Narinjara
News
The
Big-Shot Contractor destroyed the salt industry in Arakan
Maung
Daw, March 9: Since the local authority made a tender for the
contract of the rights to produce salt in Maung Daw township, the
local salt farmers are in danger of losing their livelihoods.
During
the 2004 salt season, the Burmese Border Security (Na Sa Ka) tendered
for the Nga Khu Ra Salt farms. The farms were sold to “Pig”
Than Shwe from Sittwe who is close to the Na Sa Ka commander, for
300,000 kyat. Than Shwe resells the rights to produce salt and
lease out the plot at such a high price to get by the farmer.
A
local salt farmer said, “We only used to produce salt for the
local use, within Arakan state. There wasn’t any
international market. Only under the junta, the salt market has
expanded. It is because our neighboring countries are buying
it. Now, the junta is marking some fields for salt production
and sells them to the highest bidder who has connections and cash.
Currently, Ko Than Shwe is selling them back to us at an unreasonably
high price. We would not be able to attain it at all.”
Though
it is the salt producing season, since most farmers could not afford
to get the right and the land, they are not able to work in salt
farming.
The local junta officials sold not only the salt
fields and the right to farm it, they also sold rivers and creeks for
fishing, markets, boat ports and the right to trade vegetables and
fruit to big business owners.#