NaSaKa, Burma’s Border Security Force in western Burma, forced villagers into providing free labour for road construction projects in Buthidaung Township, Arakan State. The road which is being constructed by villagers will connect the MOC #15 of Dabru Chaung to Thin Ga Net IB #552. It is 14 miles long, 30 feet wide and 4 feet high. Villagers recruited for the construction of the road came from:
On 8 January 2006, it was reported that large numbers of Rohingya villagers were being forced to perform sentry duty at night in areas of northern Arakan. Numerous sentry posts were built on the back of forced labour. Six Rohingya were required to man each sentry post for the entire night, meaning that at least 78 villagers had to do sentry duty from each village everyday. Villagers had to stay awake the whole night and keep shouting and asking again and again “Hey! Who are you?” whether they saw anyone or not. Two or three times in every week, soldiers, NaSaKa or the police would come to the villages to check whether the sentries were on duty and awake. Perversely, the sentries were punished for both shouting when they visited and again for not shouting. [180] On 18 March 2006, The TOC office in Buthidaung Town ordered IB #234 to complete the construction of a three-kilometre stretch of road in Tat Min Chaung and Min Gyi Taung within 30 days. The TOC required the road to be 18 feet in width and 2.5 feet high. Every family in Maung Gyi Taung, Lat Wat Dad Pazung Chaung, Min Gyi Zay, Dar Bine Sara, Tatmin Chaung and Shari Gona villages had to send one person as a ‘volunteer’ for the construction work. The military warned villagers not to divulge the fact that they were being used as forced labour, rather they were asked to identify themselves as volunteer workers. [181] On 5 May 2006, Abu Sayed, 50 years old, from Nan Yah Gone village, Buthidaung Township was detained for three days in an army camp and fined 10,000 kyat for his refusal to work as a forced labourer. [182] On 14 May 2006, it was reported that villagers in northern Buthidaung Township, were being forced to lay a road by the military authorities. The road constructed by villagers connected Taung Bazar to Bow Gawli village. It was required to be 8 miles in length, 80 feet wide and 3.75 feet high. Villagers used as forced labour were from nearby village tracts such as:
On 15 June 2006, at about 7:30 am, a seven-member police team from Taung Bazaar police station went to the Gyi Nuk Thi village tract, accompanied by the VPDC Chairman U Maung Hlun Chay, and arrested seven people from the village to provide forced labour. However, four of them were later released on the recommendation of the VPDC Chairman. Among the police personnel was San Tun, the Sergeant of Taung Bazar police station. The three Rohingya detained were Ali Hossain, 40, Mohamed Sayed, 35, and Kairul Amin, 19, who were forced to work in the police camp till sun set without food or wages. Kairul Amin fell unconscious as a result of the heat and lack of food, only to be assaulted and accused of feigning his exhaustion. The three men were released the following day after having no charges brought against them. [184] On 15 October 2006, Zamal Uddin, a Rohingya villager from Gufi village, Buthidaung Township, was accosted by NaSaKa forces whilst on his way to market. He was taken to their camp where he was forced to work alongside other Rohingya detainees. He was released on 25 October without any compensation for his work. [185] Kyaukpru Township In August 2006, the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) initiated the construction of a 28 mile long pipeline from oil fields in Kyaukpru and Rambree Townships to a processing factory in Kyaukpru. It was reported that many local residents had been forced to work on the construction of the pipeline for minimal wages. Land had also been confiscated for the pipeline and 329 hand drilled wells had originally been confiscated by the SPDC for CNOOC to begin their enterprise. [186] Maungdaw Township On 16 February 2006, it was reported that Mohammed Ibrahim and Noor Boshor, from Wabag village of Kyi Kan Pyin village-tract (Khawarbill), Maungdaw Township were arrested by a NaSaKa patrol operating from their headquarters in Kyi-Kan-Pyin. During a surprise check at the sentry-post which the two men had been forced to man for the night, NaSaKa accused one of the men of sleeping and alleged the other had left his post. This has been denied by sources from the village. The two men were taken to the NaSaKa headquarters where they were beaten severely before being released after paying 6,000 kyat. [187] On 4 June 2006, a bridge crossing the river which flows between the Dou Dhan and Ngar Sakyeu villages in Maungdaw Township was completed. The 200 foot long bridge was built through forced labour and money extorted from villagers, with about 2,800,000 kyat of villagers money used by NaSaKa to construct the bridge. The villagers were also reported to have provided the timber for the bridge. Villagers will nevertheless be forced to pay a toll to cross the bridge. [188] On 29 June 2006, NaSaKa forced seven villagers from Maungdaw Township to plant castor oil saplings on a state-owned plantation. The villagers planted 17,600 castor oil saplings in one day. [189] On 2 July 2006, NaSaKa troops arrested 17 Rohingya villagers in Fokira Bazaar, Maungdaw Township, as they had come to the village without obtaining travel documents. The villagers were subsequently forced to work on a road construction site between Aung Zu and Khamaung Zeik in Maungdaw Township as punishment. [190] Palawa Township In June 2006, it was reported that SPDC LIB #289 had ordered the following villages to each send 20 labourers every day to their camp:
The villagers, aged between 15 and 40, were forced to bake brick, clean the camp, make fences, build a temporary building and do general work round the camp. Each person was forced to bring rations and firewood for three days. They also had to bring tools such as hoes, pickaxes, and knives to use during their work. [191] Villagers had to arrive at six in the morning and work eight hours a day without payment. [192] Ponna Kyunt Township On 8 January 2006, it was reported that Arakanese farmers were being forced by the regime to cultivate onions during the dry season. Farmers from Aung Pru Byin village in Ponna Kyunt Township reported that the authorities ordered each of them to cultivate onions on a piece of land with a minimum size of 75 feet by 150 feet. If any farmer disobeyed the order he would be punished by the local authorities. [193] Rathidaung Township On 30 January 2006, Captain Zaw Min Oo, of the Regional Security Control Headquarters, summoned villagers from the western part of Rathidaung Township, and forced them to carry timber and tin plates for the construction of modern (model?) villages at the foot of the Mayu range. In Rathidaung Township the military junta was constructing three such villages, Padauk Myin, Mala Myin, and Thaza Myin. The villagers did not receive any wages for their labour. They had to work for three days carrying loads between Sapho Kyunt jetty and the three villages; a distance of roughly 15 miles. The villagers were from;
On 3 April 2006, it was reported that SPDC authorities in Rathidaung Township were ordering VPDCs to send forced labourers from their village-tracts, as well as apprehending villagers, for use in SPDC brick fields. On 6 March 2006, Mohammed Sayed, 25, was accosted by the police who brought him to the brickfield and set him to work. He worked there for four days with little food and finally collapsed. On 10 March 2006, Abdu Malek, 27, was arrested by police while he was going to the market, and forced to work at the brick fields. He subsequently became ill. Similarly, on 23 March 2006, Mohammed, Abdu Koyum, Zamal Hussin, Nozir Ahmed and Abul Hussin from Zedy Pyin village tract were detained by police whilst they were leaving their mosque and forced to work at the brick fields. After one week, they were released without charge. [195] On 1 July 2006, Obiadullah, from Koe Tan Kauk village tract was put to work on the construction of NaSaKa camp #18, and was not permitted any rest period whilst working. On 10 July 2006, his relatives received information from other local people, who were also working in the camp, that Obiadullah had died. Villagers believe that he died as a result of injuries sustained from torture as his body was heavily scarred. NaSaKa subsequently handed over the body to his relatives claiming he died of a mysterious disease. NaSaKa ordered the relatives to bury the body immediately and also warned the villagers not to talk about the death to other authorities. [196] From 8 August to at least the time of this report, on 23 August 2006, NaSaKa forces were reported to be employing Rohingya villagers; Sayed Karim, Boshor, Sultan, Fayas, Kala Meah and Jamal, of Zaydi Pyin village, as forced labourers for a NaSaKa camp. The villagers were forced to go to the NaSaKa work site for four days each week, or else be fined 4,000 kyat per day. [197] Chin State Falam Township From the first week of May 2006, until at least the time of this report on 19 May 2006, the second commander of the SPDC military based in Tihbual village of Falam Township forced villagers from Tihbual, Mual Kawn and Laikual to work on the construction of an army camp. The forced labourers were required to bring their own tools and food. In addition, the villagers were forced to provide the raw construction materials, such as wood for the poles of the building and thatch for the roof. Between 20 and 30 villagers were required to work on the