Go To 2003 Reports / Latest Reports / Home Page
Previous Section
/ Top of Report /
Table of Contents /
Next Section
Village A, Papun District
All of these orders were sent by SPDC and DKBA military units to the same village in Papun District between August and October 2002. Many of these orders are direct or indirect demands for forced labour. Rather than mixing them in with the other orders, we have presented them here to give a chronological picture of the incessant stream of demands which a village receives over the space of a few months. Take note of the dates on the orders, and you will see that the village receives orders almost daily; yet these are only a subset of orders received by the village during this time period.
Many the orders from the DKBA deal with logging. The DKBA in this area is heavily involved in logging, both for its own use and to sell in the towns to the south for a profit. Although Order #194 says that the DKBA will pay for the cost, villagers rarely receive anything from the DKBA either for the labour involved or for the cost of the trees.
|
Order #192 (Papun)
Stamp: Progressive Karen Buddhist Army xxxx Village Head, writing with a few words so you will know. When [you] receive my letter, come to me tomorrow surely. Do not hesitate. When [you] receive this, obey at once. [On the back this order is addressed give to “xxxx Village Head, Urgent Army Matter. 12-8-2002”. The DKBA asked the village head to find the owner of a raft for them to use. This order was written in Karen.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #193 (Papun)
Stamp: With respect, writing so you will know the matter below. When you receive this letter, come at once. Do not hesitate. Also call aaaa, bbbb to come. When [you] see the letter, come at once. Place is yyyy [village] This is all.
Written by, [On the back this order is addressed “To: xxxx Village Head, Urgent Army Matter.” The village head was ordered to have his villagers cut logs for the DKBA. This order was written in Karen.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp: Subject: Writing so you will know. When you receive my letter concerning xxxx [village], you must ask for 10 tons ten tons of teak for me. aaaa and bbbb did [it] for me. For the whole village, I will ask you to do it. Give me 12 pla [cubits; 552 cms. / 18 feet] in length. [I] will pay the price. Follow and quickly send it to me at xxxx [camp].
From [On the back this order is addressed to “xxxx Head, Army matter.” ‘Aaaa’ and ‘bbbb’ are village heads from other villages which have already cut and sent their quota of logs. This order was written in Karen.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #195 (Papun)
Stamp: With respect, writing so you will know the matter below. When you receive this letter, take responsibility and obey at once. Call 3 people to come to me. Ask the three of them, aaaa, bbbb and cccc, to come with you at the same time. Do not hesitate. Make yourself free and come at once to arrive at 9 o’clock.
This is all
Good morning. [On the back this order is addressed “To: xxxx Village Head, send quickly. Thanks a lot. DKBA.” When the village head went the DKBA ordered him to cut and bring him some teak logs. ‘Make yourself free’ means that the village head has to drop whatever he is doing and obey this order. This order was written in Karen.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #196 (Papun) To:
4-9-2002 When [you] receive this letter, come quickly to meet the column, you are informed.
[Sd.] [The village head was ordered to find 3 porters.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #197 (Papun)
Stamp: With respect, writing so you will know as below. When you receive my letter, make yourself free and come to meet me at yyyy [village] for a while. When received, obey at once.
From [This order was written in Karen. When the village head went to the camp the DKBA officer ordered the villagers to cut 48 house posts for him that had to be 3 handspans [69 cms. / 27 inches] in circumference and 12 cubits [552 cms. / 18 feet] in length.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #198 (Papun)
To:
Stamp:
Date: 8-10-2002 Letting yyyy [village] know to come and send 9 bunches of bananas for the food offering today at the camp. It is the turn for yyyy [village]. Or U aaaa find 9 bunches of banana and send them.
[Sd.] [The village head had to give the battalion commander 3 coconuts and 9 bunches of banana. The villages in this area have to take turns providing food and other items so the battalion can make offerings for Buddhist merit.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
To:
Date: 13-10-02 Date:
14-10-2002
[Sd.]13/10/02 [The village heads were ordered at the meeting to have their villagers cut and clear the brush from along a road.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #200 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date: 23-10-2002 Subject: Invitation to a meeting. On 25-10-2002 Friday, a meeting will be held with the village heads, so come without fail to xxxx Army Camp to arrive at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] [The Battalion Commander ordered the village heads and villagers to take responsibility for the car road mentioned in Order #199. This means that if any ambushes occur or landmines explode along the road, the villagers will be at fault.]
|
Previous
Section /
Top of Report
/ Table of Contents
/ Next Section
Village B, Papun District
All of these orders were sent to ‘Village B’ in Papun District between April 2002 and October 2002 from SPDC Army and DKBA units. Rather than mixing them in with the other orders, we have presented them as a set to give an idea of the incessant demands which village elders have to cope with. Take note of the dates on the orders, and you will see that the village receives order documents almost daily; yet these are only a subset of the orders received by the village during this time period.
