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General Forced Labour (continued)
Order #161 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson Date:
1-4-2001 The Chairperson must come to yyyy with 3 bullock carts from the Chairperson’s village on 2-4-2001 to arrive at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Note: Must come without fail. Bo [officer] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #162 (Dooplaya) To: 1-4-2001 If [you] have food and vegetables, send [them] with the person who will come and report information tomorrow, asking for [your] help. Respectfully, [Going to the Army camp to ‘report information’ every day or two on all movements of villagers or resistance forces is a routine form of forced labour. On the back this order says "Paid money 13,000 Kyat on the date 3-5-2001. 906", probably serving as a receipt for some extortion money which has just been received from the village.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
1-4-2001 [To:] xxxx Village Head Subject: The Army needs (loh ah pay) people to go and carry rice, so 2 villagers are requested to go and help them. It is ordered by (Operations Command), so please try to send [them] for sure. Anyone (female or male) can go to help them. Bring along food for 1 day. Time - Tomorrow at 5 o’clock in the evening. Come and gather at the (VPDC) Office. The village head yourself must come to send [them]. Signed, your sibling [Sd. aaaa]
[Sd.] [This order is written in Sgaw Karen with the exception of the stamps. It was sent by the village tract head to one of the local villages, passing on an Army demand.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #164 (Papun)
Stamp:
[To] xxxx [village] To build the rations godown [a small warehouse] at the Army camp hill send 5 loh ah pay people from the Head’s village to the gate of the Army camp on 3-4-2001, to arrive at 6 o’clock in the morning. Note: ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #165 (Toungoo)
Stamp: Subject: Calling for loh ah pay To build the bridge, send 5 loh ah pay people from xxxx village to the camp, and send the quota of 4 and a half sacks of rice within 2 days.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #166 (Toungoo) Stamp:
Subject: To pay servant fees and send loh ah pay The village of xxxx hasn’t yet paid the money for servant fees, so come quickly to yyyy camp to deliver the money for servant fees and 5 loh ah pay people to build the bridge. Send the quota of 4 and a half sacks of rice to the camp within 2 days.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #167 (Toungoo)
Stamp:
Date:
2-4-2001 Subject: To pay the money for servant fees The village of xxxx hasn’t yet paid the money for servant fees, so come to yyyy Camp to pay [it] as soon as this letter is received now, and come to send the quota of 4 and a half sacks of rice within 2 days. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #168 (Toungoo) To: 2-4-2001 Send 5 loh ah pay people from Saw aaaa’s village to yyyy [Army] Camp tomorrow on 3-4-2001 to arrive at 6 o’clock in the morning. [They are] For building the Mawchi vehicle road, to clear the bushes and trees.
[Sd.]2-4-2001 [This is the road being built with forced labour from Klay Soe Kee in central Toungoo District to Mawchi, over 50 kilometres to the east in southern Karenni (Kayah) State. For more details on this road see "Peace Villages & Hiding Villages" (KHRG #2000-05, 15/10/2000). On the back this order is addressed "To Secretary, xxxx [village]. Reply by letter that this has been received".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #169 (Dooplaya) To: 3-4-2001 servant * Estimate [the needs] for building 200 feet of fence, then summon the people and bring along the bamboo + wood at the same time. Respectfully,
[Sd.]
bbbb ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #170 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp:
To:
U aaaa + U bbbb Subject: The matter of duty to dig pits and send bamboo spikes Regarding the above subject, duties were already allocated [to the various villages] for digging pits at the xxxx Frontline Office Army Camp, but the Elder’s village still has not done its duty digging the pits. The Column Commander has directed that [you] must go to dig tomorrow the 4th at the latest, and [you also] have the allocated duty to come, bring and hand over 1,000 bamboo spikes each 3 taung [cubits] in length, to the xxxx Column Office (without fail) by the deadline date of 7-4-2001, you are informed. If [you] fail, it will be the Elder’s responsibility. Also come and pay the Pa Tha Sa [abbreviation for ‘Pyitthu Sit’ -"People’s Militia"] support money.
[Sd.] [The bamboo spikes are used for building defences at Army camps; 3 taung is 1.5 metres/4.5 feet. The Pyitthu Sit ("People’s Militia") is a group of villagers trained as a militia by the SPDC and sometimes used as cannon fodder and local spies. In some villages people volunteer for this in order to exert power over others, while in smaller villages people are forced to join; the other villagers are then forced to pay their training costs, salaries and food.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #171 (Dooplaya) To: 3-4-2001
servant * Estimate [the needs] for building 200 feet of fence, then summon the people and bring along the bamboo + wood at the same time. Respectfully,
[Sd.] bbbb [In this order the Captain wrote ‘loh ah pay’, but then scratched it out and wrote ‘wontan’ (‘servant’) above it.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #172 (Papun)
Stamp:
3-4-2001 There are important things to discuss, so follow with this set tha [messenger] now.
[Sd.] [‘Set tha’ is forced labour as messengers and errand-runners; this order has been brought by a villager doing ‘set tha’ forced labour and the village heads are to follow him back to the Army camp.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #173 (Toungoo) [To:] [Village] Secretary 3-4-2001 [You] Must send 5 loh ah pay people. With 3 days’ food. Send them to arrive at 6 o’clock in the morning. If [they] do not come, it will be the Chairperson/Secretary’s responsibility. Reply about the situation. [Sd.] [‘Reply about the situation’ means to send a report on all activities and movements of villagers and resistance forces in the area. On the back this order is addressed "To Secretary, xxxx [village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #174 (Papun)
Stamp:
[To:] Head To transport the sacks of rice from the rations godown at zzzz Army camp hill send five loh ah pay people to the Army camp on 5-4-2001 to arrive at 7 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Note: Do not fail.
[Sd.]
5-4-2001 [The village head told KHRG that five people had to go each day for this forced labour.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #175 (Nyaunglebin) Stamp:
Peace
and Development Council [To:] U
aaaa, U bbbb Subject: To carry out matters of religion Regarding the subject, to extend the zzzz hill pagoda [which is] worshipped by the villages from yyyy Village Tract, the Sayadaw [abbot] of wwww monastery has requested help to carry bricks. The villages from yyyy Village Tract are ordered to help in carrying this out, [it is] the responsibility of the religious people. From vvvv hill brick kiln, these bricks must be [brought and] placed in neat rows at the foot of zzzz hill, in the shelter on the east side. Therefore, the xxxx village Elders have to give alms-labour by sending 1,000 bricks using 5 bullock carts, 200 [bricks] in each cart, along with the people who will lead [the work] on 6-4-2001, you are informed. After transporting them, [you] must report to Tract Peace and Development Chairperson.
[Sd.] cccc [On the back this order is addressed "To U aaaa, U bbbb, Village Heads, xxxx Village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #176 (Toungoo) Stamp:
loh ah pay
loh ah pay
[Sd.] [In the Subject and then again in the text, the officer wrote ‘wontan’ (‘servants’) but then scratched it out and wrote ‘loh ah pay’ above it. The ‘+’ in brackets is there for no apparent reason. On the back of this order the sender has written "Chairperson, xxxx village, 30 people". This order is almost identical to Order #177, but to a different village and demanding more people.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #177 (Toungoo)
Stamp:
loh ah pay To carry out the needs of Frontline #xxx Infantry Battalion, send 25 loh ah pay people and (+) a draught cow from xxxx village to yyyy camp on April 7th, year 2001, to arrive at (0700) hours, you are informed. [Sd.] [In the Subject, the officer wrote ‘wontan’ (‘servants’) but then scratched it out and wrote ‘loh ah pay’ above it. The ‘+’ in brackets is there for no apparent reason. On the back of this order the sender has written "Chairperson, xxxx Village, 25 people".] ______________________________________________________________________________ [To:] [Village] Secretary 7-4-2001 Come quickly tomorrow morning to deliver the 1 loh ah pay person that is needed. I had to detain aaaa [name of a villager]. If 1 person comes from you, I will release aaaa. Then, give also the loh ah pay fee to hire bbbb. bbbb says if [he] doesn’t get the money, [he] won’t go. Moreover, the 2 people who are staying here have been here a long time. Come to replace them. You must come yourself tomorrow. [Sd.] [The village has failed to send a forced labourer as demanded, so the Army officer has captured someone from the village and is detaining him/her until a forced labourer is sent. The ‘fee to hire bbbb’ means that the village head has told the Army camp that bbbb will go in place of another forced labourer from their village, but bbbb has told the Army that the village hasn’t paid him yet and he won’t go until they do. ‘The 2 people who are staying here’ means 2 villagers doing a rotation of forced labour at the Army camp; the village is supposed to rotate them on a regular basis, but replacements have not been sent for ‘a long time’, so the Army has continued to detain them at the camp for forced labour. On the back this order is addressed "To Secretary", and stamped "Chairperson, Village Tract Peace and Development Council, zzzz Village Tract".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #179 (Papun) To: Tomorrow at (0600) hours in the early morning gather 20 male loh ah pay people, then assemble them at the Chairperson’s house. Major
bbbb. [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx [village], Important".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #180 (Papun) Stamp:
To build the godown at the Army camp hill send without fail 10 loh ah pay people from the Elder’s village on 9-4-2001 to arrive at 6 o’clock in the morning. On 8-4-200[1], 10 loh ah pay people from zzzz [village] came and did it. [The villages] have to do it by rotation of 10 people each day. Note: 10 people have to do it by rotation. Do not give less [than 10 people].
[Sd.] [This order means that the area villages must take turns sending 10 people each day for forced labour building the warehouse; today zzzz village is doing it, so tomorrow xxxx village must do it.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #181 (Papun) To: Date:
8-4-2001 Subject: The matter of cutting the road [roadside scrub] Regarding the above matter, [you] have to carry out the cutting of the road [roadside scrub] tomorrow on 9-4-2001 along the aaaa - bbbb - cccc road, from the east side to the top of yyyy village, and each village must send 500 thatch [shingles] for the use of the [Army] camp, you are informed. (U cccc) [This order is signed by the Village Tract PDC Chairman.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #182 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp:
Subject: For the matter of the bullock cart, the Elder’s village has been assigned [to pay] 5,000 K [kyat] money for the cost of 5 sheets of zinc [roofing]. Give it to the letter porter now, you are informed. [You] Must also pay 3,200 K [kyat] for Pyitthu Sit [‘People’s Army’ SPDC militia] support. (This is an emergency) Requesting
[also] the 3,000 K [kyat] in cash
[Sd.] 10-4-01 [The matter of the bullock cart is not clarified, but may mean that the village failed to send a bullock cart for forced labour as demanded so they are being punished with a cash fine. ‘Letter porter’ is a direct translation of ‘Sah Kyaw’, meaning the villager doing ‘set tha’ forced labour who has been forced to deliver this order. The ‘Pyitthu Sit’ is SPDC militia which villagers are forced to support with food and money. On the back this order is addressed to "Ko bbbb, xxxx [village], Emergency".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #183 (Toungoo) To: 10-4-2001 Send 1 loh ah pay person to arrive on the 13th in the evening. Must go to yyyy with food for 5 days. 1
loh ah pay person must always come once every 4 days. [Sd.]
