Type of Incident

Forced labour

Date of Incident(s)

January 1st 2013

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

C--- village, Pu Zon Myaung village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw [Hpapun] District

Victim Information

Name    

Age

Sex

Ethnicity

Religion  

Family

Occupation

Responsible

Village

Saw G---

36

Male

Karen

Buddhist

Yes

Farmer

Village head

Y---

Perpetrator Information

Name    

Rank

Unit

Base   

Commander

Monk Thuzana[3]

Patron of Myaing Gyi Ngu, founder of DKBA [Democratic Karen Benevolent Army][4]

Myaing Gyi Ngu

Unknown

1. Explain the specific manner how you collected this information.

The researcher [KHRG community member] himself knew the information about building a bridge called Htee Lah Eh Hta Bridge, which is being constructed across the Yunzalin River in C--- village. [The construction is] led by the presiding monk of Myaing Gyi Ngu, U Thuzana. [This is] based on the exact information reported by Y--- village head, Saw G---, who had to go and build the bridge even when he was not available. Saw G--- is a victim who had to go to build the bridge.

2. Explain how the source verified information accuracy.

This information is accurate because he [the victim] was involved and had to do forced labour in the bridge construction. Saw G--- said, “If it was donation [voluntary] work, it would be fine if we did not go. But now, it is like you cannot refuse to go, so it is not donation [work] anymore”.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail. For each incident, be sure to include 1) when the incident happened, 2) where it happened, 3) what happened, 4) how it happened, 5) who was involved, and 6) why it happened.  Also describe any villager response(s) to the incident, the aftermath and the current living situation of the victims. Please, use the space prepared below and create attach if needed.

The construction of Htee Lah Eh Hta Bridge, which is going to be reported now, started from January 1st 2013 [and is ongoing] until now.[5] There will still be the ordering of [villagers to do] forced labour without payment until the bridge is successfully finished. The Htee Lah Eh Hta Bridge construction is located in C--- village, Pu Zun Myaung village tract, Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw [Hpapun] District at the northern part of the Yunzalin River mouth.

The person who leads and builds the Htee Lah Eh Hta Bridge is the patron and presiding monk, Monk Thuzana, from Myaing Gyi Ngu. The civilians who have to do forced labour have to deal with difficulties. They complain because of being ordered to do forced labour without payment for the long-term bridge construction, even though it is meant to be donation work for religious [purposes]. Since January 1st 2013, when the Htee La Eh Hta’s Bridge started being constructed, the local civilians, including old and young people, male and female, many people, have been ordered [to perform labour] for a long time.

The civilians who are bring ordered [to perform labour] include everyone from Daung Mwe, Day Wa, Kyaw Pa, Me Pa Lee and Pu Zun Myaung village tracts in Bu Tho Township, Mu Traw District. It is known that half of the civilians in Bu Tho Township are ordered [to do forced labour].

Besides ordering [villagers to work] without pay, if the civilians cannot afford to travel and are absent from their own work, U Thuzana does not take responsibility to solve it [the problem] for them. I have done research and know that, even though it is a time when we can say that the ordering of [villagers to] porter and [to do] forced labour by the country government has decreased, the forced labour [ordered by] the Myaing Gyi Ngu vegetarian denomination is carried out so the civilians have to do more work.

Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided.

 Saw G--- gave permission that [the information] can be used as we like and as it is needed.