The following two sections contain orders related to education and health matters. The SPDC military and civil authorities try to exert control over all aspects of education and health as they do with all other aspects of life in Burma and the orders in this section give some indication of this. The previous section, ‘Demands for Intelligence’, contains additional orders telling village heads to send lists of all details on schools and health clinics (see Orders #356, 380, 390, 398, 399, 403, 410, 419.) with the apparent purpose of controlling their operation and intimidating the villagers.
Education
These orders show that military control and forced labour also intrude even into education at the village level. Orders #429, 430 and 435 demand wood for construction of schools and Order #431 demands substantial amounts of money for the construction of schools. Whenever schools are built the villagers must provide all the building materials, the money for the cost, as well as the labour. Much of the money given by villagers for the cost of building the schools goes into the pockets of the SPDC officers. Army officers often use the construction of a school as an excuse to demand more materials than are necessary, and sell the surplus for their own profit. In the same way officer often demand more money than is needed, or in the cases where money is sent by the Education Ministry to build a school, most of the money is pocketed by the officers while the difference is demanded from the villagers. In some cases villagers have complained to KHRG that after providing all the demanded materials for building the school, the school is never built and the materials are never seen again. Although the SPDC does provide salaries to some teachers, the villagers must pay the salaries of most of the teachers as well as pay for all school materials and school fees.
Order #427 (Pa’an)
Stamp: Township Peace and Development Council
Township Peace and Development Council Myawaddy Town
Myawaddy Town Letter No: x / x - xxx / Yay x
Date: Year 2002, January 19th
To:
- Chief of departments concerned
_________________ Myawaddy Town
- Chairperson / Village Head
xxxx Section/Village
Peace and Development Council, Myawaddy Township
Subject: Invitation to attend a coordination meeting for the opening of the ‘Ah Thon Lon’ training
Reference Letter No: x/x - xxx/Yay x of Myawaddy Township Peace and Development Council dated 26-10-2002
1. To reach 91 percent to 95.5 percent literacy percentage in Burma in the years 2000-2003 a movement of the masses has to be carried out. During the education year 2001 - 2002 the implementation and carrying out of the Ah Thon Lon training in Rakhaing [Arakan] State and Kayin [Karen] State will begin. To begin the implementation and carrying out of Ah Thon Lon training in Myawaddy Township, a coordination meeting will be held for the opening of the Ah Thon Lon training as below. Ah Thon Lon training supervisory township members, members of Section/Village Peace and Development Councils, Chairpersons, clerks yourself attend without fail (without fail) and continue to invite the school headmasters from your section/villages’ basic education schools to attend the meeting and call them along, you are informed.
(a) Date the [meeting] will be held - 22-1-2002, Tuesday
(b) Time the [meeting] will be held - 09:30 hours
(c) Place the [meeting] will be held -Township Peace and Development Council, Chairperson’s Office Room
2. The Village Ah Thon Lon Training Supervisory Committee still has to send the registers ofxxxx, yyyy and zzzz villages, so the committee should organize and carry it out in accordance with the information in the organizing reference letter and bring along the committee registers, you are informed.
[Sd.] 19/1/2002
(for) Chairperson
Moe Kaing, Township Deputy Staff Head
[Page 2]
Copy to:
- Chairperson, District Peace and Development Council
Myawaddy District, Myawaddy Town
- Township, Chief of Education, Township Chief of Education Office, Myawaddy Town - must know and continue to know the school headmasters concerned
- File/Office Receipt Letter
[‘Ah Thon Lon’ is the Burmese equivalent of the English reading, writing and arithmetic.]
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #428 (Pa’an)
Township Peace and Development Council
Myawaddy Town Date: 22-1-2002
To: Village Head_
xxxx village__
Myawaddy Town
Subject: Invitation to a meeting
Regarding the above subject, the meeting, we will hold a meeting with the aim as below. Attend (without fail), you are invited.
Aim: ‘Ah Thon Lon’ training matter
Agenda: Date (25-1-2002) Friday
Time (10:00) hours
Place TPDC Chairperson Office Room
[Sd.] 22/1
(for) Chairperson
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #429 (Papun)
Stamp: Date: 25-1-02
Peace and Development Council
Date: 20-1-02
K’Dtaing Dee Village Tract
To:
Head
xxxx [village]
Subject:
Wood matter
In accordance with the directive of #36 Battalion from the Strategic Operations Command, send quickly 2 logs of thit poke [malodorous wood] to yyyy sawmill on 26-1-02 for repairing the zzzzteaching school, you are informed.
