MYANMAR EXPORTS (The harrassment a

[Mrcorg@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: MYANMAR EXPORTS  (The harrassment against farmer in Mon State)

Dear friend

I received  a copy of Mon Forum newsletter last month. In the newsletter, it 
mentioned about Burmese  military forced farmer in Mon State to sell paddy to 
the government at low price. That is while the Burmese government rices 
exports are increasing every year. They bough the rices from farmer at half 
of market price and export these rice in order to earn hard currency to buy 
arm to oppress its people. The following are the brief articles about the 
plight of rice cultivation farmers.


Mon Forum (issue No. 6/99, June 30,1999)

1. The Harassment against the farmers inthe Mon State in Taking 1998-99 Year 
Paddy Tax.

I.  The effects in 1998-1999 Pady Tax Collection in Mon State

    The government has said they has bought paddy from farmers, the price 
they paid  to the famers was too low and so the farmers are likely giving  
yearly tax to the government. Due to the paddy tax since BSPP era, the 
economy situation of the farmers in Burma has bee detoriated and they became 
poorest class in Burma. 
The farmer  are instructed to sell 12 baskets of paddy per acres at low price 
about 300 kyat per basket while the market price is 800 kyat per basket.  
Moulmein, Thanbyuzayat, Kyaikmayaw, Ye, Paung and Chaung-zone townships' 
farmers have been forced to sell  300,000 baskets, 250,000 baskets, 350,000 
baskets, 300,000 baskets and 400,000 baskets of paddy respectively.

II. Looting of Famers'  Belogings instead of paddy

    In many township in Mon state, the paddy buying officials or township 
SPDC authorities always force the farmers to sell their paddy at low price to 
the center as quick as possible during January and Febuary. They also set the 
deadline for farmers to complete their duties of selling the demanded amount 
of paddy to the centers. If they failed,the authorities came and confiscated 
their paddy. If the authorities could not confisticate paddy, they 
confisticate belongings that owned  by the farmers. 

III. Cruel Treatment against the Farmers

   Similar to other townships area, the farmers in villages of Chaung-Zone 
township area have been constantly forced to sell their paddy since December 
25, 1998. The set among of paddy to be sold was 12 baskets per acre.  Because 
of less crop production in the area, the local farmers could not give full 
amount of paddy instructed from township paddy buying authorities.  So, local 
militia (SPDC) went to villages and arrested the farmers who couldn't sell 
the paddy to farmers. 



If some one wants full text of the reports, please contact Mon Forum the 
following address:

HURFOM
P.O. Box 11,
Ratchburana
Bangkok 10140
Thailand.
Email: mforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Pon N. Mon

Monland Restoration Council