2001 [The forced labourer demanded in the first sentence is to bring along their own food for 5 days and go to yyyy. The second demand is for the village to send one person every 4 days for rotating 4-day shifts of forced labour as servants at the Army camp. On the back this order is addressed "To Village Mother Village Father, xxxx Village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #184 (Papun)
Stamp: Date:
16-4-2001 [To:] Head, xxxx [village] Send 5 loh ah pay people and food from the Head’s village without fail to the Ya Ya Ka [VPDC] office on 17-4-2001 at 6 o’clock in the morning. Note: Weave one yin [a bamboo screen which may be for fishing or used as a sun blind] for the Byu Ha [Operations Command] office. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp: From zzzz Army camp: Three people from the Elder’s village are to come, each with a machete, to the yyyy VPDC office tomorrow, 19-4-2001, to arrive at 6:30 in the morning. Note: [We] are asking you to work only a half day.
[Sd.] 18-4-2001 [The first phrase of this letter indicates that the order originates from the Army camp, though it is being sent out by the Village Tract PDC.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Stamp:
19-4-2001 Subject: The matter of the carriers [porters] who were injured Regarding the above matter, we must have an understanding and help us to pay back the costs to the people who were injured, so you must understand and help with love and unity, this [letter] is for us to let each other know. Please come to send [the money] on 21-4-2001.
Signed, xxxx [village]: (5,000) Kyat [Sd.] [This order is written in Sgaw Karen from the Village Tract Chairperson to a nearby village. It demonstrates that even when villagers are injured while portering for the SPDC Army, the only compensation they get is whatever is raised from their own and the surrounding villages.] ______________________________________________________________________________
To: Date:
19-4-2001 Subject: The matter of collecting and sending the monthly military servant fees for the month of 3/2001 and the money for the balance of the army servant fees which remain to be paid from previous months Regarding the above subject, the villages of yyyy village tract hired 46 people in total as military servants for the month of 3/2001. Collect and send [money] as allocated to each village below, and also come without fail to send the balance of money which is owed to pay for previous months to arrive at the same time on ( 22-4-01 ), you are informed. 1. aaaa [village] - 23 people (23 x 4,250 ) = 97,750 Kyat 2. bbbb [village] -
9 people
(
9 x 4,250 ) =
38,250 " 3. cccc [village]
-
4 people
( 4 x 4,250
) =
17,000 " 4. dddd [village]
-
4
people
( 4 x 4,250 ) =
17,000 " 5. eeee [village]
-
4 people
(
4 x 4,250 ) =
17,000 " 6. ffff [village]
-
2 people
(
2 x 4,250 ) =
8,500 " [Sd.] [These orders are issued monthly to the villages in this village tract; see the notes under Order #100.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #188 (Toungoo) To: 21/4/2001 To discuss and arrange the servant fees for #xxx Light Infantry Battalion and other administrative matters, come and report information on 22-4-2001 to arrive in the evening, you are informed. Also summon and bring along 2 people for set tha [messenger forced labour].
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #189 (Toungoo) Stamp:
To: Informing [you] to pay in full 10,000 K [kyat] for the third month [March] servants’ salary and 10,000 K [kyat] for the fourth month [April] to #xxx Light Infantry Battalion on 22-4-2001. If [you] fail, the responsible people will take action and will act step by step [level by level from the top down], you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #190 (Dooplaya) To: 23-4-2001 400 [shingles of] thatch and 10 people to thatch the roof, coordinate with yyyy [village] and come for loh ah pay, you are requested.
Respectfully,
______________________________________________________________________________ Order #191 (Toungoo) [To:] U aaaa 24-4-2001 I am writing a letter. There is no unusual matter. Is [your] whole family healthy? Keep the cost of 2 bottles of honey from the money I sent for the cost of things, then send the rest of the money with the loh ah pay group who will rotate next week. Write a letter about it and send it. With
friendliness, [‘The loh ah pay group who will rotate next week’ means the group that will come to replace the group presently doing forced labour; clearly the village is forced to send groups by rotation each week. On the back this order is addressed "To U aaaa, xxxx Village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #192 (Dooplaya)
Stamp:
Village Tract Peace and Development
Council To: Subject: The matter of carpenters Regarding the above matter, [you] have not finished building the Operations Command building at yyyy - Divisional Hill yet, so the Chairperson must send the carpenter teachers [meaning professional carpenters] before tomorrow morning on 25-4-2001, you are ordered again. [Sd.]
U bbbb 24-4-2001 [‘Divisional Hill’ means the Army Division camp. In Burmese, the term ‘saya’ (‘teacher’) is used not only for teachers, but also to indicate respect or professional status.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #193 (Papun) To: Pa aaaa, Chairperson Regarding the subject of servants, Pa aaaa’s village must pay servant fees. Right now every village has completed [paying in full] and only Pa aaaa’s one village remains to pay, [so] come to pay tomorrow on 26-4-01, letting [you] know. If [you] fail, it will be the Elder’s responsibility. U
bbbb ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Stamp:
25-4-2001 The wontan [servant(s)] from xxxx [village] fled on 24-4-2001 when the Column was about to go, so the xxxx Chairperson must bring 10-weight [10 viss; 16 kg/35 lb] of pork, or the cash equivalent of 10-weight, as a fine and come to meet me, you are informed. As soon as this letter is received, [you] must come to meet today.
>From Column #xxx Column ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #195 (Dooplaya) To:
Stamp: Subject: Must send 10 servant people As soon as this letter is received the Chairperson yourself must come and hand over 10 servant people to yyyy village. If [you] fail, it will be the Elder’s responsibility, you are informed. Place: yyyy
[Sd.] [This order was written in red ink, commonly used as an indicator of urgency.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #196 (Dooplaya) Stamp:
29-4-21
[2001] Subject: 15 wontan [servants] must come. As soon as this letter is received, come to meet with the Column at yyyy, you are informed. The xxxx Chairperson yourself must come with 15 wontan [servants] at once, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #197 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp:
Date:
29-4-2001 To Informing [you] - Come today to pay the money for the quota Township servants’ fee to the tract Chairperson at yyyy, you are informed. [We] Must go to the Township [office] on the morning of the 30th. Come to pay today.
[Sd.]
cccc [The SPDC township authorities demand forced labour from the village tracts, who divide the demands among the villages. In this case, it appears that the village tract (and the villages under it) have the option of sending the people or paying money which will be used to hire people to go in their place from labour agents in the town. Here the village tract head is telling a village head that he must pay the ‘fee’ for their regular quota of forced labourers today, because the village tract head must go to the Township office the 30th, the last day of the month, to pay the money or else the quota of people will have to go for forced labour. On the back this order is addressed "To U aaaa, Village Head, xxxx [village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #198 (Toungoo) To: 30-4-2001 For zzzz camp, send 500 pieces of halved bamboo [bamboo split in half lengthwise] with Mother’s (Daw aaaa’s) vehicle which comes now. Then, the Chairperson must also go to
meet with the Battalion Commander.
[Sd.] [In this order an Army officer tells the village head to send forced labourers to 2 other Army camps as well as the demand that honey be sent to his own camp. On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, Saw bbbb".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #199 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp:
#xxx Light
Infantry Battalion To: Subject: : Informing [you] to arrange ( 2 ) bullock cart porters For
the use of #xxx Light Infantry Battalion for administrative matters, [we]
need two bullock carts for [Sd.] [This is a typed letter with blanks left which have been filled in by hand with the details shown in italics (village names, number of bullock carts, date, time, and ‘for’ at the bottom). The term used for porters is ‘kyaw’; literally, the phrase is ‘bullock cart porters’, really meaning bullock carts, teams and drivers for forced labour. On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx Village, From xxxx Camp".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #200 (Papun) xxxx [village]
Date
- 2-5-2001 Subject: Note Give 30 mangoes via this set tha [messenger] now. That is all.
yyyy
Army Camp Commander [This order is included here because it makes reference to the ‘set tha’ forced labour messengers who are used to send these letters to the villages and return to the Army camp with whatever has been demanded.] ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| Order #201 (Toungoo) To: 5-5-2001 Subject: The matter of giving loh ah pay Regarding the above subject, the Army has requested loh ah pay for tomorrow morning at 7:00 o’clock, so please arrange to send 1 person this evening for sure. If [you] can’t and want to hire, you can. Therefore, think about it and arrange to send [the person], or if [you] would rather pay the money, come to give it via the [village] head, bbbb. Just a few words, your sibling [Sd.] [This order was written in Sgaw Karen from one village head to another.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #202 (Papun)
Stamp:
6-5-2001 Subject: Informing [you] to send loh ah pay 1. To do loh ah pay for the Camp, requesting the Chairperson yourself to come and hand over 7 villagers. Come on 9-5-2001 at 1000 hours. 2. [We] Will not accept any reason for not sending the loh ah pay, and if [you] fail the responsibility will fall entirely (entirely) on the Chairperson. 3. The villagers who are sent must bring along food for 3 days, you are informed.
[Sd.] [This order is identical to Order #203 but was sent to a different village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #203 (Papun)
Stamp:
6-5-2001 Subject: Informing [you] to send loh ah pay 1. To do loh ah pay for the Camp, requesting the Chairperson yourself to come and hand over 7 villagers. Come on 9-5-2001 at 1000 hours. 2. [We] Will not accept any reason for not sending the loh ah pay, and if [you] fail the responsibility will fall entirely (entirely) on the Chairperson. 3. The villagers who are sent must bring along food for 3 days, you are informed.
[Sd.] [This order is identical to Order #202 but was sent to a different village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #204 (Dooplaya) Stamp:
8-5-2001 I am writing and informing the xxxx Village Chairperson / Secretary respectfully by letter. yyyy [camp] demanded 4 people as servants. 4 servant people from xxxx Village had to do this duty. So [we] hired 4 servant people from zzzz village. [They] Had to go to wwww Camp with food for 2 days. [It cost] 500 Kyat per day for each servant, we gave [them] 4,000 Kyat for the moment. For those 4 servant people, xxxx village must send 4,000 Kyat in cash along with this set tha [messenger] who has come now. If there is anything unusual in the village, reply by letter with this set tha.
LIB xxx [To the left at the bottom the village head has listed 3 names, 2 men and a women, presumably 3 of the 4 villagers who will go for the next shift of this forced labour. This means that as xxxx village didn’t send the 4 servants demanded of them, this officer claims that he had to hire 4 people from another village for 500 Kyat per day. He claims that they have had to carry things to wwww camp for 2 days so he has paid them 4,000 Kyat (1,000 Kyat each) so far, and he is demanding that money from the village which was supposed to send the forced labourers in the first place. If the forced labour lasts additional days, he will demand more. On the back this order says "8-5-2001, xxxx [village], Give to Chairperson, Secretary. Important matter."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #205 (Papun)
Stamp:
8-5-2001 Mother, [we] are sending now two loh ah pay people from yyyy each with a half sack of rice to be sent to the Military Operations Command. Send [the rice] from xxxx to zzzz, from zzzz to wwww, and then to vvvv Camp. yyyy Army
Camp
[Sd.]8/5/2001 [This means that the Army Camp at yyyy wants a sack of rice sent all the way to another Army camp at vvvv. For the first leg of the journey they have sent two villagers who are doing forced labour at their camp with the rice and this letter, which tells the village headwoman to arrange forced labourers to send the rice along the next leg of its journey. On the back this order is addressed "To xxxx Chairperson Daw aaaa, carry out urgently".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #206 (Toungoo) To: 12-5-2001 Send 1 loh ah pay person to arrive at the camp this evening. Write a reply letter about the situation and send it with the letter porter set tha [forced labour messenger] who comes now [delivering this letter].
