BURMA NEWS INTERNATIONAL

 

4 November 2004

 

*  Beaten villager case has unreasonable ending, family says

*  Huge price hike in Muse

*  Suspension Bridge To Be Built By Local People

*  Indo-Myanmar Border Trade Frozen

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Beaten villager case has unreasonable ending, family says

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Independent Mon News Agency

November 4, 2004

 

The case of a patient in the Thanpyuzayart town hospital ended with

the unreasonable denial by the Burmese military commander in the area

that the soldier who beat the patient ran away, according to the

patient’s family.

.

The patient, Nai Hamard, 44, has been taking treatment for serious

wounds after he was beaten by three soldiers of  the Southeast

Military Command No.4 military training battalion in Waekali,

Thanpyuzayart township, while reaping rice in the paddy on his farm

about one mile from the battalion on Oct. 26 .

 

“Although he got permission from the commander, Col. Khin Maung Ze, to

reap the paddy, he was beaten by corporal Aung Myit’s groups that

barred him from reaping the paddy with the reason that his farm was in

an army area, a few days before he was beaten,” his family added.

 

“We complained to the commander to take action against corporal Aung

Myit on the day before yesterday. But commander Col. Khin Maung Ze

said corporal Aung Myit ran away and disappeared,” a family member

said. “We have returned back not satisfied with the commanders,” the

family said.

 

Nai Abair, a relative of Nai Hamard who came to see him in the

hospital said, “the Burmese army is crueler than the Japanese army

that people said was the cruelest army in World War Two.”

 

In Thanpyuzayart township, the army confiscated more than 2,000 acres

of land in thie area near Nai Hamard”s farm where he was beaten. Most

of the people in the area are farmers who rely on their farms.

 

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Huge price hike in Muse

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2 November 2004

Shan Herald Agency for News

 

In Muse, northern Shan State, the gateway to Ruili, China, and where

it all started before the fall from grace of General Khin Nyunt, many

businesses have ground to a halt, including drug trafficking,

prompting prices to rise sharply, reports Hawkeye from the border:

 

One 200-pill bag of low-quality methamphetamine used to cost about

30,000 kyat (US$30) before Oct. 19, the day Prime Minister Khin Nyunt

was abruptly "permitted to retire due to health reasons." It has

suddenly gone up to as high as 70,000 kyat (US$70) in the past few

days.

 

Meanwhile, 1 kg. of heroin that was about 23,000 yuan (US$2,875) a few

weeks earlier has soared to 30,000 yuan ($ 3,750) and upwards,

according to local sources.

 

The price hike has been attributed to the suspension of operations by

drug entrepreneurs, who have adopted a wait-and-see policy. "It will

also take sometime to cultivate relations with the new people in power

before resuming business," said a Shan source in Zegao on the Chinese

side of the border.

 

All business transactions that had been arranged through connections

with the Military Intelligence (MI) and its financing arm, Nasaka

(Border Disciplinary Unit), were suspended after Rangoon took action

against one after the other in September and October.

 

With the MI and Nasaka gone, the vacuum has been filled by local

police, who are setting up checkpoints to collect a tax from small

traders.

 

Each tolaji (farm tractor used by local people for transportation) is

charged 2,000-10,000 kyat. "The state of affairs is known as ‘Frogs

become dear when fish is scarce’ in the Shan saying," explained

another local resident. "The cops, long ignored by the populace, have

now become people you have to take into account, even if temporarily."

 

On Sept. 12, troops from the Northeastern Region Command raided the

Nasaka checkpoint in Muse and confiscated three chestfuls of gold

bars, among other things. The scandal led to the dissolution of the

unit and its patron, the Military Intelligence.

 

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Suspension Bridge To Be Built By Local People

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Khonumthung News

Aizawl, 01/ 11/ 2004

 

Local people in Matupi township have taken the initiative to construct

a suspension bridge where no ferry passage is available.

 

Matupi Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) chairman Za Thi

and the commander of Tactical II Brigadier San Aung required  local

people to construct a suspension bridge over the Sa Rawng river to

connect Tang Ku and Sum Sen villages, according to a traveler from the

area.

 

"As this is harvesting time, we have no time to construct the bridge

whatsoever. We shall have to start the bridge construction when the

harvest is over," a reporter quoted.

 

The suspension bridge construction will affect eight area villages in

the area including Tang Ku, Reng Kheng, Pa Kheng, Ca Kheng A and B,

Sum Sen, Ti Bing, Pa Mai and Tin Nam.

 

Three villages have to donate 50 cubic meters of wood for the

construction. The remaining villages will be constructed with the

labor of the people.

 

A report has also been received sayingt such a suspension bridge will

be constructed by local people between Ti Baw and Am Lai village of

Matupi Township by order of the TPDC and the army.

However, when such an order will be issued is not yet known.

 

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Indo-Myanmar Border Trade Frozen

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Khonumthung News

31/ 10/ 2004

 

 The summoning of Myanmar Military Intelligence (MI) agents in the

Indo-Myanmar border areas has reduced the number of border traders.

 

 The goods transporters of vehicles have ceased to operate since Oct.

24. The MI agency gates were closed after most of the operaters were

summoned by the military junta.

 

"The prices of essential goods rise continuously, though luxury goods

were not affected. If the border trade route is closed for a longer

period, prices will be rocketing," said the Champhai businessman.

 

The army and police on the border secured the border tightly and

strictly checked import and export goods.

 

A report has been received saying that the MI agents stationed at Tio

were summoned on Oct. 29 and reported to their office in Kalay Myoh.

 

 had been house arrested be the military junta. In continuation of

this coup certain MI officers were arres ted. This affect the border

trade with the neighbor countries.

 

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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,

Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information

Network Group and Network Media Group.

 

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Burma News International

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