Yee Tip on SSA and amputees

Leung Yee Tip is a Shan who currently lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he works for the Shan Helath Committee. Among his many projects he supervises an amputee prosthetics clinic in northern Thailand. This is a transcript of a short interview on the subjects with him, February 2010.

Do you have an age in which people are allowed to work?

An age?

Yes, like children, or an age?

We don't use children.

How old are you in Shan to not be a child?

Eighteen. And also in the army too is 18.

How old is too old to be in the army?

Forty-five. Is mean that they can join between 18 and 45, and they can stay until 60 or 65. And also sometime, some of the children when they come with the SSA soldier they want to be a soldier, but we just send them to the school. Because some of their parents have been killed by the SPDC so they want to join the army.

Who is the funder for this farm project?

They is funder from CPI from America. (the anti-landmine organization Clear Path International)

How many amputees are there?

Here at this camp has 37 amputees. And then we choose from them who want to do this farming. And then we form a small company to look after this farm.

How did they become amputees?

Most of them are old soldiers from the MTA (Muang Tai Army, the predecessor to the current rebel SSA).

Land mines?

Land mines, and some in battle.

Do you get many new amputees?

Not, I did see a new one, some of them I think are new.

Does the SSA have people go out to look for land mines like in Loi Kaw Wan?

No here it's dangerous for them. If you don't know technically exactly how to search for land mines.

Loi Kaw Wan's Latest Landmine Victim

From an interview with Loi Kaw Wan medic Bay Da as he gives a tour of the village's medical compound. The interview begins as we leave the in-patient building, after having spoken briefly with a patient who lost both his hands in a land mine explosion several months earlier.

Tell me what happened to him. How did he lose his hands and his eye?

He went to outside. He went to inside Shan State. And the SPDC they put the mine, land mine. And then he tried to, how do you say? Check. He was looking for land mines.

Was he alone or with other people?

With other people. But only one, only him get injury. But other, they are far away from him.

He was reaching on the ground like this?

Yes, his hands gone. His hands is on the trees.

How far away, how many hours away were they from here?

About four hours.

They had to take him all the way back?

Yes. He is, like, strong. Strong mind. Not sad. Somebody when they are not really strong, when they get injury like this they can die. Depend on our mind.

So they brought him back here. Did he stay here or go to Thailand?

No, direct to Thailand. To Thoed Thai. To Thoed Thai and Thoed Thai sent him to Chiang Rai. He stay in Chiang Rai hospital for one month.

Is it free when a patient like that goes to the Thai hospital?

Not free, no. Very expensive.

Can he pay?

No, he cannot pay.

What can he do?

Our clinic takes responsibility for that. We have to sign for it.

The clinic here has to pay for his bill?

Yes. If he get money from some organization we can pay. If he don't get we just leave like that. It's difficult problem.

And he has to go to Thailand? They can't get medical help here?

Yes. Most of them. Most of the serious condition, like broken arm or mine injury.

Is he the first land mine victim, or are there other amputees here in Loi Kaw Wan?

Other. Many others. About 10.

Do they all get them the same way? Going into Burma?

Yes, the same way.