Three Pagoda Pass football match ceased at semi-final in fear of armed conflict

Independent Mon News Agency

August 10, 2004

Three Pagoda Pass Township 6^th annual football match ceased at semi-final after an argument occurred between the Ramonnya Football Team and Chaung-zone Football Team.

“Because of Three Pagoda Pass Township Peace and Development (TPDC) is afraid of armed conflict occurs between New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) which are behind the two football teams, and so they cease the match without a decided date to re-start again,” according to the match Implementing Committee.

The argument occurred on August 4, before the game happened after the Rammonya Team argued about the Chaung-zone Team was putting some new players who did not register and broke the rule of the Implementing Committee No.18. Ramonnya Team boycotted it and the Implementing Committee signed for Ramonnya Team, as the winner of the match, accordingly to the footballer from Ramonnya Team.

The Implementing Committee asked Ramonnya Team to play as friendship march against Chaung-zone and the Team agreed to play.

“While both teams are playing on that day at a half time, a Chaung-zone Team player beat a Ramonnya player during the playtime but the referee U Chit Khin did not call for punishment. It was happened many times and Ramonnya Team supporters who watched the match shout and made complaint to U Chit Khin,” according to people at the match and Remonnya Team’s footballers.

“The match stopped at about 55 minutes, after Chaung-zone team was beaten two goals with no goal (by Ramonnya Team),” the people said. The Chaung-zone team player disappointed with the case and shouted along the way back to their village.

After the match, the referee U Chit Khin told the people and applied to Implementing Committee, he will not act as referee again for the coming match, according to the Three Pagoda Pass town residents.

“If I continue do as a referee in the coming match, I can be killed,” U Chit Khin told the people.

TPDC authorities and Implementing Committee are negotiating with the football teams and asking the team managers for suggestions in order to prevent such problem in the future.

Ramonnya Team gave two points of suggestion to the Implementing Committee, every team have to respect the rules and to have fair referee, according to Ramonnya team.

“There is still silence for re-playing to reach final,” the Ramonnya Team footballer added.

In Three Pagoda Pass annual football match, it has 13 teams and some teams like Ramonnya, Karen Literature and Culture team, and Chaung-zone are organized by the local armed groups.

Currently Ramonnya Team, from Group-B has the highest score with 17 goals and the Government Public Servant Team is in second position, Karen Literature and Culture Team and Motor Transport Team follow after.

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