Incident Report: Land confiscation and forced labour in Thaton District, April 2012

Incident report | Hpa-an Township, Thaton District (April 2012)

The following incident report 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 Thaton District, including four other incident reports, five interviews, one situation update and 139 photographs.[2]

Part 1 – Incident details

Type of Incident
Type of Incident
[Villagers were] forced to clear the company's plantation
[Villagers were] forced to clear the company's plantation
Type of Incident
Date of Incident(s)
[Villagers were] forced to clear the company's plantation
April 25th 2012
Type of Incident
Incident Location (Village, Township and District)
[Villagers were] forced to clear the company's plantation
T--- village, Meh K'Na Hkee village tract, Hpa-an Township
Type of Incident
[Villagers were] forced to clear the company's plantation
Date of Incident(s)
April 25th 2012
Incident Location (Village, Township and District)
T--- village, Meh K'Na Hkee village tract, Hpa-an Township
Victim Information
Victim Information
Victim Information
Name
Age
Sex
Nationality
Family
Occupation
Religion
Position
Village
Victim Information
Naw S---
46
Female
Karen
Married with six children (eldest one, 17-years-old; youngest one, 6-years-old)
Hill farming
Buddhist
15-day-village head
T--- village
Victim Information
Name
Age
Sex
Nationality
Family
Occupation
Religion
Position
Village
Naw S---
46
Female
Karen
Married with six children (eldest one, 17-years-old; youngest one, 6-years-old)
Hill farming
Buddhist
15-day-village head
T--- village
Perpetrator information
Perpetrator information
Perpetrator information
Name
Rank
Unit
Based at
Commander's Name
Perpetrator information
Thaw Ma Na
Company second-in-command
Battalion #1014
Law Pu village
Myint Way
Perpetrator information
Tin Win
Company Commander
 
 
 
Perpetrator information
Thein Lay Myaing Company
 
 
 
 
Perpetrator information
Name
Rank
Unit
Based at
Commander's Name
Thaw Ma Na
Company second-in-command
Battalion #1014
Law Pu village
Myint Way
Tin Win
Company Commander
      
Thein Lay Myaing Company
        

Part 2 - Information Quality

1. Explain the specific manner in which you collected this information.
1. Explain the specific manner in which you collected this information.
1. Explain the specific manner in which you collected this information.
On April 25th 2012, Thein Lay Myaing Company and Shwe Than Lwin Company worked together with Border Guard [Border Guard Force (BGF)] Battalion #1014, which is [locally] led by Tin Win and Thaw Ma Na. They worked together and came into [the region] and confiscated 500 acres of land, which is between T--- village and X--- village. Then, they forced the villagers to go and clear the bushes but they didn't give any wages.
1. Explain the specific manner in which you collected this information.
On April 25th 2012, Thein Lay Myaing Company and Shwe Than Lwin Company worked together with Border Guard [Border Guard Force (BGF)] Battalion #1014, which is [locally] led by Tin Win and Thaw Ma Na. They worked together and came into [the region] and confiscated 500 acres of land, which is between T--- village and X--- village. Then, they forced the villagers to go and clear the bushes but they didn't give any wages.
2. Explain how the source verified information accuracy.
2. Explain how the source verified information accuracy.
2. Explain how the source verified information accuracy.
Naw S---, a villager from T--- village, who had to go and clear the bushes in the rubber plantation owned by the companies and the Border Guard, which is between T--- and X---, reported that each house had to go and clear [the bushes] for three days, but that they didn't give any wages. Moreover, the villagers had to bring their own food and materials.
2. Explain how the source verified information accuracy.
Naw S---, a villager from T--- village, who had to go and clear the bushes in the rubber plantation owned by the companies and the Border Guard, which is between T--- and X---, reported that each house had to go and clear [the bushes] for three days, but that they didn't give any wages. Moreover, the villagers had to bring their own food and materials.

Part 3 – Incident Details

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 an attachment if needed.
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 an attachment if needed.
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 an attachment if needed.
On April 25th 2012, Border Guard Battalion #1014, which is based in Law Pu camp and is [locally] led by Commander Tin Win, forced each house from the T---, W--- and V--- and X--- villages to go and clear a rubber plantation that is between T--- and X---; a place in Ha T'Reh village tract and T--- village. The Border Guard was known to have taken bribes from Thein Lay Myaing Company and Shwe Than Lwin Company before they forced the villagers [to clear the plantation]. The companies worked together with Karen State Democracy and Development Party [KSDDP], which was formed by old leaders from the DKBA [Democratic Karen Benevolent Army], who did not join the Border Guard. These people became advisors for the Border Guard, but they didn't have any way to receive income. Therefore, when the Burmese [Burma] government held the [2010] election, they formed a party. The people who lead the party are Chairman U Tha Htoo Kyaw, Secretary U La Ba, Joint Secretary U Kyaw Than and Committee Member U Han Soe.

U Han Soe, who is among the people from that party, is working with Shwe Than Lwin Company, and he established this plantation place. Because such a broad and wide area of plantation land was designated, the nearby villages faced problems with farming, grazing their cows and buffalos, and finding food like vegetables and firewood, which they get from the forest. The villagers will have to face [a problem] with insufficient food in coming years, which is what they [the villagers] have already expected.

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 an attachment if needed.
On April 25th 2012, Border Guard Battalion #1014, which is based in Law Pu camp and is [locally] led by Commander Tin Win, forced each house from the T---, W--- and V--- and X--- villages to go and clear a rubber plantation that is between T--- and X---; a place in Ha T'Reh village tract and T--- village. The Border Guard was known to have taken bribes from Thein Lay Myaing Company and Shwe Than Lwin Company before they forced the villagers [to clear the plantation]. The companies worked together with Karen State Democracy and Development Party [KSDDP], which was formed by old leaders from the DKBA [Democratic Karen Benevolent Army], who did not join the Border Guard. These people became advisors for the Border Guard, but they didn't have any way to receive income. Therefore, when the Burmese [Burma] government held the [2010] election, they formed a party. The people who lead the party are Chairman U Tha Htoo Kyaw, Secretary U La Ba, Joint Secretary U Kyaw Than and Committee Member U Han Soe.

U Han Soe, who is among the people from that party, is working with Shwe Than Lwin Company, and he established this plantation place. Because such a broad and wide area of plantation land was designated, the nearby villages faced problems with farming, grazing their cows and buffalos, and finding food like vegetables and firewood, which they get from the forest. The villagers will have to face [a problem] with insufficient food in coming years, which is what they [the villagers] have already expected.