Note: thit poke (circumference) 4 feet, in length
18 feet, 2 logs.
[Sd.]
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #430 (Pa’an)
To: 22-2-2002
Chairperson
Village Peace and Development Council
xxxx village
Subject: Temporarily hire the sawmill
Regarding the above subject, temporarily hire the sawmill for about 3 days starting on 24-2-2002 from Saw aaaa from elder’s village for the building of xxxx Monastery, teaching school and hall, you are requested.
[Sd.]
Mobile Column
Company #x
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #431 (Thaton)
Stamp: Date: 2-3-2002
Village Peace and Development Council
xxxx Camp To:
Village Head
xxxx, yyyy [villages]
With respect, on 2-3-2002, in accordance with the decision of the xxxx [camp] Division Commander’s arrangement for the building of the middle and high schools together, the estimate of the money it will cost is 150,000 [Kyat], 150 thousand [Kyat]. The responsibility for sixty thousand (60,000) Kyat is given to xxxx big village and yyyy village. Therefore, the big village has to take responsibility for thirty thousand Kyat (30,000K) and yyyy village for thirty thousand Kyat (30,000K), letting you know.
This money must be sent in April.
[Sd.] U aaaa, 2/3/2002
Stamp: Chairperson
Village Peace and Development Council
zzzz Village, Bilin Township
[The SPDC is going to build a combined middle and high school.]
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #432 (Pa’an)
Stamp: Township Peace and Development Council
Township Peace and Development Council Myawaddy Town
Myawaddy Town Letter No #x / x - xxx / Yay x
Date: Year 2002, April [unclear]
To:
Chairperson
xxxx________ Section / Village Tract
Peace and Development Council (All)
Myawaddy Township
Subject: Distribution and donation of books and pencils for the 2002 ‘Ah Thon Lon’ trainees.
1. For the Ah Thon Lon trainees males/females who are starting in the year 2002 dry season at Myawaddy District, Myawaddy Township, the District Peace and Development Council sent and donated 2,262 books and 2,262 pencils. For the continued distribution of 1 book, 1 pencil to each AhThon Lon trainee male/female from your section/village tract, we are sending them in accordance with the attached list.
2. Without fail report again the situation when finished distributing it to the trainees of the AhThon Lon training which is starting and training in your section/villages to the office, you are informed.
[Sd.]
Chairperson
Kyi 16530/ Captain Ni Aung
Copy to:
-Chairperson, State Peace and Development Council
Kayin State, Pa’an Town
- Chairperson, District Peace and Development Council
Myawaddy District, Myawaddy Town
- Township Chief of Education, Township Chief of Education Office, Myawaddy Town
- File/Office Receipt.
[Page 2]
Attachment
List of the distribution of books and pencils to sections/village tracts which were sent and donated by the District Peace and Development Council
No |
Section/Village tract |
Number of trainees male/female |
Number |
Note |
|
books |
pencils |
||||
1 |
No (1) Section |
43 |
43 |
43 |
|
2 |
No (2) Section |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
3 |
No (3) “ |
41 |
41 |
41 |
|
4 |
No (4) “ |
35 |
35 |
35 |
|
5 |
No (5) |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
6 |
Yay Bu Village |
21 |
21 |
21 |
|
7 |
Meh Daw Th’Lay (b) |
70 |
70 |
70 |
|
8 |
Meh Daw Th’Lay (a) |
15 |
15 |
15 |
|
9 |
In Kyin Myaing |
13 |
13 |
13 |
|
10 |
Min Let Pan |
19 |
19 |
19 |
|
11 |
Pa Lu |
22 |
22 |
22 |
|
12 |
Waw Lay |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
13 |
Pa Chaung |
56 |
56 |
56 |
|
14 |
Meh Ka Neh |
58 |
58 |
58 |
|
15 |
Ywa Thit |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
16 |
Thin Gan Nyi Naung |
100 |
100 |
100 |
|
17 |
Huay Shan |
73 |
73 |
73 |
|
18 |
Meh P’Leh |
129 |
129 |
129 |
|
19 |
A’Pyin Gwin G’Lay |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
20 |
Bpaw Law |
140 |
140 |
140 |
|
21 |
Than P’Ya |
71 |
71 |
71 |
|
22 |
Htee Char Ra |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
23 |
Htee Wa B’Law |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
24 |
Htee Law Thay |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
25 |
