Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA)

August 1, 2003

Police and MI No. 5 extorted from passengers while search for bomb suspects

Taking the good opportunity after the order by the SPDC higher authorities to find explosives and suspects, police and military intelligence (MI) officers extort money from the travelers who have no identity card and who cannot speak Burmese language well.

After the regime SPDC made accusation against the oppositions for the plan of assassination of military leaders in their press conference, they ordered the local police and military intelligence in Mon State to search explosives and find the suspects among the travelers in Moulmein motorboat ferry post (in the capital of Mon State).

Intensive search is done by them and they threatened travelers who do not bring their citizenship card and who cannot speak Burmese well to put in jail and then extort money from them.

A traveler said, “when they found someone without ID card the police brought him to MI. MI again threatened and interrogated. Even they did not find anything and found innocent people, they ask money”.

Another source close to police officers said, “many travelers who stay close to Moulmein did not take ID card along with them because the trip is close. And the officers interrogated more people who cannot speak Burmese language and most elder people are interrogated”.

He also said that the police and intelligence officers could also make many thousands Kyat each day.

Similarly, the officers also set many checkpoints in other Township areas and police and authorities also extorted money from the ethnic Mon and Karen travelers if they did not bring ID cards and cannot speak Burmese language well.

The SPDC also closely watched the members of armed groups New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) with a concern of bringing explosives. About 10 members of DKBA were also arrested and their trading business has also decreased, said by a commander from DKBA’s Battalion No. 999.