camp each day. The forced labour duties prevented villagers from working on their chilli crops despite it being harvest time, a crucial period for these farmers. If villagers failed to fulfil their duties they were subject to a large fine. [198] Hakha Township In the first week of January 2006, villagers from four villages in Hakha Township were ordered to clear trees from more than 600 acres of forest for an SPDC tea plantation. The order was issued by Chin SPDC Chairman Colonel Tin Hla, who is also Commander of TOC #1. Hniarlawn, Chun Cung, Hran Hring and Nabual villages were affected by the order. Each village was ordered to clear 160 acres of forested land within a week. “It took one person from every household in the village to finish the work in one week. The designated site was 2 miles away from our village and we had to bring our own ration and tools for the work,” said a Hnairlawn villager. [199] Matupi Township In early 2006, Colonel San Aung of TOC #2, based in Matupi town, forced the local residents living along the town road to widen that road up to 5 feet in front of each house without pay. As a result, the road extended into the property of some residents living in the lower area of the town, who were forced to move. U Lu Voei and U Hu Hna who owned houses at the lower area reported the matter to the military command who verbally agreed to pay 10,000 kyat in compensation for them having to move their houses. However they had not received any compensation at the time of this report (24 May 2006). [200] In the third week of February, TOC #2 commander, Colonel San Aung, ordered the construction of a four mile motor road between Valangte and Leisin village, Matupi Township. The project was carried out under the command of Sergeant Aung Myo Thun. Around 200 local villagers were forced to work on the construction of the road, including roughly 30 women, with each village in the vicinity charged with constructing 3,000 feet of the road. The villagers had to supply their own food and tools. Some of the villages affected were:
On 23 March 2006, it was reported that Mr. Lebuai, a village headman and member of the Ahru VPDC, had been detained for the previous three days after asking a contractor to pay wages to labourers forced to work in the construction of a hospital in Matupi. Troops from LIB #140 arrested Mr. Lebuai who was subsequently beaten and detained in the Lailenpi military camp. The army officers demanded 50,000 kyat in exchange for Mr.Lebuai’s freedom. Ten villages around Lailenpi had reportedly been forced to supply 1,000 burnt bricks each for the construction of the hospital, under orders from Dr. Tin Thura, who demanded the bricks on 20 March. The villages forced to supply the burnt bricks were;
Although villagers from Pintia refused the order and said they were “ready to face any action by the military”. [202] In the second week of March 2006, Captain Than Htike Soe of the LIB #140 began summoning groups of villagers, 30 at a time, in Matupi Township, for use as forced labourers in the construction of a new military camp. No payment was offered. The labourers had to work on rotating shifts for five days at a time. IB #304 in Lailente is due to be based in the new camp. [203] In early April 2006, construction work on a hydro-electric power project at the Bungtla waterfall, on Rha Lawng River in Matupi Township, resumed after heavy rains during the monsoon season. Construction restarted under the orders of Colonel San Aung, the Commander of TOC #2. Local residents were conscripted to work on the plant’s construction, on a rotational basis, camping there for a week at a time. Villagers who could not contribute labour were fined. One labourer reported, “They said the fines are meant for labourers but we provide our own food.” The power plant will supply electricity to the battalion headquarters based in Matupi Township, with reportedly nothing earmarked for the local population. [204] On 2 May 2006, Assistant Director of the Warrant Office, General Hlah Win of LIB #304, based at Sabawngte village, forced 16 civilians from four nearby villages to cut timber planks for the construction of a Buddhist monastery inside the military camp. The construction of the Buddhist monastery in Sabawngte village military camp was due to begin in June 2006. General Hlah Win summoned village headmen from Hlungmang, Sabawngpi, Lungcawi and Sabawngte villages on 1 May 2006 to discuss the construction of the Buddhist monastery at the military camp. During the meeting, the four village headmen were ordered to produce four labourers from each village, and a total of 16 villagers from Hlungmang, Sabawngpi, Lungcawi and Sabawngte villages arrived in Sabawngte village on 2 May 2006. They were ordered to cut 200 cubic timber planks over the next seven days. The timber plank was cut three miles away from Sabawngte village and General Hlah Win himself supervised them. The villagers brought their own rations and tools from their respective villages for the seven days while they cut the timber. [205] Paletwa Township In the last week of September 2006, military authorities from Paletwa Township, ordered local villagers from 16 surrounding village tracts to fell bamboo. Each family in these areas was required to shear 15 pieces of bamboo. All the felled bamboo was sent to the army camps in Shinletwa and Tura Iang and then sold by the military on Pungna Island, Arakan State. Those unable to comply with the order were forced to pay a 450 kyat fine. [209] Tedim Township From 4 September 2006 until 9 September 2006, residents of 11 villages in northern Chin State along the India-Burma border trade road were compelled to work repairing the road for six days without pay. The forced labour orders were issued by the chairman of the TPDC in Tedim town. Among those who were compelled to work on the road, 67 villagers were from Zimte village and 275 people hailed from ten other local villages, which were:
Thantlang Township On 30 January 2006, a fire broke out during the day and destroyed around 16 houses in Zeiphai village, Thantlang Township. There were few villagers to douse the fire as most male residents were engaged in the forced construction of a road between Zeiphai and Cawngthai villages whilst most women were attending a women’s conference of the Zeiphai Baptist Association in another village. [211] In August 2006, it was reported that the SPDC had sent orders to Banawh Tlang, Bel Har, Tluang Ram A, and Tluang Ram B villages instructing that their village council chairmen were not permitted to resign from their posts. Village headmen are forced to assign villagers to perform labour for the SPDC, report visitors to the village, and summon villagers for interrogation and torture at the army camp. They are also unable to give over enough time to sustaining their own livelihoods. [212] Kachin State Hopin Township On 24 November 2006, it was reported that the Hpakant-based tactical commander, Colonel Khin Maung Cho, had, for the previous month, commandeered residents of Hopin Township and its surrounding villages to supply labour for a new road leading east to Sinbo through the heavily forested Gau Gwi Pa region. About 50 elephant owners were also ordered to contribute their labour without pay. Those unable or unwilling to work on the road were forced to hire a replacement or face a fine of between 5,000 kyat and 20,000 kyat. Each household was assigned a stretch of road, with instructions to make it 200 feet long and 20 feet wide. Every morning 3 to 4 trucks would charter around 50 people each to their worksite. The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the largest Kachin ceasefire group, is said to be involved in the project, as well as well-known Kachin business leader Yup Zau Hkawng, owner of the Jade Land Co. Ltd. However, a KIO officer denied any involvement in acquiring forced labourers for the project, stating that Col Khin Maung Cho made the order and is responsible for the project. Local authorities called residents for meetings almost everyday, forcing those who had not contributed their quota of work to pay fines, and warning them they could be arrested if they failed to pay. [213] Sinbo Township On 20 April 2006, it was reported that the SPDC LIB #141 was forcing villagers from around the town of Sinbo, Kachin State, to renovate their military camp and to repair the road leading to the state capital, Myitkyina. Around 80 people were forced to work on the road, including children and the elderly, according to a local businessman. The battalion ordered the villages of Yinna Pinlong, Min Thar and Man Khin to provide one person from each household to work without pay in a “voluntary program.” The battalion was reportedly ordered by Northern Commander Maj-Gen Ohn Myint to upgrade the road. Those who couldn’t work had to provide a replacement or pay a fine of up to 20,000 kyat. The ILO reported that it was unable to act on the report through fear of retaliation against the complainants. [214] Karen State Dooplaya District On 29 April 2006, it was reported that up to 160 residents from four areas of the Three Pagodas Pass were being forced to repair the roads in front of their houses as well as work in areas around the public hospital and the home of Daw Saw Khin, a highly placed official in Three Pagoda Pass area. Residents had to work once a week on Saturdays and were told it would continue until the development of the town was over. [215] On 13 September 2006, it was reported that residents in the Three Pagoda pass town were being forced to act as sentries and patrol the city at night. The SPDC failed to clarify the reasons for the heightened security but it was believed that they feared retaliation from the ceasefire Karen Peace Force group following the disappearance of their leader Major Lay Way in Mudon, after he had gone to meet with the SPDC. “The city is on alert and they order 5 to 6 persons from each Quarter to patrol at night. They told us to watch any strangers and suspicious activities,” said one resident. [216] Nyaunglebin District On 8 January 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #351, led by Shwe Than Oo, forced residents from the following villages to clear bushes between Ler-doe and Klaw-maw:
