The DKBA battalion No. 7 under brigade 999, based in KNU brigade 7 area recently ordered locals on a rotational basis to reconstruct an army camp.

News – KIC
REPORT BY SAW MYINT THEIN
THURSDAY, 07 JANUARY 2010 14:29

The DKBA battalion No. 7 under brigade 999, based in KNU brigade 7 area recently ordered locals on a rotational basis to reconstruct an army camp.

Lt. Col. Saw Lik Theint, of the DKBA battalion No. 7, ordered local villagers, who live in Pa-an, Hlaing Bwe and Pai Kyone township area, in rotation to reconstruct the army camp as of 1 January, a local said.

“He ordered villagers to provide 50 bamboo slats per family in Kalaye Phokaloe, Kalaye Moekhee, Maetayel, Siphokhee, Htee Tokaw villages. The villagers had to send the bamboo to DKBA’s Puluu, Palaw, Kabalone camps on 1 January. On 2 January, they wanted 20 bamboo matting per family. Then villagers had to reconstruct the camp in rotation. It’s not finished yet,” a local said.

The Burmese Army and DKBA’s combined forces occupied some areas of KNU’s brigade 7. Though DKBA members forcibly take chickens, pigs and ducks from villagers, this is the first time they have ordered villagers to work for them.

Saw Padoh (not his real name), a villager of Htee Tokaw, said “our village worked yesterday. Today, it’s the turn for Kalaye Phokaloe and Kalaye Moekhee villages. It’s not clear whether we have to work till completion.”

KIC attempted to contact Lt. Col. Saw Lik Theint, but communication was cut off.

The area in which DKBA is deployed, was attacked by the Burmese Army and DKBA combined forces. As a result of the offensive, over 4,000 locals had to flee to Thailand. These refugees cannot go back.