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This section contains orders making material demands on villages. Where such demands
require a significant amount of labour by the villagers, particularly cutting and hauling
wood and bamboo or making thatch, they have been included above in the section ‘Forced Labour
Supplying Materials’; many orders in other sections of the report also
contain material demands. SPDC Army units force villagers to provide them with everything
- money, food, condiments, alcohol, cheroots, betelnut, firewood, clothing, building
materials, and many other things, as well as logs and commercial goods which they can sell
for profit. The villagers are threatened to provide these things or face punishment. They
are almost never paid for them, and even when they are it is just a fraction of the price,
paid with money previously stolen from other villages or from themselves. As the Army
expands, new camps are established in all areas and every new camp means a duplication of
all the demands already faced by the villagers. Some Army units send their demands to the
village tract or township authorities, who then pass them on to the villages, while other
demands go directly to the villages. All demands for cash and materials end up with the
village head, who must then distribute the burden by assigning villagers to gather the
materials on a rotation basis and dividing the amount of cash to be paid by the number of
families in the village. Most families end up having to contribute several thousand Kyat
per month toward the cash demands, as well as material contributions. This is in addition
to the food and belongings looted by passing patrols and the forced labour they must do.
Given all the demands placed on them, it is often difficult or impossible for a village to
comply.
In 1998, the SPDC in Rangoon informed its field units that rations would be cut back in quantity and quality and that they should begin producing much of their own food or obtaining it from the villagers. The result has been increased confiscation of farmland by Army units, demands that villagers do forced labour farming this land (see for example Orders #297, 305, and 317 under ‘Set to a Village II’ above), and an increase in demands for food without payment. Army units now regularly demand livestock for breeding purposes (see Order #386) or order villagers to breed livestock for them (see Order #30 under ‘General Forced Labour’), and they also demand plant and tree seedlings (see Order #364 demanding coconut tree seedlings, Order #365 demanding coconut and betelnut tree seedlings, and Order #395 demanding unspecified ‘seed’, probably rice). They also demand tools for both farming and logging (see Orders #344, 352, and 367) for use by villagers or rank-and-file soldiers doing forced labour farming. Despite these attempts to farm, it is still easier for the officers to simply demand food from the villages in their area. Many of the orders below are demands for food including rice, chickens, pigs, and fruit, and as can be seen in orders throughout this entire report, SPDC Army units often add demands for ‘one chicken’, ‘two bowls of rice’, or other food items to the end of orders for forced labour and other things. Some officers admit that they have a ‘problem’ feeding themselves without proper rations; for example, in Order #345 a Corporal writes, "Then bring along sticky-rice and coconuts. If [you] have vegetables that can be eaten and meat and fish, bring it. We have a problem with food so we are asking for help." In January 2001 a Deputy Battalion Commander wrote Order #393 admitting that, "Our troops are not going anywhere, so it is very difficult for our eating and drinking. We are friendly with Big Mother. We feel embarrassed about this, but for our group to eat, send quickly tonight at once 20 viss [32 kg/70 lb] of pork and 1 sack of rice to yyyy village, you are requested." Normally when his troops "go somewhere" they can loot villages, but while based at the Camp they demand food from those who live nearby. In Order #383, a Captain admits that his troops have resorted to looting: "Sending 2 sacks of rice for Mother. Ours here is gone, [we] had to take it from others and then sent it. Sell it for 6,000 Kyat." Not only has he stolen rice from another village, he is ordering this village headwoman to sell some of it for him and give him the proceeds so that he can buy some other food. Order #394 bears a similar demand. The Camp Commander who wrote Order #395 is somewhat more reasonable, demanding that the village head send 3 bowls [4.8 kg/10.5 lb] of rice the next day with the scheduled forced labourer, but promising to repay it (with rice) "when we get the rations". Villagers often complain that Army officers take their good rice in this way and replace it with terrible quality Army ration rice - the grains are low grade and broken, and it is full of rocks, insects and impurities.
