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Peace-building and Solving of Human Rights Problems

The civil war in Burma has been protracted for many decades especially in all ethnic regions. Because of war and fighting between the central governments and different ethnic armed groups, not only the ethnic people in border areas suffered by war, conflict, fighting and human rights violations, but the majority Burman people in central part are suffered socially and economically. Read more

Release of Political Prisoners Can Move Forward ‘National Reconciliation’

There are about 2100 political prisoners including ethnic leaders imprisoned for long-term imprisonment.  They were put trial not because of their political activities, but the regime accused them because of ‘threatening the national security’, ‘motivating for instability’, ‘illegal printing and false information distribution’, etc.  The former military regime, SPDC and the current military proxy regime, USDP, has constantly denied there is no ‘political prisoners’ in Burma. Read more

A Year Later, Villagers Still Displaced Unable to Return Home in Ye and Yebyu Township

Summary

In April 2010, the New Mon State Party (NMSP) refused the Burmese government’s request for the NMSP to transform into part of the Border Guard Force (BGF), in which it would essentially provide security for the Burmese government. Tensions between both sides rose because of the NMSP’s rejection and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC – the former Burmese military government) began a recruitment project in local villages, forcing villagers to serve as militiamen and committing a variety of human rights abuses.  During that period, HURFOM conducted interviews with local residents who fled their homes to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) sites, and documented the commission of crimes against humanity and assorted human rights abuses, on those IDPs, who lived in Ye Township, Mon State, and Ye Pyu Township, Tenasserim Division. Download report as PDF [270KB] Read more

Large Sums Extorted from Residents by Local Authorities for the Water Festival in Kawkareik Township

Kyaik Don Sub-township: Local township authorities collected mandatory payments from residents of most villages and village tracks in the Kyaik Don Sub-township, Kawkareik Township to make a financial reserve for Water Festival celebrations. The administrator of the Township General Administration Office ordered a fund collection and sent this written order to village headman of eight villages in Kyaik Don Sub-township. HURFOM found that there were two types of fund collections. The first was a compulsory order made to each household in the eight designated villages to provide the specific funds. The second was a letter of intimidation to prominent rich individuals or businessman. Read more

Gas Pipeline and Railway Security Troops Unintentionally Shoot Local Residents Free From Culpability

On April 7, 2011, in Thanbyuzayat Township: Government sentries patrolling the railway and gas pipelines between the townships of Ye and Thanbyuzayat, shot two residents they mistook for insurgents. Instead of taking responsibility for inadvertently shooting and wounding these villagers, the army increased the number of sentries, inevitably causing further threats to villagers residing nearby. Read more

“To Whom Do We Report?”: Land Seizure by MOGE for the Expansion and Straightening of the Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay Gas Pipeline

For the past four months, the government owned company, Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, has administrated extensive repairs and expansions to the gas pipeline from Kanbauk, Yebyu Township, in Tennaserrim Division to Myaing Kalay, Karen State. Repairs include the substitution of old parts of the pipeline, the straightening of the curved pipeline, as well as digging new roads for bulldozers and cranes to carry equipment to the pipeline areas.  When expanding the pipeline, and paving new roads for the bulldozers, MOGE has cut through cultivator’s land and plantations, splitting up their plots and destroying their crops and livelihoods. Local landowners have expressed frustration and upset that not only has their land been destroyed, or broken into multiple parts, but that this acquisition of their land is the second time locals have lost their landholdings, whether it be rubber plantations, paddy land, or other farmland.[1] Download report as PDF [352KB] Read more

The New Government Must Respect Freedom

On the 31st of March, when the new government leader and former military commander, Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, took office in Naypyidaw, the capital of Burma, he promised a clean and good governance. This was his promise, but in practice, if he and his government do not allow various freedoms inherent in a democracy, the people will never believe that the government will bring them toward democracy. Read more

Residents Forced to Construct Military Barracks for Border Guard Forces’ (BGF) troops in Myawaddy District, Karen State.

In early February 2011, the Captain of Military Operation Management Command (MOMC) No. 5, under the Southeast (SE) Command Military Operation, ordered ethnic Karen villagers to do loh-ah-pay[1] in the form of barracks construction for former Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) troops now turned Border Guard Force (BGF).  The buildings built for the BGF army battalions include the captain’s office, military barracks, officers’ hostels, long-low buildings with collection rooms, garages, and ordinance stores. Though the central government has allocated funds for the construction of those buildings, villagers forced to do loh-ah-pay are not only unpaid, but are obligated to provide their own supplies as well. Read more

Young women and elderly forced to Porter in Kawkereik Township, injuries result

Residents of Kawkareik Township have been pressed into service as porters by the Burmese army Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 32. According to residents, porters included young women and youth who were forced to carry supplies to the top of a nearby mountain to a forward unit base of IB No. 32. While porters were able to return the same day, some have suffered injuries from the extreme loads and steep uphill climb. This brief highlights the State Police and Development Council (SPDC)’s continued use of forced labor which is classified as a crime against humanity, and highlights how even the most basic forced labor is a danger to the victims involved. Read more

“Sitting on the fire”: forced labor demands during Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay Pipelien expansion

Introduction

In early January 2011, large steel pipes were delivered to villages along the Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay gas pipeline in southern Burma. The delivery of the pipes marked the first step in a larger process currently undertaken by the Burmese government operated Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), to expand the capacity of the pipeline.

The introduction of this expansion project marks a significant potential point of increase in the ongoing abuses committed by Burmese soldiers against local civilian communities. The proposed pipeline expansion has begun a labor intensive campaign in which residents excavate and extract the current 20” diameter pipes, and in some cases re-direct and dig the pipeline route so that the new 30” diameter pipes can be installed. Additionally, these laborers are used to guard the new pipe segments prior to installation, portions of the pipeline that will be replaced, build bamboo cover for exposed pipes, and re-bury and cover pipes. Civilians along the pipeline, who often live in significant poverty, are nonetheless used to perform a large portion of the labor during this process without compensation of money or food, and no regard for health or the impact that such extended forced labor would have on community livelihoods. Download report as PDF [324KB] Read more

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