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson (Uncle aaaa, xxxx [village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #207 (Dooplaya)
Stamp:
Village
Tract Peace and Development Council [To:] Chairperson - xxxx [village] Subject: The matter of building the new 2-storey additional school building at Kyaikdon High School. Regarding the above matter, sand is needed to build the new 2-storey additional school building at Kyaikdon High School. xxxx village must do loh ah pay carrying the sand. Bullock carts [from the village] must deliver 240 big tins of sand to the additional Kyaikdon High School [building], you are ordered. Note:
[Sd.] 12-5-2001 [A ‘big tin’ is a square biscuit tin, measuring about 25 cm (10 inches) square by 35 cm (14 inches) deep. This forced labour will involve villagers gathering the sand from riverbanks, measuring it, then using their bullock carts and teams to deliver it. On the back this order says "21-5-2001, [for] IB #xxx Column Commander bbbb, 1 chicken weighing 80 [kyat] tha [1.44 kg/3.2 lb], and 640 Kyat in cash. To Chairperson, xxxx village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #208 (Dooplaya)
Stamp: To: Subject: 10 loh ah pay people must come As soon as this letter is received, the Chairperson must come quickly together with 10 loh ah pay people, you are informed. If [you] do not come, it will be the Chairperson’s responsibility, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #209 (Papun) To: 14-5-2001 Chairperson, when you receive this letter, gather 25 people with food for 2 days and go to report information at the Column Headquarters at yyyy Village. Among the 25 people, include one member of the VPDC with duty as the leader, and send them today on 14-5-2001.
[Sd.] [This order was followed the same day by Order #210 below.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #210 (Papun) To: 14-5-2001 1. Elder, the Column Headquarters has been informed that as of now, the 25 people from xxxx Village have not yet arrived at yyyy Camp. 2. All of those from the other villages have arrived, so [you] must answer why those from the Elder’s village have not gone and arrived yet. 3. When this letter is received now, 25 people must go to yyyy [Army] Camp tonight. If [you] fail it will be the Elder’s village’s responsibility, you are warned and informed for the second time.
[Sd.] Captain [This order is a follow-up to Order #209 above.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #211 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson. For the 5th month [May], send one chicken along with the set tha [forced labour messenger] who will come tomorrow, you are informed. yyyy Camp Commander [Sd.] [On the back the village head has written:] To: - - - Date: 18-5-2001 The report from the yyyy Camp Commander:
Chairperson [‘The set tha who will come tomorrow’ means the villager who will come to the Army camp for a shift of forced labour as a messenger. On the back of this order, it appears that the village head is requesting the camp commander to report to his superiors that there is nothing unusual happening in his village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #212 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson 23-5-2001 When this letter is received now, come and send 4 servants to yyyy village where the Column is.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #213 (Papun) To: Village
head 23-5-2001 Subject: The matter of coming to the Army camp. Regarding the above subject, [we would like to know] the situation of xxxx village, so come to the yyyy mobile Army camp as soon as [you] receive this letter. You are also informed to bring a rotating messenger.
[Sd. 23-5] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #214 (Papun) To: Village
Head 23-5-2001 Subject: The matter of coming to the Army Camp Regarding the above subject, [we] want to know the situation in the area of xxxx village, so when the letter which we are sending now is received, come to yyyy Mobile Army Camp. Bring along also a rotation set tha [forced labour messenger], you are informed.
[Sd.]
23/5 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #215 (Papun) To: Village
Head 23-5-2001 Subject: The matter of coming to the Army Camp Regarding the above subject, [we] want to know the situation in the area of xxxx village, so when the letter which we are sending now is received, come to yyyy Mobile Army Camp. Bring along also a rotation set tha [forced labour messenger] at the same time, you are informed. [Sd.]
23/5 [This letter was followed 2 days later by Order #219.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #216 (Dooplaya) To: 24-5-2001 As soon as this letter is received, the 3 villages of xxxx are to gather and then come quickly to send 3 servant people to the Column at yyyy Village. If [you] fail, it will be the chairpersons’ responsibility, you are informed.
[Sd.]Captain ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #217 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson 24-5-2001 When this letter is received now, come and send 4 servants to yyyy village quickly. If [you] fail it will be the Chairperson’s responsibility, letting you know.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #218 (Papun) To: Date:
24-5-2001 Right now yyyy Camp is handing over [giving duties] to Mother [herself, the village elder who is writing this letter]. Send 15 loh ah pay people from xxxx [village] right now at the same time with this set tha [messenger]. From
Date: 24-5-2001 [This is a letter from a village headwoman to the head of another village, stating that the Army camp has just demanded a lot of forced labourers from her so she is calling for 15 from the other village. On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx [Village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #219 (Papun) To: Village
Head 25-5-2001 Subject: Must send 1 set tha Regarding the above subject, [we] already sent one letter to the [village] Head on 23-5-2001, but [we] found out that the head is not there, so [we are] writing and sending 1 letter again now. When this letter is received now, come and bring 1 rotation set tha to yyyy Army Camp, you are respectfully informed. [Sd.]
25/5 [A ‘rotation set tha’ is a villager for a rotating shift as a forced labour messenger. The letter of 23-5-2001 mentioned is Order #215.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #220 (Papun) To: Subject: Send 1 messenger. Regarding the above subject, [I] have sent 1 letter dated 23-5-2001 to the village head already, but I have learned that the village head was absent so [I am] respectfully informing [you] to send a rotating messenger to the yyyy Army camp as soon as you receive this letter.
[Sd. 25-5] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #221 (Dooplaya) To: Subject: Demanding wontan [servants] Regarding the above subject, as soon as this letter is received the Chairperson must come quickly to the column with one servant, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #222 (Nyaunglebin) Stamp:
To: Date:
28-5-2001 Big Chairperson, [I am] sending pork with the person who is coming now [with this letter]. Send it to Captain bbbb at zzzz Camp with a set tha [messenger] to arrive today, asking for [your] help. Yesterday, Little Uncle [I] wrote a letter and sent the pork. Reply by letter whether it was received or not, via the person who has come [with this letter]. Thanks.
[Sd.]
28/5 [This Corporal is using the villagers as forced labour to deliver letters and pork to officers in other Army camps. On the back this order is addressed "To U aaaa, Chairperson, xxxx Village" and is stamped with a checklist indicating whether it has been cleared yet by the Column Commander, Adjutant / Quartermaster, and Intelligence Corporal (none of the three are checked).] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #223 (Toungoo)
Stamp:
Date:
28-5-2001
To: Chairperson,
Secretary Subject: To clear the servant hiring fees and to coordinate the matter of servants Regarding the above subject, come to yyyy village without fail to meet at yyyy village on 20-5-2001 at 12:00 o’clock. [You] Must bring along the rest of the money for servant fees, you are ordered by the Camp Commander. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #224 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp: Subject: To send Township servants Regarding the subject matter, Township Security has issued a directive demanding Township servants, so the Elder’s Village must send and hand over the quota without fail to the Tract Peace and Development [Council] on 30-5-2001, you are informed. Send b’kah myaw [scrap wood].
[Sd.] [The township demands ‘quotas’ of forced labourers from each village tract under it, and the village tract in turn divides these demands among the villages. On the back this order is addressed to "U aaaa, U bbbb, Village Heads, xxxx [village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #225 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp:
29-5-01 Subject: Asking help with loh ah pay Regarding the above subject, from the area of Elder’s village send 1 person from the lower village, 2 people from the middle village and yyyy [village], and 3 people from the upper village, totalling 6 people and each bringing a machete, to zzzz [Army] Camp on 30-5-01 in the early morning. Whoever can cut bamboo can come. Do not bring food. The Camp will feed them. Help for 3 days. With
thanks,
[Sd.
‘aaaa’] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #226 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson Subject: Calling wontan [servants] and mill owners Regarding the above matter, summon 1 wontan [servant] and the owners of rice mills and sawmills from xxxx village and come to meet with the Column Commander at yyyy village on 31-5-2001 at (07:00) hours, you are informed. Note: If [you] fail, it will be the responsibility of the Chairperson concerned.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Stamp: Date:
5-2001 Subject: The matter of collecting and sending the monthly military servant fees for the month of 4/2001 and the money for the balance of the army servant fees which remain to be paid from previous months Regarding the above subject, the villages of yyyy village tract hired 46 people in total as military servants for the month of 4/2001. Collect and send [money] as allocated to each village below, and also come without fail to send the balance of money which is owed to pay for previous months to arrive at the same time on ( 31-5-01 ), you are informed. 1. aaaa [village] - 23 people (23 x 4,250 ) = 97,750 Kyat 2. bbbb [village] -
9 people
(
9 x 4,250 ) =
38,250 Kyat 3. cccc [village]
-
4 people
( 4 x 4,250
) =
17,000 Kyat 4. dddd [village]
-
4
people
( 4 x 4,250 ) =
17,000 Kyat 5. eeee [village]
-
4 people
(
4 x 4,250 ) =
17,000 Kyat 6. ffff [village]
-
2 people
(
2 x 4,250 ) =
8,500 Kyat
[Sd.] [These orders are issued monthly to the villages in this village tract; see the notes under Order #100.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #228 (Pa’an) [This is a page of notes written by a village head.] On 12-1-2001, our xxxx Village had to trample and crush bricks. [To do this we had to send] 2 pairs of bullocks each day until the end of the first month [January]. On 3-2-2001, we had to send firewood for baking bricks by the lan. xxxx [village] had to send 30 lan, yyyy [village] 35 lan, zzzz [village] 20 lan, wwww [village] 15 lan, and vvvv [village] 10 lan. One lan is 6 bullock cart loads. Until 21-2-2001. On 1-3-2001, we had to send firewood again to bake again all the remaining bricks that had not finished baking. xxxx [village had to send] 10 lan, yyyy 10 lan, zzzz 5 lan, wwww 5 lan, and vvvv 3 lan. On 3-4-2001, they [SPDC] called a meeting. Because no paddy was planted at qqqq fields and rrrr fields [the fields of qqqq and rrrr villages], xxxx [village] had to pay 100 baskets of paddy, yyyy 100 [baskets], zzzz 60 baskets, wwww 40 baskets, and vvvv 25 baskets. [To compensate the Army for the quotas it could not collect from qqqq and rrrr villages.] On 25-5-2001, each village had to send 10 square cubits of reed matting. The list of flat field owners whose fields were confiscated [by SPDC]: 1. U aaaa
4
acres [The meaning of "One acre is 5 baskets of paddy" is unclear; it may mean that one acre can be planted with 5 baskets, and perhaps the villagers were forced to provide this seed to plant these fields for the SPDC after they were confiscated. One acre yields 50 baskets or more, and the usual SPDC quota on one acre of flat field is 15 baskets. On the back this document is marked "xxxx [Village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #229 (Papun) To: Daw aaaa
When this letter is received now, come to meet with the Column Commander at yyyy. Bring 2 set tha [forced labour messengers] along with you.
[Sd.
‘bbbb’] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #230 (Papun) To: Chairperson, xxxx village Date: 2-6-2001 Subject: The matter of roofing the clinic Regarding the above subject, the Elder’s village is informed to contribute loh ah pay unitedly for the clinic tomorrow (3-6-2001). Bring 2 pieces of bamboo each. (Note:) [Sd.]
U aaaa [This order is signed by the Village Tract PDC Chairman.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #231 (Dooplaya) To: 2-6-2001 As soon as [you] receive this letter, one wontan [servant] and the Chairperson yourself must come to meet at the Column. If [you] fail, it will be the chairperson’s responsibility, you are informed. [Sd.]
