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KHRG: SPDC Orders Set 99-A, Part 2/
- Subject: KHRG: SPDC Orders Set 99-A, Part 2/
- From: win2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 12:16:00
Subject: KHRG: SPDC Orders Set 99-A, Part 2/5
SPDC ORDERS TO VILLAGES: SET 99-A
Pa'an, Toungoo, Dooplaya and Papun Districts
An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
February 10, 1999 / KHRG #99-01
*** PART 2 OF 5; SEE OTHER POSTINGS FOR OTHER PARTS OF THIS REPORT ***
[Only part of the report is reproduced here for circulation on Burmanet.
For a more complete copy of the report, see the KHRG website at
http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/humanrights/khrg/archive/
Some details have been omitted or replaced by 'xxxx' for Internet
distribution.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P11
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion To: Chairperson
Column #1 Headquarters xxxx village
Subject: To come and see the Column Commander
You are informed to bring three servants with food for 3 days and come to
xxxx as soon as you receive this letter and if you fail, it will be
entirely
your responsibility.
Place: xxxx [Sd. / Cpl.]
Date: 10-9-98 (for) Battalion Commander
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
[These 'servants' will most likely be used as porters.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P13*
To: Chairperson 22-8-98
xxxx village
Dear Chairperson - The Col[umn] #x HQ needs two messengers from
Chairperson's village, so you are informed to come and bring them today
at 1000 hours.
Send them to xxxx Column.
[Sd. / Lt.]
Cpy. Cmdr. [Company Commander]
#xxx LIB/xxxx
[Villagers are used as forced labour messengers to run messages between
different Army units and to deliver written orders like these to village
heads.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P17
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Company #1
To: Chairperson Date: 6-9-98th [sic]
- Come to the Column with the servant today, 6/9/98.
- This servant went back on 3/9/98 without asking any permission.
- You have already been summoned with two letters - one on 4/9/98 and
today with this one. Come to the Column as soon as you receive this letter
and if you fail to do so, it will be entirely your responsibility.
To bring: A viss of chicken, 50 kyat [ 1/2 viss] of cooking oil
A package of Thukhita cheroots
[Sd.]
Company Commander
Company #1
[The 'servant' is a villager who was forced to go as a porter or for Army
camp labour and fled before his assignment was done. If the village head
takes this villager to the camp as ordered, the villager may face an
increased term of forced labour or arrest, detention and torture; but if
the
village head doesn't comply, he or she will face a similar punishment.
One viss = 1.6 kg / 3.5 lb]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P18
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Column #1 Headquarters
To: Chairperson
xxxx village
Subject: To send a servant
You are informed to come and bring a servant as soon as you receive this
letter and bring three viss of chicken as the fine for fleeing. If you
fail to
comply, it will be your responsibility and severe action will be taken.
Place: xxxx [Sd. / Cpl.]
Date: 2-10-98 (for) Battalion Commander
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
[In written orders 'servant' is used to mean porters or other forced
labourers. It appears that one of the villagers sent as a forced labour
porter has fled, so the village head is being ordered to bring a
replacement porter and 3 viss (4.8 kilograms) of chicken as a 'fine'.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P19*
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion 19-2-98
Company #1
To: Chairperson
xxxx village
Headman, from your village 2 servants ran away, so call 2 more servants
and come yourself, headman, to give information. For the 2 servants who
ran away the fine is 20 viss [32 kg / 70 lb] of pork. Bring it right away.
On 20-2-98 in the morning come and arrive here, you are informed. If
there is no pork [you] have to pay fine money of 1,000 kyats for each
person per day.
[Sd.]
Company Commander
Company #1
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
[The fine of '1,000 kyats for each person per day' means 1,000 for each of
the 2 runaway porters, i.e. 2,000 per day, until the porters are replaced
and the fine has been paid.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P20
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Company #1
To: Chairperson 21-2-98
xxxx village
Headman, on 20-2-98 you were ordered to come but you did not come, so
[you are] ordered again. When the messenger arrives, come right away to
xxxx camp with the fine for 2 servants who ran away and with 2 new
servants without fail. Come and give us information, you are informed.
[Sd.]
Company Commander
Company #1
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
[This order followed Order #P19, after the headman failed to appear at
the camp as commanded.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P22
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion To: Chairperson
Military Control Command xxxx village
Subject: Summoning a bullock-cart
1. We summoned a bullock-cart from your village on the 16th, but it has
not shown up.
2. Therefore, come immediately to the headquarters in xxxx village as
soon as you receive that previous letter.
3. You are notified that the appropriate action will be taken if the
bullock-
cart shows up late.
[Sd. / Sgt.]
Intelligence Sergeant
[Whenever a bullock-cart is summoned, the owner must drive the cart with
his own team of 2 cattle and do forced labour hauling supplies for as long
as required by the troops.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P26
Stamp:
#xxx Infantry Battalion 16-4-98
Company #4
To: Capt. xxxx
I'd like you to cooperate and send the servants from xxxx village on the
western side of xxxx stream and send U xxxx, U xxxx, U xxxx, and U xxxx
along with the servants hired from yyyy village.
