FBR REPORT: Burma Army Conducts Sweeps of
Villages in it's Hunt for the Arakan Pro-Democracy Ethnic Resistiance
Arakan State
15 June, 2010
Burma Army steals food and demands forced labor as it conducts sweeps of
villages in it's hunt for the Arakan pro-democracy ethnic resistance
and Burma Army defectors 1/2 kilometer from the Indian Border.
Map of area of report
Burma Army Battalions #232 (based at Patarli Village) and #289
(based at Paletwa Mro Ma Village), composed of over 180 men including
the Tactical Commander and all the Battalion officers, are conducting
sweeps against villagers in Paletwa Township, Chin State. The villages
threatened include:
Pumnyan Wa
Nygeliwa
Doe Chawn Wa
Parkarwa
Aumthiwa
Shwe Lie Pue
Phe Lie Wa
Satanwa
Mariwa
The Battalion HQ has been set up at Mariwa Village which is
located only half a kilometer from the Indian Border and only 30 minutes
walk from Tapu Shay Village, Raw The Village, and Latar Lunn Village,
Lawntalet District, Mizoram, India (N22.124061, E92.752841). The
Battalion is hunting ALA (Arakan Liberation Army) members and searching
for six Burma Army defectors who have been cooperating with the ALA.
Because of this operation, thousands of villagers are suffering.
At Mariwa Village, 40 villagers are being forced to act as security for
the camp (20 during the day and 20 at night). They are not allowed to
return home and their wives and family members have to send them their
food. They not only have to provide security for the camp, but they are
being forced to porter for the Burma Army on their patrols. They have to
carry the soldier's uniforms, backpacks, ammunition, and anything else
the soldiers require. They don't have to carry food, as the soldiers are
under orders to take their food from the local villagers and not carry
rations.
The villagers in the area have been forced to give their
chickens, pigs, goats and other domestic animals to the Burma Army for
food. Each village must also have 10 motorboats on standby for use by
the Burma Army whenever they want. The current price for Diesel Fuel in
the area is 22,000 kyats for one Kalam (1 kg or 6 bottles) but the Burma
Army is only paying about half of that, the rest the motorboat owner
must pay for out of his own pocket.
God bless you,
Arakan Relief Team Coordinator
Free Burma Rangers
The Free Burma Rangers’ (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and
love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity
or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human
rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under
the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational
resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military
attacks.
