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Orders Reports
Orders reports contain direct translations of order documents issued to villages from SPDC (State Peace & Development Council) military and civilian authorities as well as groups allied with the SPDC such as the DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army) and KPF (Karen Peace Force). These provide documentary evidence of forced labour, extortion, forced relocation, movement restrictions and other human rights abuses. Some of the orders appearing here are also used as evidence in other KHRG reports.
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SPDC and DKBA order documents: October 2007 to March 2008
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Aug 6th, 2008 |
| As evidence of ongoing exploitative local governance in rural Burma, this report comprises a collection of 59 translated order documents issued by SPDC and DKBA officers to village heads in Karen State between October 2007 and March 2008. The orders provide tangible confirmation of rural villagers’ consistent testimonies regarding the regular demands for labour, money, food and other supplies to which their communities are subject by local military forces. Amongst other things, these order documents articulate demands for the payment of money and food; fabrication and delivery of building supplies; attendance at meetings; road clearance and construction; portering of military supplies; agricultural labour and the delivery of bullock carts. In almost all cases, such demands are uncompensated and backed by an implicit threat of violence for non-compliance. Almost all demands articulated in the orders presented in this report involve some element of forced labour in their implementation. |
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Shouldering the Burden of Militarisation: SPDC, DKBA and KPF order documents and forced labour since September 2006
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Aug 14th, 2007 |
| Forced labour continues to be among the most pervasive of human rights abuses in Burma and a leading cause of displacement, both internally and as refugees into neighbouring countries. Villagers living in Karen State have expressly condemned the regular, and in many cases daily, demands for forced labour imposed upon them. According to these individuals forced labour has lead to collapsing livelihoods, increased poverty and severe difficulties in addressing health, education and other community needs; leading them to respond with varied strategies including flight and displacement. Such views have been consistent in thousands of KHRG interviews with local villagers conducted over the past 15 years. Despite these testimonies the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the military regime currently ruling Burma, continues to deny the practice of forced labour. However, order documents explicitly demanding forced labour and signed by SPDC officers are regularly collected by KHRG field researchers working throughout Karen State. These documents provide tangible evidence of the continued large-scale perpetration of forced labour in Karen State by military officers and civilian officials of the SPDC, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and the Karen Peace Force. This report has been written to provide contextual details on the widespread and systematic perpetration of forced labour as background to a compendium of 145 order documents sent to villages in Karen State since September 2006, translations of which are included in the appendices below. These order documents have been compiled for submission to the International Labour Organisation’s Committee of Experts meeting in September 2007.
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SPDC & DKBA Orders to villages: Papun, Pa'an, Thaton, Nyaunglebin, Toungoo, & Dooplaya Districts
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Aug 22nd, 2003 |
| This report presents the direct translations of 783 order documents and letters, selected from a total of 1,007 such documents. The orders dictate demands for forced labour, money, food and materials, place restrictions on movements and activities of villagers, and make threats to arrest village elders or destroy villages of those who fail to obey. |
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Forced Labour Orders Since The Ban
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Feb 8th, 2002 |
| A Compendium of SPDC Order Documents Demanding Forced Labour Since November 2000. Below are the direct translations of 453 order documents and letters received by village leaders in Karen State and Pegu Division of Burma. All but a few of them are demands for forced labour issued by State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) military units and local authorities, while the remaining few are letters and notes written by village heads about the forced labour they have been ordered to provide. All of these orders and letters were written and issued after November 1st 2000, which is the date when SPDC Secretary-1 Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt signed an order prohibiting the further use of forced labour by military and civilian authorities. |
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SPDC & DKBA Orders to Villages: Set 2001-A
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May 18th, 2001 |
| This report presents direct translations of 568 order documents and letters, selected from a total of 735 such documents. They dictate demands for forced labour, money, food and materials, place restrictions on the movements and activities of villagers, and make threats to arrest village elders or destroy the villages of those who fail to obey. Almost all of them were sent from SPDC military units and local SPDC authorities to village elders in Papun, Nyaunglebin, Pa'an, Thaton, Toungoo and Dooplaya Districts, which together cover almost all of Karen State and part of eastern Pegu Division. |
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SPDC & DKBA Orders To Villages: SET 2000-B
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Oct 12th, 2000 |
| Following are the direct translations of just over 250 order documents and related letters sent from State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), and Karen Peace Army (KPA) military units and local authorities to villages in Pa'an, Dooplaya, Toungoo, Papun, Thaton and Nyaunglebin Districts of Karen State, southeastern Burma. |
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SPDC & DKBA Orders To Villages: SET 2000-A
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Feb 29th, 2000 |
| Following are the direct translations of close to 300 written orders sent from State Peace & Development Council (SPDC) and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) Army units and local authorities to villages in Papun, Toungoo, Dooplaya and Pa'an Districts of Karen State, southeastern Burma. |
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SPDC & DKBA Orders to Villages: Set 99-C: Karen and Mon States
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Aug 4th, 1999 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SPDC and DKBA Army units and local authorities to villages in Pa'an and Dooplaya Districts of Karen State and Kyaik Mayaw township of Mon State, southeastern Burma. |