On 15 February 2006, Commander Zaw Tun of SPDC LIB #351, in Kyauk-gyi Township, forced the villagers of Pa-doe-kaw, Baw-ka-hta and Mar-pi-poe to work in Klaw-maw army camp. [218] On 13 March 2006, a column of about 50 SPDC troops from LIB #599, led by Ba Thaung, entered Kyauk-pyar, Nga-lauk-tet, Thit-cha-hsate, Oak-shit-khin, Poe-thaung-su, Tai-pin and Myet-ye villages and demanded 500 roofing leaves and one person per household to build their camp. Households which could not provide labour were forced to pay 5,000 baht each. [219] On 27 May 2006, SPDC troops forced the residents of Maladaw village to construct a fence around their village and forced villagers of Tha-byay-nyunt village tract to use 200 oxcarts to transport military rations. [220] On 3 June 2006, SPDC troops from LIB #599, based in Mone Township under Commander Win Htway, ordered residents from 8 villages to begin planting and farming for future army rations. The villages, and acres of land they were forced to farm, were:
On 8 June 2006, SPDC troops from LIB #559 forced villagers to clear the road between Maladaw and Ta-kweh-lay-kho. [222] On 25 July 2006, SPDC IB #60 Battalion Commander Saw Lwin demanded 10 villagers from Shwe Dan to clear a palm oil tree plantation belonging to IB #60. The land had been confiscated from U Mi Thwin in early 2006 and was located near the abandoned village of Sein Myaung. On 30 July 2006, he demanded 6 more villagers to cut and clear the palm oil tree plantation. The plantation covers about three acres. The villagers were not paid and had to take their own food with them. [223] On 2 August 2006, SPDC IB #60 Battalion Commander Saw Lwin demanded 100 pieces of bamboo from Shwe Dan village, in order to build a chicken coop. Fifteen households from the village were given responsibility for cutting down the bamboo and bringing it to the appointed place. The distance between the village and the area where bamboo is harvested was roughly five hours on foot. It took the villagers one day to cut the bamboo and one day to transport the bamboo to the appointed place. On 25 August 2006, SPDC IB #60 demanded another 50 pieces of bamboo to build another chicken coop. On 30 August they demanded seven villagers to go and build the chicken coop for them. The workers had to bring all of their own necessary tools and their own food. On 30 September, they demanded 100 more pieces of bamboo to repair their chicken coop. [224] On 3 August 2006, Thein Win, of SPDC LIB #599, ordered Ta-koc-pwa villagers to cut 400 bamboo poles. [225] On 10 August 2006, SPDC Strategic Operations Command #2, of Southern Command, led byMajor Khin Maung Oo, demanded 30 villagers from P’Na Gwa village, to clear brush and scrub from the side of a road. They had to bring their own food and machetes with them. The task took the villagers all day, 6 am until 5 pm, for which they were not paid. [226] On 14 August 2006, according to a local source, SPDC LIB #351 Battalion Commander Chit Than Oo demanded one person from each house in Shwe Dan, totalling 20 people, to cut and clear a 10 acre castor oil plantation near Than Boh. The villagers had to take their own machetes, food and other necessary tools. When the bushes grew back he demanded 10 more people on 19 September. On 28 September he demanded one person from each house to weed and tend to the plantation. There was no payment for this work. [227] On 17 August 2006, Major Min Kyaing Thant of SPDC IB #57 ordered villagers in Kyauk-tan, Them seik, Tone-ta-da, Shu-khin-thee, Po-pay-gon, Kaw-tha-say, Baw-ka-ta and Pa-deh-gaw villages to complete fencing their villages within 2 days. [228] On 29 August 2006, Battalion Commander Kyaw Kyaw Oo of SPDC LIB #421, under MOC #16, ordered Ker-ka-kho villages to erect fences around their village and ordered 2 villagers to perform sentry duty from 6 am to 6pm, daily. [229] On 7 September 2006, SPDC MOC #2 reportedly forced villagers from Shwe Dan, Tha Pyay Gone and Aung Soe Moe to repair the road between Ler Doh and Than Bon. It was about 800 metresin length but the villagers were required to complete their task within one day. Over 70 villagers, including 20 women, and a 13 year old girl were forced to work on the road. [230] From 9 September 2006, SPDC IB #242 forced villagers in Muthey to contribute their labour to the construction of their army camp, and surrounding relocation site. They were required to make a fence around the camp and village and carry logs and bamboo for the soldiers. [231] Pa’an District From early 2006, SPDC officers from LIBs #547, #548 and #549 forced villagers in Dt’Nay Hsah Township to plant castor oil plants on village-owned land lying along roadways, with the intention of harvesting the resulting castor beans. Each village was ordered to purchase and plant 20,000 castor bushes. Villagers have been forced to plant and tend the castor bushes with no assistance or information, and are held responsible for any damage to the plants. [232] On 22 December 2006, it was reported that villagers throughout Dt’Nay Hsah Township were being forced to labour on SPDC-owned rubber plantations established on land previously confiscated from local villages. Tasks included clearing the scrub from around the base of the trees, cutting back branches, clearing new plantation grounds and planting new saplings. No villagers were paid for their labour, whilst the rubber was sold to profit the SPDC units in the area. [233] Papun District In January 2006 SPDC and DKBA troops stationed in Papun town ordered local villages to make thatch roofing shingles for them, by the 30 January. For each thatch shingle, villagers had to gather thatch leaves and cut bamboo, then split the bamboo into sticks and shave it into ties, then make bamboo frames and tie the leaves to the frame to make shingles, each about one metre by 30 centimetres. The demand was allocated based on village size as follows:
Also in January 2006, SPDC troops based in Kwih Si ordered 35 local villagers, including both men and women, to clear the brush alongside the road. The villagers had to bring their own food. [235] On 29 July 2006, it was reported that the K’Saw Wah battalion of DKBA Brigade #777 forced villagers from Keh Daw to clear their rubber plantation, twice a year, taking the villagers three days each time. The DKBA also forced the villagers to build 3 houses for them. The villagers had to bring their own tools, as well as materials to be used in the construction including 60 logs of wood, 1,500 shingles of leaves and split bamboo. [236] Thaton District From 1 January to 2 July 2006, SPDC troops in Thaton District were reported to have engaged the local villagers in on going forced labour in the absence of any remuneration. Villagers were forced to carry supplies for the army, to construct and maintain army camps, roads and bridges, and provide one person from each household to work on the SPDC’s rubber and physic nut plantations. [237] On 2 February 2006, DKBA Headquarters Security Force Commander, Captain Than Htun, ordered the villagers of K--- in Pa’an Township to send 2,000 shingles of thatch to the Law Pu Army camp. This demand is reportedly a yearly occurrence. [238] On 26 March 2006, it was reported that the SPDC in Pa’an Township was implementing a castor oil plantation project by forcing the local population to grow the plant. Local middle school students were included in this order and were forced to grow 200 plants each. [239] On 9 June 2006, DKBA troops led by Tin Win forced Ta-roi-khee village tract security officer, Ta Paw, to act as their guide. [240] On 29 June 2006, DKBA Brigade #333 Commander Maung Kyi ordered one person from each house hold from Htee-pa-doh-khee, Noh-kha-day- Meh-theh-no, Law-plaw, Ta-paw and Ler-klaw villages to construct an army camp for them at Pwo village. [241] On 15 August 2006, DKBA troops in Bilin Township ordered E-su-khee villagers to cut down 4 trees for timber. [242] On 16 August 2006, Moe Nyo of the DKBA ordered one person from each household in Kaw-heh village tract to go and work at Mae-se pagoda, taking with them their own food supplies. [243] Toungoo District On 4 January 2006, Bo Saw Htun Aung from SPDC IB #30 in Thandaung Township, seized 25 Ku-thay-doe villagers and forced them to work in Htee-thee-pu army camp. [244] On 7 January 2006, troops from SPDC IB #48, led by Bo Htun Nay Lin, forced villagers to work for the Shasibo camp. The villagers and their ages were;
On 10 January 2006, troops from SPDC IB #48, led by Bo Htun Nay Lin, forced the following villagers to work in Shasibo army camp:
On 25 January 2006, troops from SPDC IB #92, ordered 2 Htee-ta-pu villagers and 2 Thu-weh-doe villagers to work at their camp in Thandaung Township on a daily basis. [247]
