NLD Statement 129 (Eng)

[nldburma@xxxxxxxxxxx]

National League for Democracy
No: (97/b) West Shwegondine Road
Bahan, Rangoon

STATEMENT 129 (12/98)


Contents of letter dated 29 December 1998 by the Chairman of the 
National League for Democracy to the Chairman of the State Peace and 
Development Council informing him of the real conditions under which the 
cultivators and peasants have been existing in 1998 are herein published 
for the information of all.

(Start)
	1. 	In a letter dated 22 December 1998 from the peasants and 	
cultivators of Kaukhmu township in Rangoon Division to the 		Rangoon 
Division Organising Committee of the NLD it is alleged 	that what 
appears to be assistance by the government, in fact and 	truth amounts 
to profiteering.

	2. 	Though the rate of interest charged by the bank this year was 	
(Kyat 1 fifty pyas) at the time of taking of the loan, it increased to 	
(Kyat 1 seventy five pyas) at the time for repayment. The only 		
explanation was that the rate had increased. The amount fixed on 	
peasants for	saving too has increased from one Kyat to five Kyats 	and 
though these savings have accumulated through the years, we 	have been 
informed that this money can not be traced so the 		peasants have been 
denied any benefits.

	3. 	This year, the claim is that the Village Fund is being 		enlarged 
(by exacting more money from the cultivators) despite the 	fact that no 
money is spent to benefit the villages and the 			cultivators. There has 
been no accounts given of income and 		expenditure of the large amounts 
of money repeatedly collected by 	the Rural Bank towards this Fund. Only 
this year payments under 	three different categories (Regular Fund, 
Increased 	Savings Fund, 	and Special fund) have to be made at one and 
the same time. It 		make at the end of six months, the rate of interest 
paid by a 		cultivator is three kyats per hundred kyats. Paddy price is 	
not fixed     	in advance at the time of purchase. Kyats thirty thousand 
(30,000) 	is the rate at which Ngasein rice is settled in December even 
though 	the market price is Kyats sixty thousand (60,000). If farmers 
can 	not fulfil their obligations, the authorities apply all kinds of 		
pressure and the cultivators is extremely hard pressed.

	This information is sent in order that the authorities concerned can 	
investigate and equitably settle the matters refered to for the		
peasants in the area.

						   Central Executive Committee             
                                                                National 

League for Democracy

30 December 1998




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