Villages are also ordered to provide food for their own people who are doing unpaid forced labour for the Army. The SPDC expects all villagers coming for forced labour to bring their own food, but then they often detain the villagers for much longer than was originally specified, and they run out of food. Rather than providing them with additional food, it is demanded from their home villages. There are several examples of this included in orders of the ‘General Forced Labour’ section above, such as Order #97 which states "Bring along again the rice fees for the excess used by the servants, and rice"; see also Order #356 below, which demands "4 bowls of rice for the present servants" and goes on to threaten, "You didn’t inform me why you didn’t come to send it when we asked for it … You think that you can do as you please. This time must be the last time. Send it quickly…" Order #379 demands the "monthly servants’ rice", meaning that this village is expected to send a supply of rice to the Army Camp each month for use in feeding their forced labourers when necessary. Whenever senior SPDC officers or mobile military columns visit the local Army camp, the villagers are expected to provide extra food and money for this; see for example Orders #353, which states, "Some guest officers have arrived at our Strategic Command. We have a problem feeding them, so the Elder’s village must help with a chicken or duck…", and Order #384.
Whenever Army officers wish to make an offering at a Buddhist temple, the villagers are usually ordered to provide the money, food, incense and other requirements. Order #362 even demands that the village provide two fully-charged 12-volt batteries for electricity because the Strategic Commander wants to make an offering, while Orders #354, 355 and 357 demand food for the Army to use in making offerings. Orders #375, 376, 377, and 378 demand cash for a festival. Orders #372, 373, and 374 demand 600 Kyat from each village in the area by order of the Township Peace and Development Council, allegedly to pay for ‘paving stones’ to build a yin pyin (circular walkway around a pagoda), though it is uncertain how much of this money is actually required for the stones and how much is simple extortion. Order #380 dictates demands for cash, rice, chicken or fish curry, fish paste, and vegetables to 44 villages in order to hold a Buddhist festival at a large monastery in central Pa’an District. It then goes on to assign specific villages to send large quantities of firewood and other materials and assigns labour duties for the festival. The 44 villages are ordered to provide 157,500 Kyat in cash and 45 baskets of rice in comparison with the 30,000 Kyat in cash and 20 baskets of rice requested from the 5 SPDC Battalions and 1 DKBA Battalion combined. In addition, the villages are ordered to provide over 70 kilograms of meat curry, 352 kilograms of vegetables, 24 cartloads of firewood, and all of the labour to build structures, prepare the festival and cook, while the Army is assigned no duties for these. Though this order was issued in the name of the monastery, it was clearly drafted by the military because even the ‘duties’ of the local Army battalions are specified, which no monastery would dare to do; it is also worthy of note that the only duty assigned to the Army is operating the video, which is a profit-making venture (and which will cost them nothing, because they are to obtain the required equipment from the villages). People who have attended such festivals report that after the villagers provide almost all of the food, money, and labour, the Army takes centre stage, feasts on the best of the food and claims all the credit.
Demands are made for trivial things as well, such as tree bark used for washing hair (Order #385) and elephant hair for making rings (Order #368). Some officers even send their ‘shopping lists’ (see Order #370) to the local village heads, sometimes with a small amount of money and sometimes not, with orders to buy the things on the list and deliver them to the camp. Village heads sometimes keep notes of all the demands placed on them by the Army. One such list is included as Order #391, wherein a village head lists demands ranging from whole pigs and baskets of rice to cash and 2 cases of beer.
Every Army unit also demands cash in several forms from all of the villages in their area of control. Some of this money is demanded as routine monthly extortion, usually referred to as "servants’ fees" or "Battalion donation money", while other money is demanded in lieu of forced labour. Villagers often hire people to go in their place for forced labour or have the village tract leaders do so for them (see the sections ‘Set to a Village I’ and ‘Set to a Village II’ above), but when the Army demands "money to hire servants" they simply pocket the money and demand the labour elsewhere - meaning other villages which are simultaneously paying to avoid some other demand for forced labour. As a result, villages have to pay fees to ‘hire’ (i.e. avoid) forced labour while also doing forced labour. The fees become so routine that in the end they are simply referred to as ‘servant fees’ but there is no longer any expectation that they are given in lieu of forced labour. Then the villagers try to pay to get out of the additional forced labour they actually have to do, and eventually that becomes a routine ‘fee’ as well, while the Army continues to make new demands for actual forced labour - and so on, until villages are paying all kinds of ‘servant fees’, ‘porter fees’, and ‘messenger fees’ but still going for forced labour as servants, porters and messengers on a regular basis. All of the money simply goes into the pockets of the Army officers and local officials. This is the basis of the many mentions of ‘servant money’ in orders throughout this report, including Orders #396 and 397 below.
