Village Administrators Persistently Misuse Development Funds

July 18, 2014

The Htaung Mam village administration crew has misused government development funds granted to the Mya Sein Yaung social charity group by biasedly distributing support to specific villagers as opposed to others. Htaung Mam villagers have reported this issue to authorities in efforts to raise awareness of the village administration crew’s corruption practices.

The Burmese government has granted social charity group Mya Sein Yaung 30 million kyat to be used to foster local development by providing rent to villagers who want to invest in agriculture. The Htaung Mam village administration crew, a member of the Mudon Township Ka Loh Toh village group, has been allocating charity funds to Htaung Mam villagers with whom administration has personal connections, while dismissing other Htaung Mam villagers seeking support.

“The government created Mya Sein Yaung social charity group to focus on local development, and funded 30 million kyat for each village. The [purpose of the] fund is to rent it to villagers for agriculture investment. Then, they have to pay back [the loan],” explained a young person who works for the Ka Loh Toh charity group, “Every villager who wants to work can have their share. I think it is not right that they (the Htaung Mam village administration crew) give a [funds] to a person they want, and refuse to give to a person they don’t want to. It should be impartial. If they want to do like that [sic] they can, but they are the ones who have to take responsibility if there is conflict upon this fraud. We also recorded about this.”

According to Mi Myint, a resident of Htaung Mam, Htaung Mam village administrator U Hla Hpei heads the administration group which is misusing government funds; “U Hla Hpei leads the administration crew [which] did not rent the money to all villagers. And they (the administration crew) also expelled villagers from their office without explaining what the reason was. There are four households [in Htaung Mam] that have been refused a deposit. When we asked why, they (the administration crew) did not answer us.”

U Hla Hpei is a deposit executive, as well as village administrator of Htaung Mam Village, and has been denounced for his corruption in the area. Residents of Htaung Mam requested explanation from the administration crew as to who deserved to benefit from the Mya Sein Yaung development fund, but no one dares to publicly expose Nai Hla Hpei’s corruption practices. Mya Sein Yaung Chairman Min Soe Myint was arrested on June 7^th, 2014 by the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 565 due to comments on Nai Hla Hpei’s corruption. http://rehmonnya.org/archives/3193

“U Hla Hpei’s administration crew trapped Min Soe Myint Win to jail him. U Hla Hpei has [practiced] corruption and unjust actions while he was village administrator in the past. Due to Min Soe Myint Win’s [public exposure] of U Hla Hpei’s corruption, he held a grudge against Min Soe Myint Win. Now he (U Tin Pyay) is involved in this fund issue again,” said Nai Thunt, 35, Htaung Mam resident.

Since the April 2014 launch of its local development scheme, the Mya Sein Yaung social charity group has been funding villages with 30 million kyat with goals of creating more job opportunities, an increase in family income, an increase in agriculture, as well as food and welfare safety. Mya Sein Yaung has allocated 34.5 billion kyats for local development in 1150 villages, from 74 townships, from 38 districts, from 14 provinces and Burma’s capital city of Nay Pyi Daw, from 6 autonomous states.

“360 million kyat will be used for 21 villages in Mon State. We get to know that each village is granted 30 million kyat. To distribute this fund, a committee was created in each village. Each village has to take responsibility for its own fund. This fund can’t be lost. This is the process; it is a kind of investment. The main purpose is to use this fund for development. If they (village administration crews) give [the money] to people who they want, they have to take responsibility. Ask them directly,” stated a member of Mya Sein Yaung.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News