Narinjara news

SEVEN CATTLE TRADERS ARRESTED FOR NOT BRIBING
THE BURMESE ARMY

Kyaukpru, 2^nd April 02: Seven cattle traders in Arakan (Rakhine) State, in the western part of Burma were arrested on 25^th March, according to a member of the family of an arrested person who called our correspondent over phone.

An RSI (Sergeant Major) of Light Infantry Division 34 at Kyaukpru, Win Kyi led a team of Army and Military Intelligence 10 personnel and arrested the seven Rakhine cattle traders on their way from Sanay town to Ramree town in the southern part of Arakan State. The cattle traders were taking 14 cattle and going to U Tin Fe of Rann-thaik Shay village under Ramree town. U Tin Fe is a well-known cattle trader in the area.

The motive behind the arrest was refusal to pay a bribe of kyat 100,000 demanded by Win Kyi and his team. The cattle traders could not pay the astronomical sum as they did not have the money to bribe them, and also because the cattle they were carrying were not meant to be smuggled out to Bangladesh but to be sold in the local village market.

A 65year old farmer of the group, U Hnin from San-khrung village under Kyaukpru township appealed to the Burmese troops as he was only taking his own cattle to sell to the said U Tin Fe for the money he needed to treat his ailing son. The troops without listening to the appeals beat him up and kicked and charged that they were all cattle-lifters and abused them physically to force them to confess that the cattle were really stolen!

The names of the arrested villagers who were taking their own cattle to sell elsewhere are: 1. U Hnin (65), son of U Saw Aye, from San-khrung village, Kyaukpru; 2. U Aung Tin Win (32), s/o U Than Tun Oo, from Ma-ee Rwama of Ann township; 3. Maung Saw Win (24), s/o U Maung Pru, from Ma-ee Rwama village; 4. U Than Aung (62), U Shwe Say, from Ma-ee Rwama; 5. U Tin Maung (30), s/o U Saw Tun from Ma-ee Rwama, Ann; 6. U Maung Aye Win (36), s/o U Kyaw Win, from Ma-ee Chaung village, Ann; 7. U Kyaw Tint (39), s/o U Thak Pru from Ma-ee Chaung village, Ann township.

They were bringing the cattle, some of which were their own for selling them to the cattle trader mentioned above. The villagers too testified to the fact that the cattle were their own and meant for selling in the local market and not for smuggling out to Bangladesh, which lies far away from Ramree township. But the Burmese troops rejected their demand and charged them with attempt to smuggle cattle out to Bangladesh. #

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