[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Mizzima: Burmese authorities collec



--------------E8452C26E9B2A9C69835DBA5
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

         Authorities collecting opium-tax in northern Shan State

Ruili, March 23, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Reports coming from northern Shan State of Burma suggest that the
Burmese military authorities continue to collect opium-tax from the
opium-cultivators in a big way.

As the opium-cultivators are selling out raw opium by end of this month,
the authorities in Nam Kham Township are collecting tax from them. Heads
of villages in the township takes responsibility to collect the
opium-tax and then they hand over the money to the local Burmese army
battalions. The village-head collects the tax depending on how big is an
opium field. According to one local opium-cultivator, the authorities
get around Kyat 20 lakhs from each village in Nam Kham as opium-tax.

While one viss (1.6 kilogram) of raw opium is sold at Kyat two lakhs
locally, the same is worth at two times high after it reaches to
bordering China.

The opium cultivators have to pay tax at the time of cultivating as
well.

Although the authorities have destroyed some opium fields in Mone Koe
area, those in the Nam-Kham town were not destroyed.

                Forced portering in Sittwe, Arakan State

Dhaka, March 23, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Since the beginning of this month, Burmese military have been forcibly
rounding up the civilians in Sittwe town of Arakan State to use as
porters.

As the tension and fighting at Thai-Burma border increased, Burmese
military is conscripting civilians in the town, reportedly to be sent to
Thai-Burma border as porters.

The main points of the town such as market, port, and cinemas have
witnessed the soldiers rounding up the unemployed and street-persons
even in daytime. Those who fled from the attempts of soldiers were seen
beaten. In the second week of March, one U Tha Hla Aung, who worked as
Kuli (laborer) at Sittwe port died of soldiers? beating.

Tens of unemployed and street persons were arrested by the military in
Sittwe in the last three weeks.



--------------E8452C26E9B2A9C69835DBA5
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>

<center><b><u><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Authorities collecting
opium-tax in northern Shan State</font></font></u></b></center>

<p><font size=+1>Ruili, March 23, 2001</font>
<br><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font>
<p><font size=+1>Reports coming from northern Shan State of Burma suggest
that the Burmese military authorities continue to collect opium-tax from
the opium-cultivators in a big way.</font>
<p><font size=+1>As the opium-cultivators are selling out raw opium by
end of this month, the authorities in Nam Kham Township are collecting
tax from them. Heads of villages in the township takes responsibility to
collect the opium-tax and then they hand over the money to the local Burmese
army battalions. The village-head collects the tax depending on how big
is an opium field. According to one local opium-cultivator, the authorities
get around Kyat 20 lakhs from each village in Nam Kham as opium-tax.</font>
<p><font size=+1>While one viss (1.6 kilogram) of raw opium is sold at
Kyat two lakhs locally, the same is worth at two times high after it reaches
to bordering China.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The opium cultivators have to pay tax at the time of cultivating
as well.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Although the authorities have destroyed some opium fields
in Mone Koe area, those in the Nam-Kham town were not destroyed.</font>
<center>
<p><u><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Forced portering in Sittwe, Arakan
State</font></font></u></center>

<p><font size=+1>Dhaka, March 23, 2001</font>
<br><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font>
<p><font size=+1>Since the beginning of this month, Burmese military have
been forcibly rounding up the civilians in Sittwe town of Arakan State
to use as porters.</font>
<p><font size=+1>As the tension and fighting at Thai-Burma border increased,
Burmese military is conscripting civilians in the town, reportedly to be
sent to Thai-Burma border as porters.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The main points of the town such as market, port, and
cinemas have witnessed the soldiers rounding up the unemployed and street-persons
even in daytime. Those who fled from the attempts of soldiers were seen
beaten. In the second week of March, one U Tha Hla Aung, who worked as
Kuli (laborer) at Sittwe port died of soldiers? beating.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Tens of unemployed and street persons were arrested by
the military in Sittwe in the last three weeks.</font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

--------------E8452C26E9B2A9C69835DBA5--