8 September, 2009: Burmese Army personnel posted in Chin state are selling their rations – rice, beans and milk, which they get from the central government, after which they beg for food from the local people of Chin state, western Burma.
A villager from Satu said that military personnel in the Satu-based LIB 140 camp had asked them to bring food from local villagers, last month.
“The military personnel had ordered the Chairman of the Block Peace and Development Council to collect rice from every house. In fact, they had already sold all their rations. Other soldiers in different villages also do the same thing,” he added.
Currently, there are a total of 15 armed troops in Satu camp, eight of them patrol the area and the rest stay in the camp under the Additional Commander.
“They never bring food when they are patrolling around the villages, and they beg for rice, chickens and vegetables from the local villagers. It makes things very difficult for the people. This has been their practice earlier also,” he said.
According to a source, sometimes the military personnel steal local domestic animals, while the owners are in the fields for cultivation. However, when the villagers try to take back their domestic animals, the military personnel make excuses about security concerns and do not allow them to enter their camp area.
Similarly, such acts are also taking place in Paletwa Township and other parts of Chin state. Chin people in villages are struggling to survive under the oppression of more than 30 military camps in Chin state. - Khonumthung News