Captain ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #232 (Toungoo) [This is a note written by a village elder.] IB #xxx, Southern Command Headquarters 2-6-01 16-3-01 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #233 (Nyaunglebin) [To:] Chairperson Send 2 gat ducks [a type of duck] with Ko aaaa. Send 1 pair of male and female. If [you] can’t get 2 ducks, send 1 male duck.
[Sd.]
4.6.01 * [I] Have sent him [this messenger, Ko aaaa] without the leaders’ knowledge. Tell 8 people from the loh ah pay group [to come] for tomorrow. [We] Will cook rice [for them]. Do not bring rice and curry. [The ‘loh ah pay group’ means the list of people in the village who normally take turns going for forced labour.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #234 (Papun)
Stamp:
5-6-2001 To: With respect, writing and informing [you] by letter. [You] Must provide 20 loh ah pay people from the Chairperson’s village to yyyy Camp to arrive tomorrow evening at 4 o’clock with rice for 2 days. [Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "Chairperson, xxxx [village], U aaaa".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #235 (Toungoo) To: 5-6-2001 Send without fail 3 rotation set tha [messengers] from xxxx village to arrive on 6-6-2001 at 6 o’clock in the morning. Must send [them] to yyyy Camp (zzzz village). The loads have increased a little bit, so please summon the rotation set tha [messengers] for a few extra days and send [them] without fail, asking for help. Note: Send 3 set tha [messengers] to zzzz
Village.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #236 (Papun) To: 6-6-2001 Chairperson, there is an emergency, so now as soon as this letter is received, send 20 loh ah pay people at once with food for 2 days. [Sd.]
Captain ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #237 (Papun) To: U aaaa
Date:
7-6-2001 Dear U aaaa, send 2 bullock carts to the Camp as soon as you receive this letter. Buy 1 bottle of alcohol and send [it] with the drivers of the carts. The money [for the alcohol] will be paid here. Chairperson must come with 2 carts. [Sd.] [When this order was not responded to immediately, it was followed the same day by Order #238 below.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #238 (Papun) To: Date:
7-6-2001 Dear U aaaa, we already sent one letter. Did you receive it? Bring 2 bullock carts with 1 bottle of alcohol, and U aaaa yourself must come before this afternoon.
[Sd.] [This order is a follow-up to Order #237 above.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #239 (Nyaunglebin) [To:] Chairperson Send one big tin of rice with U aaaa.
[Sd.]
bbbb [‘Send back the special set tha’ means that a villager doing forced labour as an ad hoc messenger either fled or was released, and this messenger is to be sent back with the messenger (U aaaa) who has brought this letter.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Stamp:
Date:
10-6-2001 Subject: Calling loh ah pay Send 2 (either male or female) loh ah pay people from xxxx village to yyyy Army Camp on 11-6-2001 at 3 o’clock in the evening, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| Order #241 (Toungoo)
Stamp:
Date:
11-6-2001
Subject: To come and clear the servant fees Regarding the above subject, [the authorities] have come now to demand the balance of the money for servant fees (6,000 K [kyat]) [for previous months] and the servant fees for the 6th month [June] from the Chairperson’s village, so come and bring servant fees for one person from Chairperson’s village today, writing to inform [you] by this letter. Must arrive today. [Sd.] [This means that the military has arrived at the village tract seat, and are demanding the balance of "servant fees" owed by all villages in the tract as well as this month’s "servant fees". These fees are money paid in lieu of forced labour by the villages (though they still have to go for forced labour). This particular village pays fees in lieu of one forced labourer.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #242 (Toungoo) To: 13-6-2001 The groups of rice carriers from xxxx village arrived to us today. [We are] Very grateful. Go and carry the rest of the rice again on 16-6-2001 (Saturday), respectfully asking for help. [Sd.] [The villagers were ordered to pick up the ration rice from a roadhead or another Army camp and deliver them to the camp of this commander. They did so as ordered and arrived at the camp with the rice, so this order demands that they repeat the labour with another load 3 days later. There is no reason why this commander cannot have his soldiers do this work, but he prefers to force the villagers to do it.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #243 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson (xxxx village) 14-6-2001 [We] Need the Chairperson’s village to send 2 bullock carts
right now at once to yyyy.
Yours, [This requires the villagers to drive their carts and teams to the specified place for forced labour hauling things. Rather than sending them to the Army camp, they are being told to send them to a place where they can ford the river. On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx village. From zzzz Camp."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #244 (Nyaunglebin) Stamp:
14-6-01 I am writing a letter. [I] Have received well the mangosteens and durians that [you] sent. [You] Found it and carried out [my demand] in hard times like now, so thanks a lot. The big battalion commander also said thanks a lot. [We] Took care of the group who came to deliver it and fed them well with rice. The other day when [we] got meat, I sent some [to you]. Did you receive it? Right now [I am] sending 2 parcels of meat that have to be sent onward to the Camp. There is no other thing. [We] Chose and marked the land for the yyyy students’ boarding house today. 60 feet x 80 feet = 9 plots for the boarding house and 17 plots for people’s living places. [We are] Arranging loh ah pay from zzzz [village] for tomorrow to cut the scrub at the boarding school site. Coordinate with U bbbb [the head of zzzz village] and carry it out. [We] Should fence and plant trees on the land that is available at the moment, before it is lost. Wishing [you] happiness and health, [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #245 (Nyaunglebin) To: 14-6-01 Send the letter porter fees that have been collected with the person who has come now [to deliver this letter]. Thanks
a lot, [‘Letter porter fees’ is extortion money paid in lieu of sending villagers for ‘set tha’ forced labour carrying messages.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #246 (Nyaunglebin) To: 16-6-01 (1) Give both the money [you have] collected for letter chaw [porter] fees and the money collected for loh ah pay to the person who comes now [to be sent] at the same time. (2) If [you] still have thatch, send it with the group which comes to sign [a document not specified] on Monday. (3) Hire 3 spades [for us]. With thanks, [Sd.
‘aaaa’] [‘Chaw’ literally means porter, so ‘letter chaw’ means messenger. This order demands that the village head send the money he has collected from his villagers as extortion fees to avoid forced labour. He is to hand it over to the forced labour messenger who has come to deliver this letter, who will take it back to the Commander. As item 2 shows, despite these fees the villagers still have to go for forced labour.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #247 (Toungoo) To: 18-6-2001 Elder, Send the 3 villagers who must go to yyyy Camp from the elder’s village to our place right now, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #248 (Nyaunglebin) Ko aaaa 1. As soon as [you] receive this
letter, send 2 loh ah pay people to go and get 20 durian fruits and 100 mangosteen
fruits from xxxx as a present for the Chairperson. [Sd.] 20/6/2001 Ko bbbb, yyyy [village] Regarding the above subject, arrange to carry these presents to the lower [place]. If the arrangements can be finished by others, that is fine.
[Sd.]
20/6/01 [Mangosteens are small, but durians are large spiked fruits a foot or more in diameter and it would take several people or a bullock cart to transport 20 of them. The two sections of this order are in different handwriting and bear different signatures.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #249 (Nyaunglebin) Stamp:
[Sd.] bbbb ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #250 (Nyaunglebin) [To:] Ko aaaa [I am] Writing and informing [you] by letter. Right now, [I am] asking xxxx tract to come and carry rations. Requesting [them] to sell rice, beans and sugar at yyyy [village]. If [you] take only rice, send back the other things. Ask [them] to buy rice [again] at the lower [place]. There, take one sack of rice for yourselves. The rest must be carried back to the Camp. [I am] Requesting this and hoping that the villagers will cooperate. Yours, [In this order the Captain demands that the villagers come to the camp, take the Army rations back to their village and ‘sell’ them (i.e. pay for it themselves), then use the money to go down to the plains, buy better quality rice and carry it back up to the Army camp. SPDC Army units often force the villagers to ‘buy’ their poor-quality ration rice and then use the money to buy better quality rice on the market in this way. Some units simply force the villagers to exchange their good-quality crop rice for poor-quality Army ration rice. On the back this order is addressed to "Ko aaaa, Chairperson".] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
Date:
21-6-2001 Subject: The matter of collecting and sending the monthly military servant fees for the month of 5/2001, and the servant fees from previous months that remain to be paid Regarding the above matter, the villages under yyyy village [tract] have hired 46 people in total as military servants for the month of 5/2001, this month. Every village must collect and send [money] as allocated below, and bring along the money remaining to be paid for previous months. Deliver it without fail to arrive on 30-6-2001, you are informed. 1. aaaa [village] 23 people (23 x 4,250) = 97,750 Kyat 2. bbbb [village]
9 people ( 9 x 4,250)
=
38,250 Kyat 3. cccc [village]
4
people (4 x
4,250) =
17,000 Kyat 4. dddd [village]
4
people (4 x 4,250)
= 17,000 Kyat 5. eeee [village]
4
people (4 x 4,250)
= 17,000 Kyat 6. ffff [village]
2
people (2 x
4,250) =
8,500 Kyat [Sd.] [In this village tract, the local military units make demands for forced labour to the village tract head in yyyy village and he divides the total demand for people among the villages in the tract. However, the villages usually fail to send the people or ask to send money instead, so a system has developed where the village tract head pays labour agents to hire people to fill the demands of the military, then divides the cost among the villages in the tract at a rate of 4,250 Kyat per person hired (4,000 plus 250 Kyat ‘travel cost’). Orders like this one from this village tract have regularly appeared in KHRG order sets in the past, and several occur in this order set from almost every month. See also the notes under Order #100.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #252 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson Date:
21-6-2001 As soon as this letter is received, the Chairperson yourself must come together with this set tha [messenger] for a meeting, you are informed. The meeting will be held at 1 o’clock in the afternoon exactly. [Sd.] [The order above is included here because it makes reference to the ‘set tha’ forced labour messengers who are used to send these letters to the villages and return to the Army camp with whatever has been demanded.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #253 (Nyaunglebin) To: 22-6-2001 Loh ah pay people are needed to carry the rations that we are taking and the things for zzzz, so send 20 loh ah pay people to yyyy Camp. If the tinned milk, [cooking] oil and beans arrive at xxxx, send them on to wwww with bullock carts (or) bicycle carriers. With respect, [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #254 (Papun)
Stamp:
Date:
23-6-2001 Writing a letter. Send rice now from hand to hand [village to village] to arrive today at yyyy, [I am] asking for help. Chairperson Daw aaaa, come quickly to send the rice today. Daw aaaa must come to meet at zzzz [Camp], you are informed.
[Sd.] [This order demands that the village headwoman and some of her villagers transport rice to an Army camp, calling porters from each village along the way if necessary to pass it from ‘hand to hand’.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #255 (Dooplaya) 25/6/2001 [To:] xxxx / yyyy [village] Chairpersons - Why do [you] fail to send the daily set tha [villagers for
forced labour as messengers]?
