Residents in southern Mon state are in a Catch-22 situation. They are caught between the Burmese Army and Mon rebels of the Monland Restoration Party (MRP). While the rebels collect food and tax from the villagers, the troops of the Burmese Army hit back at villagers, torture and at times kill with impunity. Residents are caught between the devil and the deep sea.
On the other hand MRP soldiers quite often capture the village headman and villagers in the area for not paying money. They are released after paying up. Residents are known to pay as much as 150,000 Kyat to the Mon rebels because they are mortally scared of the insurgents. If the villagers take sides, the opposing camps come down on them heavily and vice a versa. They are at a total loss.
For instance last month troops of the Burmese Army based in Southern Mon state arrested a village headman and some members of the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) for arranging to meet the Monland Restoration Party's demands for funds. They went to hand over money demanded by Mon rebels. The soldiers caught them later and beat up the village headman and his team "the way someone would beat cattle and pigs in front of villagers," IMNA had reported.
They freed the headman and five villagers after interrogating and torturing them on the accusation that they had been lending support to Mon rebels who are in the area.
The Yin-ye village headman Nai Maung Ba along with the others villagers were released after they came with guarantees. Three villagers who own farmlands and plantations provided the guarantee for each of them. If someone from among the group flees the area the farmlands and plantations would be seized by the army. The troops of the Burmese Army's Infantry Battalion (IB) No.31 based in Khawza sub Township in southern Ye township had been interrogating and torturing them over a period of time before freeing them on the guarantees.
The army, to make sure that none of those who were interrogated disappeared, made them sign papers every three days at the Infantry Battalion No. 31 camp. To make matters worse the headman and his Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) team were removed from their positions.
The anger of Burmese Army troops is vented on villagers and stem from the frequent clashes that occur between the troops and the Mon rebels. For instance in June a Burmese Army captain and four soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by Mon guerrillas. The MRP soldiers fired on junta troops travelling in trucks and motorcycles from a hill near Kabya (Mahae) village.
The ambush followed days later by another skirmish where the Mon rebels had three of its soldiers including a major killed and lost four guns in a fire fight with the Burmese Army troops based in southern Mon state.
The clash occurred on Ye-Khawza Road, near Kabya village, about seven miles north of Khawza town on June 10 and one Burmese Army captain and two soldiers were also killed. Two other soldiers were seriously injured.
The MRP officer who died in the fire fight with the Burmese soldiers was Major Eein Dae who had allegedly ordered the shooting at a car carrying villagers and Hangan village militia returning from the local pagoda festival in April. The locals had alleged that the insurgents shot innocent villagers. But Eein Dae had denied it and had said they had shot at the Burmese militia.
Villagers had also alleged that Eein Dae led MRP troops started collecting tax from the people in the area. In a vicious circle, because Eein Dae's ordered Yin Ye villagers to pay tax, Burmese Army troops arrested and severely beat up the village headman and some villagers because they arranged to pay the tax to the MRP.
At the heart of the matter are the activities of the Mon insurgents against the Burmese Army and it retaliating, which is followed by reprisals on the local people. MRP troops have been active in the area for over six years and keep demanding financial assistance from villagers. Irate Burmese Army troops unable to check the rebels, executed many of the group's supporters. Some have been arrested and are under detention. On the flip side some military government informers and military regime supporters in the area were killed by the MRP.
Recently Burmese troops tried to round up retired members of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) by planting a bomb at a polling station during the May 10 referendum to approve the draft constitution, in a bid to frame them. It was part of a larger conspiracy where more bombs were to be placed but the police and the village headmen did not cooperate. Many of the retired members fled their homes. But Nai Show (35) a former NMSP medical worker and two villagers in Yindein village were unable to and were arrested. Severe torture began to be unleashed to force them to confess that they had exploded a bomb. Nai died following the torture.
The Burmese Army is bent on wresting control of the area from both the MRP and NMSP, which has a ceasefire agreement with the junta.
Apart from reprisals on the harsher side like executions, are troops of the army taking it out on villagers. The Burmese Military Southeast Command has formulated a new strategy of warfare in southern Mon state. It is into building new army bases for which it confiscated more than 200 acres of land. No compensation was paid. Worse was yet to come for the army then ordered villagers to spend their money and build the bases.
The tactical commander ordered setting up of seven army bases in six villages along the motor road of Ye-Khawzar. Each family in the villages was ordered to make provisions for construction material such as bamboos, poles and roofing. Villagers were forced into construction work on rotation. The bases are being set up in Sinku, Ywa Thit, Yinye, Yin Dein, Kabyar, and Hinthar Ywa Thit where Mon insurgents are trying to strengthen its army.
Among other punitive measures for the people is the ban on going to work outside villages. Between 2004- 2005 the Burmese Military Southeast Command launched a fierce military offensive against Mon rebels and forced young women to entertain military officers and soldiers in the barracks. Dozens of women from the area were raped and were made to work like sex slaves in the barracks, such was the repression.