The sender of Order #371 stoops lower to get his money, asking a ‘loan’ of 950 Kyat from a village head but then warning that "If not, you can only use me once. A human being has many possible futures." Coming from the military, this is a very clear threat.
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Stamp: To: Subject: To hire things Regarding the above subject, from the Elder’s village, Chairperson yourself come to bring 3 big saws [2-person hand saws] and 3 axes to yyyy camp on 2-12-99 to arrive at 6 o’clock. If [you] fail it will be the responsibility of the chairperson. Place: yyyy camp
[Sd.] [On the back of this document the officer has added "Send 2 notebooks and 1 pen."] ______________________________________________________________________________ To:
Date 18/1/2000 I am writing a letter. You need milk to make an offering. We have a little milk and we will help. Also, help us with no less than 5 viss [ 8 kg/17.5 lb] of dried, big betel nuts. Bring it when you come. Then bring along sticky-rice and coconuts. If [you] have vegetables that can be eaten and meat and fish, bring it. We have a problem with food so we are asking for help. There is nothing else. Are you healthy? Our group is also well. That is all.
[Sd.]
18-1-2000 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #346 (Papun) To: Chairperson
(Mother)
Date: 19-1-2000 Chairperson, I’m sending milk, sugar, and chickpeas as a present for Chairperson Mother. Buy incense sticks (Loh Dta Ya [brand]) from the shop in Chairperson Mother’s village and send them. If there are no Loh Dta Ya, buy and send Gkan Pwin [brand] incense sticks. Buy about 9 packs. I am also sending money, I’m sending 200 Kyat.
Friendly
and respectfully, Major aaaa ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #347 (Papun) To:
22-1-2000 When you receive this letter, come to yyyy village and bring any food [you have] for our Column, asking for help. Come with the set tha [messenger]. [Sd.] [The ‘set tha’ is the villager doing forced labour as a messenger who has delivered this order.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #348 (Papun) Stamp:
8-2-2000 Bring (one) pig weighing over 10 [viss; i.e. over 16 kg/35 lb] to arrive on the 12th. Will give the selling price. You said that there is a pig in xxxx village. Also a small pig in yyyy village. Arrange it smoothly.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #349 (Papun) To:
9-2-2000 I remember you, so [I] am writing a letter. If you are free, come. Bring food (sticky-rice) and (nee toh oo [a kind of taro root]), a little of each.
With
Remembrance, ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #350 (Papun) To: U aaaa Date: 10-2-2000 Writing to inform you. As soon as [you] receive this letter, find one 10-weight or 8 viss pig. Will clear the cost in money when [you] bring the pig.
With
thanks, [‘10-weight or 8 viss’ means 12.8 to 16 kilograms / 28 to 35 pounds.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #351 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date: 19-2-2000 Subject: The matter of giving back the loan money Regarding the above subject, the #xx Battalion Commander is asking to be given back the proportion of money that was given to the village head, so come quickly to give the money on 22-2-2000. Note:
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ xxxx [village] Head 9-3-2000 Now, as soon as you receive this letter, the Head yourself must come to give 3 mattocks and 3 machetes. Note: Must arrive at 1200 hours.
[Unsigned] [Mattocks are large hoes used for digging and general farming.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp: Chairperson:
Respectfully, ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
Date: 1-4-2000 Subject: Note: Ya kain bananas, 11 hands. [On the back this order is marked "Urgent". In most cases like this, the Commander will then make an offering in his own name using the bananas he has extorted.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
To:
Date:
5-4-2000 Subject: Inviting the Elder To discuss with the Elder, come without fail to yyyy camp with 6 hands of bananas to make an offering on the 6th at 0830 hours.
[Sd.] [The offering will probably be made in the name of the Battalion Commander.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: [blank] 6-4-2000 From the Elder’s village [we] need [you] to send quickly 4 bowls [6.4.kg/14 lb] of rice for the present servants, and the remaining money, 1,500 Kyat, with the messenger who comes now. You didn’t inform me why you didn’t come to send it when we asked for it via someone who was on their way there. You think that you can do as you please. This time must be the last time. Send it quickly with the messenger who comes now.
