ARMY BANS SELLING OF PRODUCTS IN VILLAGES ( Kao-Wao ) March 1, 2003

Kao Wao Newsletter

ARMY BANS SELLING OF PRODUCTS IN VILLAGES

(Kao-Wao, Ye, March 1, 03)

The Burmese Army is using local civilians for portering in its operations >against Mon guerrillas in Southern Mon State while enforcing a ban on the >sale of batteries and medicine at local shops. The Burmese Army LIB No. 273 ordered village headmen in northern Ye Phyu Township to provide people from their villages to carry ammunition and equipment in a military operation against Mon rebels, an escaped porter said last week.

The man from Lok Zaing Village who just returned from portering said three persons from each Htan JaNu, Kreik KaDin, Lok Zaing, Rot Ta Mah and Dide Tu villages were forced at gunpoint to carry heavy equipment for the Burmese >soldiers.

“Major Kyaw Soe arrested us and ordered us to porter. We do not have enough food and sleep, and they don’t give us mosquito nets either,” said the porter who asked not to be identified for security reasons.

The LIB No. 273 severely punishes porters who try to escape by beating them >with a gun or fined 10,000.00 Kyat (Burmese currency) for punishment.

The Burmese army recently arrested men, women, and Buddhist monks as well as children for portering in southern Ye in their military operation against the Mon in the area.

According to local villagers, the army is also banning local people from buying medicines and batteries so as to cut off products from the rebel groups. Traders and shopkeepers will be severely punished and fined if they sell their products. Consequently, people who are sick are unable to buy medicines due to the ban on the selling of products in the rural areas.

Villagers are unable to listen to news from the radio broadcast because they cannot buy the batteries, another local source said.

Local farmers are required to ask for permission to enter their own farms. The army has villagers buy a pass-ticket for Kyat 100.00 per each trip. Another local Burmese army LIB 282 issued an order instructing local farmers to take only two kilos of rice to their farms and banning them from sleeping over night on the farm. No one is allowed to fish in the late evening. If found they will be labeled as supporting the rebels and will be dealt with severely.

Nai Ba who just arrived to the border area said many villagers have now left homes in an attempt to find employment, as they could not live and work safely in the their villages. The Burmese army defined their area as the black area (free-fire zone) which is opposed by some Mon armed groups who >are seeking to control part of it.

The Burmese army is searching for the Mon guerrillas led by Nai Bin and Nai Hlong, an armed group which split from the Mon National Liberation Army of the New Mon State Party after the cease-fire agreement. After the cease-fire with the regime in 1995, some fighters left the party to fight against the Burmese army in southern Mon State of Burma.