[Sd.] [‘Set tha’ is forced labour as messengers; most villages are forced to provide one or two ‘set tha’ people to each Army camp near them every day for a 24-hour shift running errands and delivering order letters like this one. ‘Unusual information’ means that the Army thinks there have been resistance movements in the area and is ordering the village heads to report on it. On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx Village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #256 (Nyaunglebin) Stamp: Frontline
#xxx Infantry Battalion To: Chairperson Subject: Must send loh ah pay Regarding the above subject, to carry out the cutting and clearing of bushes and trees surrounding yyyy pagoda, the Elder’s village must send without fail 10 loh ah pay people to Frontline #xxx Infantry Battalion at Strategic Command Hill on 27-6-2001 to arrive at 0700 hours. In order for our Column / Companies to carry out organisational matters, [you] must arrange, help and send one bullock cart of (dry) firewood on the same day, you are informed. [Sd.] [The back of this order bears the same unit stamp and address, with "Important" marked both above and below.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #257 (Dooplaya) Stamp:
Send 3 men with food for 2 days this evening, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Stamp:
Subject: Calling loh ah pay Send without fail 2 (male/female) loh ah pay people from xxxx Village to yyyy Army Camp to arrive on 27-6-2001 at 6 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #259 (Nyaunglebin) [To:] U aaaa
Stamp: I am writing a letter. [We] Received
the 3 viss [4.8 kg/10.5 lb] of pork that were sent, so thanks a lot. [In red ink:] * If [you] have betel leaf, please send some. ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #260 (Dooplaya)
Stamp: As soon as this letter is received now, follow [the messenger] to yyyy with a bullock cart and report information.
[Sd.] [To come "with a bullock cart" means to bring a cart, team and driver for use as forced labour.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #261 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson. Messenger aaaa, father’s name bbbb, is to take duty on 3-7-2001. aaaa must report at yyyy Camp to arrive tomorrow, you are informed. If [he] fails, it will be the Chairperson and aaaa’s responsibility. [Sd.] [On the back the village head has written:] To: - - - Date: 5-7-2001 The report from the xxxx Camp Commander: Chairperson [On the back of this order, it appears that the village head is requesting the camp commander to report to his superiors that there is nothing unusual happening in his village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #262 (Dooplaya) [To:]
5-7-2001 - Already called [you] 4 days ago by letter [sent with a person]
who came to yyyy. That is all.
[Sd.]
[The ‘leader’ is some sort of senior Commander, and this officer says that if the leader becomes angry because the demands are not met, he will point the finger at this village headwoman. He goes on to threaten that if she does not comply he will tell the Column to go to her village for what they want; the context here is that the combat Column will be much more brutal with her and her villagers than the local stationary Army camp, and when a Column comes to a village terrible things usually happen. On the back this order is addressed to "Daw aaaa, Chairperson, xxxx [village]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #263 (Papun) To: Date:
7-7-2001 [I am] Sending a request for things with this set tha [messenger] who has come now. When the things are ready, send [them] back with this set tha.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #264 (Nyaunglebin) [To:] Chairperson Date: 8-7-01 Arrange about 3 viss [4.8 kg/10.5 lb] of pork (or) beef from xxxx or yyyy [village] and send it on Monday or Tuesday for our camp, you are informed. Arrange 2 people to carry things to the Camp along with our group who has come now [with this letter], [because] we have asked U aaaa, who is taking duty as set tha [messenger] for today, to work on the plantation. [Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx Village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #265 (Papun) To: yyyy
Camp Subject: Invitation to a meeting On 22-6-2001 the Camp Commander at yyyy [Army] Camp was changed and [a new one] received. The [new] Camp Commander wants to introduce himself in friendship to the village mothers / fathers from the area surrounding yyyy village, and to gather, coordinate and discuss with the local people about Peace and Development work, so come to yyyy [Army] Camp on 9-7-2001 at 1300 hours, you are invited.
[Sd.] [The village head who received this order says that on 9-7-2001 he went to this meeting, and the Commander said that the villagers must go to make fences and cut and clear around the Army camp. The one who ordered it is officer bbbb from LIB xxx and one of his Sergeant Majors. The villagers had to make fences from 11-7-2001 until 18-7-2001. Several villages received orders calling them to this meeting.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #266 (Toungoo) Stamp:
Subject: The matter of family registers and coordinating the loh ah pay servants Until now, the family register which was already requested from the Elder’s village has not yet been received by the Strategic Operations Command concerned, so the Elder’s village must compile it quickly and send [it]. To coordinate the hiring of loh ah pay servants, come without fail on 14-7-2001 at 8 o’clock on Saturday morning, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #267 (Toungoo)
Stamp: Subject: The matter of coordinating the family register and loh ah pay servants The concerned Strategic Operations Command has not received the family register which was already requested from the Elder’s village, so compile it quickly and send [it]. To coordinate the hiring of loh ah pay servants, come without fail to meet on 14-7-2001 at 8 o’clock on Saturday morning, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #268 (Nyaunglebin) To: Date:
12-7-01 I am writing a letter. The rotation htain
gkin [sitting sentries] have not come to our camp, it has already been 3 days.
Write and explain the reason by letter. As for the matter of the meat that we
requested, is it going well? [We] Want [you] to arrange it. (1) 225 - 50 K [Kyat] The total is 300 K [Kyat]. [‘Htain gkin’ (literally ‘sitting sentries’) means villagers who have to go on a rotating basis for forced labour as sentries and ‘sit’ at the camp until they are needed. On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx Village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #269 (Nyaunglebin)
Stamp:
12-7-2001 [To:] U aaaa / Chairperson / Secretaries I am writing a letter. May the whole village be peaceful. With
thanks, [Here the commander is using the villages to transport rations from the roadhead to his camp step by step. When the rations arrive in the village of this particular headman, he is to use his villagers to transport them to another village along the way, where the people of a third village will be waiting to transport them the next step of the way.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #270 (Dooplaya)
Stamp:
Date:
13-7-2001 To: Chairperson Subject: The matter of making fences for the Army Camp 1. According to the decision agreed upon at the meeting about making fences for the Army Camp which was held on 10-7-2001 at yyyy Village, [from each of] the villages which are included in the list to make fences for the Army Camp, it is ( 130 ) pieces of bamboo [that they must send]. 2. Therefore,
between receiving this letter and 31-7-2001, bring the bamboo and [you] must come
to complete the fence, you are informed. [See also Order #271 below.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #271 (Dooplaya)
Stamp: Date: 13-7-2001 To: Chairperson Subject: The matter of making fences for the Army camp 1) In accordance with the decisions and agreements made at the meeting concerning making fences for the Army camp which was held in yyyy village on 10-7-2001, the villages whose addresses are included [must supply] 150 pieces of bamboo to make fences for the Army camp. 2) Therefore, starting from the receipt of this letter until 31-7-2001, the full quantity of bamboo must be brought and [your villagers] must come to fence, you are informed. [Sd.] [This is a carbon-copied form letter sent out to all villages which were represented at the meeting, with the village name, date and number of bamboo required written in on each copy.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp: To:
Date: 15-7-2001 Subject: The village must send set tha [forced labour messengers] every day One set tha must report for duty every morning at 7 o’clock until the next morning at 7 o’clock. They must be sent from the Chairperson’s village to yyyy Camp starting on 16-7-2001. The set tha who is on duty will be sent back to the village when the next set tha arrives, you are informed.
[Sd.] [This is a form letter sent to several villages. The date, village name and start date (16-7) has been written in by hand.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To:
Stamp: Date:
19-7-2001 Subject: The matter of collecting and sending the monthly military servant fees for the month of 6/2001 and the money for the balance of the army servant fees which remain to be paid from previous months Regarding the above subject, the villages of yyyy village tract hired 31 [sic: 32 (see below)] people in total as military servants for the month of 6/2001. Collect and send [money] as allocated to each village below, and also come without fail to send the balance of money which is owed to pay for previous months to arrive at the same time on ( 30-7-2001 ), you are informed. 1. aaaa [village] - 14 people (14 x 15,000 ) = 210,000 Kyat 2. bbbb [village] -
6 people
(
6 x 15,000 ) =
90,000 Kyat 3. cccc [village]
-
1 person
( 1 x 15,000
) = 15,000
Kyat 4. dddd [village]
-
1½
people (
1½ x 15,000 ) = 22,500 Kyat 5. eeee [village]
-
2½ people
( 2½ x 15,000
) =
37,500 Kyat 6. ffff [village]
-
1 person
(
1 x 15,000 ) =
15,000 Kyat 7. gggg [village]
-
4 people
(
4 x 15,000 ) =
60,000 Kyat
[Sd.] [In comparing this to almost identical orders issued each preceding month (see Order #251 and other monthly orders preceding it) in the same village tract, we see that the number of people ‘hired’ has decreased from 46 to 31, but the price per person has drastically risen from 4,250 Kyat to 15,000 Kyat, and three new villages have been added to the list. This could be a reflection of the falling value of the Kyat, the increased difficulty of hiring people to do forced labour for the SPDC, or an increase in the greed of the local authorities who pocket some of the money. See also the notes under Orders #100 and 251.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #274 (Dooplaya) To: 22-7-2001 The Elder’s village must do loh ah pay at the camp tomorrow on 23-7-2001. Send 6 adult male people, bringing along machetes and rice packs [precooked food for the afternoon meal], to the camp to arrive at 6 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. [Sd.] Maung aaaa [The names written at the bottom left by the village head are the villagers who will be called to go for the forced labour. Though the order specifies 6 male workers, the last of the 6 names (Daw ffff) is a woman.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #275 (Dooplaya) [To:]
Chairpersons 22-7-2001
[Sd.]
Commander [On the back this order is addressed to "Chairperson, xxxx. Operations Command, aaaa, yyyy [camp]".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #276 (Dooplaya) Stamp:
Date:
25-7-2001 To: Subject: The Chairperson and the fence-making group for yyyy Camp must come To make fences for yyyy Camp, the chairperson and the fence-making group must come and arrive on 26-7-2001, you are warned and informed for the last time.
[Sd.] [This relates to Orders #270 and 271, which were carbon copies sent to all villages in the area on July 13th ordering each village to bring bamboo and come to build fences at the Army camp by July 31st. Villages usually postpone complying with SPDC orders for as long as possible, so in this case with only 5 days to the deadline the Camp Commander is becoming impatient.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #277 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson xxxx village 25-7-2001 The subject is that there is an urgent matter with the Chairperson, so as soon as this letter is received, come without fail to meet at the camp, you are informed. If [you] fail, it will be the Chairperson’s responsibility. [Sd.] [On the back the village head has written "On 22-7-2001 yyyy Camp demanded 3 servant people. The servants didn’t go, so on 25-7-2001, [they] demanded 2 chickens."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #278 (Papun) To: 26-7-2001 Subject: Calling 5 set tha people [forced labour messengers] Regarding the above matter, send 5 set tha people from xxxx Village together with the set tha who brings this letter now, you are informed.
[Sd.] Note: Must send without fail 5 set tha [messenger] people. If [you] fail, it will be the Chairperson’s responsibility, letting [you] know. [On the back this order is addressed "Chairperson, xxxx Village. From Camp Commander, yyyy [Army] Camp".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #279 (Nyaunglebin) To: I am writing a letter and sending it with U bbbb. Chairperson, buy 3 big packs of candles and 3 packs of Diazepam (injection) [one pack is 1 dozen] with my htain chaw [sitting porter] money and send them. If Ko aaaa can’t get the medicine from xxxx [village], ask it from yyyy [village]. The month is about to end, so it will be better if the Chairperson clears the account for the htain chaw [sitting porter] money. Deduct the things that I’ve asked [you] to buy and clear it [pay the rest]. In future we will not clear the [money for] htain chaw at the end of the month, it will be better if we clear it in advance, so that the Chairpersons do not also need to pay money when asked for things. If the money has already reached me, [I] will have money. Then when I ask for things, I can give some of the htain chaw money at the same time. Then the Chairperson won’t need to keep a written list and dry out your head [strain your mind with difficult calculations]. [I] Want us all to meet and discuss this, [but] the poison in my leg is not better. There is still pain (from the snakebite wound). I have to make an incision and inject it. Otherwise, I would come and visit the village.