I want to let you know that there is a possible shortage of manpower
since we have to call and use the men from the above-mentioned area
whenever we need them, and I'd like you to solve this problem.
Respectfully,
[Sd.]
Camp Commander
xxxx Camp
[This is a letter from one SPDC Army officer to another, essentially asking
for help in obtaining more forced labourers because his unit is having
trouble rounding up enough village men for forced labour in their area. U
xxxx and the others are probably village heads to be sent along in order to
tell them about increased demands for 'servants'.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P27*
To: xxxx village tract elder 18-4-98
Subject - Writing to let you know
On 18-4-98 if you receive my letter come and replace your porters at xxxx,
today immediately, you must arrive.
Note - Come, if you don't come I will take severe action.
Brigade #999
Battalion #3
Company #x
Company Commander - Saw xxxx
D.K.B.A.
[Note: This DKBA order is written in Karen. Unlike the SPDC, the
DKBA refers directly to 'porters' rather than 'servants'. 'Replace your
porters' means to provide replacements for the villagers currently there
doing a regular rotation of forced labour.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Extortion of Cash, Food and Materials
Order #P31
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Military Control Command To: Village Head (xxxx village) 20-8-98
Subject: To send wooden planks
1. You are informed to send five 6 x 1/2 wooden planks without fail to
Advance #xxx Light Infantry Battalion to use where required.
2. Send them on 21/8/98.
[Sd. / 2nd Lt.]
(for) Battalion Commander
[The measurement units are not clearly specified, but it appears that the
planks must be 6" x 1/2", and the village heads may already know the
length being demanded.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P33*
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion 31-10-98
Military Control Command
To: Chairpersons
wwww / xxxx / yyyy / zzzz villages
Each village must send 200 bamboo [poles] and 50 wooden poles to xxxx
Camp tomorrow, 31/10/98 [sic; tomorrow will be 1/11/98].
[Sd.]
Intelligence Officer
xxxx Camp
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P34
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Military Control Command
To: Chairperson (xxxx)
Subject: Informing [you] to provide roofing leaves and bamboo
This is to inform you to send the following items, needed by Column #1 of
Advance #xxx Light Infantry Battalion, to xxxx Camp of Column #1 on
23/8/98 at 1100 hours.
(A) 15 shingles of roofing leaves
(B) 2 pieces of 12-taun Wabo bamboo
[Sd. / Lt.]
(for) Battalion Commander
[Roofing leaves are of a special type which must be gathered in the forest.
Using shaved bamboo, these are then woven into shingles 1-2 metres long.
'Taun' is a unit of measure equivalent to 18 inches (elbow to fingertip);
thus, each bamboo pole must be 18 feet long. Wabo is a particularly large
and thick variety of bamboo, 6 inches or more in diameter and 15, 20 or
more feet long.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P35
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Military Control Command
To: Chairpersons (four villages) 10-8-98
Subject: Asking for roofing leaves
Advance #xxx Light Infantry Battalion needs roofing leaves, so this is to
notify [you] that each village must send 25 shingles of roofing leaves and
send 10 Wabo bamboo if roofing leaves are unavailable.
[Sd. / 2nd Lt.]
(for) Battalion Commander
[Roofing leaves are of a special type which must be gathered in the forest.
Using shaved bamboo, these are then woven into shingles 1-2 metres long.
Wabo is a particularly large and thick variety of bamboo; split bamboo
can also be used as roofing, though leaves are preferred.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P38*
To: Chairperson
xxxx [village]
Dear Chairperson, I respectfully send this letter. Food for our Major is
short. I request you to send a chicken, a bottle of cooking oil, onions,
coffee mix, a package of Thukhita cheroots, dried chillies and other
vegetables.
Yours,
[Sd.]
Column Office
[In the order 'a chicken' was written but then crossed out for some
reason.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P39*
Date: 2-9-98th
To: Chairperson - Mother
xxxx village
You are informed to come to the Column and bring a viss of chicken and
two packages of Ajinomoto [seasoning powder] with you. If you fail, it
will be your responsibility, madam.
[Sd.]
#xxx LIB
[One viss is 1.6 kilograms or 3.5 pounds. This order was sent to the
village headwoman with a dried chillie pepper enclosed; the chillie is a
threat that severe action will be taken for failure to comply with the
order.
Chillies, bullets and bits of charcoal are frequently sent along with
written
orders for this purpose. The chillie is generally interpreted to mean that
the troops will come and loot food or kill all the livestock for failure to
comply.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P40
Date: 8-8-98th [sic]
To: Chairperson - xxxx [village]
The Column is here. You are informed to come to the Column and bring
four pyi of rice and a viss of chicken with you, gentlemen. Come along
with this messenger right now.
Respectfully,
[Sd.]
#xxx LIB
['The Column is here' means that a frontline operations column has
arrived at the local Army camp. One viss is 1.6 kilograms / 3.5 pounds.
One pyi is 8 small milktins full, weighing about 2 kilograms / 4.5 pounds.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P41
To: Village Head
xxxx village
The Column is here. You are informed to send a viss of chicken and a
package of Thukhita cheroots as soon as possible.
