Civilians blamed for incomplete road
Local civilians are blamed for the incomplete construction of the thirty-mile long Tarana-Kyonedoe motor road that connects Mon and Karen State
Local civilians are blamed for the incomplete construction
of the thirty-mile long Tarana-Kyonedoe motor road that connects Mon and Karen
State.
According to local sources, the Southeast Command and the State Peace and Development Council authorities in the area complained to civilians about the way in which the construction was done, which started in April.
The Southeast Command is leading the construction project giving responsibility to the Kawkareik Township authorities in Karen State, which is conscripting civilian labour to contribute in the construction of the road without payment. The authorities have conscripted villagers from 25 villages along the road.
The road was constructed from Tarana village in Kyaikmayaw Township to Kyone-doe village in Kawkareik Township. The villagers are conscripted on a rotational basis, each time when they arrive to the construction site they have to build an embankment adjacent to the road, 3 feet in height, 15 feet in width and 3 feet in length for each family.
While the civilians are busy with their livelihood, they must also work at least for 3 days each time when conscripted to work. In some places, where the authorities were unable to monitor, the civilians built the embankment in a quick way by putting leaves underneath. As a result, the embankment became unstable and was destroyed by floods at the beginning of rainy season, which started in mid-May in the area.
When the local SPDC and construction authorities inspected the construction, they found some parts of the embankment destroyed; they called in the headmen blaming the civilians who constructed the embankment carelessly. The Chairman of Kawkareik Township PDC, Colonel Ko Ko Gyi has often oversees the road construction.
When the SPDC authorities planned to build the road with the use of forced labour, the New Mon State Party urged them not to use civilian labour but to use machinery instead. If necessary, the NMSP said they would take security for their machinery, such as tractors, bulldozer and other equipment.
The Chief Commander of Southeast Command, Maj. Gen. Thura Myint Aung also blamed the NMSP leaders from Thaton district and asked them not to interfere in their use of forced labour. The Southeast Command also constructed another part of this road in Kyaikmayaw Township of Mon State with forced labour.
Meanwhile, the Oslo based Democratic Voice of Burma radio reported, on June 22, that the chairman and secretary of Zathapyin Village in Karen State, Ko Kyi Win and Ko Hla Nyein were ordered by the local army, Battalion 81 to collect 10,000 kyats from each household from villagers in nearby villages.
The Pa-an-Khaya Bridge, which also connects Karen and Mon State, is to be built for goods carrying trucks and passenger buses. An army officer is coming to inspect the bridge on July 5 and each household will be forced to contribute one person for forced labour to clean the road.
The SPDC authorities in Mon and Karen States and Tenesserim Divisions are still forcing local people to contribute money and ‘voluntary’ labour for the government projects in many places despite recent efforts of the International Labour Organization’s to work with the military government in publicly eradicating forced labour.
According to local sources, the Southeast Command and the State Peace and Development Council authorities in the area complained to civilians about the way in which the construction was done, which started in April.
The Southeast Command is leading the construction project giving responsibility to the Kawkareik Township authorities in Karen State, which is conscripting civilian labour to contribute in the construction of the road without payment. The authorities have conscripted villagers from 25 villages along the road.
The road was constructed from Tarana village in Kyaikmayaw Township to Kyone-doe village in Kawkareik Township. The villagers are conscripted on a rotational basis, each time when they arrive to the construction site they have to build an embankment adjacent to the road, 3 feet in height, 15 feet in width and 3 feet in length for each family.
While the civilians are busy with their livelihood, they must also work at least for 3 days each time when conscripted to work. In some places, where the authorities were unable to monitor, the civilians built the embankment in a quick way by putting leaves underneath. As a result, the embankment became unstable and was destroyed by floods at the beginning of rainy season, which started in mid-May in the area.
When the local SPDC and construction authorities inspected the construction, they found some parts of the embankment destroyed; they called in the headmen blaming the civilians who constructed the embankment carelessly. The Chairman of Kawkareik Township PDC, Colonel Ko Ko Gyi has often oversees the road construction.
When the SPDC authorities planned to build the road with the use of forced labour, the New Mon State Party urged them not to use civilian labour but to use machinery instead. If necessary, the NMSP said they would take security for their machinery, such as tractors, bulldozer and other equipment.
The Chief Commander of Southeast Command, Maj. Gen. Thura Myint Aung also blamed the NMSP leaders from Thaton district and asked them not to interfere in their use of forced labour. The Southeast Command also constructed another part of this road in Kyaikmayaw Township of Mon State with forced labour.
Meanwhile, the Oslo based Democratic Voice of Burma radio reported, on June 22, that the chairman and secretary of Zathapyin Village in Karen State, Ko Kyi Win and Ko Hla Nyein were ordered by the local army, Battalion 81 to collect 10,000 kyats from each household from villagers in nearby villages.
The Pa-an-Khaya Bridge, which also connects Karen and Mon State, is to be built for goods carrying trucks and passenger buses. An army officer is coming to inspect the bridge on July 5 and each household will be forced to contribute one person for forced labour to clean the road.
The SPDC authorities in Mon and Karen States and Tenesserim Divisions are still forcing local people to contribute money and ‘voluntary’ labour for the government projects in many places despite recent efforts of the International Labour Organization’s to work with the military government in publicly eradicating forced labour.