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SPDC & Orders To Villages: SET 99-B Thaton and Pa'an Districts
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Apr 19th, 1999 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SPDC and DKBA Army units and local authorities to Karen villages in Thaton and Pa'an Districts of Karen State, southeastern Burma. All of them were issued in the period September 1998 - March 1999. |
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SPDC Orders To Villages: SET 99-A
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Feb 10th, 1999 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SPDC Army units and local authorities to Karen villages in Pa'an, Toungoo, Dooplaya and Papun Districts of Karen State, southeastern Burma. |
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SLORC Orders To Villages: SET 98-A - Pa'an District, Central Karen State
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Mar 1st, 1998 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SLORC Army units to Karen villages in southern Pa’an District of central Karen State, southeastern Burma. Though SLORC (State Law & Order Restoration Council) has now changed its name to SPDC (State Peace & Development Council), these orders were issued shortly before the name change. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 97-B, Central Karen State
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Sep 14th, 1997 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SLORC Army units to Karen villages in Pa’an District of central Karen State, southeastern Burma. They include demands for villagers to do forced labour as porters, at Army camps and on the Pata - Daw Lan road, demands for food, extortion money, bullock carts and building materials, demands for villagers to provide their rice quotas to the Army and threats against those who fail to comply, and orders issued to villages by the DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, which is allied with SLORC) demanding supplies. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: SET 97-A, Chin State
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Mar 16th, 1997 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SLORC Army units to Chin villages in Chin State, northwestern Burma. Copies of these orders were provided to KHRG by the Chin Human Rights Organisation, which is now actively documenting the human rights situation in Chin State. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 96-F, Central Karen State
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Dec 10th, 1996 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SLORC Army units to Karen villages in the area south of Kawkareik, in south-central Karen State. They include demands for forced labour on roads and at Army camps, extortion money, food, building materials, and intelligence. Some are simply a summons for village elders to attend 'meetings' - these meetings at army camps are to dictate forced labour and extortion payment demands, and even though the Camp may be 3 to 5 miles away a 60-year old elder is expected to drop everything and walk there. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 96-E, Central Karen State
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Jul 31st, 1996 |
| Following are the direct translations of some written orders sent from SLORC Army units to Karen villages in the area south of Kawkareik, in south-central Karen State. Most of them are demands for villages to send forced labourers, while some also demand food and building materials. Some are simply a summons for village elders to attend 'meetings' - these meetings at army camps are to dictate forced labour and extortion payment demands, and even though the Camp may be 3 to 5 miles away a 60-year old elder is expected to drop everything and walk there. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 96-D, Karenni State, 1995
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Jul 29th, 1996 |
| This report contains direct translations of State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) orders sent to villages and town quarters in Karenni (Kayah State) in 1995. Most of them are demands for frontline porters and bullock carts for SLORC troops to use in their offensive against the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP). The KNPP made a ceasefire with SLORC in March 1995 which SLORC broke in June 1995 with fresh attacks against Karenni positions, and these orders to villagers reflect part of the result. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 96-C, Ye-Tavoy Railway, Dooplaya District
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May 27th, 1996 |
| This report contains direct translations of several SLORC orders sent to villages in 1995. Orders #1 thru #15 were issued in the Ye-Tavoy railway area and concern railway labour. The Burmese copies of these orders were provided to KHRG by XXXX. Orders #16 and #17 were issued to Karen villages further north in Dooplaya District. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 96-B, Taungoo District
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Feb 23rd, 1996 |
| Following are the direct translations of SLORC typed and handwritten orders sent to Karen villages in Taungoo District in mid-1995. At that time SLORC was intensifying its "Four Cuts" program in the area, ordering villages to move and burning villages and food supplies in order to cut off all possibility of civilian support for the few Karen resistance forces still remaining in the area. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 96-A, Kya-In & Kawkareik Area
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Feb 20th, 1996 |
| Following are the direct translations of SLORC typed and handwritten orders sent to Karen villages in the Kya In and Kawkareik areas of Karen State. All of these orders were signed by SLORC Army (Tatmadaw) officers or SLORC officials, and most of the orders bear the rubber stamps of the issuing military unit. Many of them were copied and sent to many villages. Photocopies of the original orders (with certain details such as village names blacked out) are available on request. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 95-E - Extortion, Threats, & Censorship
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Jul 2nd, 1995 |
| Following are the direct translations of SLORC written orders sent to Karen villages in areas south of Kawkareik (central Karen State) and east of Thanbyuzayat (in southern Karen State). Most of the orders were handwritten, except the anti-KYO orders, which were typed. All of them were signed by SLORC officers, and most are stamped with the rubber stamp of their units. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 95-D - Ye-Tavoy Railway / Gas Pipeline Area
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May 22nd, 1995 |
| Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by villages in southern Burma's Tenasserim Division, along the route of the Ye-Tavoy railway line which is currently being built with forced civilian and convict labour, and in the area where the SLORC / Total / Unocal gas pipeline from the Martaban Gulf is to come ashore en route to Thailand. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 95-C - Mon Area: Ye-Tavoy Railway, Other Forced Labour, etc.
