Plantation owners in Khawza sub-township, Mon State, southern Burma are living in fear, apprehensive of being arrested on suspicion of having contacts with Mon rebels moving in the area.

Mon rebels led by Nai Chan Don of the Monland Restoration Party are moving around the villages and the Burmese Army troops are cracking down on them.

"We are afraid of being taken hostage by the rebel group. After they release us, we are again arrested by government troops and tortured. We have to pay the troops after paying the rebels for being released," resident alleged.

"This is the time for harvesting the areca nut, but we do not dare to go to the plantations because of the Mon rebel movement," they said.

Last December, Mi Mi Ngae (45) and her husband were detained by Mon rebels. After they were released they did not dare to return home and escaped to Yebyu Township Tenasserim division to evade arrest by junta troops.

They returned home on August 18 and immediately the police detained and interrogated the couple. The police demanded 0.3 million Kyat but the couple could not pay. They were released later.

On August 19, a villager from Karein Hton village accused of supporting Mon rebels was seriously tortured for two days during interrogation by regime troops.

Currently the government troop fired in the air to scare people before they entered the villages.