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MautamFamineinChinHillsMyanmar

ThepeopledwellinginbamboocoveredlandofPaletwa,Matupi,

andThantlangTownships arecorrectlycalledtheBambooLanders bytheoutsiders as theysolelydependon

bambooforalmosteverything,fromarawmaterialtobuildtheirhomes to

food,andasoneoffewsources ofcash.Houses arebuiltwithbambooleaves roofing,

mattedfloors andoften

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doublelayeredsplitbamboowalling.Aman

cansitinabamboochaironabambootable,andwork

inthericefieldwithabamboohatonhis head.Bambooshootis their

favoritesidedish,andintimes offaminetheyhavetodependonbamboosprouts.His mealis cookedoverabamboofire,andhecanfanhimself

withabamboo

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fan,takeasiestaonabamboo

bed,lyingonabamboomatwithhisheadrestingona

bamboopillow.His childmightbelyinginabamboocradle,playingwitha

bambootoyandis tomakethebiertocarrythemanwhenheis dead.Onrisinghewouldsmokeabamboopipeandcarryinghis articles in

bamboobaskets.Not

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onlyhumanbeings butalsothedomesticanimals such

as pig,cattle,andgayaleatthebambooleaves andtrunks.Bamboojunglehas been

thoughttobefertileandriceproductiveland,andbamboojungleindeedis regarded

as ricebowl.Fromtimeimmemorialtotilltodayslashandburnhillsidecultivationknownas jhumhas beentheonlyavailablesourceoflivingforthe

people.InJanuary

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andFebruarytheruralfolkbeginto

fellbambooforjhum.InMarchtheysetfiretothefallen

bamboo,turnittoash.This ashis thebestnutrientmuddyhills cangetfor

cultivation.Withoutbamboocultivators cangrownothing.Popularlyreferredtoas 'poorman's timber',bamboohas beenlifebloodofthe

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people.Bamboois closelyassociatedwithhuman

lives and,this beingthecase,lifeinthis regionis unthinkablewithoutbamboo.

This bamboofloweringanddying,locallyknownas MautamorMawtah,hasbegunin

2007insomeregions ofMizoram(India)andChinState(Myanmar)whichbadlycausedgreatfamineandforcethevictims sufferingoffoodshortageinthis year2008.

Allbamboojungle

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has beenwitheredwherebamboofloweringoccurredlast

yearin2007.Againinthisyear2008,bamboofloweringis stillhappening

inremainingparts ofChinState,predictingterriblefaminethatthepeopleofthese

regions trembleandfeartofaceintheyeartocome.Rats andbirds pickedandateupalltheseeds bysowingtime(AprilandMay2008)that

resultedcrops growingvery

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scarce.Thecropshavebeenstartedsnipping

bytherodents fromnow..Notonlyricebutalsootheragricultural

products suchas maize,cucumber,beans,andpumpkins havebeenstartingeatenawaybyrats.The

sayingofforefathers,ThetragedyeventofBambooFloweringFaminenormallylastsfromthreetofiveyears,is practicallycomes truetoday.Manycultivators haveforsakentheirjhums in

lackofhope.

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LastyearfromSeptember,hugenumberof

ratpopulationwerefeastingonthebambooseeds andmultipliedthemselves interms often

thousands inayearandonce,thebambooseeds werenolongeravailabletothem

thattheyateawayandfinishedawayallagriculturalproducts overnightorinaday,migratingfromplacetoplacethroughoutthehilllandin

thousandsandthousands number.

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Henceforth,theseverestarvationis unavoidablecircumstancethis year

andtheyears tocome.

ResponsetotheAttackofthe

Rodents:

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Lastyearin2007thedestruction

ofcrops bytherodentshappenedfromthemonthofSeptemberwhenthe

timeofharvestwasnear.Allthecrops inafieldhadbeendevoured

byanight.This yearin2008,itis wonderfulthatthegreatattackhasbeenstartedfromtimeofgrowingseeds.Nowtherodents aregnawingand

destructingallfood

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crops bydays andnights.Notonlyswarms ofrats,

butalsoporcupines andparrots invadethefoodcops verybadly.Thepeoplealsoare

tryingtopreventbymeans ofcatapultevenatnighttimethattheycould

killhundreds innumber.Theymaketraps forcatchingandkillingporcupines.TheresetanorderofVillagePeaceandDevelopmentCounciltotheentiremalein

thevillageto

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trytokilltherats intheirrespective

field.Ithinkwehavealreadykilledmorethantenthousandof

rats inthefield,butthenumberofratseems toincreasemoreandmore,

saidThlaCungofLa-Uvillage.Atdaytime,allencagedprotectingfromflights ofparrots.Thereportsaidthatmanyhouseholds hadlefttheircultivationwhichhad

beendevouredby

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therodents.Itis likeafightwith

thespiritthatwethehumanbeingwillneverwin,thespirit

offaminehowawfulitwilloverwhelmformonths andyears.

FigFruitsbeingeatenbyChildren

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CurrentSituationofFamineAffectedArea:

Itmightbewonderfultoanyinterestedonehowthe

victims arekeepingtheirlivelihoodtilltodaythoughtheDataInformationshowedfoodgrains

theyreapedtobeenoughonlyforshortperiod.Thequestionhadalsobeenraisedeverywherebythelovedones.Livelihood,especiallyinmostaffected

areafromNovember

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2007tillnowis summedupas belowmentioned

ingeneral:

1.November2007-January/February2008---------------Rice/Maizeleft

byrodents.2.February/March-May/June2008--------------Tung/Bako(atree)andYams3.