On 30 January 2006, Commander Thein Htun from the SPDC Southern Command Headquarters, Strategic Command #1, ordered one person from each household in Kaw-thay-doe (Ye-tho-gyi) village, in Tantabin Township, to clear bushes and landmines on the road from Kaw-thay-doe to Bu-hsa-khee village. [248] On 31 January 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #439, led by Commander Aung Tun Oo, demanded 30 villagers from Peh-kaw-doe in Thandaung Township, to clear landmines on Maw-chi road from Tha-aye-hta to Pi-mu-kho. [249] Also on 31 January 2006, troops from SPDC IB #48, led by Bo Htun Nay Lin, in Tantabin Township, demanded Ye-shan villagers to cut bamboos and send them in 5 carts to Shasibo army camp. In addition, they forced 14 Ye-shan villagers to work in the Shasibo army camp. [250] On 4 February 2006, Bo Zaw Aung from SPDC IB #48, based at Htee-lo camp, forced Pler-daw-day villagers; 17 men and 11 women, to work in Htee-lo army camp. [251] From 4 February 2006 until the time of this report on 13 March 2006, column 2 from TOC #663, and SPDC IB #73, #48, #53 and LIB #599 from Southern Command headquarters, forced villagers from Htee-lo and Ka-ser-doe areas, Tantabin Township, to work for them. [252] On 5 February 2006, troops from LIB #3, IB #14, IB #35 and LIB #108, forced villager Saw Dta Du Du (41 years old) to work as their guide in the Wah Mee Ber Ko area. They later cut off his left hand before killing him in Blah Kee. [253] On 7 February 2006, combined forces of two columns of troops from SPDC LID #66, based in Tantabin Township, and Eastern Play-hsa-lo respectively, forced Play-hsa-lo villagers to work on the construction of their camp. [254] Also on 7 February 2006, troops from SPDC LID #66, based at Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi), Tantabin Township, demanded 100 bamboo poles and 50 timber poles from each of Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi), Maw-per-doe (Pyaung-tho), Kaw-soe-kho (Thit-say-taung), and Ler-kho (Kyauk-pon) villages, for the construction of Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi) army camp. Troops from SPDC LIB #10 ordered truck owners to take their trucks in Kaw-thay-doe and Kler-lar (Baw-ga-li-gyi) to Toungoo town. [255] Between 8 and 14 February 2006, at least 135 people were kidnapped from Kaw Thay Der, Kaw Law Kar, Ku Thay Der and Sar Bar Law Khi villages for use by the military as forced labourers, according to a report by the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People. [256] On 8 February 2006, Bo Zaw Aung from SPDC IB #48, based at Htee-lo camp in Tantabin Township, forced Ka-ser-doe villagers, 13 men and 13 women, to work on the Htee-lo camp construction. [257] On 9 February 2006, troops from SPDC LID #66, led by Column Commander Thein Lwin, based in Thandaung Township, forced Htee-tha-saw villagers to cut timber and bamboo for their camp construction. [258] On 10 February 2006, a column of troops from SPDC IB #124, in Thandaung Township, forced the villagers of Ku-thay-doe, Kaw-law-kar and Sbar-law-khee to cut timber and bamboos for the Ku-thay-doe camp construction. [259] Also on 10 February 2006, troops from SPDC LID #66, in Thandaung Township, forced Ler-ge-kho villagers to work at the bottom of Per-doe-kar Bridge in the construction of an SPDC camp. [260] Also on 10 February 2006, the commander of SPDC Strategic Command #663, under LID #66, based at Play-hsa-lo, Tantabin Township, summoned a person from each village of Ya-lo (Myauk-chaung), Lay-wo-lo (Kan-bay-myaung), and Paw-per (Bin-ba), and forced them to work in Play-hsa-lo camp. Moreover, he demanded the village heads to collect the data regarding population and number of houses in the villages. [261] On 13 February 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #80, led by Bo Kyaw Thura, in Thandaung Township, arrested 10 Kaw-law-kar villagers and 40 Ku-thay-doe villagers and forced them to cut timber, bamboo and clear bushes for the new Ku-thay-doe army camp. [262] On 25 February 2006, Bo Aye Kyaw from SPDC IB #53, based at Htee-lo camp in Tantabin Township, forced Per-taw-tay villagers to work for Htee-lo army camp. The victims were:
On 1 March 2006, troops from SPDC IB #92 moved into Htee Hta Pu village in Thandaung Township where they forced the local villagers to work as their messengers and servants as well as forcing them to build their army camp. Furthermore, the SPDC established camps in the Pah Der Kah (Par Der Ka) area east of Than Daung Gyi, and ordered villagers from Ler Ghee Ko, Pah Der Kah, Htee Hta Pu, K’Thwee Dee and Ker Der Kah to carry their rations and cut bamboo and logs to be used in the construction of the camp. [264] Also on 1 March 2006, LID #66, under Commander Khin Zaw Oo, forced one person from each family in Kaw They Der village to clean the road between Kaw They Der and Naw Soe camp. [265] On 20 March 2006, SPDC troops from IB #6, under TOC #661 of LID #66, based in Thandaung, and led by Bo Aye Lwin, forced 17 persons from Htee-tha-hsaw, Ka-ma-ti-poe-lay and Ho-thaw-plo villages to dig 2 pits for large pebbles, 2 pits for small pebbles and 2 pits for sand. They were also required to carry the materials to the army camp. [266] On 22 March 2006, SPDC troops ordered one person from each family in each of the following villages to clean the road from Muday to Bee Mu Ko (near the Karenni State border):
On 4 April 2006, SPDC troops from IB #53 based in Shar-si-bo, forced 6 villagers with carts from Shar-si-bo and 5 from Zee-phyu-gon to cut down teak trees and transport them to Nat-ywa village. [268] On 11 April 2006, SPDC troops, from TOC #661 and led by Soe Htway, demanded labour from the following villages to haul roofing leaves and build a military camp:
On 13 April 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #20, led by Bo Than Hlaing, forced villagers to clear land owned by Saw Shei Kaw of Ka-ma-te-po-le village without permission, for the purpose of setting up a new camp. Those villagers requistioned for this task were from:
On 17 April 2006, SPDC troops from LIB #5 led by Bo Ko Ko Aung, forced 32 villagers from Peh-kaw-doe, 13 from Maw-koe-doe and 5 from Dar-doe to build their new camp near Maw-koe-doe village. [271] On 19 April 2006, SPDC troops, from LIB #5 led by Bo Ko Ko Aung, demanded 70 more persons from Peh-kaw-doe, 15 from Maw-koe-doe and 7 from Dar-doh to work in the construction of their new camp. [272] On 2 May 2006, MOC #16, TOC #2, under commander Ko Ko Kyi instructed villagers to guide them on a patrol. One villager was forced to go from each of the following villages:
On 5 May 2006, in Tantabin Township, LID #66 Commander Khin Zaw Oo forced villagers from the following villages to clear bushes and mines on the motor road:
On 13 May 2006, troops from SPDC IB #53, led by Major Thein Naing Tun, forced 90 villagers of Zi-pyu-gon (Male 62, Female 28) and 31 villagers of Taw Gone (Male 23, Female 8) to work on construction of a new army camp located between Ye-shan and Shasibo in Tantabin Township. [275] On 15 May 2006, troops from SPDC IB #53 led by Captain Naing Tun ordered the villagers of Shasibo and Zee-pyu-gon to cut bamboo and wood and transport them to their army camp. 30 ox-carts of Shasibo and 7 ox-carts of Zee-pyu-gon were used in the transportation of the wood. [276] On 19 May 2006, troops from SPDC #IB 92, led by Major Kyaw Zwar, ordered villagers of Tone-bo, Doh-thaung, Chaung-san and others in Tantabin Township, to repair and lay stones on the Doh-thaung-Tone-bo motor road. [277] Also on 19 May 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #53 based in Shasibo camp forced 61 villagers (Male 20, Female 41) of Zee-pyu-gon village, Tantabin Township, to work on the construction of their army camp. [278] On 20 May 2006, troops from SPDC LIB #5 led by Capt Min Zaw and Bo Kyaw Thu gave orders to the villagers of Ye-tho-gyi to construct, within two days, a new army camp at a site near Ye-tho-gyi primary school. [279] On 23 May 2006, the SPDC military forced villagers from Shasibo, Yay Sha, Zibyugo and Daw Go, to cut 30 pieces of wood. They were ordered to finish their task within one week. They also blocked all travel by bullock carts thereby preventing the villages from gathering the wood by any other way than on foot. The four villages had to send one person each for one week, with a different villager then taking their place at the end of the week. [280] On 25 May 2006, TOC #663 commander gave orders to truck owners of Ye-tho-gyi and Baw-ga-li-gyi, in Tantabin Township, to use six of their own trucks to transport army rations from Baw-ga-li to Ye-tho-gyi, twice a day. These troops always forced the villagers to transport army rations from Ye-tho-gyi camp to Naw-soe and Bu-hsa-kee Camps. [281] In June 2006, SPDC IB #35 under Bo Myo Tun forced Ka-ya-khee villagers to build the Bay-dai army camp. [282] On 17 June 2006, SPDC LID #66 Commander Tin Aung, based at Aaw-ga-li, ordered 2 village elders each from 12 local villages to supply one person from each of 1,300 households in their villages to work in the construction of SPDC battalion head quarters at Bu-hsa-kee camp. The villagers were ordered to gather themselves at Ye-tho-gyi on 18 June to leave for Bu-hsa-kee camp. In addition, 70 households from these villages were ordered to relocate to the camp site. The villages from which labour was drawn were:
