Burmese Army soldiers have been demanding livestock and money from starving villagers in areas that are severely affected by acute food shortage in southern Chin state, western Burma.

Captain Aung Kyaw Hein from LIB (538) stationed in the Shinletwa military camp in Paletwa Township on September 2 held a meeting and called in village heads from nine village tracts in Paletwa Township, according to villagers in Paletwa Township.

At the meeting, Captain Aung Kyaw Hein told the village heads from nine village tracts to bring eight chickens per village tract or Kyat 15,000 in cash.

The military authorities did not divulge if the livestock and money extorted were meant for military rations or personal consumption.

"The Captain did not mention for what purpose he has been collecting livestock and money," a villager said.

The village heads who attended meeting urged the Captain to consider the difficult situation the villages are facing given the food shortage but the military authorities allegedly threatened them with severe action if they failed to comply.

"Though the village heads told the captain that the villagers could not comply as they are facing shortage of food, the Captain told them that they would shoot villagers if they did not," said a member of the village council in Shinletwa.

On the same day, scared village heads paid the money they borrowed from neighbouring villages, said a member of the village council.

Moreover, Burmese soldiers extorted money from villagers who crossed the border and smuggled livestock to neighbouring Mizoram state in India.

Most villagers in the food crisis hit areas have been smuggling their backyard livestock to Mizoram state and selling it there in order to purchase food and other necessities.

"Once I came to Mizoram searching for a job. On the way, I came across Burmese soldiers. When they found I was carrying a chicken they started asking for the chicken," said a villager from Bawiri village in Matupi Township.

"As I kept refusing to handover the chicken, they asked for Kyat 2,000 instead. Only after I had given them Kyat 2,000, they allowed me to proceed," he added

The villagers complained that the junta had not helped address the food crisis that villagers were facing. Instead the military took whatever they could from villagers.