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The SPDC Army is very much considered an army of occupation by Karen in Karen areas and as such it is almost universally feared and despised. This, however, does not deter the Army from trying to force the civilians in Karen areas to provide direct help to military operations. The help can take many forms from forced labour at Army camps as sentries and messengers (see above under ‘General Forced Labour’), to orders to village elders to report information on the activities of everyone in their villages and on any movements of the opposition forces. Orders demanding village elders to ‘report information’, or to attend meetings to discuss ‘security matters’ or ‘control matters’ are for this purpose. The elders are thus put in a very difficult situation: if they report nothing they are accused of withholding information and will be severely punished if the opposition later attacks the SPDC forces in the area, but if they report anything the Army often accuses them of having contact with the rebels. In many Karen areas the elders are told by SPDC officers that they are responsible for keeping the Army fully informed of all opposition activities, and they are seriously punished if Army units are then subsequently attacked or hear of opposition forces moving through the area. The punishment often includes the arrest and torture of the village elders, burning of houses and sometimes the relocation of the entire village. For example, in Order #355 an intelligence officer writes, “if the rebels plant landmines, lurk for fighting or landmines explode on the roads, hills, ridges, at the entrance or exit gate of the village, or 3 miles around your village, it is the responsibility of the village concerned, so you will have to give fine money of 50,000 Kyat.” The officer than goes on to say in the same order, “If you know information about the rebels, the place where the rebels plant landmines, you must come quickly to report information to the column. If you fail, harsh action will be taken for the withholding of information, we are notifying the village females/village males of this.” In Order #366 an SPDC Captain states, “We know that U aaaa didn’t come to report information to the previous unit. But you must come when I call now. Hope that you will come. There is nothing to worry or be afraid. Guaranteed. If you don’t come, you must worry and be afraid.” The camp commander in Order #396 tells the village head that he knows which KNLA unit passed through the village, how many and what weapons they were carrying, but still tells the chairperson that he, “must tell if this news is right / not right and if a lie is told, it is the responsibility of the chairperson.”
Various kinds of ‘registers’ are also regularly demanded by the Army from the village heads. These registers show various kinds of information about the village. For example, Orders #358 and 398 show various formats for ‘registers’ and what information the Army wants collected from the village. Some orders such as Order #356 and 380 demand such things as the number of males and females over 12 years old, number of houses, number of monasteries, churches and mosques, the number of students and teachers, the number of clinics and medics, the number of bullock carts, buffaloes and cows, the different ethnicities of the villagers, register of political parties, people who used to be members of resistance groups, register of people who have returned from being refugees, and the names of people who are currently refugees. The SPDC is able to use this information in various ways. The information on the village population is useful in allocating forced labour and demands for ‘fees’; the crop acreage is used in allocating crop quotas and Army ‘taxes’ based on field acreage, and also to decide on extortion amounts. The demands for every detail of schools, churches and monasteries are partly so the Army can monitor their activities, but the demands themselves are probably intended as a form of intimidation; villagers and townspeople throughout Burma are often terrified to do anything simply because they believe they think the Army already knows everything about them. Other such orders (including Orders #356) often demand information such as the number of rice mills, sawmills, bullock carts, elephants and boats in the village, both to allocate ‘fees’ on these things and to demand their use by the Army.
Order #378 is labelled ‘Secret’ and demands the names of any villagers who have gone abroad to work. The SPDC insists on checking everyone deported back to Burma from Thailand who were arrested as illegal immigrants to determine if they are really Burmese or not or if they have links to opposition groups. These registers may be used for that purpose. The order says, “collect the register of people who crossed the border illegally …” indicating that the register may be used to punish those people upon their return.
The orders in this section specifically call on village heads to provide intelligence to the local military, though demands for intelligence are also included in the orders of several other sections in the report.