This set gives an idea of the varied orders which villages often receive. Many of the orders are demands by the local SPDC Army camp to provide alcohol, curry and other items. The demands for the alcohol are almost daily. Other orders demand loh ah pay and set tha [messengers] or order the village head to come to the Army camp and report any information available on the movements of local resistance forces.
|
Order #201 (Papun) To: Chairperson come without fail to xxxx Camp on 28-4-2002, at 6 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
Come
tomorrow
[Sd.] [The village head was ordered to make a snack made of sticky rice and give 7 bowls [11.2 kgs. / 23.8 lbs.] of rice to the camp. The SPDC did not give any money for either the snack or the rice.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #202 (Papun) To:
Date: 4-5-2002 Chairperson, thanks very much to the big chairperson, and workers, people, farmers from xxxx village who helped and [did] loh ah pay for xxxx Camp. [I] pray for [all of them] to escape from danger, be healthy and well. [I] will ask for help later. [I am] sending back 3 loh ah pay people.
[Sd.] [IB#27 Captain aaaa ordered the villagers to cut 2,000 pieces of bamboo. SPDC officers do not usually say ‘thank you’ for forced labour. Note that he does not give any money for the labour and he makes it clear that he will be calling the villagers for forced labour in the future.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #203 (Papun) [To:]
Mother Head Thanks,
[Sd.]
11-6-02 [On the back this order is addressed to “Mother head, give to xxxx village”.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #204 (Papun) To:
Captain is informing Mother to come
tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock to xxxx Camp surely. For this, come
surely. Thanks, [Sd.] 14-6-02 [On the back this order is addressed “To: Mother Head, xxxx village.” By ‘chance messenger’ he means any messenger who may come through the village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #205 (Papun)
To:
Date:
26/6/2002 When
[you] receive this letter, buy 5 bottles of alcohol and come to send
[them] at 12 o’clock, your help is requested. [Sd.]
xxxx
village
______________________________________________________________________________ Order #206 (Papun)
To:
19-8-2002 When [you]
receive this letter now, come to send information to xxxx camp and
also bring along the messenger, you are informed. Come quickly to meet. [Although he offers to pay for the food, fruit and alcohol, the payment received by villagers is often much less than the market value of the items. W.O. means Warrant Officer.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #207 (Papun)
To:
25/8-2002 Mother ask for the
money given to Uncle the other day for buying 3 bottles of alcohol and buy
them to send with the messenger who is coming now. With respect, Now, I am giving money for 2 bottles not included with the other alcohol. ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #208 (Papun)
To:
25-8-2002 Subject: Invitation to a meeting
[Sd.] [An IB #93 officer questioned the village head about seeing KNLA soldiers in the area. He then ordered the village head to give him any information and the register of guests who had stayed in the village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #209 (Papun)
To:
31-8-02 Buy 4 bottles of alcohol and send [them] with the person who comes now. 800 Kyat of money is being sent at the same time.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #210 (Papun)
To:
5-9-02 The messenger did not arrive.
Yesterday, the messenger returned to the village for a while and
didn’t come back. [I] Gave 500 Kyat of money and asked [him]
to buy alcohol. [He] didn’t arrive back, so [I am]
speaking.
[Sd.] [When the village head went, he ordered her to bring him alcohol.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #211 (Papun)
6-9-2002 As soon as this letter is received, [you and] yyyy [village] head please send one chicken not smaller than 50 kyat tha [816 grams / 1.8 lbs.] with the person who sends the letter now. Asking help for the latest thing, you are requested. Saw aaaa [Sd.] If not received, I must follow to come now at once. [The village heads gave them 2 chicken. One was from xxxx village and one was from yyyy village. This letter was from a DKBA officer. The last sentence is a threat to the village head.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #212 (Papun)
To:
11/9/2002 As soon as this letter is received now, come quickly to meet.
