Burmese farmers forced to switch from rice to castor oil plantation

Arakanese villagers forced to attend the Castor Oil Plantation Training

6/18/2006

Villagers in Kyauk Taw Township, northern Arakan State, were forced to attend the Castor Oil Plantation training by the military authority from June 9, 2006.The Burmese junta is setting up a project of mass plantation of castor oil plants in Arakan State, as part of this project, it is forcing the local people to plant castor oil trees says a villager.

As part of this castor oil project in Arakan State, trainings on how to plant castor oil trees have been given to the villagers by the local command areas of the military. At the Military Operation Management Command ( MOC), Sakhaka 9 in Daung Taung Roe, Kyauk Taw Township, five persons from surrounding villages have been ordered by the SakhaKa 9 authority to attend the plantation training with their own cost for 30 days.

The attending villagers have to pay 10,000 kyats each for the training and living costs. Many of the villagers engaged in the rice cultivation, but since the Arakan State authority wants to see plantation of castor oil plants, they are also being forced to attend the training neglecting their own livelihood of rice cultivation at the start of rainy season.

One of the farmers in the area comments that if they cannot cultivate their own livelihood, they are likely to face a hard time ahead, but the military authority does not seem to care much about their already difficult lives.

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Diesel costs increase in Burma; food, transport costs rise also

Transport and commodity costs hit by diesel price rise

Apr 3, 2008 (DVB)–The price of diesel has gone up by about 1000 kyat per gallon, causing a rise in the cost of transportation and basic commodities, according to a Rangoon resident.

Diesel previously cost less than 5000 kyat per gallon, but has increased to 6000 kyat and may be higher elsewhere, the resident said. “It seems like it’s going to keep going up to more than 6000 kyat,” he said. “I think it will be more expensive in Moulmein, because the fuel price there is already about 500 kyat more than in Rangoon, so it would be about 6500 kyat there now.” The knock-on effect of the price increase has been a rise in the cost of transport and basic commodities. “It costs around 3000 or 4000 kyat to travel from South Okkalapa township to downtown,” the Rangoon resident said. “People can’t even afford to pay for bus fares at this rate, let alone taxis.” The cost of rice has also risen as a result of the diesel price hike. Reporting by Maung Too, Democratic Voice of Burma