Kaw Kaw |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
26 |
Shwe Kok Koh |
302 |
302 |
302 |
|
27 |
Kyaw Koh |
49 |
49 |
49 |
|
28 |
IB#275 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
|
29 |
LIB#355 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
30 |
LIB#356 |
34 |
34 |
34 |
|
31 |
LIB#357 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
|
|
Total |
2262 |
2262 |
2262 |
|
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #433 (Pa’an)
Stamp: Township Peace and Development Council
Township Peace and Development Council Myawaddy Town
[Illegible] Letter No # x / x - xxx / Yay x
Date: Year 2002, April [illegible]
To:
Chairperson
xxxx Section / Village Tract
Peace and Development Council (all)
Myawaddy Township
Subject: For the distribution of donated books and pencils to the Year 2002 ‘Ah Thon Lon’ trainees
1. The District Peace and Development Council sent and donated 2,262 books and 2,262 pencils for Ah Thon Lon male/female trainees who started the training in the hot season Year 2002 at Myawaddy District, Myawaddy Township. Continue distributing to the Ah Thon Lon male/female trainees 1 book, 1 pencil each in your section/village tract, we are sending them according to the attached list.
2. Report without fail the situation when finished distributing them to the trainees of the “Ah”Thon Lon training which has opened and is training in your sections/villages. Report without fail again to this office, you are informed.
[Sd.]
Stamp: Chairperson
(Kyi 16530/ Captain Ni Aung)
Copies to-
- Chairperson, State Peace and Development Council
Karen State, Pa’an Town.
- Chairperson, District Peace and Development Council
Myawaddy District, Myawaddy Town.
-Township Education Chief, Township Education Chief Office, Myawaddy Town
- File/ Office receipts.
[Page 2]
Attached
List of distributed books and pencils to sections / village tracts that were sent and donated by the District Peace and Development Council.
No |
Section/ village tract |
quantity of male/female trainees |
Number of books |
Pencils |
Note |
1 |
No (1) Section |
43 |
43 |
43 |
|
2 |
No (2) Section |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
3 |
No (3) “ |
41 |
41 |
41 |
|
4 |
No (4) “ |
35 |
35 |
35 |
|
5 |
No (5) “ |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
6 |
Yay Bu Village |
21 |
21 |
21 |
|
7 |
Meh Daw Tha Lay (b) |
70 |
70 |
70 |
|
8 |
Meh Daw Tha Lay (a) |
15 |
15 |
15 |
|
9 |
In Kyin Myaing |
13 |
13 |
13 |
|
10 |
Min Let Pan |
19 |
19 |
19 |
|
11 |
Pa Lu |
22 |
22 |
22 |
|
12 |
Waw Lay |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
13 |
Pa Chaung |
56 |
56 |
56 |
|
14 |
Meh K’Neh |
58 |
58 |
58 |
|
15 |
Ywa Thit |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
16 |
Thin Gan Nyi Naung |
100 |
100 |
100 |
|
17 |
Kway Shan |
73 |
73 |
73 |
|
18 |
Meh P’Leh |
129 |
129 |
129 |
|
19 |
Pyin Gwin K’Lay |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
20 |
Bpaw Law |
140 |
140 |
140 |
|
21 |
Than P’Ya |
71 |
71 |
71 |
|
22 |
Htee Cha Ra |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
23 |
Htee Wa Blaw |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
24 |
Htee Lay Thay |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
25 |
Kaw Kaw |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
26 |
Shwe Kok Koh |
302 |
302 |
302 |
|
27 |
Kyaw Koh |
49 |
49 |
49 |
|
28 |
IB (275) |
25 |
25 |
25 |
|
29 |
LIB (355) |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
30 |
LIB (356) |
34 |
34 |
34 |
|
31 |
LIB (357) |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
|
Total |
2,262 |
2,262 |
2,262 |
|
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #434 (Pa’an)
Stamp: Township Peace and Development Council
Township Peace and Development Council Myawaddy Town
Myawaddy Town Letter No: x / xxxx / Yay x
Year 2002, April 19th
To:
(All) the department chiefs concerned
_________________________________Myawaddy Town
Chairperson
xxxx - yyyy Section/Village Tract Peace and Development Council, Myawaddy Township
Subject: The matter of the ethnic people of the Union who are finishing the Development College Primary Teacher Training Number (33) and applying for the 1 Year Education Training Diploma.