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May 2nd, 1995 |
| Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by Mon villages in southern Burma's Tenasserim Division, along the route of the Ye-Tavoy railway line which is currently being built with forced civilian and convict labour, and in the area where the SLORC / Total / Unocal gas pipeline from the Martaban Gulf is to come ashore en route to Thailand. All of the orders were signed by SLORC officers or officials, and in most cases were stamped with the military unit or local LORC stamp. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 95-B - Newly Occupied Areas, Papun District
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May 1st, 1995 |
| Since December 1994, SLORC has been conducting a widespread offensive west of the Salween River to occupy northern Karen State's Papun District [see the related reports "SLORC's Northern Karen Offensive", KHRG #95-10, 29/3/95, and "Porters: SLORC's Salween Offensive", KHRG #95-12, 8/4/95]. In the process, SLORC forces have occupied areas which were previously strongly under the control of the Karen National Union, such as the Kyauk Nyat area not far south of the Kayah State border. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 95-A - Ye-Tavoy Railway, other Labour, & Extortion
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Jan 5th, 1995 |
| Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by Karen villages, copies of which have been obtained by the Karen Human Rights Group. All of the orders were signed by SLORC officers or officials, and in most cases were stamped with the unit stamp. Photocopies of the order documents themselves may be enclosed with this report, and if not they are available on request. Where necessary, the names of people, villages, and army camps have been blanked out and denoted by ‘xxxx’ to protect the villagers. |
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SLORC Orders to Villages: Set 94-E
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Sep 2nd, 1994 |
| Following are the direct translations of some SLORC written orders sent to villages in the area of the Ye-Tavoy railway line between Mon State and Tenasserim Division, which is currently being constructed entirely by the slave labour of tens of thousands of Mon, Karen, Tavoyan and Burman villagers (see the related report "The Ye-Tavoy Railway", KHRG 13/4/94). These orders are now months old, but copies of them have only recently been obtained by the Karen Human Rights Group. The work has been ongoing since late 1993, and similar orders are still being issued now. |
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SLORC Orders to Karen Villages: Set 94-D
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Aug 24th, 1994 |
| Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by Karen villages, copies of which have been obtained by the Karen Human Rights Group. All of the orders were signed by SLORC officers or officials, and in most cases were stamped with the unit stamp. Photocopies of the order documents themselves are available on request. Where necessary, the names of people, villages, and army camps have been blanked out and denoted by ‘xxxx’ to protect the villagers. |
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More SLORC Orders to Villages
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May 11th, 1994 |
| Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by Karen villages, copies of which have been obtained by the Karen Human Rights Group. All of the orders were signed by SLORC officers, and in most cases were stamped with the unit stamp. |
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SLORC Orders to Karen Villages
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Mar 4th, 1994 |
| Following are the direct translations of some typical SLORC written orders received by Karen villages, copies of which have been obtained by the Karen Human Rights Group. All of the orders were signed by SLORC officers, and in most cases were stamped with the unit stamp. Where necessary, the village name has been blanked out to protect the villagers. |
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Recently Received SLORC Orders to Karen Villages
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Jul 14th, 1993 |
| Following are the direct English translations of several SLORC orders which have been sent to Karen Villages over the past few months. Photocopies of the orders themselves are available upon request. When reading the orders, keep in mind that several defenceless villages have already been shelled with mortar fire for failing to comply with orders such as these. |
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The SLORC's New Forced Relocation Campaign: Translations of some SLORC orders received so far
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Jan 8th, 1993 |
| As the SLORC's "National Convention" begins in Rangoon, their Army is actively forcing tens of thousands of Karen civilians into guarded camps throughout Karen State in an effort to exert complete control over the civilian population. In these armed camps, or "key villages" as the SLORC has called them, no food or medicine is provided, yet guards patrol the perimeter. Villagers face the regular threat of beatings, starvation and death by disease. |
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The SLORC's "Leave or Die" Ultimatum to Karenni Villagers
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Jun 12th, 1992 |
| Following are the direct translations of stamped and signed orders posted by the SLORC in villages throughout western Karenni State in late March of this year. The large areas affected are in the "brown" or "black" areas (those not firmly under SLORC control, where the KNPP opposition is active). |
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