mul.3.u MON NATIONAL RELIEF COMMI MONT LV REPOR AUGIIST

Transcription

1 mul.3.u B mm.n..r. C MON NATIONAL RELIEF COMMI MONT LV REPOR AUGIIST 19

2 The Five Points of the Aim of Mon National Relief Comm 1. Resettlement of the refugees who become homeless du Rangoon military regime. 2. To help the welfare of the refugees who become jobless Rangoon military regime. 3. To take care -and look after the health of the refugees. 4. To fight against illiteracy for the children in the refugee 5. To struggle for human rights.

3 The Organizatio Mon National Relief C, ' 1. Phra Wongsa Pala 2. Nai Shwe Thein 3. Nai Kasauh Mon 4. Nai Dung Htaw 5. Nai Chit Nyunt 6. Phra Tay Jae

4 Monthly Report of Mon National (August, 1997) SLORe's Offensive and Systematic Persecution Since February 1997, SLORe has launched a full-scale o opposition representing the Karen people. This military offe local villagers to flee their homes and take refuge in the Thai numbers, those escaped from the terrible war, have constant both Thai and Burmese sides of the border. But those wa international protection and assistance.. In March and April, the SLORe reinforced more troop to pressure the KNU to enter for ceasefire talks or surrend troops have tried to occupy all areas where the KNU and it taken control for several decades. Recently, the offensive aga in various places of Kya Inn Seik Kyi township and Three Pa Taung Dee, Khun Khan, Khae Wee, Shwe Lay Inn, Ta Wae KNLA has lost many control areas and the Karen local villag When the Karen villagers are under control of SLORe, Burmese soldiers. They must be accused as rebel-supporters around their villages. The male and young villagers are alw to show the bases of the KNLA troops. Some of them are ar to keep control the whole village, all villagers' food supplies to force the villagers to be "dependents on soldiers' supplie confiscated foods and distribute a little amount to the village egy ofslore, it always tries to build a new military encam area to keep pennanent offensive position. In building the lagers are forced by soldiers to contribute manual labour on ment and farming activities are also restricted and they'mu troops nearby if they travel outside of villages. At the same t for porters in the serial SLORe military operations. The vill forced by soldiers to move into village where SLORe's mili current rainy season, the fighting between the SLORe and KN conscription of portering labour by SLORe soldiers is still co Moreover, on July 28, the Burmese troops from Three P villagers from Taung Zon area and went back to K ya InnSeik boats. Because of terrible flood and tide in the river, two b and some porters were ruined by water flow and nine Bu drown by water and died on the spot. After the rest troops reached to Kya Inn Seik K yi town, ties about the incident. As a result, a column of SLORe tro those arms from under water back. In this operation, they village situated along the Za Meet river for use of human sh the arms salvage operation. The villages which could not p asked have to provide payment about 2000 Kyat per head.

5 When they launched this operation, they werealso attacked by th. Then they also accused the villagers nearby as rebel supporters. So beaten bysoldiers. Those villagers were arrested to show the I<NLA b!hearms salvage operation. When they reached to placewhere the arm the villagers group by group submerging into water to get arms fro When the villagers could not get the arms, they were also tortured by Because of troops' forced confiscation of foods, conscription of fo forced relocation and restriction of movement, cash extortion and ram villagers lose chance to work in the farms and faced food shortage pr area. Then, those villagers trx to getfoods and a safe place to stay and They also abandon their farms, livestockl homes and other belongings dangerous for them to walk along the road to Three Pagoda Pass wher Jot of forces on it. Most of them twist another ways avoiding not t Some of them are also arrested by soldiers and severely tortured by th When they reached to the border areal no any refugee camp in and provide safety. Even though they fled from systernatic persecutio chance to stay in Thai territoo/s refugee camps. According to Tha allow the non Burman ethnic refugees when there is fighting inside B constantly refused because of no sound of fighting from inside is hea ignored the complaint of them about human rights abuses committed They can stay in camps situated inside Burmese territory, but th safe. The refugee camps inside Burmese territory are always posed in able to attacks or deploy bases by the nearestslorc troops. Among Inn Seik Kyi and 'I1lree Pagoda Pass areas, almost are Karen villager create a new settlement place inside Burma orthailand and decide to Comparing with Karen village, the Mon villages are more stable and possible choice to take refuge. Many escapees also enter into Thaila and refuse to take refuge in Mon villages. Because they felt the Mon ~de Burmese territory are unsafe for them to stay. Although they flee their native homes because of lwstematic pe pression committed by military regimeslorc, they get less of protect international communitywhen they reach to the border regions. The p inside Burma to Thailand will continue to happen if the fighting is no tried to force the KNU to abandon their armed resistance movement military operation. But it make a little effect to the KNU/KNLA b inhabitant to abandon their harmony life. Displaced Persons and Immigrants in the Border Region " When the Thai authorities prohibited the new refugee influx no or take refuge inthai border camp, a new situation is created for them choice to get food, they try to getjobsand enter into Thailand as illegal of immigrant have constantly increased inthai territory and at the sam also launch operations arresting those immigrants. Thai governmentalways claims thatthose Burmese immigrants e of economic hardships in Burma. When we analyze the real reason grants have entered into Thailand not because of the economic hardsh

