Military keeps up heat on people following blast

IMNA
Feb 7, 2006

Despite the shock of the gas explosion decreasing by the day, the military government has kept up the heat on the people of the area.

The troops arrested a former militia leader yesterday and more than 10 villagers including the secretary of the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC). They were sent to the Military Southeast Region in Moulmein on suspicion of being involved in the gas explosion, according to a source closed to the VPDC.

Some Burmese people were beaten up by the military and travel is restricted in the blast area. The military has been checking the registrations of family members (Burmese call it Poun zan Thit hse) of Burmese people from upper Burma who work in the area, local people claimed. Troops have been targeting people of Burmese nationality because they believe Burmese men from Thailand caused the explosion.

Moreover many villagers around the explosion site are being forced to patrol the pipeline to ensure its security after the explosion on February 1 night.

About 35 villagers from each village near the blast site are patrolling the Kanbauk- Myaing Kalay pipeline near their villages every night and day, said the source.

Guarding the pipeline is the responsibly of the military government. It is not the responsibly of the villagers, Nai Kasauh Mon, a director of Human RightFoundation of Monland ( Burma ) said.

“Guarding the pipeline means trouble for the villagers because the responsibility is that of the army,” according to Nai Kasauh Mon.

Their livelihood is being disturbed because of they are being forced to patrol the gas pipeline, he added.

Most of the explosions in the gas pipeline occurred in Mon State and two-thirds of the pipeline passes through Mon area. The pipeline crosses farmlands, rubber plantations, several villages, and some towns.