§ 7. Mr. DAYasked the Secretary of State for India whether he can make a further statement as to the present situation in the Tharrawaddy, Insein and Hengada districts; and can he give any
§ 2nd July, 1931, of which I am sending copies to my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Mr. HANNONIs it not possible for the hon. and gallant Member to get this information without putting a question on the Order Paper, and wasting the time of the House? All the facts are available.
§ Following is the table:
§ information as to further operations in Prome and the numbers of military police or infantry that are at present in these districts?
§ Mr. BENNIn reply to the first two parts of the question I am circulating a statement giving my latest information. With regard to the third part I am informed that approximately two and a-half battalions of Indian and half a battalion of British troops are posted in the four areas mentioned by my hon. Friend. Six battalions of the Burma Military Police are also employed in Lower Burma, but I have no information as to their precise disposition.
§ Mr. BENNThe best thing that I cap do is to let the hon. Member peruse the statement of the situation up to date.
§ Following is the statement:
§ The situation on the whole shows signs of improvement. Dacoities have decreased in Thayetmyo District, and the active measures taken by troops and military police are having good effect. A large rebel camp was successfully attacked on the 20th July, four rebels being killed and many wounded. Twenty-four local-made guns and a large stock of other weapons, ammunition and food were found and the whole camp was destroyed. Another camp was discovered in the Tharrawaddy District and was also destroyed.
§ Surrenders in Prome District now amount to 1,332, and there have also been 40 in Tharrawaddy and one in Thayetmyo. Some of the leading Pongyis of Rangoon have gone out on a peace mission to the Tharrawaddy and Insein Districts, and it is hoped that their efforts will result in a large number of surrenders under the terms of the amnesty in the near future.
§ The rising in the Shan States appears to have been suppressed. The communal situation has improved and hardly any attacks on Indians have been reported. The only Government casualty reported during the week was one sepoy slightly wounded in the attack on the rebel camp in the Thayetmyo District. Reports as to the number of prisoners in custody are incomplete, but over 200 have been released during the week. The special tribunal in Tharrawaddy has passed judgment in another case, sentencing three persons to death and 45 to transportation. Twenty-seven persons were acquitted.
§ The price of paddy has risen and now stands at about Rs.78 to Rs.80. Cultivation is progressing reasonably well in Lower Burma, but in the dry zone prospects are unfavourable owing to the failure of the early rains. Test works have been opened in several districts and money has been allotted to other districts for similar use when required.