Migrant workers from upper and middle Burma have been causing trouble in several villages in Mon State through robbery, drunkenness, stealing produce and damaging paddy fields. Villagers have been afraid to protest due to threats of violence from the migrants, who come mostly to find work on rubber plantations, vegetable garden or in the salt industry and small brick factories. Some of the workers are ex-soldiers, say IMNA sources.
One group of workers has been accused of stealing equipment from rubber plantations in A-ning village, Thanbyuzayart (Thanpyuzayart) Township. According to a female plantation owner in the area, “the villagers are now afraid of the migrant workers and guard their plantations against them since they robbed equipment from their land. When I went to my plantation I ran after I saw the group of migrants. They make trouble when we have nothing to give them.” This has happened three or four times but they didn’t get anything on these occasions because the villagers escaped.
The plantation owner associated the migrant workers’ behavior to a lack of jobs, saying, “I think this is because there are now fewer jobs but more migrant workers.” Migrant workers from elsewhere in Burma are increasingly attracted to Mon State, where relatively bountiful plantations and paddy fields offer promises of economic opportunity. The area economy has been hit hard by declining rubber prices, however, which have dropped by nearly 75%. Many working-age people born in Mon State, meanwhile, leave to seek work higher paying jobs in Thailand.
In another incident in Taungbone village, Ye Township, groups of migrants who were fishing in the local paddy fields damaged the crop by pulling up paddy but villagers were too afraid to confront them. According to one local farmer, “they were afraid to talk to the migrant workers who damaged the paddy because usually there’s only one local there but a big group of migrants. If you complain to them they will beat you.”
There have also been incidents of migrant workers stealing produce from local fruit plantations. A plantation owner, from southern Ye Township, who saw this happen in Hninue village said, “even if someone sees migrant workers picking areca nut or lemons from their land they would have to avoid them because they’re afraid.”
Stealing produce has also been reported in Andin village and, according to a local resident, it has happened in Mudon township, Ye township and Kyaikmayaw township.
On another occasion in 2007 migrant workers robbed jewelry from a woman in Hnitkayin village, according to another villager. Now, says the source, when they go to the paddy fields and plantations they have to go carefully.
However, one migrant worker from Irrawaddy Division who is now working on a plantation in Kalort-tort village said, “I think these migrants do not have enough to survive so this is why they act this way. Some people do not work, they get drunk and they threaten people to get money. Some of us come to Mon state to work honestly and earn money but some migrants scheme to come here and get money easily from the people. I work honestly on the plantation and show respect to the owners.”
As another migrant from Nyaunglepin Township, Pegu Division pointed out, “I get only 600 kyat per day at home town and the most I could get is 1000 kyat. We came to Mon state for the same reason Mon people go to Thailand – to make more money.”
