"For the purchase and for obtaining the entire paddy crop in the De-pai-yin township, the Secretary of the SPDC (Shwebo district, Sagaing Division) issued oral instructions for the closure of all rice mills operating in the region on 14 November 1999. Our information is that all the mills even those operating in the small villages had to close down immediately...The cultivators and farmers are suffering so much because of the use of force by the dishonest authorities. We request that the matter be inquired into and the suffering of the farmers be alleviated. We seriously denounce these illegal and unjust activities."