The Burmese Army has begun to collect paddy forcibly from farmers as of early this month in Natchung village tract in Kalay Township, Sagaing Division in Burma. Needless to say there is no compensation.

The forcible collection of paddy is for army rations for the Light Infantry Battalion (89) stationed in Kalay town. Farmers in Natchung village tract include those in Chunggwa, NatMyaung and Natchung villages. They were forced to provide two tins of paddy (one tin equal to around 43 Kg) for every acre of land.

The quantum of paddy the farmers were forced to provide the army depended on the measurement of land farmers own.

"They (army) started collecting paddy since the beginning of this month. The military authorities said it was mandatory," a farmer in Natchung village tract said.

Army trucks of the LIB (89) came from Kalay town and transported the paddy piled up in the vicinity of Natchung village council office.

Locals in Tamu town also said that the army based in Kalay also collected paddy from farmers in Tamu and Khanpat areas in Sagaing Division.

Last year, the army from the same battalion collected paddy from farmers in Natchung village tract but it paid half the price of paddy it took and provided chemical fertilizers to the farmers, a farmer in Kalay added.         

This year there is no compensation from the army for the exploited farmers.

"The army did not provide any compensation or chemical fertilizers for the paddy they collected from us," a villager in Kalay complained.