Arbitrary taxation increasing in Mudon Township

September 14, 2009

HURFOM: Mudon township authorities have been forced by Burmese army battalions to demand large and arbitrary taxes to cover military expenses, village security costs and VIP travel expenses in the area.

On September 5th, at about 9:30 am, 150 soldiers from Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 62 arrived into Taungkalay village, led by lieutenant colonel Myint Naing. Myint Naing commanded the village headman to collect 5,000 kyat from each household in the village. IB No. 62 also threatened villagers that if families couldn’t afford to pay the money, they would have to serve in the IB’s porter service.

U Chit, a 40 year old, who burns and produces charcoal around the village said, “Village headman U Thein Lwin started collecting 5,000 kyat from each household on September 5th – he said, ‘that is not my command. Lieutenant Colonel Myint Naing is forcing me to collect this money. I would like all of you to understand that the order is not coming from me. They [IB soldiers] will use this money in their food supplies.’”

“As for me, I didn’t have enough money to pay them. I just paid 3,000 [kyat] and two packages of charcoal.”
HURFOM field reporters found that Taungkalay village has about 250 to 300 households. The village has had to pay arbitrary taxes, not only to the local battalion but also to the Artillery Regiment (AR) that came to collect extort money from the village.

“Last Month, AR No.313 came and made villagers pay for security costs and the military food supplies, by collecting 3,000 kyat from each household,” said Nan Sein Kyi, a 50 year old resident. “As for the rich people, they don’t have any problems to pay, but the daily workers and people who don’t have regular jobs faced difficulty from this extortion of money in the area. I’d prefer to move to the town, even though staying in town you also can’t avoid this kind of taxes.”
According from one resident, “From AR No. 313, Major Thein Naing Win commanded the collection of money from the area. They threatened and tortured the people who couldn’t afford to pay the money.”

Many villages including Kyantaw, Hlagazaing, Thingankyaung, Udone, Pangone, and Mwayhaught face extortion efforts from locally based battalions.

Nai Nyunt, Hlagazain villager, said, “In one operation, an army group that included about 30 soldiers, based itself in our village, which is under the control of AR No. 313. The villagers have to pay them both arbitrary taxes of money and food. They always ask for village farm animals like chickens, ducks, and other food supplies like cooking oil and salt. They commanded the village headman to collect [these things] for them. They ate better then us. We also have to pay the village militia leader Sein Maung, 1,500 [kyat] each month – and with these military food and security costs of about 3,000 kyat…if we combine all the costs [it would be] 4,500 kyat each month.”

“As for me, I am farmer, I don’t have resources left from my work anymore,” He added. “And my money I invest into my farm.”

50 villages are located within the area subject to the increased arbitrary taxation, out of direct government control. However, they are still under direct battalion control. As a result there is little or no oversight into the actions of military battalions. This gives local commanders free rain to extort money and commit abuses as they see fit. Area residents survive by farming, charcoal production and growing toddy sugar.

“Because of this they have to pay huge amount of extortion money to the battalion,” explained a political analyst from the area. “They are facing difficulties surviving.”

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News