DKBA gets favor after halting businessperson’s seizure of public market

Independent Mon News Agency

September 18, 2004 (Karen State, Border)

A Karen ceasefire armed group, Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) which has bad name in treating the local people, gets support from the people after halting trader Ms. Daw Saw Khin and Township Peace and Development Council’s (Ma Ya Ka) plan for building the lacquer and furniture market in public ground in Three Pagoda Pass (TPP) border city.

The trucks and workers belonged to Daw Saw Khin and Ma Ya Ka had to carry the timbers back from public grounds in No. 3 city quarter during 40 soldiers of DKBA troops are guarding the ground. Over 10 tons of timbers were gathered on September 16, by the trader and Ma Ya Ka as they planned to build a market in there.

Before the trucks were carrying out timbers, at 10:00 a.m. Captain Lay Win who led the Special Force of DKBA in TPP town, shouted loudly in the field in front of the people, “we will shoot who dare entering to the ground to build the market.”

Nobody dared to enter the ground and Captain Lay Win troops cut all of the small trees that grown for the beautification of the market’s garden and some photographers were taking photos during DKBA troops were cutting trees and guarding the gardens for DKBA’s documentation.

“A lot of people said that Captain Lay Win did the right thing in this case. He met the TPP Ma Ya Ka and argued about the market plan. The reason of Lay Win halting the plan is that the public ground is used for the city people for celebrating various festival ceremonies, DKBA and New Mon State Party (NMSP) also used the ground to celebrate their respective national days,” said Mr. U Thike a Three Pagoda resident.

“If the market plan is totally implemented, there will be no open ground for the TPP people to celebrate the community festivals,” U Thike an old resident added.

The market plan was drawn by a general trader Daw Saw Khin and a furniture businessman Mr. U Ni Pon, and TPP Ma Ya Ka plan to open furniture markets in Burma territory as Thai market to draw attraction from the tourists, according to Mr. U Shwe Kyaing who close to Ma Ya Ka said.

“Lay Win also said that plan is only for the income generating of businesspersons and Ma Ya Ka. Ma Ya Ka and businesspersons do not care for the long-term benefit of the people in the city. Lay Win also shout in the ground that If the plan is implemented the profits are just for these government servants who came to the city for a while,” Mr. U Shwe Kyaing added.

Mr. U Aung Kyaw Mon, the Chairperson of No. 3 Quarter PDC took responsibility to build the market.

DKBA is a Karen armed group, which separated from Karen National Union and agreed fpr cease-fire with the military regime in Rangoon. With its armed power, the DKBA soldiers also involved in kidnapping the sex workers in the city and threatening the local people with guns, so that the city people are afraid of them.

In most cases, when the DKBA is abusing the power and makes troubles to the civilians, the regime authorities has not taken legal action against its troops.

“Now there is no action from Ma Ya Ka and Burmese Army battalion responding against DKBA, on the disturbance of market construction,” the Three Pagoda Pass residents said.

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