Mon Forum (issue No. 6/99, June 30,1999)

1. The Harassment against the farmers inthe Mon State in Taking 1998-99 Year Paddy Tax.

I. The effects in 1998-1999 Pady Tax Collection in Mon State

The government has said they has bought paddy from farmers, the price they paid to the famers was too low and so the farmers are likely giving yearly tax to the government. Due to the paddy tax since BSPP era, the economy situation of the farmers in Burma has bee detoriated and they became poorest class in Burma.

The farmer are instructed to sell 12 baskets of paddy per acres at low price about 300 kyat per basket while the market price is 800 kyat per basket. Moulmein, Thanbyuzayat, Kyaikmayaw, Ye, Paung and Chaung-zone townships' farmers have been forced to sell 300,000 baskets, 250,000 baskets, 350,000 baskets, 300,000 baskets and 400,000 baskets of paddy respectively.

II. Looting of Famers' Belogings instead of paddy

In many township in Mon state, the paddy buying officials or township SPDC authorities always force the farmers to sell their paddy at low price to the center as quick as possible during January and Febuary. They also set the deadline for farmers to complete their duties of selling the demanded amount of paddy to the centers. If they failed,the authorities came and confiscated their paddy. If the authorities could not confisticate paddy, they confisticate belongings that owned by the farmers.

III. Cruel Treatment against the Farmers

Similar to other townships area, the farmers in villages of Chaung-Zone township area have been constantly forced to sell their paddy since December 25, 1998. The set among of paddy to be sold was 12 baskets per acre. Because of less crop production in the area, the local farmers could not give full amount of paddy instructed from township paddy buying authorities. So, local militia (SPDC) went to villages and arrested the farmers who couldn't sell the paddy to farmers.



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