A note from the Free Burma Rangers

FBR REPORT: Letter from Villagers Now in a Forced Relocation Site Under the Control of the Burma Army
Karen State, Burma
8 November, 2007
 
(Note: This is letter sent out by villagers in a forced relocation site in Nyaunglebin District, Western Karen State, Burma at the end of September 2007. The names of villages and villagers names have been changed to protect these people from reprisals as they are still trapped in the Burma Army forced relocation site. The Burma Army has forcefully relocated thousands of people in Eastern Burma with over 100,000 people in over 100 forced relocation sites.

To: Our leader/responsible person
Subject: Information about our situation.

"First of all, I thank God for this opportunity to express my village's situation on behalf of all the villagers.

We, the Tha Kaw Tha Kae villagers, have been living on the frontline and facing many difficulties. Because of these difficulties, many of the villagers have passed away but some still live by the grace of God. We had lived in the Tha Kaw Tha Kae village for 43 years without having to move when, suddenly, on June 3, 2007 our village was forced to move for the first time.

In the place that our village relocated we could not work and could not make money. As a result some villagers only stayed one and half months, then returned back to their home village. The Burma Army wrote these villagers permission to go, but the villagers had to pay 1500 kyat twice a month in order to be allowed to stay.

Our village headman took a census and, as of June 5, 2007, the total number of families was 50. Based on the census, the village headman arranged a school for the village children. We had a primary school with 40 students and 2 school teachers. We, the villagers, paid 20,000 kyat per month for the two teachers. We started our school on June 13, 2007 and held classes for 55 days. However, we had to again move suddenly on August 7, 2007.

This time we had to move to the Doo Dah relocation site. We again set up school in Doo Dah and all teachers continued teaching at this relocation site. However, many villagers had no work and no food. The villagers that did not have bullock carts could only bring the belongings that they could carry to the relocation site. They had to leave many things behind. The Burma Army went to the village, took the belongings that were left behind, and sold them. The villagers that fled had no time to rest, despite heat and rain, so they faced many health problems. They also had trouble getting enough food for their families.

Now, in the new relocation site, we have no place to build our houses and we have to live with other people. We must continue to be patient. Even though we stay in the relocation site, we have to find our food by returning and working secretly in our home village. We have to do this secretly since the Burma Army no longer permits us to return.

We, the villagers, are oppressed by the Burma Army in many ways. Because of this, many villagers face health problems and many pass away. Due to the lack of medicine, the following people have died:
(1) Pu Ta Ku
(2) Saw Pwo
(3) Daughter
(4) Ma O La
(5) Naw Ku Paw
(6) Saw Kyaw Aye
(7) Saw Kyaw Kyi
(8) child no name
(9) child no name

According to the information we mention above, we beg our leaders to help us and to send this information to the world." -On behalf of the Tha Kaw Tha Kae villagers, Saw Tha Moo La-

Thank you to all who care for these villagers and others in Burma who live under oppression.

Your love and action brings hope.
God bless you,

Nyaunglebin Free Burma Ranger Team
Nyaunglebin, Karen State, Burma
8 November 2007

The Free Burma Ranger’s (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks.

For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org

The attacks of the Burma Army in this part of the Karen State have driven over 3,500 people from their homes. These people are in hiding in the jungle with only what they could carry on their backs. Temperatures on the 16th and 17th of January were extremely cold with the freezing level down to 3,000 feet. Most of the IDPs are hiding between 3,000- 4,500 feet.

Photo: a village girl shows the bullet wound she suffered in an earlier attack in a Burma Army attack.

In a hiding place at about 3,700 feet, I was surrounded by children, most of whom were wearing nothing more than t-shirts and shaking in the cold. The night before, as we approached a group of villagers hiding in a ravine below their village, I first heard the sounds of babies crying and when we got closer I could see the terrified looks on the faces of children huddled next to small fires. Mothers nursing babies looked at us imploringly and all we could do is say, "We are sorry, we know this is very bad, we will try. We have no power, but we will pray to God". "God sees and God understands. Also many in the world are praying for you and care about you".

Photo: this is the new type of land mine being set by the Burma Army to kill innocent villagers.

We spent the night with this group and the next day went up to their village with some Karen soldiers and a few of the village men. The villagers wanted to know if it was safe to go back or at least if it was possible to recover some of their livestock and belongings. We knew that three Burma Army battalions were in the area and that the night before one of the battalions had shot at fleeing villagers so we approached carefully and decided to observe the village first.

We climbed a hill next to the village and three Karen soldiers (KNLA), and a villager went to a higher hill to watch from there. We were observing the empty village when shooting broke out on the hill above us and one of the Burma Army battalions (we found out later it was LIB 512), attacked. They chased the 3 Karen soldiers and villager off the higher hill and attacked us with mortars, RPGs, M-79, and machine-gun fire. We had no casualties and rejoined the villagers below and led them to safer place.

The next day another battalion of the Burma Army (IB3), attacked a group of five families hiding in the jungle nearby, all escaped and are now hiding in a different place. One Karenni soldier (KNPP) who was with a group of Karen (KNLA) after being chased out of Karenni State earlier, came to assist the families and was shot and badly wounded by the Burma Army troops. He was treated by one of our medics and then sent back to a mobile clinic 4 days walk away.

Note: In an earlier report this man was named as a Karen- KNLA soldier but we now know he is Karenni. The Burma Army has launched an all out offensive against the Karenni for the past three months and have relocated and displaced thousands of Karenni villagers.

