Date:
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(1) Burmese Products Popular in North
(2) DPA members surrender to SPDC troops
(3) Karenni stronghold under attack (In
Burmese)*
(4) Karen New Year ceremony in Mae Sot (In Burmese)*
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*For Burmese Language stories, please go
to the BNI webpage, www.bnionline.net
Burmese Products Popular in North
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Surajit Khaund
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
Three states of northeast
bordering
essential commodities to various Burmese food items now sold in markets
in these states.
Burmese potatoes, cabbage and herbs are available in the border
markets. The Burmese sell their products on the Indian side to get some
money with which they support their small families. Moreover, with the
growing demand for their products, Burmese farmers come to bordering
areas of
Pitha, which are made of rice, are widely used in the Indian amilies.
“Not only the food items, even vegetables, are sold in the markets as
per demand of the people,” Laila Singh, a Manipuri trader, told this
correspondent today.
Laila said the quality of Burmese vegetables and other food products
are good, so the Indian people prefer them. “Burmese rice and vegetables
have a good demand in northeast
of trade with the Burmese people,” he added.
Moreh, said to be one of the major
trade points of northeast
farflung areas to buy their goods. In the vegetable market Burmese
traditional foods are also sold by the women, who come from Tamu and
nearby villages to sell their products.
The trade is also more apparent in Longwa and Champha, in Nagaland and
Mizoram respectively. Burmese people come to the areas early in the
morning to sell their products. But in Longwa vegetables and rice are
exchanged for salt and medicines under the barter system. According to
local people, salt and medicines are very scarce in bordering areas of
Commenting on the growing market in northeast
leading social scientist, observed that the new market has further
strengthened bilateral relations among Burmese and Indian people.
“There is no reason for panic as the poor Burmese villagers sell their
little produce,” Singh said by
telephone. According to him,
long cultural and traditional
relationship with
trade agreement, has further cemented it as a healthy sign for any country.
“I think that now new trend of trade would benefit both Indian and
Burmese poor people to a large extent,” he added.
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DPA members surrender to SPDC troops
====================================
Narinjara News
Palatwa, January 9
A group of Democratic Party of Arakan (DPA) members that recently
surrendered to SPDC troops were in possession of some sophisticated guns
and ammunition, according a local report.
The group consisted of 95 family members from the DPA that had over 20
guns, including AK 47s and M-16s. The group was led by Captain U Mrat
Tun and
The group surrendered in an outpost, near the India-Burma border, under
the Light Infantry Battalion (289)
base in
southern part of
This is the second time that a group of DPA members equipped with a
number of arms have surrendered to the SPDC. The first armed group
surrendered to Burmese troops in early 1996.
A local source said the group was moved within the last three days from
authority’s arrangement after their surrender.
Before their surrender, the group forcibly collected a large amount of
money from local hill people of the
for their own interest,
local people said.
The DPA party is notorious among the Bangladeshi people for forcibly
collecting money from local people, robbing a Bangladeshi bank, and
hijacking local businessmen.
An Arakanese man living in the hill track area said that he was very
happy to hear the news that some DPA members surrendered to the SPDC
because the revolution movement was damaged by their misbehavior in
The DPA is a member of NCUB, a large umbrella group involved in the
Arakan groups.
***End***
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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.
.........................
Contact: Duty Editor
+66 9 54 94 296
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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.
.........................
Contact: Duty Editor
+66 9 54 94 296