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To:
Stamp: Date: 17-1-2002 Subject: Giving warning to the village females / village males (1) Regarding the above subject, if the rebels plant landmines, lurk for fighting or landmines explode on the roads, hills, ridges, at the entrance or exit gate of the village, or 3 miles around your village, it is the responsibility of the village which is concerned, so you will have to give fine money of 50,000 Kyat. (2) If you know information about the rebels, or the place where the rebels plant landmines, you must come quickly to send the information to the column. If you fail, harsh action will be taken for the withholding of information, we are notifying the village females/village males of this.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed “To: Chairperson, xxxx village.” This order clearly lays any responsibility for resistance activity in the area on the villagers. It also lays out the amount of money that must be paid as a fine if any activity occurs. The ‘harsh action’ referred to in the second paragraph can include arrest and detention by the Army and possibly torture. Village heads have told KHRG of being held and tortured by SPDC Army units for reporting information, but not quickly enough.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 19-1-2002 Subject: Informing you to coming to meet and discuss at xxxx Camp 1. Regarding the above subject, gather the subjects that are shown below in your village. (a) Number
of males/females under 12 years old 2. Gather completely the subjects above concerning your village and the other subjects that we should know. Village Chairperson and the responsible people come without fail to send the information on 22-1-2002 at 9 o’clock and if [you] fail, necessary action will be taken, letting [you] know and you are informed.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed “To: xxxx [village], Chairperson.” When the village head went to the meeting he was also ordered to provide a register of guests who stayed overnight in houses in the village. These types of registers are used all over Burma to monitor people’s movements. People can be detained by the military for failure to report overnight guests.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #357 (Thaton) To: Date: 23-1-2002 Subject: Gather and carry out the year 2002 family register 1. [Regarding] the above subject, in accordance with the directive of Frontline LIB #2 Battalion, every house must post the year 2002 family register. 2. Have to carry this out completely within 7 days starting today. To carry it out, come to stamp the needed stamp, with respect and you are informed.
[Sd.] [This family registers are lists of all family members staying in a house and they must be posted somewhere on the front of the house. This is so the SPDC can quickly check who is in the house and see if there is anyone there who should not be.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
To:
24-1-2002 Send the list of the family numbers who are living in xxxx village to yyyy village to arrive on 24-1-2002 according to the table shown below. If you fail to send, it is the responsibility of the Village Head, you are informed.
[Sd.]
______________________________________________________________________________ Order #359 (Thaton)
Stamp:
Send the register of family numbers living in xxxx village to yyyy [village] on 24-1-2002 like the table show below and if you fail to send it, it is the responsibility of the Village Head, you are informed.
[Sd.]
______________________________________________________________________________ Order #360 (Thaton)
Stamp:
28-1-2002 Send the register of family numbers living in xxxx village to yyyy [village] to arrive on 29-1-2002 according to the table show below. If you fail to send it, it is the responsibility of the Village Head, you are informed.
[Sd.]
___________________________________________________________________________ Order #361 (Papun)
To:
3-2-2002 1. Send the family register that
you were asked to collect on 27-1-2002 with the messenger from yyyy
village who comes now. The family register must be given so it arrives
today, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #362 (Thaton)
To:
17-2-2002 We know that there was an unusual situation near the Mother’s village. Mother, tell about the situation to the messenger who has come. With thanks,
[Sd.] [By ‘unusual situation’ he means resistance activity. The Camp Commander is telling her that he already knows that resistance forces came to the village and wants to know what happened and who they were.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #363 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date:
18/2/2002 To: Subject: Calling to meet and question Regarding the above subject, I have to meet and question the Elder, so as soon as this letter is received now, come quickly without fail to report to yyyy village, you are informed again.
[Sd.] [When the village elder went to the village the Intelligence Officer also demanded three porters and 2 viss [3.2 kgs. / 7.2 lbs.] of chicken.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #364 (Papun)
Stamp:
Subject: Calling the Elder Regarding the above subject, as soon as this letter is received, come quickly to report information to the column at yyyy village, you are informed. If you fail, it is the responsibility of the Elder, you are informed again.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #365 (Papun) Stamp:
Date: 18-2-2002 Subject: Calling the Elder Regarding the above subject, as soon as this letter is received, come quickly to report information to the column at yyyy village, you are informed. If you fail, it is the responsibility of the Elder, you are informed again. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________
To:
21/2/2002 I am writing a
letter. I pray for Ko aaaa and the whole village to be healthy and
rich.
