Interview #4

Karen Farmer
Tavoy Township, Tennaserim Division, Burma
[Note: The last two paragraphs refer to events during 2001, while the other discussions refer to forced labor during the previous five years.]

I left my village in January 2001. . . . [and during the previous] five years [that I lived in my village], we had to work for the military as:

• messengers (two messengers per day)

These two messengers not only sent messages, but they had to cut 50 pieces of bamboo per person. This bamboo, the military sell for themselves, for the battalion funds.

• clearing jungle (villagers had to clear the place)

One man in each household had to go for this order. They asked the villagers doing this up to 1999, twice a week for clearing the jungle.

• "lo-ah-pae" porter [common term for forced labor]

The military asked for 5000 kyat from each family for portering. If the villagers could not provide porters, they have to give money as the Burmese soldiers asked. If you could not give money, villagers had to go porter. The military gave difficulties to the village head, and the village head told the villagers that if anybody cannot pay the money, he will send them to the military because he could not face the punishment from the military. As the military ordered me, I also had to follow. These are the military's rules.

• build up military camp

Villagers had to build two battalions' military camps. . . . Soldiers came and lived in our village, about 50 soldiers each time. When the soldiers came and lived there, villagers could not have time to work for their family. We had to build the place for the soldiers to live. We had to build mostly every year.

In 2000 up to now, villagers had to pay 250-500 kyat for building the bridge. [The interviewee was interviewed in April 2001.] The military asked many villages for building the bridge. The bridge was built in 1999. We had to build every year because the bridge is made of wood and during the rainy season it was destroyed by water. They asked money for the bridge once a year. If the money is not enough, they ask again for more. . . .

In January 2001, the military asked each household for portering fees of 500 kyat. They will ask for the money for portering every month. My friend told me that the Burmese soldiers said that they would ask villagers to feed them rice . . . and any food they need.