Army rations destroyed on Thai Burma road

Karen soldiers attacked and destroyed Burma Army food supplies on a controversial highway construction linking southern Burma to Thailand.

A source from the Karen National Liberation Army’s 4th Brigade told Karen News, that on September 10, KNLA soldiers burnt and destroyed Burma Army rations that were being transported by a civilian truck commandeered by the army.

The KNLA source said it is normal practice for the Burma Army to seize civilian trucks and boats to transport their rations and military equipment to their frontline bases to avoid attacks.

Saw Albert, field director of the Karen Human Rights Group said.

“Forced labor [on construction projects] is still a widespread practice ordered by the Burma Army in Karen State.”

A number of reports by KHRG and other humanitarian groups have documented human rights abuses involving construction projects. The United Nations’ International Labor Organization as recently as June this year reported that forced labor in Burma was widespread.

Saw Albert explained that the reason the Burma Army used civilian vehicles was to avoid being attacked by Karen fighters.

“The Burma Army force villagers to carry their supplies to their frontline bases while in some places villagers’ cars are taken to carry military supplies. If they transport with their military trucks they fear Karen soldiers will attack.”

The recent attack took place on the road between Kasawwah and Ahmoe village – part of the proposed highway that is under construction by the Italian-Thai Development Company.

The KNLA have been reported as placing a ban on the building project. Construction has stopped until the relocation of local villagers, compensation for destroyed farmlands and impacts on the environment are satisfactorily resolved.

Local civilian populations have rejected the highway construction as they will be forcibly relocated, their plantations and farmlands destroyed and they say the amount of compensation being offered by the government is paltry and is only for the value of their trees.

Burma researcher Zaw Aung previously told Karen News that that there are 19 villages that are estimated to have about 30,000 villagers along the coast of Tavoy that will be evicted from their homes, to make way for deep sea-port and Tavoy industrial zone.

Local Karen eyewitnesses said another five Karen villages in Ka Moe Thway area, east of Tavoy, have also been affected by the road construction.

The KNLA has warned the Italian-Thai Development Company not to transport any Burma Army soldiers or supplies on the highway. The KNLA is the arm wing of the Karen National Union (KNU).

Before the ban the Burma Army used Italian-Thai company trucks to transport soldiers, food and military supplies to frontline army camps.

The highway been built by the Italian-Thai Development Company is currently the Burma Army’s main means of transporting troops and military supplies into the area.

The Italian-Thai Development Company plans to construct a Deep Sea-Port, an Industrial Zone and the highway linking Tavoy and Kanchanaburi of Thailand. It is estimated the total project will cost as much as US$60 billion. The KNLA source said the road has many negatives with no positive benefits for local villagers.