Porters

The Burma Army forces both villagers and prisoners to work as porters. The Burma Army has used more than 1,700 prisoner porters in their current offensive in northern Karen State which began in February 2006. More than 256 have been reported dead, many of whom were executed. Among the porters in Papun Distict alone, there are more than 20 child porters (boys under 16 years old from Insein Prison).

The Burma Army is now using the term “transporter” or woon htan instead of “prisoner porter” to describe the people they force to carry their loads.

The following information is from escaped porters, Burma Army deserters and villagers who have seen the bodies of dead porters. Porters are beaten and poorly fed. If they cannot carry loads they are often beaten to death or shot. Some who become sick are given an injection of an unknown drug and these porters reportedly die within a few hours.

Porters who were killed by the Burma Army or who died from sickness as they carried loads:

Nyaunglebin District: Of the more than 400 porters used in this area, more than 20 have died.

Papun District: Of the more than 700 porters used in this area, 150 porters died by torture, by execution and by sickness (dysentery is the most often cited).

Toungoo District: Of the more than 600 prisoner porters, 95 were killed. Some were reportedly killed because their throats were cut, and others starved to death. Note: Not counted yet are any of the deaths resulting from the more than 850 villagers used to carry loads for the Burma Army.

Total*: 1,700 porters, 265 dead.

(*Totals as of December 2006)