Forced relocation following murder of two railway officers

Chan Mon, IMNA
February 5, 2006

The Burmese Army has ordered the relocation of 70 houses to the centre of Pauk-pin-kwin village, Ye Township Mon State following the killing of two railway employees.

Following the local army commander's order some have relocated, but many villagers fled the village. Unidentified armed men kidnapped the two railway employees on the night of December 22.They were later found dead. 

The 70 houses were located in No.1 village quarter and are quite far from the main village. Sources close to the army said it was easy for Mon rebels to hide there.

“Two weeks ago the commander of the Infantry Battalion No.273 held a meeting with villagers and ordered the relocation,” said Ma Khaing who fled to a Mon refugee camp, Hlockhani on the Thai-Burma border.

“Most of the villagers who fled did so because of the commander‘s order,” she said. According to those who fled about 30 percent of the people from 600 households in the village escaped after being beaten up by local troops.

Villagers were told that they would have to take the responsibility if any killing occurs. Many villagers fled to the border while some villagers moved to towns and big villages in the area.

Villagers from the entire village were beaten at the meeting held by the local Burmese Army unit after the kidnapping. The men were beaten and women slapped during interrogation. Soldiers made the villagers sit under the hot sun for the entire day and barred them from eating and drinking water.

The villagers were earlier relocated in 1999, when Mon rebels were moving in the area. Later the army allowed villagers to return. Troops had set on fire some houses in this village and villages near by last year accusing them of supporting Mon rebels.

“We don't dare to stay if they torture us like this,” a man who fled said.

The Burmese military government has declared the area a black area and they can kill anybody without giving a reason.

There is movement by members of Mon Restoration Party in Pauk-pin-kwin village and villages in southern Ye township. The Mon Restoration Party is a splinter group of the New Mon State Party that singed a cease-fire agreement with the military government.