[Sd.] 27/7/2001, Fri[day]
May
God give good things to the [‘Htain chaw’ (literally ‘sitting porters’) means villagers who are forced to go by rotation and sit on call at the Army camp for whenever porters are needed for ad hoc duties. In this case, the camp doesn’t need them so much so it forces the village to pay money every month instead of going. This officer is ordering the village head to use some of the money due for these fees to buy medicine for his snakebite wound and other supplies. His arguments for paying the fees in advance in the future are very weak, and are probably just excuses to demand the money in advance next time.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #280 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson 28-7-2001 [You] Must send 5 loh ah pay people each with a machete this midday, you are informed. [Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| Order #281 (Dooplaya) To: 28-7-2001 Send a set tha [messenger] to report information about whether or not there is unusual news. Do not send a letter with someone who is coming [i.e. send a special messenger, don’t just send a letter with the first person who is coming this way]. [You] Must send 5 daily loh ah pay people each with a machete every day, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #282 (Papun) To: xxxx [Village] Head 30-7-2001 With respect, writing to inform you as below. There is nothing unusual. When you receive my letter arrange 5 of your people, with fully 5 days’ food, one machete each and 3 viss [4.8 kg/10.5 lb] of chicken. Do it immediately on receipt [of this order]. Do not fail. Arrive tomorrow at yyyy Camp. On receipt [of this letter] arrange fully also 50 thatch [shingles]. Just these few words, Signed by, yyyy Camp [This order is written in Sgaw Karen. It is almost identical to Order #283 but was sent to a different village. It calls for 5 people for 5 days of forced labour, bringing all of their own food and tools; the chicken demanded is in addition and is for the Army, not the workers. Making and delivering the 50 thatch shingles is also forced labour. On the back this order says, "Deliver this to arrive at once. Urgent Army matter, [to] xxxx Village Head".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #283 (Papun) To: xxxx [Village] Head 30-7-2001 With respect, writing to inform you as below. There is nothing unusual. When you see this letter, please arrange your people with one machete each. Do it as soon as you find out and receive [this letter]. Bring along food for 5 days. Arrange 5 of your people and 3 viss [4.8 kg/10.5 lb] of chicken. Arrive tomorrow at yyyy Camp. With fully 50 thatch [shingles]. Do it immediately on receipt. Just a few words, Signed by, yyyy Camp [This order is written in Sgaw Karen. It is almost identical to Order #282 but was sent to a different village. It calls for 5 people for 5 days of forced labour, bringing all of their own food and tools; the chicken demanded is in addition and is for the Army, not the workers. Making and delivering the 50 thatch shingles is also forced labour. On the back this order says, "Deliver this to arrive at once. Urgent Army matter, [to] xxxx [Village] Head".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #284 (Dooplaya) 31/7/2001
[Sd.]
Commander ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #285 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson 31/7/2001 To carry the things which were bought for our Camp, the Chairperson’s village must arrange and deliver 1 bullock cart, you are informed. [Sd.] [This order is written in red ink, generally used to indicate urgency.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #286 (Dooplaya) To: The Elder must send 1 viss [1.6 kg/3.5 lb] of chicken from the Elder’s village with the set tha [forced labour messenger] who will come tomorrow, you are informed. [Sd.]3-8-2001 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #287 (Toungoo) Stamp:
Subject: The matter of sending the loh ah pay In accordance with the request of the Strategic Operations Commander from yyyy Army Camp, to gather the rations, the villages from yyyy village tract must send loh ah pay in accordance with the number of villagers shown below, with their own food for 4 days, on 4-8-2001 at 6 o’clock Saturday morning, you are informed. 1. aaaa [village] 3
people Must come to yyyy Camp. [All of the villages listed in this order have to pay high amounts of ‘porter fees’ each month so that the village tract can hire people to go as forced labour porters in their place. They are the same villages listed in Order #273 and other similar orders, and Order #306 below shows that they were later ordered to pay this money for the month of August. However, as this order shows, they are still forced to send forced labourers on an ad hoc basis.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #288 (Papun)
Stamp:
To:
[Village]
Head Date:
3-8-2001 Subject: Sending the money for the teaching school toilet The money from the Elder’s village for the teaching school has not
arrived yet, so send 4,500 Kyat in cash and servants’ money of 5,000 Kyat to arrive
on 4-8-2001, you are informed. [Sd.] [The ‘servants need money’ means that the village tract has hired people to go for a shift of forced labour in place of the villagers, and is now demanding the money from the village so these people can be paid. On the back this order is addressed "To [Village] Elder, xxxx [Village]. Send quickly".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #289 (Dooplaya) To: 4-8-2001 Elder, send 1 viss [1.6 kg/3.5 lb] of chicken from the Elder’s village with the set tha [forced labour messenger] who will come tomorrow, you are informed. [Sd.] [‘The set tha who will come tomorrow’ is the villager who must be sent for a shift of forced labour as a messenger.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #290 (Dooplaya) To: Date:
9/8/2001 The messengers from the Elder’s village must arrive at the camp at 7 o’clock in the morning. Bring along morning rice packs and come to do duty at the camp. Our camp will feed them a morning meal with bean curry. Just send [cooked] rice with the messengers. yyyy Camp [The ‘messengers’ are villagers to do a shift of forced labour as Army messengers.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #291 (Papun) Stamp:
Frontline #xxx Light Infantry Battalion Subject: Invitation to a meeting 1. To gather the rations for zzzz Camp, a meeting will be held to specify and allocate the loh ah pay as shown below. (a) Place :
yyyy Village Monastery 3. Therefore, the village chairperson / head yourself must attend the meeting without fail, you are informed.
[Sd.] [On the envelope: "Stamp: #xxx Light Infantry Battalion, Intelligence Department. To Chairperson/ Head, xxxx Village". On the back of the envelope: "Operations Commander aaaa, Column Commander bbbb. cccc Battalion Commander". ] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #292 (Dooplaya) To: Date:
15-8-2001 Writing a letter. Right now the Column has 11 servants from xxxx village. These 11 servants will be released [to go] back. Therefore the Chairperson’s village must send 5 people to replace the 11 people when this letter is received now. Come and send [them] quickly, letting you know. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #293 (Papun) To: xxxx [Village] Head Date: 16-8-2001 With respect, replying to you by writing. Bring thatch and 10 people of your workers with one machete each tomorrow. Do not fail. That is all. Written by your elder brother aaaa. xxxx
[This order is written in Sgaw Karen. On the back of the order it says, "Urgent Army matter, give to the xxxx [Village] Head".] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
To: Subject: To pay donation money for the matter of the injured and dead servants that were hired The villages from yyyy village tract hired 2 servant people whose names are included below. One died and one stepped on a landmine and was injured, so the villagers from every village are to give donation money commensurate with your goodwill and the fund money that can be collected. Come to pay it to yyyy VPDC, you are informed. (1) Soe Tin, Father: U Aung
Shein - Dead [Sd.] [In this village tract (as can be seen in Orders #306, 273, 251 and similar orders included in this set), the local military makes demands every month for porters to the village tract authorities. Rather than allocate these demands to the local villages, the village tract hires labourers and then bills the local villages. In this case, two of the people they hired were wounded/killed while doing the forced labour as porters, so now it is the villagers, not the SPDC, who are expected to compensate their families.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #295 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
18-8-2001 [We] Have to coordinate about the servants that were specified, so come to meet.
[Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #296 (Nyaunglebin) [To:] Chairperson / Secretary / U aaaa / School Headmaster 20-8-2001 To fence the teaching school at xxxx [village], timber will be sent using 2 bullock carts from yyyy to zzzz on 22-8-2001. 2 bullock carts and 4/5 people from xxxx [village] must come to pick it up at zzzz. Come and wait at zzzz on 22-8-2001 at 9 o’clock in the morning. Also sending 1½-inch nails. Fence [it] completely. If [you] need more, ask again.
Stamp:
Wishing
[you] peace. [In this case orders have been issued to several villages. Each village is to haul the logs on to the next village, to be met there by the people who must haul them onward to their next destination. The people at the final destination will then have to do forced labour building the fences.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #297 (Dooplaya) To: 23/8/201
[sic: 2001] Sending a machete with this set tha [messenger]. Must get this machete repaired. There are no good machetes in the camp. Therefore repair the machete that is sent now. Repair the machete then send it back quickly. If it can be returned on the 25th, that is good. For the person who does the machete, one shirt will be sent. One of the Saya Gyi [Sergeants] already asked for one machete to be done. If it is finished, send [it] with the set tha [forced labour messenger] tomorrow. The camp needs machetes so do nicely the machete that [I have] asked [you] to do, then send it back quickly. Respectfully, yyyy [Camp] [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson, xxxx village, Ko aaaa".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #298 (Papun) Stamp:
24-8-2001 As soon as this letter is received, send 8 villagers to yyyy Camp today at 6 o’clock in the evening, you are informed. [Sd.] [Sd.] [On the back of this order the village head wrote in Karen, "Enemy #xxx, Company #x, on 1-9-2001, demanded 7 villagers, sesame paste 1 viss, 4 bunches of betelnuts, and 3 bunches of coconuts. On 5-9-2001 they demanded 4 people. They don’t like it if we don’t pay them".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #299 (Papun) To: 25-8-01 Subject: To report information on anything unusual / not unusual in the area 1. On the 26th of August, the
Chairperson yourself must come and bring along 30 pepper plants to LIB #xxx.
[Sd.] [The village head has written in pencil on the back of this order, "To: bbbb, With respect, Letting [you] know as below. Here the [village] head is not free, so arrange the people from there. Please. From [village] Head."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #300 (Dooplaya) To: Stamp:
Subject: Calling a meeting Regarding the above subject, the Column Commander wants to meet and question the elder, so as soon as this letter is received, come quickly without fail to meet at yyyy Village, you are informed. Note: The Chairperson must bring along 2 wontan [servant] people. [Sd.] [KHRG obtained three identically worded copies of this order which were sent to different villages.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Township
Peace and Development Council Subject: Each
village must keep village sentries 1) In order that sentries for road bridge security are provided by the villages of yyyy township, and moreover that whenever insurgents enter [the area] it can be reported to the nearest Army Camp at the same time, each village must provide more security sentries for duty, as ordered by the reference letter. 2) Therefore, more duties must be assigned to village security sentries in your own village tracts. [You] Must report on the implementation of this [order] to this office on 3-9-2001, you are informed. [Sd.] Copies to: [This is a cyclostyled form letter sent out to every village tract in the Township, with the village tract name filled in by hand. In areas anywhere near conflict regions, the SPDC forces villagers to provide unarmed sentries along military supply roads; these sentries are supposed to guard against ambush of passing Army convoys or landmining of the road. Any opposition activity is supposed to be reported, and if an attack occurs the nearby villages are normally burned as punishment for not doing their ‘duty’ vigilantly enough. This order, sent out by the Township Peace and Development Council on the orders of the Army Strategic Command, indicates that these sentries cannot continue to guard the roads and at the same time run back and forth to report regularly to the Army camps, so the villages are to be ordered to provide more forced labour sentries to fulfil this dual role.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #302 (Dooplaya) To: Date:
2-9-2001 I still have 1
machete. Tell [him] to measure this machete for a sheath and make it. Respectfully, yyyy
[camp] [‘Saya Gyi’ actually means ‘Senior Teacher’, but in the Army it is used informally to mean Sergeant. On the back this order is addressed to "U aaaa, xxxx village, Chairperson".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #303 (Dooplaya) Stamp: To: Date:
2-9-2001 Subject: Releasing the servants Regarding the above subject, when the 2 people who have gone to send this letter come back, [we] will release the servants who were summoned from xxxx village and sent by the Chairperson. These 5 servants previously arrested and brought will be sent back, and [we] will call for 5 more people to be captured, you are informed. [Sd.]
