Local villagers disappointed by the military shooting range

August 10, 2016

There are two military training ranges in Thanbyuzayat Township, Advanced Military Training School No. 4 in Wae Kalee Village and in Wae Tay village. The advanced military shooting training school in Wae Kalee in Thanbyuzayat, Mon State, are operating around rubber plantations in the village. The training occurs consecutively after each other. Villagers are disappointed by the training and the training hours because the bullets they use are landing on rubber plantation gardens.

Nai San Aye explains, “In the past, they did not operate the training very often but this year, they came very often; one group after another. On the hill top, they created a military shooting range. The surrounding area is covered in rubber plantations. There is no blank space in this area. Their bullets drop in rubber plantation but sometimes it drops on tents too. We are very scared of it. Sometimes their bullets have not exploded yet. We do not dare to go around it and it is very dangerous”.

Furthermore, “When they conduct the training, we have to cancel our rubber tapping work because we are scared. Those young rubber trees near the shooting range are being destroyed, so far around 6/7 trees”.

Villagers are worried that the military will confiscate the land as they have done in Wae Kalee where they took land for military purposes.

Nai Hla Thein expressed, “rubber plantation owners have come to me to discuss where and how to report this matter. They want to submit compliant letters regarding the issue. I am still considering submitting letters. However, even if we submit letters, they are not going to solve it for us but they [local villagers] thought that it is still better to submit letters than not doing anything.”

When they train in the summer, rubber plantations are often set on fire. Rubber plantation owners around the training area said that they cannot continue to replant rubber tree again and again. It takes many years to grow a good rubber plantation.

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