Reference: Letter No: x / x - x / Oo x of the Karen State Peace and Development Council dated 25-3-2002
1. Regarding the ethnic people of the Union who are finishing the Development College Primary Teacher Training Number (33) and applying for the 1 Year Education Training Diploma, the State Trainee Selection Committees are to send these applications to the Central Trainee Selection Committee to arrive on time on 1-4-2002. The above Central Trainee Selection Committee informed the ethnic people of the Union Development College with letter No: xxx / - x / x / x / x xx dated on 6-3-2002, and the Karen Sate Peace and Development Council is informing again with this reference letter.
2. Therefore, if the people from your concerned departments and sections/villages who are applying to attend the 1 Year Education Training Diploma 1, remind them to send the applications on time, you are informed.
[Sd.]
Chairperson
(Kyi 16530, Bo Gyi Ni Aung)
Copy to:
- Chairperson, Myawaddy District Peace and Development Council, Myawaddy Town
- Township Education Chief, Myawaddy Town- (Let the male/female teachers in your township know again)
- File/ Receipt
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #435 (Thaton)
To:
Chairperson + saw mill owners
xxxx village
The wood order which is needed to build the new school building
pyin k’doe 5” x 5” = 13’ - 16 pieces
5” x 2” = 11’ - 10 pieces
“ “ = 15’ - 10 pieces
Send the wood that is shown to yyyy to arrive on 30-4-2002.
Thankfully,
U aaaa
22-4-2002
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #436 (Thaton)
Stamp: To: 22-5-02
Peace and Development Council Head
K’Dtaing Dee Village Tract xxxx village
Subject: Asking for hill toddy palm thatch
1. Regarding the above subject, xxxx (basic middle school) and (health clinic) are destroyed.
2. To prepare for building the education and health [facilities], bamboo and thatch are needed.
3. Therefore, help with 100 shingles of hill toddy palm thatch from the Elder’s village, you are requested.
4. Thatch and bamboo have already been asked for from the other villages.
5. Therefore, send 100 shingles of thatch to the VPDC office at the latest on 25-5-02, you are informed.
[Sd.] 22-5-02
Stamp: for Chairperson
Village Peace and Development Council
K’Dtaing Dee Village Tract, Papun Township
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #437 (Papun)
Stamp: To: Date: 2-6-2002
Peace and Development Council Head - xxxx [village]
K’Dtaing Dee Village Tract
Subject: The matter of repairing xxxx school.
Regarding the above subject, for the roof of xxxx school, 10 male loh ah pay people from the elder’s village come to VPDC office tomorrow on 3-6-2002 to arrive at 7 o’clock in the morning, you are informed.
<Note> Do not fail at all. Stamp: Chairperson
Village Peace and Development Council
K’Dtaing Dee Village Tract, Papun Township
[The roofing of the school took two days to complete.]
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #438 (Dooplaya)
Stamp:
24-8-2002 Frontline #301 Light Infantry Battalion
Column #1 Headquarters
To:
Chairperson
xxxx [village]
This is for continuing to send these books which have been brought now together with a letter for yyyy village and zzzz village’s school.
[Sd.]
