muul.u 1m M.N.R.C B MON NATONAL RELEF COMMT MONTHLY REPOR SEPTlThrfBER 19
The Five Points of the Aim of Mon National Relief Committee 1. Resettlement of the refugees who become homeless due to the oppressio Rangoon military regime. 2. To help the walfare of the refugees who become jobless due to oppressio 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 camps. 5. To struggle for human rights.
The Organization of Mon National Relief Committee 1. Phra Wongsa Paia - Chairman 2. Nai Shwe Thein - Vice-Chairman 3. Nai Kasauh Mon - Secretary 4. Nai Dung Htaw - Member 5. Nai Chit Nyunt - Member 6. Phra Tay Jae - Member
Monthly report of Mon National Relief Comnli (September, 1998) New Arrivals to Mon Resettlement Camps and Related Population Displacement Problem Since June, there are about 25 families and 10 families of Mon new arrivals have a and Bee Ree refugee resettlement camps respectively. They have fled from their native v systematic persecution of the Burmese Army (or SPDC troops) and have been displaced fo during they are in the native places. These villagers were normally suspected as rebel-supp armed Mon groups and after they were faced various difficulties in their area, they have villages. Almost the villagers fled from many villages in Ye ofmon State and Yebyu of Tena of southern part of Burma. Although NMSP (New Mon State Party) and SLORC/SPDC agre for three years, there has been no political solution between these groups, and the villager suffered from serious abuses. n 1995-1996, soon after ceasefire, the villages in these areas to provide forced labourers for Ye-Tavoy railway construction. At the same time, they were be frontline civilian porters by Burmese Army and were forced to carry ammunitions and o frontline in offensives against KNU. Due to ceasefire agreement, the NMSP also withdrew its troops from this area and have been under the protection of Mon troops for several years remain without protection. Burmese Army mis-treated these villagers as they like and looted many belongings from the also tried to deploy their new troops in most villages and keep their control on them. Various kind of mis-treatment forced some villagers to leave their villages, but mos not like to abandon their farmlands, houses and other belongings and so remain in their vil tion, many Mon retired soldiers in this area dissatisfied on the mistreatment of Burmese Arm the whole situation to nearest NMSP liaison offices. However, the NMSP could not protec later, the retired soldiers planned to revolve the Burmese Army again. Therefore the new a group rose up with arms again in 1997. n 1997, the SLORC gave them a name as "robber g in 1998, their group name was changed as "Mon armed group". Since then, the villagers we as they are the supporters of the armed group: So far, whenever the fighting happen~d in the area between the Burmese Army and group, the closest villagers to the fighting place are constantly mistreated by the governmen the Burmese army's troops knew some villages allowed the members of new group to stay in provided for them, the concerned villagers are severely punished by the Burmese soldiers. Besides the mistreatment, the Burmese army also adopted movement restriction ag ers to not contact with members of armed group. Almost the villagers are not allowed to s farms and fruit plantations for several days. f they are arrested in these work places, the ished by accusation of armed group supporters. Whenever they go to their farms and p have to request permission documents from the nearest military outposts or from village he most village headmen in these villages were also accused as armed supporters and they tortured or detained by the soldiers. Hence, they were also prohibited to issue any perm their villagers and some of them also fled and stayed together in the base ofmon armed gro regular mistreatment of soldiers. Since all these villages were accused as armed group supporters, whenever the tro Army went into their villages, the villages' belongings were always looted and they wer about activities of the members of Mon armed group. Because of constant accusation and ment, thousands of villagers have been displaced in their native since four months after Bur No.61's troops were attacked by Mon armed group. Since during before and after the NMSP-SLORC talks for ceasefire, there were over battalions were deployed in this area with main objective to protect Ye-Tavoy railway c
multinational investment on Yatana gas pipeline project. Thousands of Burmese troops came i and took bases along the way between Ye and Tavoy motor road and railway. Therefore, th were absolutely blocked in the western area of these roads and it is too difficult for them to get a to the border area and Mon refugee resettlement camps. An estimate over 20,000 population in this area have displaced in their area and faced v of difficulties for survive. They could not stay in one place and have to move from one plantatio forest. When they were even sick, they could not get any access for treatments because they w being arrested by soldiers when they moved to other area. They have only one way to flee by and move to northern part of Ye township area where the security situation is better than the But it is very unsafe to flee because they could probably face Burmese Navy troops in the sea o could be sunk if the villagers are not professional fishermen. According to an interview conducted with a new arrival, he explained to our relief w soldiers arrested at the entrance of the village when went to my farm in early morning togethe villagers. They brought all arrested into village and tied them including me and village sec middle of the village. They called our village headman, the chairman of the Village, and asked w villagers and strangers. The village headmen said to the military commander that all of us are and no one was stranger. But the commander did not believe the village headmen and asked the relatives of Mon armed