April 12th, 2022
Local Chin people have expressed their concerns over the building of administrative mechanism by assigning duties with a quota of four people per village to carry out the activities of the Arakan Army (AA) in Paletwa Township in southern Chin State.
A local from Paletwa said: “The AA has more territorial control in Paletwa Township. The AA has chosen four persons from each village along Pichaung.
Most of the selected persons are from Chin villages. Locals are not in a position to refuse it due its influence.
The AA has assigned duties to four persons in a village in around 100 villages in Pichaung and north group-20 in the west of Paletwa, a local said.
A local from Picahung said: “On March 19th, the meeting was held in my village to assign the duties. The people have to obey it as they are not in a position to refuse it. The AA has asked for a bag of rice and Ks-100,000 from a village monthly since before the assignment of duty. A family has to pay 4-8 cups of rice and Ks-3,000-7,000 based on the number of households. We have to keep rice and money for the AA if we can collect more than a bag of rice and Ks-100,000. If not, we face a fine. A local from the upper village had to cut and send 3,000 bamboo plants as he failed to attend the meeting.”
The assigned villagers have to go to the camp of the ULA/AA when they are summoned.
The AA is urging the locals to carry out forced labour and carrying out the collection of taxes in its efforts to build its administrative mechanism. Locals are worried that they may pose a threat to life as they refuse the AA’s duty assignment.
There are 196 village-tracts and around 400 villages in Paletwa Township. Since 2015, the AA has been active in Paletwa.
Now, the AA is active in west Kwanboke, Kyaukpyindaunt, Peinnaetabin, Taemachung, Kywaythaung, Kyeelay, Maunghnama, Kyaungchaung and Chindauk villages in Paltewa.
Sent by the KMG.