They extended their offensive into northern Karen State on 30 December 2003 and this offensive now against the Karen continues. The people here are terrorized and though they are grateful to see people come to help them, always tell us, "If you do not stay with us we can not even stay here in this hiding place, we will have to run further away from our village, so please stay with us". "When can we go home"?, they ask us.

We do not have an answer but try to treat their medical problems, care for them and pray with them. Whether they are Buddhist, Christian or animist, all are human beings who know the common language of love. They give us love and even offer us food at every hiding place. We know we have no power to save them but are standing and sometimes running with them the best we can.

We could do none of this without you and are grateful for all of you who care, love, pray, help, report and keep us and others going.

A Free Burma Ranger Relief Team Leader.

Update June 24, 2004

1. Women's rights in Arakan State.
In the Arakan area, some women live in tragic conditions, faced with many abuses of their rights. It is reported that in the majority of villages, from 1993-2004, many Arakanese ladies have been forced to marry Burma Army soldiers. This seems to be a policy of the military regime and the team reported that in comparative worth, "one Arakan lady is more powerful than a rocket launcher." (in terms of providing information to the soldier they are married to). Many women are left alone because their Burma Army husbands moved to other camps. These camps will not take responsibility for wives and children. Moreover, the Burma Army soldiers often remarry when they arrive at a new camp. Cases of abuse by the soldiers against Arakan women have also been reported.

2. Looting and Forced Portering
Every month, each village must send two kilograms or more of meat to the military camp nearby. The villagers are also forced to porter and carry the food and equipment of the Burma Army soldiers. They are also forced to work at the military camps and are not compensated.
Photo: Land mines

3. Watchman for post at the countryside areas
In the countryside, the military orders villagers to deliver mail and take turns waiting at camps for mail runs.

4. Religion in Arakan areas
The military junta does not grant freedom of religion. For example, most people in the regime are Buddhist, so believers of other faiths are oppressed by the military in the government departments, in the military camps and in every part of the regime. In the military ranks and government offices, Buddhists have a higher opportunity to be promoted. (The FBR team making this report is Buddhist). Although it is noted that monks and the Buddhist sangha are also closely watched by the authorities. 

5. Feelings of the Arakan IDPs
The Free Burma Rangers (Arakan Relief Team) visited Arakanese IDPs in order to assess their condition. The IDPs feel hopeless, helpless and uncared for by international governments and NGOs. Now, the IDPs are worrying daily for food during this rainy season because in their area the rice prices are increasing every day. The IDPs do not have any idea of how to maintain a good standard of living because they have no work. The IDPs are only depending on the mountains to produce paddy in hiding places and are also praying for help.

6. Health of Arakanese IDPs
The health situation among IDPs is unfortunate. Some IDPs die of simple diseases that are easily treatable. However, it is difficult to get medicine and they struggle to find enough food to survive.

Some women die in childbirth. Some of the IDPs hope of getting emergency medical care and the Arakan FBR team hopes for the help of international governments and NGOs.

Photo: Massacre Victims. These innocent villagers were gunned down by the Burmese Army.

7. Education in Arakan State
Thousands of IDP children have no schools to attend. Near Triangle, there is an IDP school that has funding now, but soon that will change and they will have difficulty staying open. The school lacks teaching aids, notebooks and other school supplies.

8. INTERVIEWS
Interview Date: 16/04/04

Name: XXX XXX
Age: 25
Village: Kyaun Ton Village, Palawa Township, Arakan State, Burma
Occupation: Soldier
Marital Status: Single
Hla Aung fled from Burma Army Battalion 55, located at Capali Island. He became a soldier because he had gone to Bangladesh for two months and upon returning to his village he was arrested at the Ta Raw Li camp. While in custody, a Captain asked him to pay 10,000 Kyats or join the military. He didn't have enough cash so he was forced to join the Burma Army.

He ran away from Mari Wa Camp on March 12, 2004 due to racial discrimination. There was only one other Arakanese soldier, most of the others are Burman in Mari Wa Camp, a border security camp near the India. He says that his Captain did not issue him a gun because he was Arakanese. He was given a gun when he was on sentry, but he observed that all of the Burman soldiers had their guns all the time. He was not allowed to leave the camp, but all of the Burman soldiers were allowed to leave the camp and watch movies.

His Captain forced him to carry bamboo and supplies. He was paid very little. He fled to the Arakan Liberation Party with one G-3 and 200 bullets.

Photo: Landmines set by the Burma Army.

Interview Date: 16/04/04
Name: XXX XXX
Age: 47
Village: Kyun Ton Village, Palawa Township, Arakan State, Burma.
Occupation: Cutting bamboo and farming
Marital Status: Married with 4 sons and 4 daughters
XXX XXX was forced to search for his son (see interview above) who escaped from his military camp (Burma Army Battalion 55). Burma Army Battalion 33 forced XXX XXX to come to their camp, they asked about his son and searched XXX XXX. XXX XXX was afraid of being arrested, so he left his village and fled to India. XXX XXX is worried for his family now.

9. Narcotics in Arakan State
At the moment, drug traffickers have become more interested in the Arakan area, and the FBR Arakan team report that they plan to use the Arakan, as well as Chin, areas to export drugs such as heroin, opium, and amphetamine tablets. These drugs come from the eastern part of Burma and go through to Bangladesh and India. Drug dealers are interested in Bangladesh because it seems easier to export the drugs through Bangladesh to the international drug markets. According to reports from the area the team traveled to, last month about five kilograms of heroin came through Chittagong Hill Street, originally coming through Palawa Township. Also reported was 100 kilograms of heroin coming from the Chinese border, but there were no other details. At the time of the mission, the opium farmers near Labawa military camp had already finished harvesting their opium crops.

Next: In Her Words

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