Burmese army orders replant seedlings in rows

Tue 22 Jul 2008, IMNA
The Burmese Army in southern Mon State has ordered farmers to replant seedlings in rows in fields even if they have completed cultivating.

This order was issued by the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No 587 based in Aru-taung village Ye Township. The army officers removed cultivated paddy plants without telling the owners.

Nai Kyaw Hein who is replanting today after the army officers took plants away, His farm is located beside the main road between Aru-taung and Taung bone.

The army also ordered farmers cultivating between Aru-taung and Taung bone village to replant systemically in rows.

"The army officers gave a suitable amount of seeds as loan to farmers for replanting. And the farmers have to pay back the loan to army officers after they harvest," farmers in that area said.

The farmer said that the army also stuck white and red flags in the fields. Other paddy fields owners have to plant in rows in their entire farm according to the army order. That's why the remaining farmers are afraid of replanting paddy and watching the movement of the army.

Even though they don't want to replant it, the army officers told them that planting in rows systemically will get more produce than normal planting.

LIB No-587 confiscated over 500 acres of farmland between Kun-duu and San-kha-ke village northern part of Ye Township in 2002.