FREE BURMA RANGERS
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF MISSION
ARAKAN/CHIN STATES – APRIL 2004

Arakan IDPs fleeing in boats


Burned home in Arakan State


Sick IDP child


1. Women's rights in Arakan State.

In the Arakan area, some women live in tragic conditions, faced with many abuses of their rights. It is reported that in the majority of villages, from 1993-2004, many Arakanese women have been forced to marry Burma Army soldiers. This seems to be a policy of the military regime and the team reported that in comparative worth, "one Arakan lady is more powerful than a rocket launcher" (in terms of providing information to the soldiers they are married to). Many women are left alone because their Burma Army husbands moved to other camps. These camps will not take responsibility for the wives and children. Moreover, the Burma Army soldiers often remarry when they arrive at a new camp. Cases of abuse by the soldiers against Arakan women have also been reported.

2. Looting and Forced Portering

Every month, each village must send two kilograms or more of meat to the military camp nearby. The villagers are also forced to porter and carry the food and equipment of the Burma Army soldiers. They are also forced to work at the military camps and are not compensated.

3. Watchman for the post at the countryside areas

In the countryside, the military orders villagers to deliver mail and to take turns waiting at camps for mail runs.

4. Religion in Arakan areas

The military junta does not grant freedom of religion. For example, most people in the regime are Buddhist, so believers of other faiths are oppressed by the military in the government departments, in the military camps and in every part of the regime. In the military ranks and government offices, Buddhists have a higher opportunity to be promoted. (The FBR team making this report is Buddhist.) It is noted, though, that monks and the Buddhist Sangha are also closely watched by the authorities.

5. Feelings of the Arakan IDPs

The Free Burma Rangers (Arakan Relief Team) visited Arakanese IDPs in order to assess their condition. The IDPs feel hopeless, helpless and uncared for by international governments and NGOs. Now, the IDPs are worrying daily for food during this rainy season because in their area the rice prices are increasing every day. The IDPs do not have any idea of how to maintain a good standard of living because they have no work. The IDPs are only depending on the mountains to produce paddy in hiding places and are also praying for help.

6. Health of Arakanese IDPs

The health situation among IDPs is unfortunate. Some IDPs die of simple diseases that are easily treatable. However, it is difficult to get medicine and they struggle to find enough food to survive. Some women die in childbirth. Some of the IDPs hope of getting emergency medical care and the Arakan FBR team hopes for the help of international governments and NGOs.

7. Education in Arakan State

Thousands of IDP children have no schools to attend. Near Triangle, there is an IDP school that has funding now, but soon that will change and they will have difficulty staying open. The school lacks teaching aids, notebooks and other school supplies.

8. INTERVIEWS

Name: XXX XXX
Age: 25
Village: Kyaun Ton Village, Palawa Township, Arakan State, Burma
Occupation: Soldier
Marital Status: Single

XXX XXXX fled from Burma Army Battalion 55, located at Capali Island. He became a soldier because he had gone to Bangladesh for two months and upon returning to his village he was arrested at the Ta Raw Li camp. While in custody, a Captain asked him to pay 10,000 Kyats or join the military. He didn't have enough cash so he was forced to join the Burma Army.

He ran away from Mari Wa Camp on March 12, 2004 due to racial discrimination. There was only one other Arakanese soldier, most of the others are Burman in Mari Wa Camp, a border security camp near the India. He says that his Captain did not issue him a gun because he was Arakanese. He was given a gun when he was on sentry, but he observed that all of the Burman soldiers had their guns all the time. He was not allowed to leave the camp, but all of the Burman soldiers were allowed to leave the camp and watch movies.

His Captain forced him to carry bamboo and supplies. He was paid very little. He fled to the Arakan Liberation Party with one G-3 and 200 bullets.

Name: XXX XXX
Age: 47
Village: Kyun Ton Village, Palawa Township, Arakan State, Burma.
Occupation: Cutting bamboo and farming
Marital Status: Married with 4 sons and 4 daughters

XXX XXX was forced to search for his son (see interview above) who escaped from his military camp (Burma Army Battalion 55). Burma Army Battalion 33 forced XXX XXX to come to their camp, they asked about his son and searched XXX XXX. XXX XXX was afraid of being arrested, so he left his village and fled to India. XXX XXX is worried for his family now.

9. Narcotics in Arakan State

At the moment, drug traffickers have become more interested in the Arakan area, and the FBR Arakan team report that they plan to use the Arakan, as well as Chin, areas to export drugs such as heroin, opium, and amphetamine tablets. These drugs come from the eastern part of Burma and go through to Bangladesh and India. Drug dealers are interested in Bangladesh because it seems easier to export the drugs through Bangladesh to the international drug markets. According to reports from the area the team traveled to, last month about five kilograms of heroin came through Chittagong Hill Street, originally coming through Palawa Township. Also reported was 100 kilograms of heroin coming from the Chinese border, but there were no other details. At the time of the mission, the opium farmers near Labawa military camp had already finished harvesting their opium crops.

10. The Gas Pipeline survey in Arakan State

Gas was discovered in the Bay of Arakan, 30 miles west of Manaung Islam Township (Block Number A1). Between 13.4 trillion cubic feet and 47.3 TCF. The gas was discovered by LTD Daewoo International (South Korean based company). The gas was found in August 2003 (Daewoo International signed an exploration contract for the block with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, under the Ministry of Energy, in 2000). Companies that are cooperating with Daewoo are the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India Videsh Limited (ONGC), the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), and Korean Gas Corporation (KOGAS). The percentage of investment is as follows; Daewoo 60%, ONGC 20%, GALL 10%, and KOGAS 10%. At present the capacity to produce is 6 trillion cubic tons. The plan is to export 2 trillion cubic tons to India (planned for 2006-2007). The areas that the gas pipeline will cross are believed to be Manaung, Mrepon, Manpra, Mouk Oo, Kyauk Taw and Palawa Townships.