On 6 July 2006, SPDC IB #35 ordered that all villages located on the west bank of Thauk-ye-khat River had to complete the fencing of their villages by 15 July 2006. [284] In mid 2006, the SPDC invited people in Toungoo Town to participate in an SPDC ‘development’ scheme, informing them that a new village was being established in the hills to the east, on the outskirts of the large village of Kler La (Bawgali Gyi), and that families settling there would receive 20,000 kyat per month and rations from the army to help build this new village, as well as having the opportunity to earn added income in the nearby durian and mangosteen plantations. Participants were transported on 18 July 2006 to Kler La and the next day to Maung Daing Gyi SPDC army camp, near Naw Soh village on the Kler La – Buh Hsa Kee road, where they were put to work cutting bamboo and building perimeter fences around the army camp. They were given no money nor any place to build a house, and only received meagre rations. After a month of forced labour, nine people escaped into the surrounding hills, where they joined villagers in hiding from SPDC forces. They informed KHRG that there were still 15 people from Toungoo being held at the army camp as forced labourers. [285] On 5 August 2006, Battalion Commander Myo Htun of SPDC LIB #10 ordered villagers of Ku-thay-do, Kaw-law-ka and Sa-ba-lor-khee to cut 700 pieces of rattan cane, 7 feet long each. [286] On 10 August 2006, troops from SPDC IB #73, based at Shazeebo camp, Tantabin Township, ordered 8 women and 30 men of Shazeebo to clear bushes in Mae-aw area. [287] From 11 August 2006 to 18 August 2006, Bo Htun Htun Lay of SPDC LIB #1 ordered 360 villagers of Thit-say-taung village to cut 200 poles of bamboo to be used for the army camp. [288] On 19 August 2006 LID #66 Commander Maung Maung Aye from Kler La (Bawgalygyi) camp, ordered the residents of 12 villages to cut 150 bamboo poles per village for use in the construction of their army camp. [289] On 22 August 2006, Bo Aung Khaing of SPDC IB #73, ordered villagers in the Shazeebo area to cut bamboo poles, with Shazeebo village having to cut 150 poles, Ye-shan village 50 poles, Shan Zee-pyu-gon village 200 poles and Taw-gon village 50 poles. [290]
On 23 August 2006, troops from SPDC LID #66, based at Kaw-thay-doe, ordered Kaw-thay-doe villagers to cut 800 12 foot bamboo poles, and 50 10 foot poles. [291] On 27 August 2006, it was reported that SPDC IB #53 troops had ordered villagers to build a new army camp between Ye-shan and Shan-zi-bo villages, on the bank of Tee-hsa-lo River. They forcibly relocated the villagers and destroyed Saw Kha Lay, Saw Lah, Saw Ler Taw and Saw Po Aye’s houses, which were near the new campsite. [292] On 5 September 2006, SPDC LID #66, based in Bawgali gyi, Tantabin Township, ordered Bawgali gyi, Kaw-thay-doe, Klay-soe-khee, Kaw-soe-kho, Wa-htoo-kho and Ler-ko villagers to cut 800 bamboo poles for the repair of the army camp. [293] On 1 October 2006, TOC #3 Commander Than Tun Oo forced villagers to cut 100 bamboo poles and 100 beams of wood for the Play Hsa Lo camp. [294] On 22 November 2006, LID #66 Commander Maung Maung Aye ordered local villages to supply a quota of workers for forced labour along the Kler La – Mawchi road. Villagers were required to work twice in December 2006, clearing brush along the side of the road. Villagers were also forced to porter army goods along the road. [295] On 12 December it was reported that LID #66 had forced villagers to clear landmines and act as human shields on the Toungoo- Mawchi road. Villagers from 12 villages surrounding Baw Ga Lyi Gyi were forced to act as human shields around a bulldozer and walk ahead of the construction unit to clear the roadway of potential landmines. One of the villages affected was Maung Pah Der, where the military forced 1 person from each of the 55 household to provide security for the bulldozer with 5 men walking on the left side, 5 men on the right side, 3 men on the bulldozer itself and the rest to walk in front of and behind the bulldozer. [296] On 13 December 2006, LID #66 Commander Maung Maung Aye ordered villagers to build a road from Klay-soe-kee on Toun-goo-Maw-chi road to Bo-mi-koh on the Karenni border, taking with them their own food supplies. [297] On 22 December 2006, SPDC LIB #349 Battalion Commander Zaw Tun forced 70 Shasibo villagers, 42 Zee-pyu-gon villagers and 32 Taw-gon villagers to work on the construction of Kyaut-O army camp. The villagers had to take their own food supplies with them. [298] On 23 December 2006, Commander Aung Soe Win of SPDC LIB #6 ordered 30 villagers from Kaw-thay-doe village to clear bushes along the Koe-day-maw-kee road. The villages refused due to fear of landmines planted along the roadside. Aung Soe Win retaliated by placing three villages in detention, only to be released once the villagers had cleared the road. [299] Karenni State In February 2006, SPDC IB #102 were ordered by Loikaw Military Control Command to construct a new army camp in Phukrakhu, Dohpreh village tract. Since that time, until at least the 24 June 2006, villagers from seven villages in Dohpreh village tract were forced to build barracks, make fences, fetch water, look for firewood and cook for the troops. Villagers had to bring their own food while they were working. The villagers were from;
On 1 October 2006, troops from the Karenni People’s Liberation Army (KPLA) destroyed a cache of wood and bamboo that SPDC LIB# 336 had been storing for use in the construction of 2 new military camps in Phruhso Township. Since 11 September 2006, the SPDC had been demanding wood and bamboo from nine villages without pay, and had forced between 200 and 300 villagers to work as labourers on the construction of the camps. Following the raid by the KPLA, SPDC troops summoned village heads from Kaylia, Htee-bya-nyay and Daw-ta-kleh village, and forced them to sign a pledge promising to replace the wood and bamboo lost within 15 days. [301] On 5 December 2006, it was reported that residents of Loikaw Township, including women and children, were being forcibly employed in the construction of local police stations and military camps. Reports stated that villagers were forced to carry water, build fences and collect wood for police and military personnel. Twenty villages were reportedly ordered to send roofing materials, including large dried leaves, to the Loi Linlay police station in Loikaw Township. In addition, SPDC LIB #530 was reported to have forced villagers to help build a new military camp. Whilst the Loikaw TPDC denied the allegations, one resident reported that the authorities “demand one person from each household. Some widowers and old people are not able to go so their children, who are students, have to be absent from school while they work at those places.” [302] Mon State In October 2006, it was reported that villagers across Mon State were forced to plant 20,000 castor oil seeds at their own cost. Each family had to provide at least one person for the plantation or else pay a fine of 500 kyat. [303] Khaw Zar Sub-Township In January 2006, between 300 and 400 people per day were forced to work on the construction of a new school, in Khaw Zar Sub-Township, under the command of SPDC IB #32 and IB #61. [304] On 10 February 2006, it was reported that Mon National School students in Khaw Zar Sub-Township were forced to work as labourers on the construction of an SPDC high school, as well as carrying food and water for the military camp, feeding the camp pigs, and doing other odd jobs such as cleaning the toilets and picking up garbage around the camp. [305] In March 2006, every household in Khaw Zar Sub-Township (2,000 households in all) were made to spend a day cleaning the roads and bridges for a visit from SPDC officials. [306] In mid-March 2006, SPDC IB #61 troops forced local villagers in Khaw Zar Sub-Township to carry rocks from a stream for use in the construction of SPDC army barracks. “At least 50 people per day have had to work once every four days.” reported one villager. [307] In April 2006 at least 20 people from villagers in Khaw Zar Sub-Township were forced to build a bridge for the SPDC. [308] From 5 May 2006, to at least the time of this report, 1 June 2006, IB #61 and IB #32 based in Khaw Zar Sub-Township, forced local residents to contribute labour to the construction of a road. The road was to stretch from Kaloh village to Dhani-Thakyar village on the edge of the sub Kalein-aung Township in Tenasserim Division, a distance of 20 miles. The villages forced to supply labour included:
In October 2006, it was reported that SPDC army battalions stepped up the use of forced labour within rural areas of southern Mon State. Fifteen villages in Khaw Zar Sub-Township were forced to send residents to cut trees and bamboo, repair roads, construct office buildings, and perform sentry duty every day. Nai Tun Oo and Nai Yought, were severely tortured by LID #3 soldiers for allegedly failing to carry out sentry duty. [310] Mudon Township On 30 July 2006, residents of Kalort-tort village, Mudon Township, were forced to remove plant growth from the side of a road running near their village. Those who refused were forced to pay a fine of 500 kyat to the VPDC. The authorities described the exercise as “local people enjoying the fruits of development even while earning livelihood peacefully.” [311] On 18 September 2006, villagers from Thar-pa-thun and Thayagone, Mudon Township, were forcibly made to clear the roadside by order of the local VPDC. One member from each house was forced to cut bushes. Thar-pa-thun and Thayagone villages have about 400 households. [312] Thanbyuzayat Township On 1 February 2006, a section of the Kan Bauk - Myaingkalay gas pipeline in central Mon State was blown up near Kwan Hlar Village, prompting the SPDC to force local residents to patrol the pipeline and nearby bridges. “A total of 96 people from four villages in the area adjacent to the pipeline explosion were rounded up and forced to guard it along with soldiers,” reported one local resident. [313] On 6 October 2006, it was reported that villagers from Klon Htaw, Wor Kada, Wor Kamate, Kum Sar Yar, Klaw Pnot, Klaw Prat were being forced to labour at the behest of IB #62 for the maintenaince