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The orders below call village elders to ‘meetings’, usually at the local Army
camp. Village elders are deluged with such orders every week from each Army camp in their
area, making it difficult for them to tend their fields and perform their functions within
the village. Many of the orders ‘invite’ the elders, but almost without
exception they add the phrase ‘without fail’. They are expected to drop
everything and go immediately to the Army camp on receipt of these orders. Usually these
meetings are completely one-sided: an Army officer dictates demands for forced labour,
money or materials to a village elder and gives deadlines, or scolds and threatens the
elder for being lax in meeting previous demands. Sometimes the elders are ordered to
report on all movements of resistance forces in their area, and are threatened with
punishments if any of the information later proves to be inaccurate. ‘Discussions
regarding village security’ usually mean assignments for forced labour as unarmed
sentries, restrictions on the movements of villagers and threats of punishment for any
resistance activity which occurs in the area. The commanders often call all the village
heads in their local area to gather at the camp at the same time so they can allocate
demands to each village, and in this case the orders are copied and sent to as many
villages as are required.
The orders commonly threaten the elders that if they fail to come "the responsibility will be yours", or "the responsibility will fall on the village". The former means that the elder will be arrested and punished, the latter that the village will be punished in some form, which can mean forced relocation, looting or the burning of some houses. Some carry more explicit threats, such as the threat to "take serious action".
Village heads are usually afraid to go to these meetings, so on receiving these orders they often disappear off to their farmfields or to other places. This usually results in further angry and threatening letters from the Army officer, until after the third or fourth letter the village head has to decide whether to go to the camp or flee his/her village. Order #456 was written because a village head was so afraid to travel to a meeting with the Company Commander that he pleaded with another Army officer to intercede for him asking to be excused. Order #471 complains that the village head has repeatedly failed to come when called, and adds, "Now [I] am warning you again for the last time". Order #511 warns the village head, "Do not fail to take this seriously", and Order #525 threatens that "there will be a fine" if the village head fails to "report to yyyy camp as soon as you receive this letter".
To: Ko aaaa
(Chairperson)
19/1/2000 When you receive this letter now, come to contact our Column. The Elder yourself must come, you are invited.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #446 (Papun) To: Chairperson
21-1-2000 [We] Have to hold a meeting tomorrow, 22-1-2000, at yyyy, so attend without fail.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #447 (Papun) Stamp:
To:
25-1-2000 As soon as you receive this letter now, come to the Column at yyyy now.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #448 (Papun) Stamp:
To: As soon as you receive this letter now, [we] must discuss urgent matters. Come quickly to meet at yyyy camp, you are informed. Place: yyyy camp
[Sd.] [This is a carbon-copied order sent to several villages, with the village name and the signature written in afterwards in ink.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #449 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date:
3-2-2000 As soon as you receive this letter now,
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #450 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
5-2-2000 Subject: Invitation to a meeting Regarding the above subject, [we] will hold a meeting on 6-2-2000 at yyyy camp, so come without fail tomorrow, to arrive in the morning at yyyy camp, you are informed.
[Unsigned] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #451 (Papun) To: Mother Daw aaaa
9/2/2000 Come to yyyy on 10/2/2000 to arrive at 10 o’clock in the midday [morning].
[Sd.] Captain ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #452 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
11-2-2000 When you receive this letter now, come to yyyy camp to arrive at 7 o’clock in the morning.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #453 (Papun) Stamp: As soon as you receive this letter now, come to meet quickly at the column, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #454 (Papun)
Stamp:
Frontline #xxx Light Infantry Battalion To: Chairperson Subject: Informing [you] to come to the Camp To ask and discuss the matter of villages/sections with the Elder, come to meet at yyyy camp on 18-2-2000 to arrive at 0900 hours, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #455 (Papun) To: Chairperson
17-2-2000 Have to discuss village matters with the Elder. The Elder yourself must come to meet at yyyy camp on 18-2-2000, to arrive at 0900 hours.
[Sd.] [On the back this order bears the stamp of Frontline #xxx Light Infantry Battalion, Column x Headquarters.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Company
Commander
Stamp: With friendliness, younger brother is writing. The matter is [your] summoning the xxxx chairperson from younger brother. He is also afraid of us [my unit] and doesn’t dare to come to us either. Dee Kay Bee Ay [DKBA] officer bbbb held a donation ceremony and invited all the Chairpersons and villagers. I gave permission. Tactical Command also ordered [me] to provide security for this ceremony. The ceremony finished yesterday evening, 22-2-2000. He [the xxxx chairperson] came and pleaded [with me] to write a letter because he doesn’t dare to go there. That’s why younger brother is writing, [asking you] to forgive the Chairperson.
Respectfully, [This is a letter from one SPDC officer to another. The addressee has ordered a village head to come to his camp, but the village head doesn’t dare go so he has managed to get the writer to enter a plea for him to be exempted.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #457 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date: 28-2-2000 Subject: The matter of Southwestern Command Strategic Command meeting the Heads The Southwestern Command Strategic Command Major has to meet and discuss with the Heads. Attend the meeting on 29-2-2000 at 7 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Note: The Head yourself must attend.
[Sd.] [This is a carbon-copied order. On the back this order is addressed "To Head, xxxx [village]."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #458 (Papun)
Stamp:
1-3-2000 The chairperson yourself must come to yyyy tomorrow and arrive at 0900 hours.
With
friendliness, ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #459 (Papun)
Stamp:
1-3-2000 Come to yyyy camp to arrive tomorrow at 0900 hours.
