Mautam

Famine
in
Chin
Hills
Myanmar

The
people
dwelling
in
bamboo
covered
land
of
Paletwa,
Matupi,
and
Thantlang
Townships are
correctly
called
the
Bamboo
Landers by
the
outsiders as they
solely
depend
on
bamboo
for
almost
everything,
from
a
raw
material
to
build
their
homes to
food,
and
as
one
of
few
sources of
cash.
Houses are
built
with
bamboo
leaves roofing,
matted
floors and
often
double
layered
split
bamboo
walling.
A
man
can
sit
in
a
bamboo
chair
on
a
bamboo
table,
and
work
in
the
rice
field
with
a
bamboo
hat
on
his head.
Bamboo
shoot
is their
favorite
side
dish,
and
in
times of
famine
they
have
to
depend
on
bamboo
sprouts.
His meal
is cooked
over
a
bamboo
fire,
and
he
can
fan
himself
with
a
bamboo
fan,
take
a
siesta
on
a
bamboo
bed,
lying
on
a
bamboo
mat
with
his
head
resting
on
a
bamboo
pillow.
His child
might
be
lying
in
a
bamboo
cradle,
playing
with
a
bamboo
toy
and
is to
make
the
bier
to
carry
the
man
when
he
is dead.
On
rising
he
would
smoke
a
bamboo
pipe
and
carrying
his articles in
bamboo
baskets.
Not
only
human
beings but
also
the
domestic
animals such
as pig,
cattle,
and
gayal
eat
the
bamboo
leaves and
trunks.
Bamboo
jungle
has been
thought
to
be
fertile
and
rice
productive
land,
and
bamboo
jungle
indeed
is regarded
as rice
bowl.
From
time
immemorial
to
till
today
slash
and
burn
hill
side
cultivation
known
as jhum
has been
the
only
available
source
of
living
for
the
people.
In
January
and
February
the
rural
folk
begin
to
fell
bamboo
for
jhum.
In
March
they
set
fire
to
the
fallen
bamboo,
turn
it
to
ash.
This ash
is the
best
nutrient
muddy
hills can
get
for
cultivation.
Without
bamboo
cultivators can
grow
nothing.
Popularly
referred
to
as 'poor
man's timber',
bamboo
has been
life
blood
of
the
people.
Bamboo
is closely
associated
with
human
lives and,
this being
the
case,
life
in
this region
is unthinkable
without
bamboo.

This bamboo
flowering
and
dying,
locally
known
as Mautam
or
Mawtah,
has
begun
in
2007
in
some
regions of
Mizoram
(India)
and
Chin
State
(Myanmar)
which
badly
caused
great
famine
and
force
the
victims suffering
of
food
shortage
in
this year
2008.
All
bamboo
jungle
has been
withered
where
bamboo
flowering
occurred
last
year
in
2007.
Again
in
this
year
2008,
bamboo
flowering
is still
happening
in
remaining
parts of
Chin
State,
predicting
terrible
famine
that
the
people
of
these
regions tremble
and
fear
to
face
in
the
year
to
come.
Rats and
birds picked
and
ate
up
all
the
seeds by
sowing
time
(April
and
May
2008)
that
resulted
crops growing
very
scarce.
The
crops
have
been
started
snipping
by
the
rodents from
now.
.
Not
only
rice
but
also
other
agricultural
products such
as maize,
cucumber,
beans,
and
pumpkins have
been
starting
eaten
away
by
rats.
The
saying
of
forefathers,
The
tragedy
event
of
Bamboo
Flowering
Famine
normally
lasts
from
three
to
five
years,
is practically
comes true
today.
Many
cultivators have
forsaken
their
jhums in
lack
of
hope.
Last
year
from
September,
huge
number
of
rat
population
were
feasting
on
the
bamboo
seeds and
multiplied
themselves in
terms of
ten
thousands in
a
year
and
once,
the
bamboo
seeds were
no
longer
available
to
them
that
they
ate
away
and
finished
away
all
agricultural
products over
night
or
in
a
day,
migrating
from
place
to
place
throughout
the
hill
land
in
thousands
and
thousands number.
Henceforth,
the
severe
starvation
is unavoidable
circumstance
this year
and
the
years to
come.