[Sd.]
Column Commander
#xxx LIB
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P42
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Military Control Command
31-10-98
To: Chairperson
xxxx village
Come and bring fruits and leaves, gourds and other vegetables from your
village, together with wwww, yyyy, and zzzz [villages; all 4 villages are
being ordered to bring food].
[Sd.]
Intelligence Officer
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P43
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Headquarters
To: xxxx Village Head
Come along with the messenger as soon as you receive this letter. The
Column Commander has important matters to discuss with you and
informs you to bring the servants' fees for xxxx village.
[Sd.]
Column Commander
22/11/98
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P44
1-11-98 to 15-11-98, 2 servants, 15,000 kyats.
20-10-98 to 15-11-98, 1 servant, 13,000 kyats.
The deposit of 2,000 kyats has already been received and the balance is
26,000 kyats.
Come and pay on 10/11/98.
[Sd. 'I.O.']
[This order is an SPDC officer's quickly written demand for 'porter fees'
from a village headman. The village must pay 15,000 Kyat or send 2
porters from November 1-15, and an additional 13,000 Kyat or send one
porter from October 20 to November 15. The references to 'servants' here
are mainly for show; the officer wants and expects the money, which he
and his colleagues will take for themselves. Demands for actual forced
labour are given separately and in addition to these demands for 'fees'.
This order was followed by Order #P45. 'I.O', written on the order in
English letters, probably stands for Intelligence Officer.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P45*
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Company #2 14-11-98
To: Ko xxxx (xxxx Village Head)
Give the balance of servants' fees to the man who brings this letter. For
the moment I have taken money from him for emergency needs. Ko xxxx,
you should release money to him if you receive this letter. From 21/10/98
to 15/11/98, 13,000 kyats for one servant; deposit was 2,000 kyats and the
balance is 11,000 kyats. From 1/11/98 to 15/11/98, 15,000 kyats for two
servants. I heard that the xxxx Column has already received 15,000 kyats.
Therefore, the remaining 11,000 kyats and the deposit for three servants of
6,000 kyats, totalling 17,000 kyats, must be paid right now.
Respectfully,
[Sd. 'xxxx']
Company Commander
Company #2
14/11/98
[This order is a demand for 'porter fees' (referred to as 'servants' fees')
from a village headman by an SPDC military officer. Villages must
provide forced labourers and also pay 'porter fees' which go into the
pockets of the officers; if they cannot pay, they must send additional
forced
labourers. Here the officer has demanded 13,000 Kyat or one extra
labourer for October 21 to November 15, and 15,000 Kyat or two extra
labourers for November 1-15. It is already understood by both parties
that the headman will pay instead of sending the labourers. He has
already paid a 'deposit' of 2,000 Kyat on the first amount, and has also
paid the full 15,000 of the second amount to the military operations
column. The 'balance' of 11,000 Kyat is now being demanded, as well as
a new 'deposit' of 6,000 Kyat (or 3 labourers) on the amount to be
demanded for the coming 2-week period. The officer has taken this money
(totalling 17,000 Kyat) from the elder of another village, then forced the
elder to take this letter to the village that 'owes' the money to get his
17,000 Kyat reimbursed. This is typical of the constant demands for
money and forced labourers faced by village elders. Note that he refers to
the village head using the prefix 'Ko' (older brother), which is very
disrespectful to a village head; he should use 'U'.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P47
To: xxxx [village]
Village Head
You are informed that we, the DKBA group, need the following wood and
request you to help us. Send it to the DKBA Camp at xxxx. We want you
to comply as soon as possible.
8 x 1 = 35 planks
10 x 1 = 20 planks
14 x 2 = 10 pieces
4-taun [6-foot] wood: 1
DKBA group at xxxx
xxxx [officer's name]
[The specifications for the wood are given as shown here and do not give
lengths for the planks, though this may already be understood from
previous orders. '8x1', '10x1', and '14x2' are probably in inches, i.e. 8"
x
1" by an unspecified length.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Summons to 'Meetings'
Order #P50
27-10-98
To: Chairperson Stamp:
xxxx village #xxx Light Infantry Battalion
Military Control Command
Subject: Invitation to attend a meeting
This is to inform you to come to xxxx Camp today at 1 p.m. to cooperate
in operations and security matters.
[Sd.]
Intelligence Officer
Advance #xxx Light Infantry
Battalion
[The meeting to which the village head is being summoned will probably
be to tell him/her how many villagers will have to be provided for forced
labour as porters, sentries and messengers.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Order #P56
Stamp:
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
To: Village Head / Pagoda Trustees 17-8-98
Subject: Invitation to attend a meeting
Regarding the above subject, you are informed to come to #xxx LIB HQ at
xxxx as soon as possible to have a discussion about the paddy from xxxx
village.
[Sd. / Lt., 17/8]
(for) Battalion Commander
#xxx Light Infantry Battalion
[The pagoda trustees are elders who take care of matters related to the
Buddhist temple. The discussion will likely concern paddy quotas to be
handed over to the Army.]
____________________________________________________________________________
_
- [END OF PART 2; SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTINGS FOR PARTS 3 THROUGH 5] -