Licensed Cars in Three Pagoda Pass are ordered to give authority

[SPDC authorities order licensed cars to be given to them]

Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA)

April 9, 2005

SPDC authority in Three Pagoda Pass Township in Thai-Burma border ordered car owners with local Township licenses to offer their cars to Township authority following a serial confiscation of unlicensed cars.

On April 3, 2005, SPDC authorities led by Deputy Police Chief U Yan Naing and other vehicle and transport authorities U Tin Min Nyo and U Than U, U Pan Ngwe and U Soe Kyaw called a meeting with 40 car owners and instructed them to offer their cars on April 8, 2005, as a deadline.

Although some car owners gave the license number of their cars and types of their cars, but many of them refused to offer their cars.

“We will not give our car to them. Wee will hide it. If they found it, they can take it. If not, will use it later,” said a care owner, Mr.Nai Myo. He also added that he can not say what could happen to car owner who refused to give their cars.

Another car owner, Mr. Bant Htaw added, “ this is our belonging. If they want it, they can take it from our home. If they want to destroy our car, they can do. We will totally refuse to give them,”.

Unlikely to unlicensed cars were confiscated by SPDC authorities before March 31, 2005, the current cars are belonged to Three Pagoda Pass town residents and licenses were issued by Maj.Gen.Sit Manung in 1995 in order to run their cars on the road from Three Pagoda Pass to Thanbyuzayat township in Mon State. Thus, many car owners believed that their cars are officially licensed. They are surprised by the order of Township authorities.

Until today no car owner offered their cars, and an officers from Three Pagoda Pass said, “no one come and give their car today. We will have to listen the order from higher authorities.”

Deputy Police Chief U Yan Naing said to public in the meeting that the local license for cars issued in 1995 is not official and they are in the same list of unlicensed (without) cars.

According to the source from a local authority, there were about 80 cars with township license issued in 1995. Some cars were getting old and the car owners changed the cars bought from Thailand. He also added the number of cars increased to 105 cars in the border town.

A car owner Mr. Nai Joi said that they also paid tax every year to South East Command to use them along Three Pagoda Pass- Thanbyuzayat motor road.

Maj.Gen Sit Maung died along with many other SPDC top leaders in a helicopter crash in 2002 in Karen State.

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