6 kinds ofhuman rights abuses committed by SLORe troops. A total ofmore than about30,000 civilians from towns and villages were a use them as front-line porters during its major offensive against the KNU. :jpeste~ more numbers of porters than they needed and asked ransoms from fa Portering fees and other extortion related to conscription of portering l residents and rural villagers to face economically hardship. Because o taldtllon of portering, many families of villagers fled their homes across into. refugee camps or villages. They did not choose to take refuge in tho. because they felt that there was not safe for them to take refuge.,_ Another human rights aquse thatforces the villagers to flee their home is c tion of forced labour in the ~tary managed railway and motorway constr partsofthe country. In the southern partofburma, the military is constructing mortorway such as 110 miles long Ye-Tavoy new railway construction,270 mil Mergui existing motorway has been under repair, 250 miles long Mergui-Kawth way, and etc.,. The Mon, Karen and Tavoyan local inhabitants have been co contribute their manual labour without payment. The military also ask paym tuted labourers to the villages which could not provide the number of villag This kind ofextortion forced the villagers to flee homes and enter into Thailand support their families or to pay SLORe. The accusation of rebel sympathizers against the non-burman villagers also make massive population influx to the border regions and then into Thaila tion always happens in black area (free fire zones) where the rebel groups ar several years. When the SLORe reached into the area, they have absolute pow anyone who is suspected as rebel soldier or rebel-supporter and to bunt down is accused as rebel base. The fear among the local population is always escala SLORe launch offensive against the rebels. This fear also create large number into Thailand. All above different situations in different time are evidence that make th placement inside Burma especially non-burman ethnic areas and the unceasing into Thailand. Most of them flee from their country oforigin because of fear of cution and then crossed international boundaries, but they are not recognized a ing to UN recognized international principles. After reaching to the border regions, they have different situation to stru vival. While some single and young persons can easily enter deep inside Th construction sites, fishing industries and other hard jobs, the persons who com families may face difficulty to enter deep inside Thailand. And they decide t areas ofinside Thai territories illegally and not enter into refugee camps in Thai tories where are posed not so safe for them. Among the total displaced persons, of them enter into refugee camps. The deportation of immigrants who are arrested from the whole Thialan ducted twice per week via Kanchanaburi Province's immigrant prison to Halo gee camp. At least 2,000 Burmese immigrants are deported to Kanchanaburi area alone. The arresting of immigrants in many Thai cities has remained nor government is issuing work permit to many thousands of Burmese workers, grant population is always increasing. The immigrants who remain in the border are almost reliable on works

7 ?pjalllta,tioi1s. furniture factories, border trading and forestry department's refore kinds of work are normally hard and feasible for Burmese immigrant da life is not so safe enough. The local Thai police departments regularly ~,Il'Il'eSting those immigrants and deport them back into nearest Burmese territory local police departments ofsangkhlaburi and Thong Phar Phoom distircts la. tion to arrest the immigrants who were working for Thais during March and A pecause of this operation, many immigrants fled into Burmese territory where t.jobs and income, and many arrested immigrants were detained and thendeporte Many deported immigrants always try to flee into Thailand again becau rights situation and ever-escalating living price in Burma. Their life in Thaila because of the arrest ofthai adthorities, it is better than the life in Burma. The c Thai government to provide proper sheltering and allow international protec ethnic refugees has escalated the numbers of immigrants in its country. Even full member of ASEAN, the situation in Burma is remaining unchanged.

8 THE REFUGEE POPULATION OF THE FOUR CAMP A. (August, 1997) No Camp Family Adult M F M Childr 1 BeeRee Tavoy Halockhani Total Note: The population of Prachuab refugees is unclear but the M supply distribution program to refugees who fled into Thai ter THE MATERIALS RECEIVED BY THE MON NATTONAL RE (August, 199',('>. Rice Fish No i Organization Paste (Sack) (Kg) \ _----_._..._._--_._-_._----_...-+._--- i I. 1 COERR 250 " 1688 I 2 Consortium '4 Salt (Kg)._ )...li..".:... "! I!Total

9 Iklth Camp 1 &: 2 Camp I to Knutg Noun Yl!n 10 bord I.oInY4 10 Nam Ye C.unp 2 to Nam Y Map of Mergui District Resettlement Site (Nov, 1995) o o@ 1 _ N I. T Thailand

10 Map of Tavoy District Resettlement site (Nov, 1995) "... Hla. Sei.k --.. N t

11 Map of Ye River Resettlement site (Nov, 1995) N -; I n\ongzun/.1 ~.. I 11.I Kyauk TahlgCK) _--.~/ ~tf (...::./ ~"/ // r ---."..... T.nu-,... ~ "... ~r/-~ _ Thailand \ legem." VIII.1se<30 houscs ViII:lge huuses Village >100 houses Huettlemenl SUes Molin 1 0t.l1 p;alh /YIuunlaln Col' ro;ad (ur dry stuon I t 1;'.,,~,..,,.",. Distances )0 Haprao 10 Ny! Sa JO min,,,alk I Nyi Sa 10 N.umg Pllms l5 min walk N;auns P4Img 10 H.u\l." Ius,,,alk Nyi Sa to V 1day,,,ilk (ur) 3hrs by bollt, <l10 Nyi SA.61vs byboilt...-r-i+ S H (K) ~ Bordtr.. Colr ROlld \"hole rur Rolilway. s.:hool Huspillll For 50% Karin