Local Burmese military junta authorities in Mudon Township are now forcing teashop and restaurant owners to carry out surveillance on their clients who are talking about politics. Failure of shop owners to report instances of political discussion will result in punishment.

A week ago, local Burmese State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) authorities from Mon state, Mudon town, called teashop and restaurant owners from  Mudon town and Kamawatt village Mudon township, to a meeting in a secret location, to initiate their new programme of surveillance over people who are talking about politics, according to a resident from Kamawatt village.

If shop owners see or hear people talking about politics, the shop owners must memorize their names, and then report to the authorities, according to a shop owner.

This is the first instance of forced government surveillance in the area, and no one is sure why this new programme has been put into practice now.

Even though shop owners know the people who are talking about politics, if they refuse or forget to tell the authorities, the shopkeepers will be punished. While there is no guarantee of being caught, if a shop owner fails to report political talk, the threat of punishment remains. So far there are no reports of shop owners directly disobeying the order to carry out surveillance against clients.

“If we see any one talking about politics, we have to tell them [authorities]. If we do not tell them we will be punished, they said in the meeting,” said a shop owner whose name and village have been withheld for security reasons.

According to a source close to shop owners, the local authorities forced the shopkeepers to sign an agreement in the meeting. If the news of the meeting spreads beyond the shop owners, who collect information, they will be punished.

The authorities are concerned that if patrons of teashops and restaurants hear about the forced surveillance efforts, they will not come or be less likely to talk politics there.

“Authorities told them [shop owners] that this news should not spread,” said a source close to one of the shop owners. “If this news spreads outside, shop owners who spread the information about surveillance will have action taken against them,” the source added.

“I also heard about this as a rumor for eight days in Thanphyuzayet, and when I asked one of the teashop owners, the owner said that it is not true. I think, he is afraid that the authorities will punish him as he promised not to tell anyone,” said a villager from Thanphyuzayet.

The authorities only called tea and restaurant owners to carry out surveillance. They did not force other shop owners to do this. According to another source close to a shop owner, they are being selected because people like to talk about politics in teashops and restaurants.