With friendliness, ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #460 (Papun)
Stamp:
Frontline
#xx Infantry Battalion Subject: Invitation to a meeting Regarding the above subject, Frontline #xx Infantry Battalion Column x Headquarters at yyyy village wants to hold a meeting for military operations, security and village development issues. The Chairperson yourself must come without fail on March 7th 2000 to arrive at 8 o’clock, you are invited to the meeting.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #461 (Papun) To:
Stamp: Subject: Come to the column The xxxx Chairperson yourself must come to yyyy camp on 22-3-2000, you are informed.
[Sd.]
20-3 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #462 (Papun) To: Mother
Head
24-3-2000 Subject: Mother Head must come to meet Regarding the above subject, the Column Commander wants to meet Mother Head so as soon as you receive this letter, come quickly to meet at yyyy.
Stamp: ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #463 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date: 26-3-2000 Subject: The matter of inviting [you] to a meeting The Southwestern Command (Strategic Command) wants to meet and discuss with the Heads, so attend the meeting on 26-3-2000 and 27-3-2000, you are informed. Note: Without fail, the Head
yourself
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Head, xxxx [village]. Urgent letter."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #464 (Papun)
Stamp:
29-3-2000 The yyyy Strategic Command #x Base has a matter to meet and discuss with the village heads. On 5-4-2000 at 9 o’clock in the morning, come without fail to the VPDC office, you are informed.
Stamp:
[Sd.]
[Sd.]
29-3-2000 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #465 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
31-3-2000 Subject: The matter of inviting [you] to a meeting Regarding the above subject, yyyy Strategic Command Base has to meet and discuss with the Elders, so come to arrive tomorrow, 1-4-2000, at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. (Note) Come without fail, you are informed again.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Head, xxxx [village]. Urgent."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #466 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
Date:
1-4-2000 Subject: Inviting the Elder Regarding the above subject, [we] have to meet and ask things of the Elder, so come to yyyy camp on Monday, 3-4-2000 at 0800 hours in the morning. Chairperson U aaaa yourself must come.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #467 (Papun) To: Chairperson
Date: 9-4-2000 Subject: Informing [you] to come and meet at the Column Regarding the above subject, now, as soon as you receive this letter the Chairperson yourself must come quickly without fail to meet at the Column. If [you] fail it will be the responsibility of the one concerned, you are informed.
Stamp:
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #468 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date: 9-4-2000 Subject: Note: Come urgently with this
messenger now
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Head, xxxx [village]. Urgent. Emergency letter."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #469 (Papun) To: U aaaa Subject: Come to meet Now, as soon as you receive this letter, the village head yourself must come to meet with the Battalion Commander.
[Sd.]
14/4 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #470 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
15-4-2000 Come to yyyy camp on 16-4-2000 to arrive at 1000 hours.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Chairperson
Date: 19-4-2000 [I] Have asked the Elder to come many times, but as of today [you] still haven’t arrived. Now [I] am warning you again for the last time, you are informed. If [you] fail to come, it will be the responsibility of the Elder.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #472 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date:
28-4-2000 Subject: The matter of inviting [you] to a meeting Regarding the above subject, yyyy Strategic Command has to meet and discuss with the Heads. The Heads yourselves must attend a meeting on 1-5-2000 at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Note:
[Sd.] 28-4-2000 [On the back this order is marked "Urgent." It is a carbon copy sent to several villages, with the village name written in afterwards in ink.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #473 (Papun) Stamp: Informing [you] that #xxx Battalion will hold a meeting on 4-5-2000. Come without fail, you are informed. [Sd.] [On the back this is addressed to xxxx village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #474 (Papun) To: Chairperson
4-5-2000 There will be a meeting at yyyy camp on 7-5-2000 at 0700 hours, so the Chairperson must attend the meeting. Bring the village chairperson’s seal [rubber stamp]. Come without fail to yyyy camp, you are invited. Do not fail. Note:
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #475 (Papun) To: Chairperson
6-5-2000 Subject: The matter of calling a meeting [We] Will hold a meeting on 10-5-2000 at 0800 hours at yyyy camp, so come without fail to yyyy camp and bring along the village seal [rubber stamp]. Do not fail. Note
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #476 (Papun) To: Mother Head
14/5/2000 Respectfully I am writing a letter. A meeting will be held tomorrow, 15/5/2000, at 9 o’clock. Mother Head yourself must come to yyyy village. You are respectfully invited.
Respectfully, ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #477 (Papun) xxxx [village] Mother Head, why didn’t you come as called to the meeting at 9 o’clock? Come at once now. [Sd.] Capt., 16/5[/2000] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #478 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date:
20-5-2000 Subject: Invitation to a meeting Regarding the above subject, the #x Strategic Commander who has newly arrived wants to meet with the village heads, so attend the meeting without fail on 22-5-2000 at 10 o’clock in the morning at the VPDC office, you are informed.
[Sd.] 20-5-2000 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #479 (Papun) To: Chairperson (xxxx [village]) Date: 21-5-2000 Subject: Come to the Camp Have to meet and ask things of the Chairperson, so come to yyyy camp to arrive on 22-5-2000. [Unsigned] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #480 (Papun)
Stamp:
6-6-2000 Subject: Come to meet with the IB xx Battalion Commander The #xx Infantry Battalion is taking duty at yyyy camp, so the village heads must come without fail and meet on 8-6-2000, to arrive at 10 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #481 (Papun) To: Head
9-6-2000 Have to coordinate matters of organising [controlling the villages]. Meet with the Battalion’s big commander. Come to yyyy camp to arrive on 12-6-2000 at 12 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. &nbs |