Endless illegal Car Trading

Independent Mon News Agency

June 27, 2004

Although there is heavy rains and most parts of motor road are destroyed by the rain, the traders continue illegally importing second hand car from Japan into Burma.

“Every day more than 15 cars are imported into Burma through Mae-katha road across jungles,” said the source close to the KNU checkpoint officer Kyaw Tint.

“Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and a Karen surrender group called KPF (Karen Peace Force) has taken responsibility in bringing these cars,” added the source.

“There are more than a hundred cars left in Three Pagoda Pass Town for importing during this rainy season,” Mr. Nai Myit Saw a car trader said.

Most of the imported cars are small for private and family uses. Those second-hand used cars are popular in automobile-shortage Burma and are imported from Japan by ships then via Thailand up to Three Pagoda Pass border checkpoint. Again most ceasefire armed groups and some surrendered groups and their close supporters imported into Burma via Mon State and Karen State along bad jungle routes, and this has been remained a main business for them.

“It is very dangerous. The roads are very bad and difficult, so that we had to cross the rivers with raft,” Mr. Nai Maung a car driver said.

“Because of bad roads, the trader hired the skillful driver with a payment 150, 000.00 Kyat per trip - from Three Pagoda Pass border town to Mudon town in Mon state,” Mr. Nai Maung added.

Although the traders continue importing the cars, the Burmese military government authorities in Rangoon and Mandalay strictly blocked the import of these illegal cars, said Mr. Nai Myaing who returned from Rangoon.

“A rumor also seperating among the people about the government seizing these illegal cars,” he added.

“Some rumor came out that, the government authorities will seize these cars and give some representatives who attend the National Convention”, Nai Myaing said.

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