BURMA NEWS INTERNATIONAL

 

12 November 2004

 

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*  Village headman kidnapped villagers to get money,

*  Millionaire Nasaka officer arrested in Arakan State

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Village headman kidnapped villagers to get money

 

Independent Mon News Agency

November 12, 2004

 

The Village Peace and Development Council (PDC) chairman in

Thanbyuzayat Township arrested 10 villagers in order to get money

demanded from them to build a child care center, villagers said

yesterday.

 

“An-khae village PDC chairman U Nyein Maung detained 10 villagers from

village ward no. 1 who can’t afford to give him 1 million kyat,” a

villager said. “The villagers were arrested after they refused to give

the money because they are poor and can’t afford to pay such a lot of

money to the village headman.”

 

U Nyein Maung asked for 100,000 kyat from each household to build a

child care center in the village at a meeting held on Nov. 7, reporter

Nai Blai said.

 

“Villagers refused U Nyein Maung’s demand at the meeting. But U Nyein

Maung ordered the village militia to arrest 10 villagers and detained

them in the Village PDC office as hostages to threaten them to pay the

demanded money,” the villagers explained.

 

“The villagers were shocked at what U Nyein Maung did to the 10

villagers and now about 400 households in the village have started

giving the money,” Nai Blai reported.

 

The 10 villagers were released after their families borrowed money

from other houses and paid U Nyein Maung, according Nai Blai.

 

“U Nyein Maung was very famous for mistreating villagers in the

southern part of the Thanpyuzayart township area,” Nai Blai continued.

 

Very close to military authorities, the chairman was appointed by the

Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC), according to Nai Blai.

 

Most village PDC chairmen in Mon state were trained in Burmese Army

military training and the Burmese military also formed them as a group

paramilitary force.

 

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Millionaire Nasaka officer arrested in Arakan State

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Narinjara News

 

Maung Daw, Nov 12: A millionaire Nasaka officer was arrested Nov. 6 in

Maung Daw, a northern Burma-Bangledeshi border town.

 

Aung Zaya, a sergeant, was arrested by military personnel at the (3)

Mile gate Nasaka check-point at Maung Daw, where he worked as a

monitor and was in charge.

 

According to a police officer, authorities seized 30 million kyat and

47 gold bars from him and his interrogation is continuing.

 

He has several joint businesses in the area with local businessmen who

authorities are currently looking for, a  source said.

 

A businessman from Buthidaung said authorities have been seizing

properties belonging to intelligence and other Nasaka officials since

Oct. 31. So far, authorities have seized shrimp farms, hotels and

funds, as well as car s and motorbikes owned by intelligence units.

 

"All businessmen in the area are anxious about the present situation

because all businessmen were cooperating with local intelligence

officials. Previously, no one could do anything about his or her

business without intelligence permission and cooperation," he said.

 

Aung Zaya is now in the Buthidaung jail, where about 20 intelligence

officials recently arrested by authorities were moved from Rangoon,

according to a reliable source.

 

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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,

Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information

Network Group and Network Media Group.

 

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Burma News International

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