Company
#3 [Not only does the village have to send forced labourers, but food for them as well. In this case the ‘present servants’ are the people from the village currently doing forced labour. Either they didn’t bring enough food for themselves or the Army is keeping them longer than was initially specified, so the village has to send more food for them.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Mother Head Daw aaaa
19-4-2000 Mother, in our Camp it is time for the Bo Bo Gyi festival. On the 21st there will be the placing of the bweh [food offerings placed in front of shrines], and we want Mother to come to meet with the Battalion Commander. I ask you to send bananas and coconuts tomorrow to yyyy.
Respectfully, Telling Mother to bring 5 packets of jaggery [boiled crystallised sugar cane juice in slabs] from Mother’s shop. I also eat jaggery. ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #358 (Papun) [To:] U aaaa
5-5-2000 * Send the things which [I] left in xxxx
and 1 bottle of honey tomorrow to arrive at 9 o’clock in the morning.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #359 (Papun) [To:] U aaaa
8-5-2000 Keep [hold for me] the rice packs that have been sent from yyyy.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #360 (Papun) To:
9-5-2000 [We] have to discuss work matters, so as soon as you receive this letter now, the Chairperson yourself must come to yyyy. Bring one chicken that [I] have already given the money for.
With
friendliness, ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #361 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date: 11-5-2000 Subject: Note: [Send also] 10
coconuts
[Sd.] [This entire order is written in red ink, which usually implies urgency and a threat to the villagers who receive it. ‘Army price’ means much less than actual price. On the back this order is addressed "To Head, xxxx [village]. Urgent."] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
15-5-2000 At yyyy Army Camp, the Strategic Commander will celebrate an offering on 16-5-2000, so [we] need two 12-volt batteries to run the loudspeaker. [We] Know that the Elder’s village has this kind of battery, so you are requested to help for one day. (Note) There are none of this kind [of battery] in yyyy. Send as soon as you receive this letter. They must be fully charged. Will use them for one day. Send them to the VPDC office.
[Sd.] 15-5-2000 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #363 (Papun) To: Chairperson
18-5-2000 If you will get the radio, come tomorrow. It costs 2,000 Kyat.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Chairperson
Stamp:
23-5-2000 Come to send without fail 5 coconut seedlings from xxxx village, 5 coconut seedlings from yyyy village, total 10 plants, today to arrive to the zzzz Camp Commander, Saya Gyi [used for Sergeant] bbbb.
[Sd.] [Army camps have been ordered since 1998 to produce more of their own food in place of rations, so they demand seedlings from villagers to set up their plantations; see also Order #365 below and other such orders in this set.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To:
Stamp: From the village head’s village, [send] 5 betelnut seedlings 3 feet high and 5 coconut seedlings 3 feet high on May 26th 2000 at 1000 hours, send them to the Column (urgently), you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #366 (Papun) To: Head
Stamp:
27-5-2000 - From xxxx village, find and give 500 Kyat worth of durian, you are informed by the Frontline LIB xxx Battalion Commander. Send it together with the person who has brought this letter now. Asking for your help.
[Sd.] [Durian are highly valued large seasonal fruit.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Chairperson
31/5/2000 [We] Will borrow temporarily 4 mattocks [to be sent] with the messenger who comes now. [We] Will send them back in the evening.
[Sd.] [Mattocks are large hoes used for digging and general farming.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Stamp:
To:
18/6/2000 On 19-6-2000, Monday, come to meet with our Column Commander with Ko aaaa [yourself] and call Ko bbbb. Bring along 10 elephant tails, you are informed with friendliness. Thank you for helping with the durians.
[Sd.
‘cccc’] Lt. [By ‘elephant tails’ he most likely means elephant hair, which is used to make rings. ‘Helping with the durians’ means the village head sent the durian fruit demanded in a previous order.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #369 (Papun) To: Pu aaaa
24-7-2000 Full of respect, letting you know as stated below. Tomorrow morning, as the Strategic Command has ordered 20 durians from you, if you can send only 15 it is okay. You can also send 150 mangosteens. If you cannot come, I will ask people to go and fetch them for me. You can arrange them and keep them in your house. (Arrange it for sure).