[Sd.] [The village head was asked about information on the movements of KNU in the area.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #213 (Papun)
To:
16-9-02 As soon as this letter
is received, send 2 set tha [messengers] from the mother’s village
for a while.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed “Give to: Mother Head, xxxx village. (Emergency) 16/9/02.”] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #214 (Papun)
18/9/2002
Writing a letter [and sending it] with the boy
who comes now. [We] know that the Nga Pway came. Mother didn’t send any information. [You] can. Mother tell [them]. Tell them to ask [for what they] need and do not make problems for others. [Tell them] to go to the safe place. Right now, [I]
ask [you] to buy alcohol. (Arrange it).
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed “To: Mother Head, xxxx, 18/9/02. Give 7 bottles. [I] Will pay for the rest later. 1,000 Kyat given.” ‘Nga Pway’ is SPDC slang for the KNU/KNLA.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #215 (Papun)
To:
28/9/02 The messenger who must come tomorrow should come early to the camp, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #216 (Papun) [To:] Son writes a letter. Son does not have enough pork to eat. So I want to eat what mother cooks. Cook pork curry for son, then send [it] in the morning with the people who came to give the letter.
Mother’s ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #217 (Papun) To: Buy 2 bottles of
alcohol for the person who comes now. Tell the uncle who [I]
gave money to yesterday to come to the camp in the morning. [The village head sent 2 bottles of alcohol with messenger.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #218 (Papun) To: Mother Head The person who comes now was asked to buy 2 bottles of alcohol yesterday. Send [them] with the messenger who comes now.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #219 (Papun) To:
5-10-02 I am writing a letter. There is no other matter. Bo aaaa (DKBA) arrived to us. [He] asked to find one goat from xxxx village. The price of the goat, will be given by weight. The owner himself must bring the goat to the camp, you are informed. The goat will be
bought. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #220 (Papun)
To:
Date:
5-10-2002 As soon as this letter is received, come quickly. I have to call [you] because of an emergency. When mother comes, also call one guide to come. xxxx Camp Major [Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed “To: xxxx Head.”] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #221 (Papun)
To:
12-10-2002 Also call the yyyy
Head to come.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed “To: Mother Head, xxxx village.” The camp commander ordered the village heads to give him information about the KNU.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #222 (Papun) [To:] Head Bo aaaa. [On the back this order is addressed to “Head, xxxx.” This DKBA order was written in Burmese.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #223 (Papun) To: Mother Head Writing a letter from xxxx Camp. The matter is that the messenger whose turn it is today should come quickly to report to the camp at once after listening to the religious sermon. [We] have to send [him] to yyyy village.
[Sd.]
14-10-02 [On the back this order is addressed “To: Mother Head, xxxx village.”] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #224 (Papun) To: Mother Head Writing a letter from xxxx Camp. Send the messenger whose turn it is on 15-10-02 to arrive at 6 o’clock 30 [minutes] in the morning.
[Sd.]
14-10-02 Send surely. [On the back this order is addressed “To: Mother Head, xxxx village.”] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #225 (Papun) Stamp: To: Date: 22-10-2002 Send the information to xxxx Army Camp to arrive on 24-10-2002 at 9 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] [The SPDC commander told the village head to take responsibility for the car road and to tell the KNLA soldiers to not make ambushes or lay landmines along it.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #226 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
Date:
23-10-2002 Subject: Invitation to a meeting On 25-10-2002 Friday, the meeting will be held with the village heads, so come without fail to xxxx Army Camp to arrive at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] [The village head was ordered to send information to the Army camp on time and to ask the KNLA to not attack the SPDC soldiers.]
|
Previous
Section /
Top of Report
/ Table of Contents
/ Next Section
Village C, Thaton District
All of these orders were sent to ‘Village C’ between February and August 2002 by various local SPDC authorities, the Army and the DKBA. Most of the orders are direct or indirect demands for forced labour. Rather than mixing them in with the other orders, we have presented them here to provide another example of the stream of demands placed on a single village. Take note of the dates on the orders, and you will see that the village receives order documents almost daily; yet these are only a subset of the orders received by the village during this time.
Many of the demands are for wood which the villagers have to cut in the forest, haul to a sawmill, cut into planks, and then carry to the SPDC Army camp. The SPDC unit at the Army camp then sells much of the wood for its own profit. SPDC units sometimes offer to pay for the wood, but the price is often much lower than what the villagers could get for the wood. In Order #229, an agitat