HUNGER IN EASTERN BURMA BORDER: A NEW REPORT RELEASED

(Kao Wao / Bangkok: October 25, 2003)

Land confiscation and forced relocations continue to deprive and threaten the lives of the rural poor of their rights to adequate food, housing and livelihood. 176 relocation sites were identified in state-controlled areas of eastern Burma border during 2002, as reported by a fresh report by the Burmese Border Consortium last week.

Thailand based non-government organization released a timely report named 'Reclaiming the Rights to Rice' about food security and internal displacement in eastern Burma, which provides an in-depth investigation on food security and other related issues.

The report covers six specific areas in eastern Burma border; Tenasserim, Mon, Karen, Karenni, Pegu and Shan territories, where paddy is being destroyed or land confiscated by the BA in 2002.

According to the report, 248 settlements have been affected and the paddy is estimated at about 3,665 tones, which were destroyed by the State Peace and Development Council, the current ruling authority in Union of Burma.

The Survey estimates that approximately 250 temporary settlements of internally displaced persons in eastern Burma had their paddy destroyed or confiscated by the military government in 2002. Furthermore, the result suggests that food supplies were widely destroyed as an act of war in northern Karen State's Papun township ad eastern Pegu Division's Shwegyin Township, the report concluded.

The report also highlighted local observation of issues related to food security on crop destruction as a weapon of war, border areas development, agricultural management, land management, nutritional impact of internal displacement and gender -a perspective based on the lives of local community workers.

For hard copy of full report, please contact bbcbkk@inet.co.th