ntul.3.w SSG mm. N. R.C MON NATONAL RELEF COMMTTEE MO HLY R PORT JANUARY 996
THE FVE PONTS OF THE AM OF THE MON NATONAL RELEF COMMTTEE t Resettlement of the refugees who become homeless due to the oppression of Rangoon military regime. 2. To help for the welfare of the refugees who become jobless due to the oppression of 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 refugees camps. 5. To struggle for human rights.
The Organization of The Mon National Relief Committee 1. Phra Wongsa Pala - Chairman 2. Nai Shwe Thein - Vice-Chairman 3. Nai Banya Leir - Secretary 4. Nai Kasauh Mon - Joint-Secretary 5. Nai Chit Nyunt -Member 6. Nai Pho Sein -Member 7. Phra Tay Jae - Member
MONTHLY REPORT OF MON NATONAL RELEF COMMTTEE (January, 1996) Difficulties in Repatriation Process Even though the MNRC would like to repatriate the Mon refugees according to international refugee principles like other repatriated refugees over the world, the situation in Burma ha~been allowed decided to move them back into areas under control of New Mon State Party NMSP) to ensure for their ~fety and defend human rights abuses. The MNRC has reali~ that human ri h~s. situation in Mon tate and Tenasserim Division is still -Worsening an a e same time, the Thai government never a ~e to reco nize e victims who escaped for persecution from Burma ~s refugee status, and thus, even the repatriatwnprogram should not plan in the time of NMSP-SLORC ceasefire, but it has no more choice except moving back to NMSP territory. The Mon refugees, they also understand the situation due to their past experiences and decided to move back to NMSP control areas. To plan to return back to their native places, they may wait for some time. At the moment, the NMSP will provide for safety for those returnees, but it is still not enough according to consideration of MNRC. The international community should also provide regular monitoring for safety of them and protect for committing human rights abuses on those returnees. Hopefully, the international access or presence in ethnic areas of Burma enable to collect accurate information from concerning ethnic community and such facts must be helpful to solve the problem of Burma to attain genuine peace by intiating or attempting so called reconciliation of all groups that have been participating in prolonged conflict. For the time being, the Ye-Tavoy railway construction which connected the Mon State and Tenasserim Division, is still implem'enting to complete section by section. Since June of 1995, the SLORC's railway authorities and the military have consistently conscripted local inhabitants to provide manual labours in the construction worksites. On May 30th of 1995, the most southern 12 miles long Tavoy-Yebyu section was completed and the SLORC officials also arranged an opening ceremony. Then, in June, the SLORC has constructed the Yebyu-Kalein Aung section, about 40 miles long and completed the embankment of the route in second week of January, 1996. Because of the present conscription of forced labours, many thousands of local villagers have to work in the construction worksites, at the end, they were suffered for shortage of foods and no cashes for payment to hire labourers for replacement of defined work duty. Similarly, the SLORC troops also mistreated to Karen local populations in Yebyu township harshly after they were attacked by KNU guerrillas. As a ~su lt, over 100 families of Mon and Karen villagers from Yebyu Township has steadily arrived to Payaw, an only Mon refugee camp in Thai territory, since last week of November. At the same time, while many families of new arrivals were reaching to border area, the MNRC could not send the needed assistances for Payaw refugees in time, because of the delay of extension of MOl permission for December and Januray assistances. Moreover, when the Mon Resettlement Committee arranged to get the bulldozer to rebuild the road to Payaw camp from Sangkhlaburi, it has faced delays to get permission for crossing the reforestation area and only in last week of this month the road was started for rebuilding. Due to April 30 death-line, the smooth transportation of assistance must be provided to MNRC by all concerning organizations. As MNRC has consistently suggested before, it would like to transport all assistance allowed by MOl without waiting the permissions of district level which have made time-waste and delay all arrangements to complete in ti."'11e.
The Visits of US Embassy and UNHCR Team On January 18, an official from refugee department of US Embassy, based in Bangkok, visited to Payaw refugee camp and investigated the repatriation process of Mon refugees. When he arrived to the camp, he also met with camp leaders, members of resettlement committee and many new comers from the railway construction and fighting. Additionally, a team of UNHCR officials also visited to the camp on January 25 and also met with camp leaders, members of resettlement committee and many new comers from the railway construction and fighting. Before the team visited to the camp, they arranged a meeting with MNRC and investigated for development of repatriation process. The MNRC explained them the difficulties it has been faced for building the road and transporting assistance to Payaw. The situation is very complicated for the repatriation of Payaw refugees while many new arrivals have been arriving to camp, but the refugees have no more choice. The most new arrivals have not built their houses yet and they are staying with refugee families in the camp temporarily and registered to resettlement sub-committee to get land for house surrounding. Both US and UNHCR officials talked with camp leaders and resettlement committee members to get information on repatriation. According to the registration of resettlement sub-committee, the Payaw returnees can obtain enough lands for plantations and house surrounding for all returnees in NMSP control areas. But to achieve self-sufficiency of those returnees, they may need some emergency assistance for foods and development assistance for three years after they were resettled. And the resettlement areas must be safe or where there will be no more fighting, the returnees can make their farmlands in stable situation. f the situation was not stable enough like they hoped or the fighting occurred again, they will separate into Thailand. Then, the officials also conducted interviews with new arrivals who were recently suffered from forced labours in the railway construction and the victims who were tortured by SLORC troops after fighting occurred with KNU. The most slave-labour victims explained their terrible experiences in the worksites. According to the interviews, the railway authorities and military used more villager labourers than last year. n the worksites, about 60% of all labourers are women and children under 16. For every family has had to dig at least five holes of 10 square feet and one foot depth and carry dirt to the embankment. For the families who could not provide manual labours had to hire for labourer replacement. They had to work in the construction worksites for two weeks in every month smce June and if one family could not provide labours for a defined work duty of two weeks, they had to pay 2500 up to 3500 Kyat to headmen of village group or railway authorities. n such situation, the MNRC is still requesting the presence of international community in the repatriation process and to provide possible protection of human rights committed by any armed groups.
