More than a thousand of ethnic Palaung youth in Shan State North’s Namhsan and Mantong townships have reportedly been migrating to border areas of Sino-China each week in order to look for jobs and better lives, according to sources from the Sino-Burma border.

The latest arrival to China’s Ruili (Shweli in Burmese), opposite of Burma’s Muse township, was reported two days ago. There were about 40 people in the group who said they had no jobs to support themselves,” according to a local resident in Ruili.

Regardless of having no jobs, they were still required to pay tax to the local authorities concerned, said a migrant who asked not to be named.

“We had to pay money to the authorities or village headmen every month for authorities’ salary even though we did not have income. We had to do domestic chores for their soldiers. We had to fetch them water, timber and vegetables including rice and oil,” said a 20 year old girl from Mantong.

According to another source from Namhai village tract, Mantong township, villagers were ordered to pay for the construction of school buildings which would cost about 20 million Kyat (US$ 20,000). Each household was assigned to pay 20,000 (US $ 20) Kyat.

The order was passed on 2 January 2011, by Maj Zaw Myo Aung from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)# 324 based in Shan State North’s Namtu township, Maj La Hseng from Kachin Democratic Army (KDA) and U San Thein, a headmaster. The villagers were told to send the money by 31 January, said a source.

Earlier this month, the military junta announced that it will spend 1.8 trillion kyat ($2 billion), or 23.6 percent of the budget on defense, 324 billion Kyat ($349 million) 4.13 % on education while 99.5 billion kyat ($110 million), or 1.3 percent on health sector. However, soldiers from lower rank are still expected to go by self-reliance even though one quarter of the national budget is to be spent on the military.

“In the past, there were only two or three people looking for work outside the home area. But now, no one has anything to do. On the other hand, tea price is not so good. But we still need to pay what the authorities want,” said another migrant worker who is working in a restaurant.

According to the people in Ruili, the total number of people migrating into the area is approximately about four to five thousands the past few months. They are mostly working in sugar cane fields, farms, and water melon fields while some are working in restaurants.

Palaung people mainly rely on tea plantation. However, tea prices had dramatically dropped when the junta authorities announced they found out Oramin O in tea and banned the people either to sell or buy tea. Owing to the reason, many people have nothing to do and are unable to pay their debts and taxes to the authorities.