Burmese military authorities have gone on overdrive collecting money from people in 11 villages in Thangtlang Township in Chin state, Burma to renovate a military camp. The extortion is back after a brief lull in using forced labour, porters and collecting funds before the referendum.
 
On May 15, a military camp commander from the Light Infantry Batallion (266) of the Burma Army stationed in Lungler village ordered village heads from Thangtlang Township to collect money from villagers in theirs respective villages in order to renovate the existing military camp.
 
The village heads are collecting Kyat 200 from each household from Za Nak tract that have 11 villages such as Thangzang, Fungkah, Sihhmuh, Ruakhua, Saikah, Ruabuk, Bungkhua, Lungler,Zangtlang, Ralpel and Dawn villages in Thangtlang township.
 
There are around 1,000 households in Za Nak tract and the sum to be collected is an estimated Kyat 200,000 (US dollar 165).
 
"The people have no option except fulfilling whatever the regime demands as they afraid of further persecution or torture by the authorities if they defy the order," said a villager in Thangtlang Township.
 
The deadline set for villagers to pay is the end of May and those who cannot pay in cash will have to bring rice worth Kyat 200.
 
Soldiers from the military camp stationed in Lungler village allegedly force villagers from nearby villages at least three times a year to bring wood, bamboo and money for fencing and reconstruction of the military camp.
 
The army authorities briefly halted forced labour and extortion in Chin state as part of its campaign for the referendum to approve the new constitution, which the regime claimed a majority of voters had approved.