Independent Mon News Agency

July 15, 2003

Tax collection by DKBA for football sports

A battalion of Democratic Buddhist Karen Association (DKBA) bases in Pa-an Township of Karen State collected tax from the villages for Township Football Sport arranged by them.

DKBA Battalion No. 999 that bases in Nan-gone area between Pa-an town and Ein-duu village started the football sport competition in the area in the first week of July and has collected tax from 52 villages in the area. SPDC authorities in the rural areas always involved in tax collection from civilians and now the DKBA also involved more tax collection.

DKBA collected about 300 Kyat for each household in villages, this is the first time for DKBA collecting tax for Sport by DKBA, said the local Mon villagers to IMNA. The daily income for a day-labourer in the area is only 700-1000 Kyat. Besides this Sport tax to the DKBA, the villagers also had to pay a lot of tax to SPDC authorities.

The football team which wish to participate in the competition also had to pay DKBA, 50000 Kyat per team. The declared they would use the about 2 million Kyat in giving prizes to the winners.

SPDC Township authorities in Karen State has also arranged football sport in many Township and they also collected huge tax from the civilians. DKBA is leading this Football Sport in Pa-an Township and therefore, they also collected tax from the civilians like SPDC authorities in other Township.

In every year in June or July, the SPDC Township authorities always collected tax from the civilians in their arrangement of Football Sport.

The similar sport tax collection is also collected by the authorities in Three Pagoda Pass Township, a border town with Thailand.