Camp Commander
xxxx Camp
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #439 (Pa’an)
(80’ x 30’) zinc roof, brick wall, timber flooring one floor school (New design)
List of the estimated expenses
No |
Subject |
magnitude/count |
Rate (kyat) |
Your money (kyat) |
|
1 |
Cement |
146 |
sacks |
3,500 |
511,000 |
2 |
Brick |
25282 |
sheets |
17 |
429,794 |
3 |
Pebble |
7.61 |
piles |
12,000 |
91,320 |
4 |
Sand |
23 |
piles |
5,000 |
115,000 |
5 |
Lime |
253 |
cubic feet |
1,000 |
253,000 |
6 |
Pyin K’Doe [ironwood tree] |
12 |
tons |
35,000 |
420,000 |
7 |
Pyin K’Doe (tongue and groove plank) |
5.16 |
tons |
50,000 |
258,000 |
8 |
Teak |
1.21 |
tons |
200,000 |
242,000 |
9 |
beat nail |
226 |
pounds |
350 |
79,100 |
10 |
7’Myoung Zinc |
296 |
sheets |
2,100 |
621,600 |
11 |
8’Myoung Zinc |
12 |
sheets |
4,000 |
48,000 |
12 |
Zinc nail |
55 |
pounds |
450 |
24,750 |
13 |
Glass |
414 |
sa/ feet |
550 |
227,700 |
14 |
2’ ceiling flat rock |
670 |
sheets |
800 |
536,000 |
15 |
Teak beading |
1742 |
feets |
15 |
26,130 |
16 |
nail carpenter’s square |
32 |
[long] pieces |
450 |
14,400 |
17 |
brickbat |
3.72 |
piles |
3,000 |
11,160 |
|
|
|
|
|
3908,954 |
18 |
Materials for fixing the window |
|
|
3 % |
117,268 |
19 |
oil paint / painting |
|
|
5 % |
195,447 |
|
|
|
|
|
4,221,669 |
Payment for work 20 % 844,333
Total Kyat = 5,066,002
(About 5 millions 100 thousands)
Note:
(Calculate with the area rate on 17-9-2002.)
[Sd.] 17-9-2002
([Illegible] aaaa)
Middle Engineer #x Myoh Pya
[This is a list of materials which were used to build a school. Six villages had to contribute the money and materials listed here to build this school.]
Health
The SPDC has long been criticised for placing almost none of its resources into health care. In 2000 the World Health Organisation rated Burma’s health care system 190th out of 191 countries (Sierra Leone ranked last). Over the past several years foreign non-governmental organisations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF and even the UN Development Programme have been trying to force aid for health care on the regime, and been somewhat more efficient in seeing that the aid reaches the target; new clinic, vaccinations and HIV awareness meetings. All of these are financed and arranged by foreign organisations, although when the projects are implemented the SPDC is quick to try and take credit for them.
Order #440 (Pa’an)
Stamp:
Village Tract Peace and Development Council
yyyy village
To:
Chairperson
xxxx Village Peace and Development Council
Kawkareik Town
Date: Year 2002 May 5th
Subject: The matter of carrying out assistance money to build the village health department building in yyyy village.
1. To build the village health department building at yyyy village on March 30th 2002, Village Chairperson and the elders were to coordinate and decide but we have seen that you have not helped or paid until today on 5-5-2002.
2. Therefore, for the donation money to help from the each of the elder’s of the Village Tract, pay to the Treasurer and Funding Committee Chairperson, Chairperson U aaaa at yyyy village, you are informed.
[Sd.]
Camp Commander
xxxx Army Camp
Copy to:
Chairpersons, xxxx, yyyy, zzzz,
wwww, vvvv, uuuu
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #441 (Papun)
Stamp: To: 26-9-02
Peace and Development Council Saw aaaa
Papun Township xxxx [village]
yyyy village
With respect, informing you as below.
Tomorrow morning, the teacher [nurse] will come to give injections to the children under 5 years old, will give injections to the children under 5 years old. Come without fail, and wood sawyers and Saw aaaa yourself come to wait at zzzz [village]. Wood sawyers and Saw aaaa come early without fail to wait at zzzz.
[Sd.]
Stamp: Chairperson
Village Peace and Development Council
yyyy village, Papun Township
______________________________________________________________________________
Order #442 (Papun)
Stamp: 28-9-2002
Township Health Chief Department
Papun Town
To:
Chairperson
VPDC Group
xxxx Village Tract
Subject: The matter of measles vaccination injections
Regarding the above subject, the responsible people from yyyy Health Department will come to give measles vaccination injections to the young children between 9 months to 5 years at the Elder’s village, so the elder has to know and call and gather the children between 9 months and 5 years old from the villages near to xxxx village, letting you know and you are informed.
Come to be picked up on 1-10-2002 at 10 o’clock in the morning by engine boat.
[Sd.]
Stamp: (aaaa)
Health In-Charge
yyyy Health Department
Papun Town