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Villagers forced to repair road in Tenasserim division

HURFOM: On July 27th, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 282 commended village headman to force villagers to work repairing the road from Yapu to ChaBoe villages.  The repairs cover an 8 miles stretch of road in Kaleinaung sub-township, Tenasserim Division.

The Yapu village headman, Kin Mg Oo, announced that one person from each household would have to take part in the road repairs and that works would have to bring their own food. Households that don’t want to work, or are unable to, have to pay 3,500 kyat. Read more

DKBA conducts arbitrary taxation in Bilin Township

HURFOM: On August 12th the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) Battalion No.333, led by General Kyaw Min Oo, demanded a tax from rice and lumber mills located in DKBA brigade No.1 territory, near Phin Ma Pin Sait village, Bilin Township, Mon State.

According to HURFOM field reporters, there are about 18 rice mills and lumber mills in that area.  The tax requires owners to pay 10,000 kyat for operating the mill for one month. Read more

Ye township households must pay year’s housing tax up front

HURFOM: On July 15th, Ye township municipal chairman U Kyi Lin instituted the collection of a house tax in Ye township, Mon State.

According to reports from HURFOM field reporters, every household has to pay this tax, which is determined by the size and construction of the home.   Residents will be taxed 2,800 kyat for a wooden house with a thatch roof, 3,500 kyat for wooden house with an iron roof, 7,000 kyat for a two-story house and 15,000 for a cement house. Read more

Travel restrictions resisted Mon State

HURFOM: Beginning on August 12th, Burmese government authorities placed checkpoints restricting travel along roads through Mon State, in the areas such as Thanbyuzayat, Mudon and Moulmein.

According to a resident who lives near the Thanbyuzayat checkpoint, police and soldiers from State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 62, have been thoroughly checking all travelers identity cards and bags, and been made to answer question about the nature of their travel. Read more

Ten wheel trucks banned from traveling from Ye to Tavoy

HURFOM: Ten wheels truck owners are angry over a ban by authorities, issued mid June, on sending shipments via 10-wheeled truck along the road from Ye to Tavoy in the middle of the rainy season.

The transportation restriction is not the only source of truck owner’s anger – local checkpoints are charging nearly double the previous tax to allow truck owners passage.

Drivers report that many checkpoints are set up along the high ways between Mawlamyine to Tavoy, to collect taxes from trucks that are transporting goods between the two cities.   Read more

Extortion and corruption over football match in Ye township

HURFOM: On July first week, members of the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) and United Solidarity Development Association (USDA) began collecting money by force from Ye residents to hold a football match in Ye township, Mon State.

According to Ye residents, every household in Ye town was been forced to give 500 to 1,000 kyat by members of the TPDC and USDA. Ye town has 16 wards and about 7,000 house holds. Most villagers did not want to give money to the organizations. However for households that refused, pressure was applied by the group, with USDA members coming to visit those homes two or three- time a day until the household made the donation. Read more

Burmese government employees increase arbitrary taxation in Mon state

HURFOM: Increases in arbitrary taxation by the Burmese armed forces and community groups has led to greater economic hardship for many villagers in Mon state.

A variety of taxes levied against villagers have increased such that what many villagers now have to pay is double the original cost. According to villagers, in previous months they have been paying a total of 5,000 kyat per month, but now they’re paying approximately 10,000 kyat, doled out to a variety of government bodies.   Read more

Forced militia training conducted in Ye Township

HURFOM: On July 3rd, the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 343 led militia training in Ye Township. The LIB forced residents to choose between participating or paying a 6,000 kyat fine.

Nai Myo, a Arutaung villager explained, “At about 9:00 AM the village headman Nai Htun Thin announced every household has to attend the militia training, which [was] lead by the LIB No. 343. He said that this announcement came from the LIB No. 343, and everyone must follow the policy. He said the LIB No. 343 needed about 50 people from our village to attend the training.” Read more

Motorbikes and money taken from Yebyu township residents

HURFOM: Beginning in early July, the chairman (headman) of Kyauk Kadin village, Yebyu Township, has begun levying a taxes of work, motorbike usage, and money on the villagers. According to sources, the request for the bike came directly from the army, while the tax of labor and money are for his own benefit. Read more