Burma Army Conducts Sweeps of Villages in it's Hunt for the Arakan Pro-Democracy Ethnic Resistance
Arakan State
15 June, 2010

Burma Army steals food and demands forced labor as it conducts sweeps of villages in it's hunt for the Arakan pro-democracy ethnic resistiance and Burma Army defectors 1/2 kilometer from the Indian Border.


Map of area of report

Burma Army Battalions #232 (based at Patarli Village) and #289 (based at Paletwa Mro Ma Village), composed of over 180 men including the Tactical Commander and all the Battalion officers, are conducting sweeps against villagers in Paletwa Township, Chin State. The villages threatened include:
  • Pumnyan Wa
  • Nygeliwa
  • Doe Chawn Wa
  • Parkarwa
  • Aumthiwa
  • Shwe Lie Pue
  • Phe Lie Wa
  • Satanwa
  • Mariwa
The Battalion HQ has been set up at Mariwa Village which is located only half a kilometer from the Indian Border and only 30 minutes walk from Tapu Shay Village, Raw The Village, and Latar Lunn Village, Lawntalet District, Mizoram, India (N22.124061, E92.752841). The Battalion is hunting ALA (Arakan Liberation Army) members and searching for six Burma Army defectors who have been cooperating with the ALA.

Because of this operation, thousands of villagers are suffering. At Mariwa Village, 40 villagers are being forced to act as security for the camp (20 during the day and 20 at night). They are not allowed to return home and their wives and family members have to send them their food. They not only have to provide security for the camp, but they are being forced to porter for the Burma Army on their patrols. They have to carry the soldier's uniforms, backpacks, ammunition, and anything else the soldiers require. They don't have to carry food, as the soldiers are under orders to take their food from the local villagers and not carry rations.

The villagers in the area have been forced to give their chickens, pigs, goats and other domestic animals to the Burma Army for food. Each village must also have 10 motorboats on standby for use by the Burma Army whenever they want. The current price for Diesel Fuel in the area is 22,000 kyats for one Kalam (1 kg or 6 bottles) but the Burma Army is only paying about half of that, the rest the motorboat owner must pay for out of his own pocket.

God bless you,
Arakan Relief Team Coordinator
Free Burma Rangers

The Free Burma Ranger’s (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks. For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org

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