KALADAN PRESS NETWORK

Dated. 19th August 2002.

ALL LUCRATIVE BUSINESSES ARE CONTROLLED

BY SPDC AUTHORITIES IN NORTH ARAKAN

By our Correspondent

Maungdaw, August 19: The State Peace and Development

Council (SPDC) authorities through their agents in

North Arakan control almost all lucrative businesses

such as paddy, cattle, red-chilli, onion, hardwood,

bamboos, fishes and salt, etc, said a  businessman  of

Maungdaw Township.

The District Peace and Development Council (DPDC)

Chairman Lt. Col. Soe Twe, Township Peace and

Development Council (TPDC) Chairman Capt. Hla Pu, the

Commander of the Nasaka Headquarters Lt. Col. Aung

Ngwe and the Commander of Military Intelligence No.18

Capt. Soe Tat Thait of Maungdaw Township held a

meeting on 5th June 2002 to control all lucrative

businesses, said a source in SPDC administration. In

this meeting, they discussed and finally approved to

export paddy and cattle to Bangladesh. As per decision

of the meeting the TPDC authorities of Maungdaw

Township was awarded to export 4,50,000 Tans or

baskets of paddy (one Tan = 32 Kgs.) and 1,200 cattle

heads to Bangladesh till the end of December 2002

through two SPDC appointed agents namely Zahir Ahmed

and Rafique, the source further said.  

The agents have to pay the prices of paddy and cattle

in US Dollar to SPDC at their fixed prices. The SPDC

fixed the paddy price US$ 2.60 per Tan and US$170 per

cattle head. The SPDC and TSPDC concerned authorities

will supply all the goods to the appointed agents,

said another businessman.

In northern Arakan, the SPDC, Nasaka, Army and

Military Intelligence control all the daily affairs of

Rohingyas through their agents. They rule the Arakan

from kitchen to palace with iron hand. The Rohingyas

are also strictly prohibited their freedom of

movement. Therefore, the economic bases of Rohingya

Muslims deteriorated day by day, said a Rohingya

political leader. The Rohingyas have been mostly

affected since 1988 after the present military junta

took power. In fact, the Arakan is like a big jail for

Rohingyas, he further added.

In spite of introducing the “opened market system” in

Burma, the Burmese SPDC junta has been established a

new system called “agent market system” in northern

Arakan, which is not known to the other parts of the

country, said a leading businessman. This system is

particularly imposed in northern Arakan by the ruling

junta. According to the system, Rohingya villagers are

not allowed to sell their products or produce to the

open market and have been compelled to sell their

goods to the appointed agents of SPDC with much lower

prices than those of open market prices, he further

said. 

The Editor

Kaladan Press