Monland Update (November 2007)

Monland Update is a monthly publication of Mon Unity League (MUL) for a historical records of Monland and the activities of MUL in Thailand and Thai-Burma border for the rights of self-determination to Mon people

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Politics:

Opinion Statement by NMSP

The ruling military regime, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), pressured various ceasefire groups and the organizations which attended National Convention (NC) to oppose Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s statement on ‘political negotiation’ , representing the voice of ethnic nationalities and to support SPDC’s 7-points road map.

The SPDC authorities from Southeast Command based in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, also pressued NMSP leaders to issue a similar statement opposing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s statement that she gave to UN Envoy led by Mr. Gambari.  The authorities have pressured NMSP to support their 7-points road map.

But the NMSP leaders rejected and instead they issued a Statement that they accepted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s proposal for peaceful dialogue principally, but wait and see how the negotiation will be implemented.   NMSP expresses that the political problems must be solved through ‘political means’.  Since NMSP has demanded for a political dialogue for many years, it was always rejected.  The Statement also adds although it attended NC, the ethnic people’s proposal was rejected and therefore, NMSP withdrew from NC.  (Source: NMSP Statement dated on November 16, 2007)

In the 3rd Week of November, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), SPDC’s supporting organization, has begun to spread information discrediting about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi among villagers in different Townships in Mon state.    The USDA has briefed its members to tell the people that though Daw Suu was given many honours and prizes, but she never did anything for the cause of development for the people in the Burma. Whatever has been done in terms of development, all have been implemented by the SPDC, such as building bridges, roads, and other development works.   The junta backed USDA campaign aims to ensure that there is no support to her from among the people if demonstrations take place again in the future.   A source close to the USDA member, said they (USDA) speak ill of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to distance of her supporters. Although SPDC publicized photo of meeting between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Aung Kyi, Laison Minister, at the same time, they also try to discredit her. (Source: IMNA)

On November 11, Ethnic groups have welcomed Ibrahim Gambari, UN special envoy's press release on behalf of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to purse the path of dialogue constructively and invite the government and all relevant parties.   The ethnic groups' statement called for cooperation with the Burmese junta to resolve the current difficult situation and look towards national welfare until the negotiating process is successful.   The ethnics such Shan, Mon, Zomi, Arakanese, Chin, Karen, Kachin, Karenni, Kayan, Mara, and Shan-Kokan issued the joint statement.   Nai Ngwe Thein, vice chairman of Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) said they all welcomed her message after discussing among themselves. Her messages stated that "I expect that this phase of preliminary consultations will conclude soon so that a meaningful and time bound dialogue with the SPDC leadership can start as early as possible".  (Source: IMNA)

Economics

The Karen National Union (KNU) has planned to block a main motor road from Thailand border point, Three Pagoda Pass to Thanbyuzayat in Mon State.   In a letter to the Three Pagoda Pass Township PDC authorities and traders in the area, KNU has announced that they are going to block the main trading road from the border to Mon State, which is normally re-opened soon at the end of rainy season.  The letter was sent not only to TPP authorities, but also to traders and businessmen who use the main road for their business and trading purposes. The letter has the seal of the KNU and said that they would not take any responsibility for those passing through the Three Pagoda Pass to Thanpyuzayart road and would shoot whoever uses the vehicular route.  Although the border check-point is not officially opened with Thailand after its closure in March 2007, but traders have been trying to import goods from Thailand to Burma illegally because of huge demands by the customers in Burma. (Source: IMNA)

The SPDC’s confused agriculture plans have made problems to farmers in Mon State.  The regime forced rice paddy cultivated farmers to grow cooking oil crops in this rainy season, but the crop production has decreased down in Mon State despite the cultivable area are tripled in size.  Authorities have forcibly expanded the area of oil crop farming even though farmers are not interested in growing the crop.    Junta authorities planned to grow oil crop on about 1, 000 acres in two townships, Mudon and Paung, in previous years after there was shortage of cooking oil in Mon State.    In June 2007, the authorities have expanded into four townships, Ye, Thanphyuzayat, Kyaikmayaw, and Chaung-zone, to cultivate various sorts of cooking oil crops such as sesame, groundnut, and sunflower.   The farmers said that they (authorities) forced them to cultivate sesame and sunflower which led to the closure of the high way and the railway due to the inaugural ceremony to show how productive the village is.  (Soure: IMNA)

