• Home
• about
• Activities
• Contact
• Programs
• Manual

• Analysis
• Commentary
• Feature
• General Election
• Monthly Report
• News
• PDF Format
• Special Report
• Video Clips

Subscribe

“Our Village Will Not Last:” Analysis of Abuses Conducted Against Civilians in Mon State and Tennaserim Division

INTRODUCTION

It is not easy to make any claim that Burma is a nation free of violence and armed conflict.  However the Burmese military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), often cites the successful brokering of 15 ceasefires with armed insurgent groups, who have been brought ‘back into the legal fold’ throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s, as proof that it has brought peace to Burma. These ceasefires have radically altered the landscape of the civil war in Burma by bringing the direct conflict with most of the ethnic armed groups to a close.  However what has resulted is not peace, but a quieter violence, between smaller insurgent groups that did not sign ceasefires, and the Burmese army.  This supposed peace has been characterized by continued violence and abuse conducted against civilians in parts of Karen State, Mon State, and Tennaserim Division who have been trapped between insurgent groups, and the Burmese policy of total destruction of its opposition. During August, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland-Burma (HURFOM) has focused its concern on the continuing abuses and serious human rights violations in Southern Burma and would like to highlight ongoing rights abuses faced by the local inhabitants and the consequences these have on the livelihoods of these residents.  HURFOM field reporters have been documenting instances of forced relocation, land and property confiscation, arbitrary extortion and sexual violence through the testimonies of these individual victims, since March 2009.

Download report as PDF [ 704KB]

Read more

Rupturing gas pipeline prompts farmers to flee

HURFOM: On September 1st, because of an explosion along the Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay gas pipeline, farmers in the area have been banned from working on their farms.  Also to avoid Burmese government authorities, farmers hid themselves or fled to other villages.

“At about 4:30 [pm] the local [Burmese government] authorities arrived at the site of the explosion,” Describes Nai Nee (not real name), a 56 year old area farmer, who fled to Panga village. “All the farmers around the area have avoided [the cite] because they are worried the authorities will make problems for them. Read more

SPDC arrests member of insurgent group, and his family

HURFOM: On August 5th, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No.273 arrested a member of a Mon insurgent group, Nai Chan Dein, and members of his family.

A Thet, 29 years old, had served in the Nai Chan Dein group for 4 years. He was arrested with his family in his home village of Alaesakhan, Kaleinaung sub-township, Tenasserim division. Read more

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

« Previous Page — Next Page »