Description:
"Eighteen years of KHRG field research indicates that regular extractive abuses by the SPDC Army and
NSAGs threaten local livelihoods and are a fundamental human rights concern for villagers throughout
eastern Burma. These abuses appear to be the product of the established SPDC Army and NSAG
practice of supporting military units via extraction of significant material and labour resources from the
local civilian population, enforced by implicit or explicit threats of violence. These findings were recently
affirmed by ND-Burma, which last week released a report documenting the prevalence and impact of
arbitrary taxation for communities across Burma. This commentary is designed to support ND-Burma?s
report, by offering additional recommendations based upon evidence that civilians have developed and
employed a range of strategies for protecting themselves from extractive abuse or its consequences.
These responses vary between contexts, and have been formulated based on first-hand awareness of
the local dynamics of abuse and potential space for safe response. Seeking to understand, and then
support, these local protection efforts should be the starting point for any external actors interested in
improving human rights conditions in eastern Burma in both the short and long term."
Source/publisher:
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG #2010-C1)
Date of Publication:
2010-09-06
Date of entry:
2010-09-08
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Language:
English