With respect,
[The ‘relationship’ that the Army wants to establish is one wherein the villagers must supply them with information on the movements of resistance forces in the area and guarantee that no landmines or ambushes will occur in their area, or face punishment and fines from the Army. Note that although he tries to reassure the village head that nothing will happen, he attaches a threat at the end of the order. ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #367 (Papun)
Stamp:
To: Subject: Calling Chairperson to meet Regarding the above subject, Chairperson yourself come quickly to report information and bring along 4 bowls [6 kgs. / 13.6 lbs.] of rice to arrive today to the Frontline LIB#3 Battalion Commander and do not fail. If you fail, it is the responsibility of the Chairperson, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #368 (Papun) To:
25-2-02 I am writing a letter to tell the village Chairperson. When you come to the meeting tomorrow, [bring] the personal history of school male teachers/female teachers at the villages and [their] addresses and family registers (it is for the villagers). Also look at how much of the village fence is finished. You have to report when you come to the meeting. That is all.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #369 (Papun) [To:]
2-3-02 Your letter that you are writing [about] the family register, is it finished? Commander orders you to come and send it quickly.
From [This letter was written in Karen from one village head to another on behalf of an SPDC officer.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #370 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
4-3-2002 Subject: Invitation to a meeting. Regarding the above subject, gather the village heads, then a meeting will be held, so come without fail to report to xxxx [camp] on 8-3-2002 at 10 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Bring 2 bowls [3 kgs. / 7 lbs.] of rice and curry for the camp commander. [Sd.]
Stamp: Column Commander
[The IB #18 Battalion Commander told the village heads that they must tell the Army if they see KNU soldiers travelling near the villages. If the villagers do not go and tell and the Army knows later, severe action will be taken against the villagers.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp: As soon as this letter is received now, bring the father’s name/his name/age concerning the son of U aaaa who was hurt by the landmine at yyyy and the summary of his personal history. Come quickly to send the information to xxxx Camp, you are informed.
[Sd.] [See Order #373 below.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #372 (Thaton) Stamp:
To: Subject: Sending the information to the Army Camp Have to discuss the emergency at xxxx Camp, so come without fail tomorrow on 7-3-2002 at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. The village head yourself must come. Place: xxxx [Sd.] [The ‘emergency’ was that the Army had received information that KNLA soldiers had passed close to the village, but rather than going to chase them, the Army ordered the village heads to get more information.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
Subject: Bomb explosion (accident) Regarding the matter of the case that was complained about in the meeting on March xth, come to the army camp with 3 eyewitnesses to xxxx Army Camp, you are informed.
[Sd.] x-3-2002 [The SPDC Army is asking through a village tract chairperson for a village head to send three eyewitnesses to the landmine explosion referred to in Order #371. The villagers apparently complained about the incident. The request for eyewitnesses is likely an intimidation tactic as villagers are usually too afraid of what may happen to them later to go to an Army camp to be witnesses. The result is that nobody goes and the complaint is dropped.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #374 (Thaton) To:
Date: 9-3-2002 Letting you know. Send surely without fail the register of the exact family numbers from the Elder’s village to xxxx Camp on 13-3-2002, you are informed.
[Sd.]
U aaaa, 9/3/2002 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #375 (Thaton)
To: Letting you know, you are informed. The matter is to come to send the register of the families, you are informed. Send and arrive on 12-3-2002.
[Sd.]
U aaaa, 9-3-2002 [On the back this order is addressed “Give to: xxxx Village Head.”] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #376 (Papun)
To:
11-3-02 Head, send the information to xxxx Army Camp tomorrow to arrive on 11-3-02 at 07:00 time in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #377 (Toungoo) Stamp: &nb |