According to sources, villagers in Mongyaw have been made to build fences for a government armed forces base. They have also been forced to fetch water for troops, and act as security for the army’s light infantry #41. The use of civilian vehicles has also been reported, with owners of cars and trucks forced to remain on call in case of military need, with each vehicle assigned to work for the base for a week at a time, according to local sources.

“Food supplies have been demanded by troops, with villagers forced to plant corn, rice, and other crops,” said a villager.

They have also been forced to supply militia members with personal rice supplies, he added.

In Laikha township in Shan State south, government troops have taken livestock from villagers without permission. Troops have also asked for checkpoint fees at various road stops, where motorbikes have been forced to pay 500 Kyat.

The widespread use of rape as a method of warfare in ethnic states has been reported by a variety of advocacy groups and news outlets, including a press conference last week by the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT). The KWAT press conference cited eighteen separate reported incidents in eleven different townships in the Kachin state, where 34 women had been raped by government troops. The KWAT also shared growing sentiment that the rapes had been part of military orders as a means of demoralizing and controlling ethnic populations with resistance forces opposing government troops.

The Myanmar government has been recognized by the international community recently for perceived progress and a willingness to listen to popular demand, particularly in the case of the cancellation of the unpopular Myitsone dam project. According to an article published 7 October by The Irrawaddy, top United States government officials praised the current regime for reform in a recent press conference.