June/Julyonwards -------------------------------------Naturalgreenleaves,Roots ofBananas andleaves ofcrops

4.-----------------------------------Fewoffoodrelief(rice)receivedfromChinCommunities abroad

throughCFERC,

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mixedwithgreenleaves.

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TheConsequencesofFamine:

Theconsequences ofthefamineareexpectedtohavewidespreadandlong-termaffects on

morepeopleofChinState.Themostimmediateconcernis highrates ofstarvation,malnutrition,

andtherapiddeteriorationofpeoples healthintheaffectedareas.Villagersfromaffectedareas havereportedthatfamilies arecurrentlybeingreducedtoonemealaday

oflimitednutritious value.

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Mr.DawtCungofSurngen(LautuArea),

ThantlangTownshipinNorthernChinStatesaid,TheChildrenusedtofill

uptheirstomachfortwothirdoffoodbyeatingfig-fruits whichcausedthem

diarrhoea.DuetolackofHealthcare,wehavelostthelifeofalmosthundredchildreninourarea.Theremightbemoreinnumber

ofthedead

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inotherareas beyondreachofinformation.The

numberofchildrenwhohavelosttheirlives

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are44as listedbelow:

RouteRequestedforsendingFamineReliefAid:

BambooFlowering

FaminemostlyaffectedalongthewesternregionofChinState,closelyborderingwith

Mizoram,India,wherecommunicationis mostlyavailablebyonlyfoot-path.Themostaffectedareafalls inZophei,Mara,LautuandKhumi,covering108villages,9523households with

62679populations.Road

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transportationatallseasons is availableonlyupto

ThantlangandMatupifromwhichneededthreetofourdays journeyonfoot

toarrivethefamineaffectedareaiftheReliefAidis tobegiven

fromInland.WecouldnotbelievethattheReliefitems willsafelyreachintothehandofactualvictims ifinitiatives willbetakenfrominland(Myanmar).

Therefore,on

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behalfofallfaminevictimsperpreference

ofthemselves,specialrequestismadetotheindividual,groups,NGOs(National/International)

andgovernmentstoofferReliefAidthroughCross-BorderSystemtothesufferingChin

people.

Contact:Email-csamau@yahoo.co.inPh:+919436393666

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BySalaiChinzahChairman,CHRCand

CNC

ChinHillsMyanmarMautamFamineTreeTrunksforFood

A source of food on which they depended is a kind of tree in thick forest calledTung/Bak. The stem of the tree inside is sweet in taste.

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They cut down and took it making slices to dry in sunshine.

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They grinded into powder after which the powder is mixed with few rice and cooked forfood.

This kindoftreeis tobefoundonlyinthickforestthatpeople

hadtospendalotoftimetotake.Days andmonths werecountedfor

thenewbabes andchildrenwhocouldnotservetheroughfood.Similarlytoday,thepeopleofmanyvillages inChinlandespeciallyfromMaralandandKhumiarea

havestartedsearching

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foryams andtrees(Tung/Bak)forsurvivingof

theirdailylife.Thepopulationtodayseems toincreasedoublethanthatof

fiftyyears backfamine.Theyams andtrees mightnotbeenoughtofeedthepeople

fortimes.On27thofDecember2007,twoKhumiwomenofTuikingAlongvillage(onDaletmayRiver)whosearchedforpaddytoothervillagemet

the

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tworobbers ontheirwayhomefrightened

themsaying,Ifyouloveyourlifesave,leaveyourtinsof

paddythere.Atthesametimethetwowomenranoffleavingthe

twotins ofpaddywhichhadbeentakenbytherobbers.Mrs.KhothleiRalcin,anursefromPaletwaCivilHospitalwhorecentlyvisitedMizoramsaid,The

robbers weresaidto

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bethemenwhoalsoweresearching

forfood.Ibelievethisis theonlybeginning.Therewillbemore

andmorerobberyandstealingforthepeoplethosewhodonothave

moneyatall.

PostedbyTluangaat9:30AM1comments

Labels:Chinland,Mautam,Myanmar

TradingAnimalsfor

Fooddueto

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MautamFamineinChinHills

On 6th.January, 2008 Chauzeipaw of Sabypi village arrived to Saiha(Mizoram) bringing a baby-bear to change with rice. He eventually sold itfor Rs. 2000.00 and bought 1.5 quintals of rice for his families survival. Hesaid, The rice should not be consumed only by our family because thereare many people who are empty handed and wandering for rice. It isimpossible to reject the one who would come to ask for rice with tears.Children are mostly pitiful who only know their thirst and hunger and asksomething to eat to their parents.

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On 16th.January 2008, a group of Locheita villagers led by a religious leaderRev. C.Sama (62 years) and a prominent leader Thlachei Zawtha (70 years)arrived to Saiha bringing one buffalo to give to any church in Saiha townthat could help them to solve their food problem hoping even for a month.Rev. C.Sama said, We are restless, wondering for our people whom weleave at home having nothing to cook at all. By the sympathy and

humanitarian aid of College Veng Local Church of Evangelical Church ofMaraland, Saiha, Mizoram State, India, the Locheita villagers were given

21.5 quintals (2150Kg.) of rice. Locheita village is about 150Km far fromSaiha that for transportation of rice up to Chakhei village they still have tospend Rs.3500.00. They have to carry the rice themselves on barefoot asthere is no proper road.The population of Locheita village is 710. One person can survive

for a month with 18Kg of Rice. If 2150Kg of Rice is to be shared among all,

each one of them will get 3Kg of Rice, which will be sufficient only for 5

days.

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Source:http://miyzone.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B05%3A30&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B05%3A30&max-results=50

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