Response
to
the
Attack
of
the
Rodents:
Last
year
in
2007
the
destruction
of
crops by
the
rodents
happened
from
the
month
of
September
when
the
time
of
harvest
was
near.
All
the
crops in
a
field
had
been
devoured
by
a
night.
This year
in
2008,
it
is wonderful
that
the
great
attack
has
been
started
from
time
of
growing
seeds.
Now
the
rodents are
gnawing
and
destructing
all
food
crops by
days and
nights.
Not
only
swarms of
rats,
but
also
porcupines and
parrots invade
the
food
cops very
badly.
The
people
also
are
trying
to
prevent
by
means of
catapult
even
at
night
time
that
they
could
kill
hundreds in
number.
They
make
traps for
catching
and
killing
porcupines.
There
set
an
order
of
Village
Peace
and
Development
Council
to
the
entire
male
in
the
village
to
try
to
kill
the
rats in
their
respective
field.
I
think
we
have
already
killed
more
than
ten
thousand
of
rats in
the
field,
but
the
number
of
rat
seems to
increase
more
and
more,
said
ThlaCung
of
La-U
village.
At
day
time,
all
encaged
protecting
from
flights of
parrots.
The
report
said
that
many
households had
left
their
cultivation
which
had
been
devoured
by
the
rodents.
It
is like
a
fight
with
the
spirit
that
we
the
human
being
will
never
win,
the
spirit
of
famine
how
awful
it
will
overwhelm
for
months and
years.

Fig
Fruits
being
eaten
by
Children
Current
Situation
of
Famine
Affected
Area:

It
might
be
wonderful
to
any
interested
one
how
the
victims are
keeping
their
livelihood
till
today
though
the
Data
Information
showed
food
grains
they
reaped
to
be
enough
only
for
short
period.
The
question
had
also
been
raised
everywhere
by
the
loved
ones.
Livelihood,
especially
in
most
affected
area
from
November
2007
till
now
is summed
up
as below
mentioned
in
general:

1.
November
2007
-January/February
2008
---------------Rice/
Maize
left
by
rodents.
2.
February/March
-May/June
2008
--------------
Tung/Bako
(a
tree)
and
Yams
3.
June/July
onwards -------------------------------------
Natural
green
leaves,
Roots of
Bananas and
leaves of
crops

4.

-----------------------------------Few
of
food
relief
(rice)
received
from
Chin
Communities abroad

through
CFERC,
mixed
with
green
leaves.
The
Consequences
of
Famine:

The
consequences of
the
famine
are
expected
to
have
widespread
and
long-term
affects on
more
people
of
Chin
State.
The
most
immediate
concern
is high
rates of
starvation,
malnutrition,
and
the
rapid
deterioration
of
people s health
in
the
affected
areas.
Villagers
from
affected
areas have
reported
that
families are
currently
being
reduced
to
one
meal
a
day
of
limited
nutritious value.
Mr.
Dawt
Cung
of
Surngen
(Lautu
Area),
Thantlang
Township
in
Northern
Chin
State
said,
The
Children
used
to
fill
up
their
stomach
for
two
third
of
food
by
eating
fig-fruits which
caused
them
diarrhoea.
Due
to
lack
of
Health
care,
we
have
lost
the
life
of
almost
hundred
children
in
our
area.
There
might
be
more
in
number
of
the
dead
in
other
areas beyond
reach
of
information.
The
number
of
children
who
have
lost
their
lives
are
44
as listed
below:

Route
Requested
for
sending
Famine
Relief
Aid:

Bamboo
Flowering
Famine
mostly
affected
along
the
western
region
of
Chin
State,
closely
bordering
with
Mizoram,
India,
where
communication
is mostly
available
by
only
foot-
path.
The
most
affected
area
falls in
Zophei,
Mara,
Lautu
and
Khumi,
covering
108
villages,
9523
households with
62679
populations.
Road
transportation
at
all
seasons is available
only
up
to
Thantlang
and
Matupi
from
which
needed
three
to
four
days journey
on
foot
to
arrive
the
famine
affected
area
if
the
Relief
Aid
is to
be
given
from
Inland.
We
could
not
believe
that
the
Relief
items will
safely
reach
into
the
hand
of
actual
victims if
initiatives will
be
taken
from
inland
(Myanmar).

Therefore,
on
behalf
of
all
famine
victims
per
preference
of
themselves,
special
request
is
made
to
the
individual,
groups,
NGOs
(National/International)
and
governments
to
offer
Relief
Aid
through
Cross-Border
System
to
the
suffering
Chin
people.

Contact:
Email-csamau@yahoo.co.in
Ph:
+919436393666
By
Salai
Chinzah
Chairman,
CHRC
and
CNC

Chin
Hills
Myanmar
Mautam
Famine
Tree
Trunks
for
Food

A source of food on which they depended is a kind of tree in thick forest called

Tung/Bakô. The stem of the tree inside is sweet in taste.

They cut down and took it making slices to dry in sunshine.
They grinded into powder after which the powder is mixed with few rice and cooke
d for
food.

This kind
of
tree
is to
be
found
only
in
thick
forest
that
people
had
to
spend
a
lot
of
time
to
take.
Days and
months were
counted
for
the
new
babes and
children
who
could
not
serve
the
rough
food.
Similarly
today,
the
people
of
many
villages in
Chinland
especially
from
Maraland
and
Khumi
area
have
started
searching
for
yams and
trees
(Tung/Bakô)
for
surviving
of
their
daily
life.
The
population
today
seems to
increase
double
than
that
of
fifty
years back
famine.
The
yams and
trees might
not
be
enough
to
feed
the
people
for
times.
On
27th
of
December
2007,
two
Khumi
women
of
Tuiking
Along
village
(on
Daletmay
River)
who
searched
for
paddy
to
other
village
met
the
two
robbers on
their
way
home
frightened
them
saying,
If
you
love
your
life
save,
leave
your
tins
of
paddy
there .
At
the
same
time
the
two
women
ran
off
leaving
the
two
tins of
paddy
which
had
been
taken
by
the
robbers.
Mrs.
Khothlei
Ralcin,
a
nurse
from
Paletwa
Civil
Hospital
who
recently
visited
Mizoram
said,
The
robbers were
said
to
be
the
men
who
also
were
searching
for
food.
I
believe
this
is the
only
beginning.
There
will
be
more
and
more
robbery
and
stealing
for
the
people
those
who
do
not
have
money
at
all.

Posted
by
Tluanga
at
9:30
AM
1
comments

Labels:
Chinland,
Mautam,
Myanmar

Trading
Animals
for
Food
due
to
Mautam
Famine
in
Chin
Hills

On 6th.January, 2008 Chauzeipaw of Sabypi village arrived to Saiha

(Mizoram) bringing a baby-bear to change with rice. He eventually sold it
for Rs. 2000.00 and bought 1.5 quintals of rice for his families survival. He
said, The rice should not be consumed only by our family because there
are many people who are empty handed and wandering for rice. It is
impossible 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 ask
something to eat to their parents .
On 16th.January 2008, a group of Locheita villagers led by a religious leader
Rev. 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 town
that 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 we
leave at home having nothing to cook at all. By the sympathy and
humanitarian aid of College Veng Local Church of Evangelical Church of
Maraland, Saiha, Mizoram State, India, the Locheita villagers were given
21.5 quintals (2150Kg.) of rice. Locheita village is about 150Km far from
Saiha that for transportation of rice up to Chakhei village they still have to
spend Rs.3500.00. They have to carry the rice themselves on barefoot as
there 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.
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