of the Kan Bauk – Myaingkalay gas pipeline. Villagers were forced to erect fences around the pipeline, as well as replacing earth around the pipeline washed away by heavy rains. Villagers in Thanbyuzayart and Ye Township continued to be forced to work as sentries for the pipeline. [314] Ye Township On 22 February 2006, it was reported that the SPDC had sequestered roughly 8 acres of farmland in Mon State where they then built brick factories, with the bricks intended for use in the construction of military camps. Villagers have been forced into manning these factories, reportedly having to work up to 12 to 15 hour shifts per day, standing up the whole time they are working. [315] On 25 October 2006, Nai Htaw Mung, 35 years of age, of Toa Tate village, southern Ye Township, attempted to commit suicide by drinking poison, later stating “I cannot work and I have to do guard duty almost everyday. I have no property to fall back on for my family…that's why I wanted to die.” [316] Pegu Division On 8 January 2006, it was reported that schoolteachers at the state middle school of Myochan Village, Nattalin Township were subjecting their pupils to forced labour practices, causing physical injuries to the children, who were then not given proper medical care. Thirteen year old Thein Aung’s legs were crushed after he was forced to carry heavy logs and a 10 year old girl, Ni Ni, lost consciousness after she was forced to climb and clean rubbish on the school clinic’s roof. The girl fell down from the roof and also broke her arm in the fall. [317] During March 2006, U Sein Myint, 60 years old from Wayonkone village, and a 17 year old from Myoma High School No.2 were killed by oncoming trains whilst being forced to guard railway tracks in Nyaunglebin Township, Pegu Division. Local residents said that the two victims were too poor to pay the 880 kyat fee to exempt them from sentry duty and died after falling asleep. [318] On 10 August 2006 it was reported that SPDC soldiers in charge of the security of railway tracks in Daik-U, Pegu Division, were forcing local people to guard the tracks, and maintain the area. It was reported that troops had assaulted a student who had refused to collect rubbish and clear the bushes along the tracks. [319] Sagaing Division On 2 January 2006, it was reported that regional authorities of Tamu District, Sagaing Division, had been forcing local farmers to grow paddy during the unproductive dry season. Tamu District is an area where water is not easily available during the dry season and farmers have been finding it hard to grow rice plants even during the rainy season. Regardless, the authorities threatened to confiscate their paddy fields if they did not grow paddy during the dry season. [320] On 8 September 2006, Sergeant Kyaw Maung Win from the LIB #16 headquartered in Monywa town, Sagaing Division, ordered the village head of Pintia village, U Ngawn Thawng, to send six villagers to the army camp at once to dig bunkers. The measurements of the constructed bunkers were 250 ft in length and 2 feet in width. “We are involved in bunker construction for five days a week and our working hours are from 7 am to 6 pm.”, said Mr. Paik Hmo who forced to work on the bunkers. [321] Shan State Since late October 2006 right through to 2007, the SPDC forced residents of Loi-Lem, Nam-Zarng and Murng-Nai Townships to repair a railway line damaged by flash floods and landslides. Sections of the track passing through populated areas were assigned to the local population. Sections that passed through jungle and mountain regions were assigned to people from villages chosen by SPDC troops from IB #248, IB #66 and IB #9, who were in charge of overseeing the work in Murng-Nai, Nam-Zarng and Loi-Lem Townships, respectively. [322] From October 2006, residents of Lai Kha, Nam Zarng and Murng Nai Townships were forced to grow sesame between physic nut plantations along the roads. SPDC IB #64 in Lai-Kha, IB #66 and LIB #543 in Nam-Zarng, and IB #248 in Murng-Nai forced villagers to work in rotation, with a person from each household required to work every 4 days, either on physic nut or sesame plantations. [323] Kae-See Township From October 2005 up to the time of this report in April 2006, SPDC troops of IB #2 were using the unpaid forced labour of the residents of Murng Nawng village tract, Kae-See Township, in the construction of a new military base. Villagers were forced to split rocks and 10 small tractors had to transport the rocks twice a day accompanied by 3 villagers per tractor, who then had to load and unload the rocks. All the tractor drivers had to provide their own fuel and all the workers had to provide their own food. [324] From November 2005 to at least the time of this report in February 2006, SPDC IB #131 troops forced residents of Kae-See town to work on the construction of a road leading to their military base. People were forced to split rocks in the mountains and small tractors were forced to transport the rocks to the road building site and the base. All of the 43 tractors in the town were required to take turns and work on a daily basis with 3 persons required to go with each tractor to load and unload the rocks. Workers were unpaid and unfed and drivers had to provide their own fuel. [325] Kun Hing Township Throughout 2006, the SPDC forced residents of Kun Hing Township to plant and then maintain SPDC physic nut plantations, on land confiscated from local farmers. Most villagers worked on rotation, required to be at the plantation every five days. Those unable to work were fined 6,000 kyat. Those villagers who lived far from the plantations were transported their by the SPDC, who then required a payment of 500 kyat for the transportation costs. Naang Naang of Wo Long village, a single woman supporting her elderly mother, was forced to flee along with her mother to Thailand, as she was unable to maintain a livelihood alongside the demands of forced. In October 2006, the villagers were forced to harvest the physic nut. 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 SPDC IB #246. [326] Lai-Kha 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 in building a road starting from Lai-Kha town up to the boundary of Murng-Su Township. The 9 village tracts from which forced labourers were drawn from were:
Lashio Township On 14 June 2006, it was reported that farmers and their children in Lashio Township, northern Shan State, were being forced to work on a castor oil plantation owned by the SPDC. It could take villagers as long as two and half hours to reach the plantation. Nevertheless, one person per household was required to work from 11 am to 5.30 pm planting trees and clearing the weeds in the surrounding areas. Workers had to provide their own food and water. There were reported to be more than 1,000 people affected by the order. [328] Muse Town On 16 January 2006, authorities in Muse, northern Shan State, ordered local residents to grow castor oil plants. One man from every household in the city was ordered to help plant 10 acres of the crop. Workers were required to spend whole working days on the plantations, forcing many to hire labourers to fulfil their quota. It was reported to be unusual for residents of the town’s wards to be used for forced labour, as previously only the people from village tracts were used in this way. [329] Murng-Ton Township In September 2006, SPDC IB #65 forced residents of Pung Pa Khem village in Pung Pa Khem village tract, Murng-Ton Township to split rocks and load them onto trucks for a period of ten days, as part of a road construction project. The villagers were not paid for this, but instead had to contribute funds towards the cost of the project. [330] On 16 October 2006, 2 villagers from Murng Haang village, Murng-Ton Township, died in a landslide whilst working as forced labourers, repairing a road, under the orders of SPDC IB #65. [331] Tachilek Township From July 2006, the SPDC forced residents of several village tracts in Tachilek Township to cultivate physic nut plantations. For example, in Ta Lur village tract each household was assigned one acre of land by the SPDC, generally confiscated from local farmers, in order to grow physic nut on. Each household had to clear the land, prepare the ground and build fences. They also had to buy physic nut seedlings from the SPDC troops at a rate of 5 baht per plant. The families’ responsibility for tending to their plantations continued right through into 2007. Residents of Murng Laen, Nam Kherm and Pa leo Kaeng Laab village tracts have similarly been forced to cultivate physic nut plantations. [332] Tenasserim Division
From the first week in June 2006 to at least the time of this report, 31 July 2006, village headmen from Ala-Sa-Khan, Kyauk-Ka-Din, Kywe-Ta-Lin, Yapu and Ma-Yan-Chaung villages were ordered by LIB #409 Commander Aung Maing Mynit to send eight villagers per day to watch the Ye-Tavoy motor road. The order followed an armed clash between a Mon rebel group and the tatmadaw in May 2006. Each village had to build at least one hut in a designated place for use by those on sentry duty. In addition, it was reported that residents from Ye Township such as Sone-na-tha, Taung Zun, Pin-Gone, Thin-Gan-Daw, Pha-Ram-Maw and Son-ta-lin villages were ordered to watch the motor road on a rotational basis. “We have been facing many difficulties because of this duty. We have no time to work in our own jobs. My village and the selected security site where I have to guard the road are very far from each other. Sometimes I also have to go and do porter service and sometimes I have to go and work for them (the Burmese battalion)” said Ko Htun Lwin form Kyauk-Ka-Din village, Yebyu Township. [333] On 11 August 2006, troops from SPDC IB #589, led by Battalion Commander Tin Win Hlaing, ordered one person from each household in Htee-nya-eu and Ma-no-rae villages to repair a certain part of Ta-nin-tha-yi-Lay-nya-bote-pyin motor road. [334] On 21 October 2006, the VPDC from Myaykhanbor village tract order to initiation of a castor oil plantation, with responsibilities divided as follows:
Local authorities demanded that the villagers clear the brush in the plantation areas by the10 November 2006. In Thabyu Chaung village, one person from each house was required to clear the brush and to serve as a labourer at the specified one-acre plantation area without pay. Villagers who failed to abide this diktat were fined 2,000 kyat, the cost of hiring a substitute. The Thabyu Chaung village VPDC also collected a monthly fee of 1,000 kyat from each family for general funding. [335]
1.6 Forced Prison Labour – Partial List of Incidents for 2006 Arakan State On 4 October 2006, approximately 400 prisoners were brought in seven army vehicles from Sittwe prison to SPDC military headquarters in Ann. The prisoners were then forced to work on construction sites for the Sittwe-Rangoon and Kyaukpru-Ann-Rangoon roads while wearing the uniforms of the fire service and army. The prisoners were detained in barrack buildings surrounded by barbed wire and were brought to the construction site in military vehicles every morning. The prisoners were forced to wear army and fire brigade uniform whilst performing their work in order to disguise the fact that they were forced labourers. [336] On 30 October 2006, it was reported that prisoners from Kyaukpru and Buthidaung Prisons had been forced to work on a large number of furnishings for the Union Solidarity and Development Association over the previous months. No wages were paid to the prisoners. [337] Chin State In March 2006, it was reported that five prison labourers, being employed in the construction of a hospital in Tedim Township, had died as a result of malnutrition and being denied adequate healthcare. [338] Karen State On 22 August 2006, it was reported that the SPDC military authorities had begun the transfer of thousands of prisoners from across Burma to the northern Karen areas to serve as porters for military columns in the ongoing offensive. The military transferred porters from prisons across the country including Arakan, Kachin and Shan States and Mandalay, Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Pegu and Magwe Divisions. Most were sent to military bases along the Kyauk Kyi – Saw Hta road in Mone Township, northern Nyaunglebin District and Lu Thaw Township, northern Papun District. Some prisoners were transited via various prisons along the way or where the offensive battalions were based, namely those at Toungoo, Thaton and Moulmein. Convicts from Thayet prison in Magwe Division were sent to Insein Prison near Rangoon and then to Moulmein Prison in Mon State, where they were handed to a battalion that took them to Karen areas. From these bases and prisons, porters were assigned to battalions under the control of MOC #10, MOC #15 and LID #101 to be used in operations throughout Tantabin Township, southern Toungoo District, Lu Thaw Township and Mone Township. Almost half of them were sent to Baw Hser Ko, an SPDC military base overlooking Pwa Ghaw along the Kyauk Kyi – Saw Hta road in western Papun District. Prisoners being sent to Toungoo District were brought to Kler Lah and then deployed to Army camps throughout the district. [339] Papun District On 21 February 2006, it was reported that Ko Than Tun, an Arakanese prisoner who was forced to work as a porter, was killed by SPDC forces after he could no longer walk while carrying army supplies. According to the report Ko Than Tun requested that he be left on the trail as he could not walk and was unable to carry the goods, he then lost consciousness and the soldiers killed him in a graveyard in Shan Wra Village, near Milestone 33 under Papun District. Ko Than Tun was among 200 prisoners from the Sittwe jail who had been brought to the area to be used as military porters on 19 January. [340] In March 2006 KHRG fieldworkers reported finding several bodies of convict porters floating in the Salween River, and attributed their deaths to drowning while trying to swim to Thailand. [341] In June 2006, 10 bodies of convict porters were found along a route where MOC #15 had been conducting operations between late May and mid June, moving along the upper Bilin River to their camp at Baw Hser Ko. [342] In December 2006, it was reported that, in Papun District alone, over 20 boys, under the age of 16 years old, had been conscripted from Insein Prison to work as SPDC porters. [343] Thaton District In late January 2006, roughly 200 prisoners were reported to have been transported from Sittwe Prison, Arakan State, to Thaton Prison, for use as porters in the SPDC offensives against Karen villagers. These prisoners were assigned to different battalions at the prison. One prisoner, Aung Min, who later escaped, told how he and 43 others were assigned to LIB #251, accompanying the troops as they moved from Thaton to Papun District. Aung Min claimed that the SPDC told the convicts “You are going on a pilgrimage. If you can’t continue, you won’t be left behind alive,” Aung Min managed to escape 10 days into the operation. [344] Toungoo District On 7 February 2006, troops from SPDC IB #35, IB #14 and LIB #108 travelling through Play-hsa-lo (Tate-pu) village forced 250 convicts to carry their food supplies. They ordered the convicts to keep the information about transportation of the supplies secret, and threatened to take harsh action against Play-hsa-lo (Tate-pu) villagers if the information was leaked. [345] On 5 September 2006, SPDC Southern Command sent 500 prisoners from Pa La Wah to Kaw Thay Der. Troops from LIB #10 killed 5 of those prisoners. LIB #55 reportedly killed two prisoners in the Noe Soe area. [346] On 5 October 2006, LIB #80 and IB #108 under LID #66 and IB #551 and IB #35 under MOC #15 began operations along the Kler La--Busakee road. IB #551 and IB #35 reportedly killed over 40 prisoners during their operations. [347] On 10 October 2006, 600 prisoners were moved by the military from Toungoo to Kler La (Bawgalygyi) to Busakee, to be used as porters for the military. [348] Mandalay Division On 1 February 2006, around 900 inmates from Rangoon’s Insein Jail were transferred in 30 trucks to the Pyinmana Kyappyay region in central Burma to be forcefully employed in the construction of the new capital city Nay Pyi Daw. [349]
1.7 Forced Conscription and Forced Military Training – Partial List of Incidents for 2006 Arakan State On 20 July 2006, it was reported that the SPDC had ordered each village tract in areas of Arakan State to provide at least 15 new recruits for nearby army battalions during 2006. Each VPDC was informed they would be fined 50,000 kyat for every person they failed to supply below this quota. [350] Manaung Township On 8 August 2006, a team of military officers led by Colonel Maung Maung Lwin of the Western Command began visiting the major villages in Manaung Township to organise the formation of reserve forces. Colonel Maung Maung Lwin stated that militias and reserve fire fighters will be formed in every Township of Arakan State to guard the SPDC’s interests, particularly in relation to the gas exploration and extraction activities. At that time, Kyaukpru, Ramree, and Manaung Townships were the focus of the junta’s attention as they are the site of many gas exploration projects and oil wells operated by foreign companies. [351] Maungdaw Township On 14 February 2006, the SPDC initiated the formation of a people’s militia in the western border area. On 16 February 2006, a military team led by Lt Col Maun Maung Lwin from Dakasa, came to Kodan Kouk village in southern Maungdaw, accompanied by the Maungdaw TPDC, to set up the people’s militia, which was to be formed with 60 individuals. Of these, 20 were to comprise a standing force, and 40 were to make up reserve forces. After military training the regime planned to arm members of the militia with weapons. The same military team also planned to form another people’s militia in Ahgumaw village. At that time there were already at least five people’s militias in northern Maungdaw. [352] Ponna Kyunt Township On 9 January 2006, it was reported that SPDC LIB #550 based in Ponna Kyunt Township issued orders for the conscription of 10 soldiers from each village area, with a failure to meet the quota resulting in a fine of 50,000 kyat. The local VPDCs were given the duty of ensuring these orders were fulfilled. The villages, which received the order, included:
On 15 February 2006, SPDC Brigadier General Khin Maung Myint ordered the formation of militia groups in 20 villages of Yathetaung Township. Villages affected by the order included; Kondan, Sin Paik, Done Paik, and Ahngu Maw. A lieutenant colonel from the military’s western command, a captain from each IB and LIB and the local Peace and Development Council secretary visited the villages one by one to supervise the setting up of the militia groups. They warned villagers about the threat the United States military posed to Burma’s security. The size of the new militia groups varied from village to village but were all made up of at least 30 men aged between 18 and 45. The groups were to be given military training and similar forces were also planned for neighbouring Townships. [354] Paletwa Township On 10 March 2006, LIB #538 based in Yateh Taung of Arakan State, forced hundreds of civilians to take part in militia training for a period of 45 days, in Mizathit village of Paletwa Township, southern Chin State. A total of 25 village tracts in the area were notified to send 20 persons each to the training. Orders were issued through village tract administrative officials. Trainees had to bring their own food supplies for the training and all expenses were paid for by local villagers, with each household required to pay 500 kyat. No specific penalty was explicitly mentioned although one village tract official indicated a failure to report for training would result in imprisonment and a fine. Weapons provided to trainees were to be stored at the house of local village headmen upon the completion of the training. Trainees were allowed to attend to their own livelihood for one week after the completion of the training after which time they had to perform village defence duties on a rotational basis. [355] In June 2006 a village headman from King Kang Kung village, Lawng Zaw Kung tract, Paletwa Township, was killed and two others forcibly recruited to the military for their failure to report the presence of an armed group, the Chin National Army (CNA), in the area. The headman, Andry, 40, was kidnapped and killed by Burmese soldiers in the last week of June. The commander of LIB #140, Captain Aung Kyaw, apprehended Mr. Nga Vang, 36, the headman of Khua Hung village and Mr. Maung Hlah, 25, the secretary of Khua Hung and took them to Pakkoku. They were threatened with imprisonment but were also given the option of joining the SPDC military. Mr. Nga Vang and Mr. Maung Hlah chose to join the army to avoid a long prison term. [356] On 7 July 2006, it was reported that the second commander of LIB #550 from Ponna Island, Arakan State, stationed in Shinletwa Village, Paletwa Township, Southern Chin State, ordered 9 village headmen to send 30 persons from each of their villages to attend two months of military training from September to October. The villages forced to participate in the training were:
Altogether 210 villagers were forced to attend the military training. The commander’s justification for the training was to ensure security for the village, the battalion and other camps, and also to assist the SPDC militarily. The village council was informed that they would have to bear the cost of the training, including the uniforms. [357]
Matupi Township On 20 July 2006, Colonel San Aung, of TOC #2 based in Matupi Town, issued an order requiring three villages from the southeast region of Matupi Township to send 30 persons per village to attend militia training. The order was issued through the company commander based in Lai Len Pi Village. Chairmen of the VPDCs were ordered to select the trainees. The villages affected were Lai Len Pi, Lai Len Te, and Aru. Those selected were unable to tend to their crops for the period in which they were forced to attend the trainings. [358] On 20 August 2006, the SPDC opened a militia training centre at a play ground in Phaneng village in Matupi, and began training villagers between the ages of 35 and 45 from 11 villages in the surrounding area, with orders to local authorities stating they had to train one person from each family. Lieutenant Colonel Ye Lyun, commander of LIB #140 led the training. Each family in the area had to provide two kilograms of rice and 1,000 kyat per week to support the trainees. The order stated that if any of the following villages were unable to meet their quota of 25 persons they would be punished severely:
On 13 September 2006, it was reported that Chin residents of Matupi Township had arrived in Mizoram, India, fleeing forced conscription into SPDC militia trainings to begin on 20 September. It was reported that training sessions for those aged between 35 and 45 years old from eleven villages had already been finished, and the SPDC was subsequently seeking to recruit villagers between 45 and 50 years old. [360] In December 2006, it was reported that a recruitment drive by Colonel San Aung, of TOC #2, led to many arrests of youths in the area, who were then detained in the recruitment camp in Matupi Township, leading children in the area afraid to leave their homes at night. [361] Soldiers from LIB #104 arrested four youths on 6 November in Matupi Town. They later released one, a high school student, after his teacher negotiated for his release. The other three were reported to have escaped when their truck overturned. A further 10 youths were reported to have been arrested and detained in the recruitment camp. [362] Kachin State On 31 October 2006, it was reported that the junta’s forces had opened a training centre near Mayan, about 32km (20 miles) outside Myitkyina for the purpose of recruiting and training a secret militia force tasked with suppressing political dissidents. The training was said to be conducted by IB #21, #29 and #37, stationed near Myitkyina. Members of SPDC-affiliated agencies, such as the fire brigade, municipal workers and members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, were recruited for the training. After completing the training course, participants were sent back to their home towns and instructed to gather information about the movements of political activists. They were also given as much as 30,000 kyat (about US$23) per month. Local residents reported that the junta has ordered larger cities across the country to train as many as 5,000 people each. Myitkyina was said to have about 5,000 recruits, spread across the cities of Mohnyin, Mogaung and Hpakant. Bhamo was said to have 2,000 recruits, while Putao had another 1,000. Local residents said the regime fears mass rioting, and the main purpose of the training was to eliminate dissent and deal effectively with any future uprising. Participants were reportedly trained in the use of a bamboo rod two inches in diameter and four to five feet long . [363] Karen State Nyaunglebin District From the 2 September 2006 to 2 October 2006, villages in Kyauk Gyi Township were forced to attend administration and security trainings. The TPDC ordered that three people from each village tract had to attend, and demand 90,000 kyat and three bags of rice from each village tract to finance the training. Residents also had to finance the travel, accommodation and food costs of each attendee, equating to 1,500 kyat per household. [364] Pa’an District On 1 August 2006, SPDC LIB #356 Commander Bo Myint Thein ordered a total of 125 villagers from villages located around Kyo Gk’Lee village, Dt’Nay Hsah Township, to attend a People’s Militiatraining. The ten day training began on 3 August 2006. The SPDC also ordered villagers to attend subsequent trainings for the Auxiliary Fire Brigade and Myanmar Red Cross. The purported aims of these trainings were: village security, support for the village, village development, and support for SPDC soldiers. [365] Mon State On 14 August 2006, SPDC LIB #209 conscripted 30 villagers from Goun Njin Tan village for 20 days of military training. According to community leaders, at the time, the training was set to continue for a long time until all the villages in the area had participated. Villagers were informed that once they had undergone their training they would have to be available to join the army if needed. Military training had begun in Kyaikkami Township a few weeks earlier where the battalions initially ordered local residents to pay 500 kyat per month to support the training. This figure then increased to 2,000 kyat when the military training actually began. [366] In September 2006, Mon villagers arrived in Thai refugee camps citing their forced recruitment, at the hands of the USDA, into militia training courses, as their prime reason for seeking refuge. [367] On 30 October 2006, it was reported that villagers in southern Ye Township were being forced to participate in militia training. Each village had to send at least 35 villagers to join the people’s militia, with recruits chosen through a voting system. Residents were then forced to cover the expenses for training, including food and the militia’s stipends. In order to avoid forced recruitment, villagers could pay 400,000 kyat each to IB #31. Others fled to Thailand to to avoid conscription. “I don’t want to kill our own people so I fled to Thailand,” stated one villager. [368] Tenasserim Division From September 2006, SPDC LIB #282 forced the residents of Kyauk-ka-din and Yapu village tracts, Yebyu Township, to enlist in the People’s militia forces. All men under 45 years of age was required to serve a three month term in their village militia to assist the SPDC in combating insurgent forces in the area. The men were armed and forced to perform sentry duty. [369]
1.8 Interviews and Personal Accounts Interview # 1 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #2 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #3 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #4 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #5 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #6 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #7 Source:The Arakan Project
Interview #8 Source:The Arakan Project
Interview #9 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #10 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #11 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #12 Source: The Arakan Project
Interview #13 Source: FBR
Interview #14 Source: HURFOM
Interview #15 Source: HURFOM
Interview #16 Source: HURFOM
Interview #17 Source: HURFOM
Interview #18 Source: Burma Issues
Interview #19 Source: FTUK
Interview #20 Source: FTUK
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