More camps and soldiers following attack on Burma Army

Khonumthung News: 18 November, 2006

A surprise attack by an Arakan armed group on a military outpost on the Indo-Burma border has goaded the Burmese Army to go on an overdrive. The military is now gearing up to expand its existing force and army camps in the region.

The Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 55 recently set up eight temporary barracks and are preparing to construct army camps. It also plans to deploy another battalion in the area around Meihwah village in Paletwah Township , southern Chin state, Burma .

Meanwhile, people, residing in nearby Meihwah village, are apprehensive that they may be forced into labour for constructing the army camps.

“I am sure that there will be forced labour for the construction because the soldiers are taking a head count of people for forcing them to work for the army’s construction activity,” said a villager from Meihwah village who requested anonymity.

The Arakan Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), on October 22 attacked an army post of LIB (55) while troops were on patrol duty. But there was no casualty, according to a Meihwah villager.

Immediately after the attack was launched about a 100 soldiers from ILB (55) stationed in Trol Ai village arrived in Meihwah village. They interrogated a village headman and reportedly tortured him accusing him of helping the rebel outfit.

“The soldiers accused him of informing the armed group of the absence of soldiers from the army camp. They beat him up him in an inhuman manner,” said a villager.