W. Shapwon,Naga Patriot, November 17, 2009

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has being terrorizing against our people, such as beating torturing, intimidation, imposing force labor on our people. Our people should go for their porter for weeks to month, make to construct road (between Lahe and Khamti) on our own ration arrangement. This work takes even two months; therefore this is the heaviest burden for our people, because our people have to fail to work in their fields. These are all force labor and they give no wage to our people. Also our people should go to attend at the Army Camp for fetching water, collecting fire-woods and even some time to stand for them night duty. This is daily duty to do by the villagers in turns. And yearly our villagers should construct the fence of their camp and re-mend their houses. Our people who are in and around the Army Camp have therefore no sufficient time to go to their own fields. Not only that but also our small boys are being forcefully recruiting for their Army.

Since 1965, the Eastern Nagas are fighting against Myanmar Military Juntas. The Burmese Army had burned down many villages, such as Chukie, Yom, Changpan, Myang, Kuku, Ranu, Galon, Gaye, Hakhun, Wanruk, Kaisahn, Langma, Chamkok, Champang etc. At Myang village, two villagers were tied to the post and burned alive with the house in 1990. In 1988 the an operation Command of Burmese Army reached to my village Naseng and this group threatened my Mother Saktum, thus she was extremely frightened and fled to the Jungle to hide herself, but my family members and villagers could not trace out even her dead body. In 1993, my brother in-law Mr. Satok from Tangkungta village, who has fever from Malaria, was at home. When the Burmese soldier appeared unexpectedly to the village to levy porter, they forced him to go for their porter, but he said he could not, for he is sick. The soldier said, you are pretending as sick, and hence they kicked him to dead. Again in the same year a Pastor of Aungmye village Mr. Lomsa, who was sick and at home, but when the Burmese soldiers came to the village they took him away as their porter even if he said he is sick and could not go for porter. When the said group of soldiers reached Longsok village, the Pastor Mr. Lomsa laid down as he became too weak, where a soldier came and kicked him down from the house, there he died at the spot. Mr. Pakhun from Langkhiang village also took away as their porter, he however got sick in the jungle, so the Soldiers left him alone in the jungle and he died in the jungle.

Also in religion, our Christians are forcefully converting into Buddhism. They are giving good facility to the villagers who had converted into Buddhism such as they are exempted from porter and Mikin (daily village duty) and force labor. Also they are providing clothes, some time ration and even extending financial help to the Buddhist Nagas. In 2004, a Naga boy who is Christian Mr. Sothin from Sopmra village passed Metric with good marks and thus he applied for Military Academy training, but he was told that unless he becomes Buddhist he has no chance to go for such training.

In November 2005, Chawang Nukwuk village Pastor Mr. Rokwang was caught by Burmese Army under the Command of Major Khaing Htun and beaten him brutally for three days. Within these three days, the villagers were forced to convert into Buddhism. After the villagers were converted into Buddhism, the pastor was released and sent him to his village but was maimed for life. A Pastor from Lumnu village Mr. Wonshang was also beaten and maimed for life and sent him to his village. The same group of Myanmar Army again arrested Mr. Rego, Pastor of Chamkok village and put him under ground cell at their Camp, and after one week he was brought out for sun birth, thus he got a chance to escape from their hands. While he was running for his life they fired upon him several rounds but he got no injury by the grace of God. Churches of Puniu and Solo villages were locked up and pastors were beaten black and blue.

This group under the Command of Maj. Khaing Htun, have been supplied Rums and Cigarettes to the Naga villagers, all are Christians, to buy their rums and cigarettes with India currency (not allowing them to buy with Burmese currency), if these were not consumed they forced the village leaders to buy them with the village fund.(These villages are at the edge of Indian border) In fact the Reverends and Pastors are preaching the Christians not to drink alcohol and not to smoke. Knowing this, the Maj. Khaing Htun group supplied rums and cigarettes, carried by Naga porters, so as to defile the preaching of the Reverends.

Our gold mines and jade mines had been exploited already without any benefit to our people. Our forests were sold to the Chinese log merchants for the benefit of Military Junta alone. Thus our hills are becoming bare. This may affect ecological imbalance in the future.

For the development of our Naga Hills, the Myanmar Military Government has no plan and scheme, no health care and no program to uplift the education of our people. We started to learn education only after 1950 when the Christian Missionaries and Buddhist Monks establish educational institutions and schools in our Hills. But after 1962, under the promulgation of the Military Rule in Myanmar, all the Missionary schools were closed down, and in place of that no school was established either by the Military Government. Hence we have a big gap in education comparing to other nationalities of Myanmar and our own Naga brothers who are in western side (under India Military occupation). Only after 1980s, the Military Government started to establish some primary schools in our Naga Hills with a condition that the teachers’ ration must be provided by the concerned villagers. Even then our boys and girls have no where to go after finishing their primary education. Till now we have only four high schools in Naga Hills such as in Namyung, Lahe, Leshe towns and Somra village. College is still a far dream for our people.

When the soldiers come to our villages, they took away good things from our houses like ornaments and clothes. They raped our girls. In 2002 they came to Langnukniu village and stole hens and cocks at night and made them to carry by the villagers when they go back. No one dare to say a word for fear of beating. The same group, when they were returning back to their Headquarters Khamti (which is one day journey from Chinkiu), demanded paddy 40 tins from Chinkiu village and taken away to their Camp, Khamti. From Puniu Post, Myanmar Army demanded pigs, goats and hens from the villagers. Even they demand rice from the villagers. Now, the Command group of Burmese soldiers are always demanding their ration from the villagers without any cost.

In February this year 2009, Myanmar Army from the Post of Tsonkhao village, called two village leaders each from Thingniungan and Thang villages. When the village leaders reached their Camp they were beaten up without any reason. One of Thingniungan village leaders Pashan was fell down unconscious for twenty minutes. A soldier poured water on him, thus he steadily became conscious. One leader each from the two villages were detained and two of them were sent to bring 90 persons from Thingniungan village and 80 persons from Thang village for the construction of Lahe and Khamti road. That is force labour without payment.

To such plight and sufferings which have been meting out by the Military Junta, our people could no longer tolerate and bear the sufferings; therefore they are now wanting to flee from their own villages, but they have no where to flee. Also they want to tell to the world about their sufferings, but then there is no one for them to tell. Indeed we have no contact with the outside world. Only by this year some of us could manage to reach here in Thailand on political mission and giving you this information of atrocities and Human right violation in the Naga Hills. It is a first time that we have a chance to contact you from the foreign soil.

Dated 17th Nov. 2009.
W. Shapwon,Naga Patriot.

You may also like: