TPP Town youth forced to join government's welfare associations

TPP Town youth forced to join government's welfare associations

Joi Htaw, IMNA
July 12, 2006

Residents in Three Pagoda Pass Town, Karen State between the ages of 18
to 30 have been listed to become members of Fireman Forced and Union
Solidarity and Development Association, said a resident.

"Every household with men between 18 to 30 years have to join Fireman
Forced. Moreover women and girls have to join the Red Cross and USDA,
Maternal and Child Welfare Association, and Myanmar National Committee
for Women's Affairs," said U Mon, a section leader in TPP Town.

Township Peace and Development Council chairman told section leaders in
the July 8 meeting that every one between 18 and 30 years have to
become members of Fireman Forced, Red Cross or USDA.

The chairman said that they are going to add these people to the
opposition list and charge them with opposing the State Peace and
Development Council if the residents refused to join any of the
associations.

Section leader, U Mon said that they went from house to house and
collected the people's age according to the household registration
lists. He added that they had to do it immediately because the lists
were to be sent to Col Khin Kyu, chairman of Karen State Peace and
Development Council.

Meanwhile, Col Khin Kyu wanted to know about the lists of Fire Forced
members and USDA members. The same day the Myanmar Television MR-TV
reported that rural USDA leaders and Fire Forced leaders in Shan State
transferred their associations' total members to the state of USDA
secretary.

The residents of TPP Town have no choice but to join because they are
afraid of Township Peace and Development Council chairman's threat
that the would be listed as opposed to the government.

U Mon added that he has no idea how much of the population in TPP Town
joined the welfare associations because the section leaders are still
in the process of collecting the names. Nevertheless he has got about
300 people for his section.


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