2-9-2001 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #304 (Toungoo) To: Subject: The matter of repairing the Toungoo – Baw G’Li Gyi vehicle road and digging the stones needed for the repairs According to the directive of the Deputy Battalion Commander from #xxx Infantry Battalion at zzzz Army Camp, the Toungoo – Baw G’Li Gyi vehicle road needs to be repaired. Therefore stone is needed, and repairs need to be carried out such as clearing out the drainage ditches, laying and erecting of timber posts, digging out rocks, filling in with earth, and laying of stones. The villages are to carry this out as specified below. Starting on 5-9-2001, each of you has the duty to carry this out, you are informed. If the Chairpersons / Secretaries are not clear on this matter, come to meet and inquire at zzzz VPDC Office, you are informed again. List of places where the road is to be repaired and the villages which must repair it 1) Above Thit Say Taung [village]
Baw G’Li Gyi, Thit Say Taung, Kyaut Pone, Above Pyaung Tho [village]
Thit Say Taung, Pyaung Tho, Ku Pyaung Villages which have to gather stone
To dig out and gather the stone which is needed, dig and gather stone which is located near the vehicle road.
______________________________________________________________________________ Order #305 (Toungoo) Stamp:
To: Subject: The matter of repairing the Toungoo – Baw G’Li Gyi vehicle road and digging the stones needed for the repairs According to the directive of the Deputy Battalion Commander from #xxx Infantry Battalion at yyyy Army Camp, the Toungoo – Baw G’Li Gyi vehicle road needs to be repaired. Therefore stone is needed, and repairs need to be carried out such as clearing out the drainage ditches, laying and erecting of timber posts, digging out rocks, filling in with earth, and laying of stones. The villages are to carry this out as specified below. Starting on 5-9-2001, each of you has the duty to carry this out, you are informed. If the Chairpersons / Secretaries are not clear on this matter, come to meet and inquire at yyyy VPDC Office, you are informed again. List of places where the road is to be repaired and the villages which must repair it 1) Above Thit Say Taung [village]
Baw G’Li Gyi, Thit Say Taung,
Kyaut Pone, 2) Above Pyaung Tho [village]
Thit Say
Taung, Pyaung Tho, Ku Pyaung 4) Villages which have to gather stone: To dig out and gather the stone which is needed, dig and gather stone which is located near the vehicle road.
[Sd.] [This is almost identical to Order #304. Every village involved received versions of this order.] ______________________________________________________________________________
Stamp:
To: Subject: The matter of collecting and sending the monthly servant fees for the month of 8/2001 and the money for the balance of the servant fees which remain to be paid from previous months Regarding the above subject, the villages of yyyy village tract hired 20 people in total as servants for the month of 8/2001. Collect and send [money] as allocated to each village below, and also come without fail to send the balance of money which is owed for previous months to arrive at the same time on ( 9-9-2001 ), you are informed. (1) aaaa [village] - 12 people (12 x 15,000 ) = 180,000 Kyat (2) bbbb [village] -
4 people
( 4 x
15,000 ) =
60,000 Kyat (3) cccc [village]
-
1 person
( 1 x 15,000
) = 15,000
Kyat (4) dddd [village]
-
1
person (
1 x 15,000 ) =
15,000 Kyat (5) eeee [village]
-
1 person
( 1 x
15,000 ) =
15,000 Kyat (6) ffff [village]
-
1 person
( 1 x
15,000 ) = 15,000
Kyat Collect it quickly and come to give it on 9-9-2001.
Stamp: Chairperson [Orders like this one are received every month by villages in this village tract; see the notes under Order #273, Order #251 and others which precede them in this set.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Stamp: To: Subject: Summoning the village chairperson Regarding the above subject, Daw aaaa (Chairperson) is informed to come and meet at yyyy Army Camp without fail (without fail) as soon as this letter is received. Note: 15 persons, either male/female,
should be brought. [The "15 persons" added in the note are for forced labour.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #308 (Toungoo) Meeting Invitation Letter Chairperson / Secretary / Pastor To coordinate the matter of military servants, attend without fail (without fail) a meeting in accordance with the agenda below, you are invited. Date the meeting will be held :
: 7-9-2001
(
[Sd.] 7-9-2001 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #309 (Papun)
Stamp:
To: 9-9-2001 Subject: Calling wontan [servants] Regarding the above subject, 20 wontan [servant] people from the Elder’s village, bringing along rice for 1 day and whatever is needed, must come without fail together with the Chairperson to yyyy [Army] Camp on 10-9-2001 at 1800 hours in the evening, you are informed. [Sd.] [The village head and 20 villagers went as ordered on 10-9-2001 and took all of their food. They say that they were then forced to go and carry loads for the SPDC column for 2 days. They had to carry loads from yyyy Army camp to zzzz village. They say that they would not be able to remain in their village if they didn’t go as ordered.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #310 (Papun) Stamp: 9-9-2001 To: Chairperson Subject: Calling for servants Regarding the above subject, the Elder’s village must send 20 servants with one day’s rice supply and the required materials and equipment, and the Chairperson yourself must come to yyyy camp on 10-9-2001 at 18:00 hours in the evening without fail, you are informed. [Sd.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #311 (Papun) Stamp: 9-9-2001 Subject: Calling servants Regarding the above subject, the Elder’s village is informed to send 20 servants with 1 day’s food supply and the required materials. Come along with the Chairperson on 10-9-2001 before 1800 hours to zzzz Camp without fail. [Sd.] [When the forced labourers were not sent as ordered, this was followed by Order #313 below.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To: Stamp: 10-9-2001 Subject: Calling for servants The Elder’s village is informed to send 20 servants to yyyy Camp on 10-9-2001 at 1800 hours without fail. If not this evening, must arrive at the camp on 11-9-2001 before 0600 hours in the morning. * (Female servants will also be accepted.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #313 (Papun) Stamp: URGENT Subject: Calling servants The Elder’s village was called upon to send 20 servants, but they have not yet arrived as of today. Be informed that as soon as you receive this letter, the village head must bring 20 servants to yyyy Camp without fail. If [you] fail, it will be xxxx village’s responsibility. URGENT [Sd.] [This order was a follow-up to Order #311 above. By placing the responsibility on the village as a whole, the underlined note at the bottom implies that if the forced labourers still fail to come the troops will storm and punish the entire village.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #314 (Dooplaya) To: Date:
11/9/2001 The Chairperson from the Elder’s village must come and meet at the camp on 12/9/2001 at 10 o’clock in the morning. Must send two sacks of bamboo shoots with the set tha [messenger] the morning of 13/9/2001, you are respectfully informed.
Stamp: Camp Commander [Bamboo shoots are seasonal food which can be gathered in rainy season. Gathering them requires a lot of work and they must be dug out of the ground. The ‘set tha’ means the villager the village must provide for forced labour as a messenger 2 days hence.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #315 (Dooplaya) To: Date:
11/9/2001 The Elder’s village must send exactly two sacks of bamboo shoots with a messenger on 13/9/2001 in the morning. The Chairperson must come without fail to meet at yyyy Camp on 12/9/2001 at 10 o’clock in the morning, you are respectfully informed. Stamp:
Camp Commander [See also Order #314 above. The messenger mentioned is the villager who must go for a shift of ‘set tha’ forced labour the next day.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #316 (Toungoo)
Stamp:
To: Subject: The matter of reporting information on the status of completion of transporting the stones According to the directive of the Operations Commander at yyyy Army Camp, each village must take 20 pits full of stone needed for repairing the yyyy vehicle road and pile [them] along the side of the vehicle road. Therefore, when finished moving the specified 20 pitfuls of stone, the Chairperson / Secretary yourself must report this information to yyyy Army Camp, you are informed. * [You] Must report this information within one week.
[Sd.] [This order is a carbon copy with the village name, signature, and note on the circumference (shown in italics here) written in by hand.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #317 (Dooplaya) Stamp:
Date:
13-9-2001 Tomorrow, do not bring loh ah pay. At the moment, only the 3 Uncle Chairpersons must come and meet. At the moment the loh ah pay is not needed yet. The 3 Uncles must come to meet at the camp, and arrive at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. Bring whatever pepper can be obtained as has already been requested. [We] Want to send [it] tomorrow. That is all. [Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To Chairperson U aaaa, xxxx village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #318 (Dooplaya) To: Chairperson 13-9-2001 Sending 1 shirt for the person who made the machete to wear. Tell [him]
thanks very much. Thanks. yyyy Camp [This order relates to the demands in Orders #297 and 302. On the back this order is addressed "To U aaaa, xxxx [village]. yyyy Camp."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #319 (Dooplaya) Stamp:
To: Date:
13-9-2001 As soon as this letter is received now, the Chairpersons yourselves must come and send 2 loh ah pay people from each village (with rice) to the camp, you are informed.
[Sd.] [The 3 village heads listed are from 3 different villages. On the back this order is addressed "To U aaaa, xxxx village".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #320 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Subject: Calling a discussion on work matters Regarding the above subject, as soon as the Chairperson (Head) from xxxx village receives this letter, come without fail (without fail) to yyyy [Army] Camp, you are informed. Place: yyyy
[Sd.] [This order was entirely written in red ink, indicating urgency. One of the representatives of the village head went to meet the commander on 17/9/2001. The column commander told him that the villagers must come to do ‘loh ah pay’. According to the villager who met the commander, the commander said, "When SPDC soldiers force you to do things, you must always do them. If you see KNU soldiers going around, entering the village or asking things from the village, you must come quickly to inform our camp. If you don’t come to report it at once, we will designate you as protecting the KNU. Then we will force all of you to move alongside the car road."] ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| Order #321 (Dooplaya) To:
Stamp: Subject: Calling for a meeting Regarding the above subject, the Column Commander needs to meet and discuss with the [Village] Heads, so come now together with this set tha [forced labour messenger] to meet the Column Commander at yyyy village. Come to meet without fail, letting you know. [Sd.] [This order is included here because it makes reference to the ‘set tha’ forced labour messengers who are used to send these letters to the villages and return to the Army camp with whatever has been demanded.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #322 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Subject: Calling [you] to discuss work matters Regarding the above subject, as soon as the Chairperson (Head) from xxxx [village] receives this letter, come without fail (without fail) to yyyy [Army] Camp, you are informed. Place: yyyy
[Sd.] [This order is written entirely in red ink, indicating urgency. ‘Work matters’ generally mean assignments for forced labour.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #323 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Date:
18-9-2001 1. [Village] Head, starting tomorrow the [village] Head yourself must write letters whether there are unusual [happenings] / not, and inform us by sending them with a set tha [messenger]. 2. Our Company has not enough rice and it is a problem, so help by supplying 4 bowls of rice from the Head’s village at the same time along with the set tha [messenger] on 19-9-2001.