Thanks
very much, [This order is written in Sgaw Karen. Durians are seasonal and highly valued fruit which weigh 1 to 5 kilograms (2 to 10 pounds) each, while mangosteens are small, sweet and expensive seasonal fruit.] ______________________________________________________________________________ 16/8/2000 To: Mother village head from xxxx village, please buy the things listed, thank you very much. (1) Dried
chillies 20 kyat tha [320
grams/0.7 lb] 7 items
only.
[Sd.] [‘Artificial meat’ means soy protein often used by vegetarians. Village heads regularly receive such ‘shopping lists’ from the local Army camp, which they must then buy and deliver; sometimes part of the cost is reimbursed, sometimes not.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: U aaaa Date: 8-19-2000 [sic: 19-8-2000] I write this letter with respect. The reason I write this letter is nothing. Just that I need money now. Please send some money to me. The amount is not much, the total is 950 [Kyat]. I hope that U aaaa will give it. If not, you can only use me [my help] once. A human being has many possible futures. That’s all. Bone bbbb. [Note: U aaaa, the addressee, is a village elder of xxxx village. Strangely, the writer signs using the rare honorific ‘Bone’, used by someone who decrees laws and is very powerful. The remarks about using his help and ‘many possible futures’ can very easily be seen as a threat.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To:
Date: 21-8-2000 Informing and letting you know, in accordance with the decision of the Township TPDC meeting, to donate paving stones for laying the pagoda yin pyin [surfaced pathway encircling a pagoda], the Elder’s village must donate 2 pieces of paving stone. [You] Must pay the cost money for the paving stones on 24-8-2000. As soon as this letter is received collect it and come to pay, you are informed. (1) Paving stones, 1 piece is 300 Kyat
[Sd.] [Although this is a demand for money to build a pathway around a pagoda, it originates from the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC), not the monastery, so it is most likely tied to corruption. Much of the 600 Kyat demanded from each village in the area may end up in the pockets of the local PDC and military officers. On the back this order is addressed to "Pa aaaa, xxxx village". The village did not immediately pay the money demanded, so a week later they received Order #373. See also Order #374, which was sent to a different village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Pa aaaa 28-8-2000 Informing [you] that in accordance with the decision of the Papun TPDC meeting, [we] have already sent a letter for the Elder’s village to send 2 pieces of paving stone. As soon as you receive this letter, collect the money quickly and come to bring it. (1) For 2 pieces of paving stone, 600 Kyat.
[Sd.] [This order is a follow-up to Order #372 which demanded money from this same village for paving stones to surface the circular pathway around a pagoda; see also Order #374 which was sent to another village. It is not actually the stones which they want the village to send, it is the money (600 Kyat). TPDC is the Township Peace and Development Council. This order is entirely written in red ink, which is usually seen as a threat that it must be complied with. On the back this is addressed to xxxx village. The villagers told KHRG that they obeyed and sent the money after 3 days.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Pa aaaa 28-8-2000 [We] Have already sent a letter telling the Elder’s village to donate paving stones. As soon as this letter is received, collect quickly donation money of 600 Kyat for paving stones and then send it to arrive [here]. Come and send it without fail.
[Sd.] [This order relates to the matter raised in Order #372. On 21-8-2000, money was demanded from every village for paving stones to surface the circular pathway around a pagoda. This order is entirely written in red ink, which is usually seen as a threat that it must be complied with. On the back this is addressed to xxxx village. The villagers told KHRG that they obeyed and sent the money within one day after this order. See also Order #373 which was sent to another village.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
Date: 1-9-2000 Informing to let you know, in yyyy village tract we will make offerings and feed [the people] for the Daw Tha Lin full moon. Have already informed the Elder’s village in advance. (1) Collect from each family 1 bowl [1.6 kg/3.5 lb] of rice and 100 Kyat exactly in cash. Collect it and send it on 8-9-2000 to arrive on the 10th waxing day of Daw Tha Lin month, you are informed. (2) The Elder yourself must collect it exactly. (3) If they cannot pay 1 bowl of rice, collect cash of 200 Kyat exactly. (4) The total number of families is 7 families.
[Sd.] |