group. There was nobody who was the relatives of armed group. of us and beat us to tell about the armed group. After about two hours investigation and to soldiers also asked foods from the village headmen. He also asked them to release all villagers The soldiers did not agree to release us but they forced the headmen to give them foods includ pork curry for all of them. The headman had to hurry arranging foods for soldiers. After they they brought us outside of village and told us that we must know the bases of Mon armed grou us to show the places. When we said we did not know the base of armed group, we were severe soldiers. Later, every villager were afraid of being arrested by soldiers when they went to betel-nut plantation. And we are not so dared to stay in the village, because when the Burmese into village they also beat us. Then fled to my plantation near the forest. When knew the Bur came close to my plantation, my family and moved into forest. Later, decided to flee to her Because of this situation, many new families from Ye and Yebyu townships' area al other area where they though more safe than their area and to the border area to stay in MNR trated resettlement area. A few families reached to the border area because they are blocked area. Besides moving to resettlement area, many other families also moved to some Mon villag control of NMSP. Similarly, the fighting between the SPDC and KNU troops also regularly happened Seikyi township and eastern part of Ye township area. This armed conflict has constantly force of local villagers to flee from their homes, because the villagers were always accused as rebel During the dry season of 1998 (from January to June), many villages in the northern part of Y attached map ofye River) were destroyed by the Burmese Army and the villagers were forced army designated villages, where they have full control. The villagers who refused to move we or other villages for a while and when the Burmese troops returned to outposts, they attempted their villages again. However, they could not stay many days in their villages, when the Bu came, they had to hide again. Hence, the villagers are displaced in their own area but coul stable situation and faced a lot of difficulties to get daily foods, medical assistance and children access. n Kya-nn-Seikyi township area, although SPDC local troops instructed to relocate and small villages in this area during the last year in October, 1997, their plan was not succeeded some villagers moved into army designated villages and later they slowly moved out from because they could not survive. n the new places, the new villagers have no land to grow etables. The troops did not help these new comers to designated places and let the villagers su selves. After these villagers lost land and other belongings in their own native villages, they ha chance to support themselves in making new life in where they were not familiar before. Many new arrivals, many Karen villagers and few Mon villagers from this area also mo Halockhani refugee resettlement areas to escape from forced relocation. The Karen villagers w effected for the accusation of being rebel-supporters to KNU troops, they were more sufferer t villagers. The Mon villagers always informed about the problems and abuses of Burmese tr
them and requested protection from NMSP. Although NMSP could not fully protect them, thei was better than the Karen villagers. However, they are remaining as internally displaced pop their native area because of the regular fighting happened between KNU and SPDC troops. n Seikyi area, there are mix Karen and Monvillages and whenever fighting happened close to a Kar village, the villagers were severelypunished for their delay or missing to inform about the activiti troops to the nearest Burmese Army. n addition, whenever the Burmese troops moved from Kya-nn-Seikyi town to Three-Pa area, they also mis-treated both Mon and Karen villagers along the ways. The Burmese troops are changed every three months, but the military operation by the Burmese Armyis launched for year and the local villagers have to face and flee once in every two weeks period when the Burme Hence, these villagers are also displaced in their villages area. Most ofthem would not like to aba farms, plantations, and other belongings, they did not decide to move into any refugee camp or res area. On the other hand, manyparts ofmain roads have already been controlled by the Burmese it is too difficult for them to get smooth access to reach to border area. Therefore, more and more population displacement occurred after NMSP-SLORC ceasefi spontaneous repatriation of the Mon refugees. Without a political solution and declaration of ce the whole country, the local villagers may face these problems because of civil war and they ma any stable land and home to support a stable life. Only sufferings are the daily plight of these vil at the moment they could not ask any help from any organizations, government or rebel groups protection for them.
THE REFUGEE POPULATON OF THE THREE CAMPS (September, 1998) See Ree 488 919 999 249 276 159 174 2 2 Tavoy 443 837 818 253 222 156 124 2 3 Halockhani 1343 2522 2633 693 762 425 444 7 THE MATERALS RECEVED BY THE MON NATONAL RELEF COMM (September, 1998) 1 COERR 120 360 240 3000 2 SSC
'"OO~ ~CO/ t Map of Moulrnein District Reselllem,ent site (Sept '(995) D~lnncos l1uee Pngod~ 1':$' 10 Chlllf1g Zelre J tr~ walk O:l.lch Don~ph~O Ponsk~t;r.~ 6 ll's V~lk H:tlockj.,nJ 10 O"leh Donpll.'ll 1 lit walk O:l.lc.h Doncph:l.llo a,edel 8 hr' walk.. 0 0 ~-- A -...r4 S H vlu~lo<so ho~ Vi!l~g. 50-200 houh Vil~g~ >200 houses flcsetllernc.nl Silc..s Main (oot p~!h Mount*' Cu ro~& (or dry H~ Clf Rond whole yu R~ilw~y 5.:11001 Ho.~pil~1 ' / J'./,/ ( / /,/ :w1 ;':1.1' --J--- :<~.uk rjln~,~ooa "lvo'a :~'OO '000'/ i),11.h K.'D." <.:f.. /----'1 "..@~":i, D.:lleh Ollllln~ :voo'/ ~ :OC?.')()/... t.._ --- -~--1'd;,'c1un8 1001 :00/ Thailand
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