The local Mon farmers in Mon State concerned on the prospect of low paddy yield this year because of heavy rain in October, just at the end of rainy season, in Mon State.   Paddy plants suffered damage because of the rains so the yield this year is likely to be low.   Even though the paddy plants look very good from afar and farmers had hoped to get more yield than in the previous year, the rains played spoil sport in the farms.   "When you look closely there are few grains in the plants. Some fields can yield about one third of the paddy that was cultivated due to the heavy rainy," a farmer said.    Villagers in southern Mudon Township said farmers who produced 60 baskets per acre last year will get about 50 baskets per acre this season. One basket contains 42 pounds.    A Mudon resident said that some farmers are terribly disappointed because they just see dark green paddy leaves and do not see good grain.  Moreover the Mudoon Township TPDC had said that they would take half or one basket of paddy from the farmers per acre. Last year TPDC had taken about 30,000 to 60,000 baskets from each township forcibly.  (Soure: IMNA)

Security

In order to launch military offensives against the Karen rebel group, Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed faction Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA),  in coming dry season, Southeast Command based in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State ordered many military battalions under Military Operational Command (MOC) No. 19 based in Ye to move its troops from Mon State into Karen State.  Amid the international pressure to SPDC to deal in political dialogue with opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the SPDC manages for a new military operation against ethnic rebels in order to recognize the important role of Burmese Army or tatmadaw.   About 8 battalions under the command of MOC No, 19 based in Ye were ordered in 2nd week of November to immediately move into Karen State.   Similarly, the Coastal Regional Command based in Mergui of Tenasserim Division also ordered about 7 military battalions under its command, which mostly based in Yebyu and Tavoy Township area (in northern Tenasserim Division to move into Kya-inn-seikyi Township of Karen State to operate military offensives against KNLA’s 6th Bridge.  The Burmese Army troops have been moved into the area since in the third week of November.    (Soure: MUL Information Sheet.)

Besides the troops from MOC No. 8 from Tenasserim Division, many hundreds of troops from Light Infantry Division No. 88 also arrived into Kya-inn-seikyi Township in where Mon and Karen ethnic people are the main local inhabitants.  Since the local Mon and Karen villagers knew the offensives in the area could be happened soon, the farmers hurried up their harvests and sold out some of their crops in order to avoid vulnerabilities because of their crops.  Accordingly to farmers, they have to sell out their crops in low price.  (Soure: IMNA and Kao Wao News Group.)

Monks from the rural countryside in Burma have been banned from entering Rangoon unless they have recommendations for health care.    Monks will be allowed to enter Rangoon for just medical treatment if they can show recommendations from the hospital at trains and bus terminals.  A monk who recently returned from Rangoon said the authorities are allowing monks to enter Rangoon if they have recommendations from doctors, the name of the monastery where they intend to stay, and also credentials from the monks of the monastery where they want to put up.  If the recommendations are incomplete, the authorities are not permitting monks to enter Rangoon. They are being sent back in the bus they came.  About 50 Monks from Arakan State were turned back after the authorities checked their recommendations at Rangoon station, said a monk who recently returned from Rangoon. (Soure: IMNA)

Human Rights

Personal Security of Buddhist Monks: The SPDC has tightened security in Shwedagon Pagoda following renewed protest by monks' in Pakokku.   The authorities have closely watched monasteries that have involved in the recent protests and ordered to abbots in monasteries to keep the monks in there.  If some monks planned to come up with monasteries, they said they will close down the monasteries.   Due to restriction against the Buddhist monks at the end of Buddhist Lent (in the first week of November), the monks in Moulmein can not accept alms from the people in the religious ceremony of Kahton in which the people are offering foods and robes to monks on a annul basis.  The authorities blocked the Moulmein city at all check-points of entrances and did not allow Buddhist monks in Moulmein Pariyati (Buddha Scripture Teaching) monasteries to go to rural villages to accept alms from the people.  Thousands of Buddhist monks who rely on the alms of the people did not receive sufficient foods in the monasteries due to restriction against them.   (Soure: MUL Information Sheet.)

