Narinjara news
MYANMAR NAVY ENGAGED IN
EXTORTION IN THE MAYU RIVER
Buthidaung, 7th January 02: Two
Myanmar Naval guard posts have been reported to be engaged in extorting money
and materials from all the civilian vessels passing them, according to a businessman
available at Buthidaung, a small township in the
western part of Myanmar.
One of the two naval guard posts is situated at Ngalapra
village under Rathedaung township,
and the other at The-kan Khwa-chung,
Buthidaung both on the Mayu
river. The two guard posts are situated in strategically important spots
and all the vessels coming from across Rakhine state
including Minbra, Punnagyun,
Sittwe, and Mrauk-u to Buthidaung must touch the two
places. Vessels carrying salt, agricultural produce, earthenware,
textile, and even fishing boats and trawlers are
not spared from extortion. All the vessels including
passenger carrying motorboats are detained for long hours unless they
agree to pay extortion money in the plea of security check, or 'official
order'. Sometimes if the motor vessels cannot make their trip on
time, they have to strand for long hours waiting for the tide to come
back. The businessman added that, there would not be any problem if it were a vessel carrying illegal smuggling items, but for
those who carry on legal business, the delay may cause perishable goods and
foods to rot and incur heavy losses. Again if the illegal tolls are added
to the cost of goods transport the margin of profit would be very small or even
incur heavy losses.
In Rakhine State, a businessman has to pay illegal
tolls even for legal goods permissible under the law to Village administration,
Township administration, Military Intelligence, Police, as well as to all the
check posts along the way for carrying his goods since he has to produce dozens
of 'permissions' to authorities everywhere. For movement from one place
to another permissions from all the above
authorities have to be produced wherever he goes.
The businessman also lamented that, though there is a need for all the papers
for carrying legal trade and business in the state, the smuggling boats are
given free passage as they do not need to touch the checkpoints or ever get
interfered. #