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Fire in the Chin State



Fungkah Village of the Chin State Burned
Down

Sakollam (Dancing ground of the Horses)
of Tedim Town Burned Down


1.The method of agriculture of the Chin
people is by slash and burn. This means
that the people cleared the forest in
the winter months from November to
January.  During the month of February
and part of March the fields are left
for the sun to dry the woods and
grasses.  Usually in the middle of March
to beginning of April the fields are
torched.  Whether the people have a good
or bad harvest depends very much on how
the material burned down.  Thus the
people have to choose continuous sunny
days prior to burning the fields.

The Chin are very careful not to start
forest fires because their livelihood
depend very much on how long forest or
fields could be kept out of forest fires
for cutting new fields. Therefore the
people clear the path of the fire or
make fire-stopper-lanes when burning the
fields. However, last March the people
of Fungkah were so unfortunate that the
fire cross the fire -stopper- lane and
burned the whole Fungkah village.

Fungkah village had seventy five houses
or is the home of seventy five families.
The village is situated in the
Thanthlang district.  Thus seventy five
families or 400 people are homeless.
They lost not only their houses but
everything they own including their
grains and the seeds to plant in the
fields.

2. Sakollam (Dancing Ground of Horses) a
satellite town of Tedim in the northern
Chin State was burned down on March 15,
1999. The fire started at the house of
the blacksmith.  The fire caught the
next house which was used by the Burmese
Army as their gasoline depot.  The
explosion of the barrels containing
gasoline spread the fire to the whole
neighborhood.  Twenty five houses were
burned down

Because Tedim is a trade of the Chin
State, losses included commercial
merchandise of traders and shops. Some
of the houses were rental apartments.
Fifty two families or three hundred
people became homeless. As it happened
on a Sunday afternoon most people were
out of their homes.

The victims of the fire were placed in
the High School.


Chin organizations such the Chin
Freedom Coalition and the Chin Christian
Service are asking for donations.
Please feel free to contact Pu Tial Hoo
(CFC) at Tel:202 547 2763 or Pu Rual Uk
(CCS) at 301 926 2060 both in the USA.

Vum Son