Movement Restriction: Due to the military operation in Kya-inn-seikyi of Karen State, the local Mon and Karen people has been restricted.   Accordingly to the villagers, the troops of Burmese Army are along the water way of Zami River and on the motor road of Three Pagoda Pass – Thanbyuzayat motor road.  Although the Burmese army troops did not officially ordered for movement restriction, but the people are very afraid of moving around in their farms and use the main road.  Many villagers also lost their crops, because it is totally in harvest season.  (Source: Human Rights Foundation of Monland - HURFOM)

Taxation: In order to support the political and social campaigns by SPDC backed organizations – Myanmar Women’s Affairs Committee and Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), the village headmen in Mon State collected more taxes from the local villagers.  With a secret order, Township PDC authorities ordered to provide at least one Million Kyat from each village in order to support the activities above-mentioned organizations’ activities. Therefore, the local village headmen need to collect money from 50, 000 – 100, 000 Kyat in every month in order to support these groups’ activities and campaign. But the village headmen never received any accountability for the money they have given to the authorities.  Although Myanmar Women’s Affairs Committee is a bit active in providing education to women and involved in protection against ‘human trafficking’, but USDA main activities recently are notorious as their members involved in cracking down against pro-democracy demonstrators and separating mis-information against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  (Source: HURFOM & IMNA)

Migrant Workers

There has been more and more crackdown against Mon migrant workers in Samut Songkaram District, where many Mon workers are working in fishing industries.   In the third week of November, the Thai police checked a fishing industry and arrested about 100 Mon migrant workers those did not have any type of labour cards.   Additionally, the factory owner even did not give any wages to the workers after the police arrest.  Accordingly leaders of Mon migrant workers, as the factory owners refused to give wages, then they informed to police officers to arrest these illegal migrant workers.(Source: IMNA)

The Thai government’s administrative authorities in Samut Prakan and Samut Songkaram Provinces had issued an order restricting migrant workers’ liberty and their culture rights in late October.  The authorities have issued the migrant workers are not allowed to use mobile phone and ride motor bikes even in their workplaces.  Additionally, the authorities will restrict religious and cultural activities of different ethnic migrant workers from Burma, that means they will not allow migrant workers to participate in religious affairs like holding ceremonies during Buddhist Lents and other durations, cerebrating their national days, etc.  (Soure: MUL Information Sheet.)

The authorities have accused that the migrant workers are involving in violence of Thailand existing laws, separating diseases and create problems to Thai people.  Thai newspaper always reported bad images of migrant workers to Thai audience.  They have been rarely described how migrant workers have helped Thailand for economic growth and how Thai employers are exploiting the labour of these marginalized workers.   Since the authorities get one-sided information, they have decided to restrict all activities of migrant workers in these two Provinces.  If these restriction orders are effectively enforced, the majority migrant workers in these two Provinces, especially Mon workers will be serious effected.  The Mon migrant workers in these Provinces yearly cerebrate Mon National Day ceremony and thousands of migrant workers attend celebration.  (Soure: MUL Information Sheet.)

On November the 11th, Chairman of the Mon Youth Community in Bangkok and Executive Management Board of MUL, Nai Ong Banjul, requested to the media to investigate ways in which the government are oppressing and discriminating against migrant workers. "It's depressing that a fellow human being who happens to be better off socially carefully drafted an official letter to segregate those socially marginalized Burmese from us," he added.  (Soure: Kao Wao News.)

According to a source from the Zathapyin (Hta Plang) community in Kuala Lumpur , a Mon national was kidnapped by the head of a major gang in Masegit Jarmat, Kuala Lumpur .  The incident took place on November 15th while Nai Si Thu, aged 35, from Zathapyin of Pa-An Township was working as a fruit seller in the local market.   It is alleged two men appeared at the fruit shop masquerading as customers and asked Si Thu to carry their items to their car, which they had parked on a nearby road.  When Nai Si Thu arrived at the car, it is believed the men forced him into the car before quickly driving away.   While in the car Nai Soe Myint, from Burma, phoned the victim’s relatives in Kuala Lumpur and demanded 45,000,000 Kyat. The victim was tortured and was close to death when he arrived at the Malay and Thai border. The next day Nai Si Thu's relatives paid 5,000,000 Kyats to Lin Lin Tun’s bank account in Kawthaung , Thailand - Burma border.   The source told Kaowao that Nai Soe Myint also threatened the victim’s relatives with death if they refused to pay.  As a result, Nai Si Thu's relatives have all fled back to Burma.  (Soure: Kao Wao News.)