[Sd.] [The village head told KHRG about this order: "They forced us to go and report information on time and forced us to feed them rice. We had to go and pay them 4 bowls of rice. They didn’t give us any Kyat for the cost. We always have to provide 2 people a week for ‘set tha’ [messenger duty]."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #324 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Subject: Requesting servants Village chairperson (U aaaa) from xxxx village: as soon as [you] receive this letter sent by the Column, U aaaa must summon quickly 5 servant people and send them to the Column.
[Sd.] bbbb ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #325 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
25-9-2001 Head, as soon as [you] receive this letter, the Head yourself must come to yyyy village.
[Sd.] [The village head says that he went as ordered, and the Commander demanded 10 porters to go and carry rations for the Army. The porters had to go and pick up the rations at yyyy [Camp] and carry them to zzzz village. The villagers went on September 26th 2001 and it took them 2 days’ walking and carrying. On the back this order is addressed "To [Village] Head, xxxx Village. Emergency, send quickly".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #326 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
25-9-2001 Subject: Invitation to a meeting Regarding the above subject, come to yyyy tomorrow on 26-9-2001 at 9 o’clock, you are informed. (Note)
(U aaaa ) [The village head received this letter and went to the meeting, where he was told that the village must pay porter fees once a month every month. He added, "Each month, we have to pay 4,500 Kyat. If we don’t pay, they will force all of us to go and stay near the Army camp."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #327 (Pa’an) To: Chairperson /
Head
Stamp: Subject: Come to a meeting Regarding the above subject, [we] want to meet and discuss with the Elder, so come without fail on 26-9-2001, 9th waxing day of Taw Tha Lin month, at 1000 hours, you are informed.
[Sd.] [After attending this meeting the village head wrote the following on the back of this order:] xxxx [village] [Many SPDC officers make money by baking and selling bricks. Materials and some labour (such as the firewood and bullocks mentioned above) are demanded from the local villagers, and off-duty soldiers are used to bake the bricks. All profits go to the officers. Though this meeting occurred in late September, some of the demands were set to begin in November; according to some village heads in the area, they were told that this is to wait until after the visit of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) High Level Team in September-October.] ______________________________________________________________________________ To:
Stamp: Subject: Come for a meeting Regarding the above subject, [for us] to meet and discuss with the Elder come without fail on 26-9-2001, 9th waxing day of Daw Tha Lay [Burmese month], to arrive at 1000 hours, you are informed. [Sd.] [The village head has written a note and attached it to this order, reading as follows:] Regarding the matter of the above meeting on 26-9-2001: From xxxx
village,
5 pieces of bamboo, were demanded again. This is not covered by loh ah pay 1/99. [They] Demanded again 30 baskets of paddy from xxxx village, so the Elder has to check and report. [By ‘loh ah pay 1/99’ the village head means SPDC Order 1/99, which the SPDC claims to have issued in May 1999 banning forced labour. Order 1/99 only referred to forced labour conscripted under the "Villages Act" and the "Towns Act", which are not usually cited by the Army or authorities when demanding forced labour. There was never any evidence whatsoever that Order 1/99 was distributed or implemented anywhere; it appears to have been concocted only to show to the ILO and other foreign organisations.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #329 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Subject: [You] Must come to the Camp [We] Have to coordinate and discuss with the Elders, so come to the [Army] Camp on 28-9-2001 at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Place: yyyy
[Sd.] 27/9 [The village head sent a representative to this meeting. When the representative arrived he was asked, "Have you seen any KNU soldiers?" He was ordered to send reports once a day every day to the camp, and that each village must provide one person as a ‘set tha’ [messenger]. Each ‘set tha’ must go and stay at the Army camp for 3 days, and every 3 days a new person must be sent. This order is a carbon copy with the village name and signature written in by hand.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #330 (Papun) To:
Stamp: As soon as [you] receive this letter, come to report information at yyyy. [Sd.] 28/9 [According to the village head, this order was issued on September 28th 2001 and forced the village to send a ‘set tha’ messenger to report to the camp that they had seen no Karen soldiers or anything unusual.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #331 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Subject: [You] Must come to the Camp [We] Have a matter to discuss with the Elder, so come to the [Army] Camp tomorrow on 30-9-2001 at 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. Place: yyyy
[Sd.] 29/9 [The village head says that he went to the camp and the Army forced the villagers to go to cut and clear the vehicle road and to carry rations, and also demanded 5 people for Army camp labour. The villagers had to go for this work on October 1st 2001.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #332 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Date:
1-10-2001 [Village] Head, as soon as [you] receive this letter now, the Head yourself must come quickly to yyyy village. If the Head is not there, send quickly one person in place of the Head.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed "To [village] head, xxxx village. Emergency, send quickly". The village head went himself. He says that he was told, "If you see KNU soldiers going around, you must come to tell us. If you see them but do not come to tell us at once we will take action on the village head. We will fine you 30 viss (48 kg/105 lb) of pork." At the same time, they demanded 2 porters for 3 days. The village head sent the two porters on October 3rd 2001 at 3:00 p.m., because he says he had no choice.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #333 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Date:
1-10-2001 Head, as soon as [you] receive this letter, the Head yourself must come quickly to yyyy village. If the Head is not there, send quickly one person in place of the Head.
[Sd.] [The village head says that when he went as ordered, he was told to send 2 porters to the Column for 3 days of forced labour. He went and took the 2 porters on October 2nd. On the back this order is addressed "To [Village] Head, xxxx village. Emergency , send quickly".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #334 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
1.10.2001 [Village] Head, as soon as [you] receive this letter, the Head yourself must come quickly to yyyy Village. If the Head is not there, send quickly one person in place of the Head.
[Sd.] [The village head says he received this letter and went at once. When he arrived, Captain aaaa told him that he must provide 3 porters and 2 viss (3.2 kg/7 lb) of chicken. He had no option but to comply, so when he got back to his village he had to find chickens and 2 people to go as porters. On October 2nd 2001 he had to go and send them to the SPDC troops at yyyy village. On the back this order is addressed "To [Village] Head, xxxx Village, Emergency, send quickly".] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #335 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
10-10-2001 As soon as [you] receive this letter, come quickly to yyyy village. Send this letter on to zzzz village with a set tha [messenger] at once, you are informed.
[Sd.] [The village head says that he went as ordered and the Commander demanded 2 big tins of rice, 3 viss (4.8 kg/10.5 lb) of fishpaste, and 2 villagers for forced labour as messengers. They also ordered the villagers to send regular reports as to whether or not they have seen any Karen soldiers. The villagers had to comply with all of these demands. The back of this letter says in red ink, "*Must come without fail. *Send this letter on to zzzz Village with a messenger". This means that the same demands are to be imposed on zzzz village as well.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #336 (Papun) Stamp:
Date:
10-10-2001 When [you] receive this letter, come without fail to yyyy village on Thursday 11-10-2001 to arrive at 1000 hours in the morning, you are informed. If the Head is not there, send a representative.
[Sd.] [On the back this order is addressed to "Head, xxxx village. Come without fail." The village head told KHRG that when he arrived the Commander said, "You do not come to report when KNU soldiers come into the village. You do not come to tell us at once. Right now, I will punish you. You must come to cut and clear around my Camp and make a fence, and bring along 2 viss (3.2 kg/7 lb) of chicken. You must come to do this and finish it completely by 13-10-2001. If you don’t come and do this for us you can’t stay [in your village]. Don’t say anything more to me." On October 13th the villagers gathered and went to work for the SPDC as ordered.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #337 (Papun) Stamp:
18-10-2001 Subject: Calling a meeting To cut the scrub and make fences along the left/right sides of the vehicle road in the bright season [dry season, November-May], the Head yourself must come without fail to yyyy [Army] Camp to attend a meeting on 19-10-2001 not later than 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed. [Sd.] [This order concerns the same meeting specified in Order #338. The village head says that at the meeting, Battalion Commander aaaa said, "If you see KNU soldiers you must come to tell us immediately. Right now, you must come to cut and clear both sides of the vehicle road. Each village must do 3 miles [total], east and west of the village, and it must be finished within 4 days."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #338 (Papun) Stamp:
18-10-2001 Subject: Invitation to attend a meeting To clear the scrub and make fences along the left/right sides of the vehicle road in the bright season [dry season, November-May], the Head yourself must attend without fail a meeting at yyyy [Army] Camp on 19-10-2001 not later than 8 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
[Sd.] [This order is for the same meeting specified in Order #337, but was sent to a different village. This village head went to the meeting and says that at the meeting, "They said that they would be arriving in the hot [season]. They forced us to go and clear around the perimeter of their camp and fence their camp, and we also had to go and cut and clear the vehicle road."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #339 (Papun)
Stamp:
To: Date:
21-10-2001 I am writing a letter. Find out if there is any unusual information or not from xxxx and yyyy villages about Kay En Yu [KNU] insurgents and then reply by letter with a set tha [messenger] right now. [Sd.]
21/10/2001 ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #340 (Papun) Stamp:
To: Date:
22-10-2001 [Village] Head, as soon as this letter is received now, the Head yourself must come quickly (quickly) without fail to yyyy village. If the village head is not there, send another person instead.
[Sd.] [The village head went as ordered and was ordered to replace the villagers from her village currently doing forced labour as porters, because they had already been carrying for too many days. The troops also demanded 10 viss (16 kg/35 lb) of pork to be delivered the same evening. The officer said he would pay 250 Kyat per viss, whereas the price in the village is 600 Kyat per viss. On October 23rd, the villagers went to replace the porters and also took along the pork which had been demanded.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #341 (Papun) To:
Stamp: Come today to yyyy [Army] Camp not later than 10 o’clock, you are informed. When [you] receive this letter, come without fail to report information to the Camp.
[Sd.] 24/10 [At the meeting, the village head says the Commander ordered him to report information about KNLA movements, that if the villagers see them they must go to tell the SPDC. The officer then ordered that the villagers go to clear the sides of the vehicle road and fence both sides of the road. As a result, the villagers had to go and clear the roadsides for 3 days starting on October 26th 2001. They received no payment for this.] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #342 (Papun) To: When [you] receive this letter now come quickly to yyyy Army Camp, you are informed. [Sd.] 24/10/2001 [The village head says that he had to go and meet the officer at yyyy Camp, and the villagers were then forced to clear the sides of the vehicle road. The villagers started on October 26th 2001 and it took them 4 days. They had to take along their own food and sleep by the road. The village head said they had no choice but to go because "We worry that they will come to make problems and come to destroy our paddy, and that we wouldn’t have time to harvest. We are afraid of them so we went to work for them."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #343 (Papun) To: 30-10-2001 Send 5 wontan [servant] people to yyyy to arrive at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. [Sd.] Captain [About this order the village head said, "IB#xxx Company #x Commander Captain aaaa wrote this letter demanding 5 porters, but we only managed to give him 4 people. I went to send them to him on 31-10-2001."] ______________________________________________________________________________ Order #344 (Papun) ([LIB]
xxx) Order
5-11-2001 Informing [you] to comply with cutting [the scrub along] the road and doing loh ah pay tomorrow, between yyyy and xxxx. (Carry this out and do not fail) Must also send the servant fees for the 10th month [October]. U bbbb [The writer of this letter is the village tract PDC chairman of yyyy village tract. The village head says that the villagers had to start this work cutting and clearing the road between his village and the village tract seat on November 8th 2001, and when he was interviewed by KHRG 3 days later they were still doing the work.]
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Table of Contents /
General Forced Labour
/ Forced Labour Supplying Materials
Appendix A / Appendix B