THE REFUGEE POPULATON OF THE FOUR CAMP ARE AS FOLLOW (January, 1996) No Camp Families Adult Children Total M F M F 1 Bee Ree 271 312 350 473 510 1645 2 Payaw 697 903 1115 997 1155 4170 3 Prachuab 317 381 374 443 527 1725 4 Halockhani 852 968 1037 1325,1889 5219 Total 2137 2876 3238 4081 12759 THE MATERALS RECEVED BY THE MON NATONAL RELEF COMMTTEE (January, 1996) Rice Fish Salt Chilly, No Organization Paste Remark (sack) (kg) (kg) (kg), 1 COERR 100 1250 2 Consortium 1615 7125 3500 Total 1715 8375 3500
Thailand legend Village<50 houses 0 Village 50-200 houses 0 Village >200 houses @ Resettlement Sites -- Main ioot path - / Mountain Car road for dry season Car Road-whole year -+t-+ Railway 5 School i Hospital (K) '-.,...- border Par 50% Karen Lon:,i ~. -10 l.:.'0~ ~'!Jo ~t t Map of Moulmein District Resettlement site (Sep, 1995) Distances Three Pagoda Pass to ChalUlg Zone - 3 hrs walk B.leh Donephai 10 Pongkalar - 6 hrs walk Halockhani 10 Daleh Donphai - 1 hr walk B.~~h Donephai 10 Ch~d"it - 8 hrs walk. 3a~ 2~1 200/ 2000/ ~~ - - ',,,,,'T,,',,. 1000/ " 3000'; t 2000/ 'c,,~ 000'/ aw, a."'" /, " t Kha-mo"iii t )( r. ~. Baleh a. ffl'; '.@~'O 2000/ " Hleewadoc. S '~/"Q ~, 20/ 1000/ l,,~r _ Baleh Danai. ' fij,, -. ~ lodale Jeang ---, '""! 200/, "
// - ----.,. - -- - - :----p To Throe Pagoda Pas. ~:;;,'i9r',,0/ /1 l/-- - ~{.,..-~" Legend Village<SO houses 0 Village S(}'200 houses 0 Village >200 houses @ Resettlement Sites Main fool palh -/ MOlUllain Car -.-r+ road for dry season Car Road-whole year Railway For SO'Y. Karen / Map of Ye River Resettlement site (Nov, 1995) / N / Tl0ngZun / / / /. /. ~ Nga Kah Lay Chaunge -- -- Min Hla (K) ------ Kyauk Tablg(K) - /1 WeP'li, S 0 Ahlit Pha~r. 0.--; ~,,. ':~ ~7> " v./: ~~,,;, ~~ Palang Kyaik, 5 - " '{"~ cau(~ Hani Weh Hlon Alai /./,?,r ~ ~. ~ r o r 1 / / 1 Distances )0 Haprao 10 Nyi Sa 30 min walk Nyi Sa 10 Naung Perng -15 min walk Naung Perng -lani - 4 hrs walk Nyi Sa U Y. - 1 day walk (or) 3hrs by boal Ye 10 Nyi Sa - 6 hrs by boal ~ - 1 / / 1 @ NawgPerng (K) Pong Kamar C~,,-»,'b 1 / 5 School H Hospital ~ Border Nyi Sa, 5 p,1>0 / l,"~ 0 0)0 Haprao, 5, H / /
/ / / / / Map of Mergui Dh5trict Resettlement Site (Nov, 1995) / Legend Village<SO hou.o;es 0 Village SG-200 houses 0 Village >200 houses @ Resettlement Sites --- Main foct path - / Mountain Car road for dry season Car Road-who~e year ~ Railway S School H Hospital For 50% Karen / Thailand Both Camp 1 &: 2 are far 4 Kilometer from border Camp 1 to Krung Ham - 15 Kilometers Nam Yen to border - 12 Kilometers Lanya to Nam Yen - 32 Kilometers Camp 2 to Nam Yen - 15 Kilometers
Map of Tavoy District Resettlement site (Nov, 1995) ) --. ",... Hlae Seik /... ~ ",'-ita Paw Kawar -~ " / /, / / / / / / Legend Village<50 houses 0 Village 50-200 houses 0 Village >200 houses @ Resettlement Sites Main foot path - / Mountain Car road for dry season Car Road-whole year --t+4 Railway 5 School H Hospital ~ For 50% Karen Border / Distances N / / Pavaw to lao Done - 3 hrs walk Ja~ Done to Hlae Seik - 1 days walk Hlae Seik to A1eskan - :3 hrs walk J010 Done to Yabu - to hrs walk