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These photos show Eg--- villagers travelling between Eg--- village and Border Guard Advisor Hpah Nwee’s rubber plantation, and the vehicle road where they were forced to do labour for Tatmadaw and Border Guard soldiers. [Photos: KHRG]
The following situation update was written by a community member in Pa'an District, and is presented below translated exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security.[1] This report was received along with other information from Pa'an District, including three interviews and 82 photographs.[2]
The photos below are of Eg---villagers. On September 18th 2011 they had to repair the vehicle road for SPDC [Tatmadaw][3] and Border Guard soldiers to allow them to travel back and forth between the villages of Eg---and M---, in Dta Greh and Lu Pleh Townships, respectively. The villagers also had to clear vegetation from the rubber plantation belonging to [Border Guard Advisor] Hpah Nwee. About 20 people from each village had to go, bringing their own packets of rice, knives and mattocks [a versatile hand tool similar to a pickaxe which can be used for digging or chopping]. People estimated that more than 50 villagers gathered together [to do forced labour] each day.
Some villagers did not have time to go and some were sick, so they had to hire other people for 4,000 kyat (US $4.89)[4] per day, instead of going themselves. If it [the forced labour] takes the whole week, the villagers will have to hire people for the whole week, as they have to complete it. I took the photos on September 20th 2011 when I stayed in Eg--- village. I interviewed the villagers who had to go [and do forced labour] themselves regarding this information.[5]