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SURVIVING IN SHADOW: Widespread Militarization and the Systematic Use of Forced Labour in the Campaign for Control of Thaton DistrictX. Flight and Displacement
Most villagers in Thaton District have very little choice but to endure life under the SPDC. The SPDC's control over the district is widespread and SPDC and DKBA units are able to penetrate to almost every corner of the district. SPDC and DKBA military camps dot the region and an already extensive but ever-increasing network of roads criss-crosses the district, leaving precious few areas that lie beyond the reach of SPDC or DKBA patrols and even fewer where internally displaced persons (IDPs) are able to flee and hide. There are therefore not nearly as many IDPs living in hiding in the forests of Thaton District as there are in most of the other Karen districts. Thaton District is dominated by the vast floodplain formed by the Salween, Donthami, Yunzalin, and Bilin River basins with much of the land being utilised as flat rice fields. The terrain is not as mountainous or as heavily forested as some of the other districts further to the north and east [see Map 2 of Karen State] , and does not offer the type of terrain where IDPs can easily remain undetected. In 2003, a KHRG field researcher estimated there to be approximately 1,000 IDPs living in hiding in the forests of Thaton District. Most of these IDPs are in Bilin township. These people are located in forests and field huts and must lead a mobile life, always watchful and prepared to flee to a new location whenever SPDC or DKBA patrols come near.
Much of the internal displacement that exists in Thaton District occurs whenever an SPDC or DKBA column approaches a village, sending the villagers fleeing before the soldiers arrive, returning to their village only when they are certain that the soldiers have moved on. Generally, whenever a column enters a village the soldiers loot the villagers' belongings and demand food [see the 'Fees, Looting, and Extortion' section] . The villagers have little choice but to keep their mouths shut and comply with the demands. To refuse or to complain would likely result in being arrested, beaten, and/or tortured. Villagers are also commonly taken and forced to accompany the troops in order to guide them to the next village, typically while walking in front as human minesweepers [refer to the 'Forced Labour' section] . Villagers have all witnessed or experienced such abuses before and know all too well the consequences of encountering SPDC forces, so they avoid contact with the SPDC wherever possible. Local KNU authorities actively encourage villagers to remain in their villages rather than taking to the forests, because they are not able to provide for large numbers of IDPs in this area. The open terrain and the extent of SPDC control within the region make it too difficult to carry in enough aid to support many villagers for very long. When villagers can no longer endure the conditions in their village , many simply move to live in other villages. Most of these villages are located in the plains and are usually places in which they already have family or friends who can help them.
The lack of places to hide means that if it becomes too difficult for villagers to remain in their own or nearby villages, there remains little choice but to find a way to flee to one of the refugee camps in Thailand . The journey to the border with Thailand can take two days or more. The villagers must pay monetary bribes to secure passage through the many SPDC and DKBA checkpoints along the way while maintaining the pretence of only travelling locally and not to Thailand . One refugee interviewed by KHRG said that he had to pay a total of between 4,000 and 5,000 Kyat in bribes to the soldiers at the checkpoints before he and his wife were allowed to pass. Another villager disguised himself as a Buddhist monk so as to avert too many questions at the checkpoints. Some refugees from Thaton District have told KHRG that they travelled to Thailand by way of the DKBA headquarters at Myaing Gyi Ngu (referred to below by its Karen name, Khaw Taw) and then on to Meh Th'Waw, where they cross into Thailand and hope to reach a refugee camp. However, the villagers must be very careful not to be suspected of flight to Thailand , because those suspected of fleeing are arrested by SPDC or DKBA forces.
Even if they succeed in reaching Thailand , they still face a journey of over 50 kilometres to the nearest refugee camp through populated and unfamiliar territory with no money. If caught by Thai police, paramilitaries, Army, or forestry officials en route they will most likely be arrested and summarily deported back to Burma . Villagers as far inside Karen State as Thaton District have heard that the Thai authorities do not want them to come to the refugee camps, in addition to false rumours spread by the DKBA, SPDC, and Thai authorities that the border has been sealed and the camps closed. This has discouraged many villagers from attempting the journey, but some still go every year.
The constant demands for forced labour and extortion money by the SPDC and DKBA, the arbitrary arrests and physical abuse, and the lack of any real opportunities have all resulted in a lot of young people from Thaton District leaving to find work in Thailand . They do not go to the refugee camps, but cross the porous border and either seek out work in one of the border towns, particularly in Mae Sot, or travel farther into Thailand . Most of this work is illegal and the migrants are very open to exploitation at the hands of Thai employers. This is especially so for girls and young women who can be lured or tricked into the commercial sex industry. Despite the dangers, many young people still choose this route as a way of getting enough money to send home to provide for their families. Much of this money goes towards recouping losses from paying SPDC and DKBA demands for food and money. |
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