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Government Department extorts grocery shops in Ye

Ye

In March 2015, the Burmese government’s recently established Department of Workplace and Labor Law Investigation unlawfully imposed taxes on local grocery shops in Ye City, Ye Township, Mon State, states a local shopkeeper.

According to local Ye grocer Nai We-Ra, “The Department of Workplace and Labor Law Investigation came and showed a piece of paper and demanded money. There was no description about taxation in the paper. Small shops had to pay 40,000 kyat [in tax] and bigger ones had to pay 80,000 kyat. They [department employees] didn’t listen to our complaints. They forcefully demanded money. If we didn’t pay the money, they refused to leave our shops. I must pay the demand even though my shop doesn’t [employ] any workers.”

According to another local, there are more than ten grocery shops in Ye City’s An-an-war Ward, and every one of those shops had to pay the new department’s exorbitantly high taxes. There are roughly 40 grocery shops in Ye City, including cheroot shops, which were forced to pay taxes related solely to grocery shops.

“The department appeared this year and they collected money soon after their appearance. We always pay tax to the Municipal Department, but this demand is too much for us. A small shop can’t earn too much money. Moreover, we haven’t made much profit this year. I think they’ll also collect money next year,” continued the shopkeeper.

The documents department representatives presented to the shopkeepers were stamped with the Department of Workplace and Labor Law Investigation seal, and signed by the department’s chief officer. The documents only references local workers’ work hours and holidays, with no mention to taxation.

Local shopkeepers mentioned that the demanded tax was unlawful, as there was no mention or description of the tax in the documents presented by department employees.

“If they want to collect tax, they should identify that in the documents,” said a local grocer, “But there was no mention of taxation in the paper. This is totally unlawful.”

Drug use spreading in northern Ye Township

In the villages of northern Ye Township, drug use has been spreading. HURFOM spoke to residents of Magyi village, where widespread drug use is reported to have begun in 2013 and increased year upon year.

Magyi village medic, Nai Chatchan, explained, “In this village, there are three or four houses that sell drugs, but we don’t know how many people per house are [drug] users. [Drug use] is spreading throughout the whole region. Although some villagers want to report this issue to the authorities, they are concerned about their safety, as it seems like the whole village is using drugs.” Read more

Local police’s ignorance regarding the drug trade in Ye Township raises civilians’ concern

Ye
Drug use is spreading like a chronic disease in Ye Township, Mon State, causing great concern to the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Mon political parties, youth groups and local residents about the dangers and consequences of drug use.

On February 7, 2015, the NMSP, in coordination with two police officers and the village headman from Koe Mile Village, arrested a female drug dealer in Man Aung Village, located near Ye Township’s Koe Mile Village. During the arrest, the coordination team seized 149 methamphetamine pills.

According to a local resident, drug dealers can earn a fortune easily. As money and corruption rule the system in rural regions, drug dealers can easily defeat anyone who attempts to interrupt their business. Furthermore, deficient government anti-drug efforts have facilitated an expanding drug trade, and works to encourage individuals to experiment with drugs without fear of legal consequences.

Commenting on the current situation, one Ye Township village headman states, “The Ye police force should arrest the drug dealers, as they have the legal power, enough staff and also military [support]. If we [village administration] have to arrest the drug dealers, self-security becomes a concern as we have no weapons [nor power]. Even the Burmese police instructed [the village administration] to arrest the drug dealers, they don’t come to the villages; they just give the order. Drug use is an important issue in our lives, [and the local police] should protect our lives.

“They blamed the village administration for not obeying their orders and for being corrupt. I know nothing about the corruption but they [the police] should arrest [drug dealers] when we inform them when, where and who. The police didn’t come immediately to arrest [the drug dealers], but came to investigate two or three days after our report [was filed]. We have to be very cautious of reporting drug dealers, as they have a strong network. If the police don’t take action immediately, they [the drug dealers] can easily avoid arrest.”

“The police must conduct the operation soon after we file our report,” the village headman continued, “If not, they cannot arrest anyone. If there is a delay, the drug dealers are aware of being arrested and our attempt is fruitless. As low-rank authority, our village administration teams have a huge challenge in arresting drug dealers by ourselves. We must have a concrete plan before arresting drug dealers. Even though the police arrested the drug dealers after we filed our report, the dealers bribed the police to avoid arrest. So, there has been no improvement in the anti-drug campaign. Arresting small drug dealers or users is not an effective attempt, we must find the main source of drug production or trading in order to eliminate drug use in our region.”

According to a local resident from Ye Township’s Ma-Gyi Village, “Burmese military Light Infantry Battalion No. 31 is based in Ma-Gyi Village. The military doesn’t take any action on drug use or trade, they just launch a superficial operation. The military has been bribed by the drug dealers and don’t arrest them, they even help the drug dealers in selling drugs.”

Mon State’s villages and townships lie in an extensive, ever-growing network of drug trade, which supports rapidly increasing of drug use in Mon areas. According to HURFOM’s records, nearly 40% of youth in Ye Township, Mon State are addicted to drugs.

NMSP arrested 27 drug users

On March 3, 2015 the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) worked in coordination to arrest 27 drug users at the junction of A-Vit Village and Ka-Law Tagon Dai Village, Mudon Township, Mon State. Read more

Destroyed and Abandoned

Civilian land confiscated by the military and government departments for State projects and private companies has reached 2 million acres. The majority of confiscated lands are owned by small-holder farmers, with 90% of the victims dependent solely on their lands for their livelihoods. With such devastating effects on rural livelihoods, land conflict is the most pressing issue facing Burma today, second only to armed conflict. Read more

10th Mon Women Day celebrated on Mawlamyine

Last week Mon women joined together in celebration of the 10th Mon Women’s Day. The date of the annual celebration takes place on March 1st, honoring the birthday of famed Mon Queen Shin Saw Puu. This year’s celebration event was held at the Mon Dhamma Hall, Mawlamyine, Mon State. Read more

Community resists the monopolization of the Township Chief Engineer

Thanbyuzayat

The Myanmar National Development Project has approved a fortune of more than 70 million kyat to establish an electric power supply system which will range three miles and three furlongs in Krone Krote Village, Thanbyuzayat Township, Mon State, however, local residents reject the management of Township Chief Engineer U Hline Myo Kyaw, accusing him of intentions to monopolize the fund. Read more

Drug abuse declines in Mudon Township as the NMSP launches an anti-drug operation

There have been no obvious signs of drug use or the drug trade in Mudon Township, Mon State since the New Mon State Party (NMSP) launched its anti-drug operation in January of this year, however, the number of drug-addicted youth has not sharply declined, according to a Mudon Township NMSP officer. Read more

The 1st Mon Literature Talk in Andin Village, Ye Township

The 1st Mon Literature Talk was held in Andin Village last Saturday evening, led and arranged by a local monk in order to educate the local people regarding politics and the negative impacts of the proposed coal-fired power plant. The talk began at 8:00 pm on February 7th.

More than 300 ethnic Mons attended the event to hear key-note speakers U Soe Myint, who received a Bachelor’s of Engineering in Mining at the Yangon Institute of Technology, and Nai Yekha of the New Mon State Party (NMSP). Read more

“Land robbery by Burmese army has destroyed lives”, says Kyang-Ywa Village farmer

In June 2001, Battalion No. 591 and No. 983 confiscated 200 acres of land from 33 landowners in Kyaung-Ywa village, Ye Township. Today, Kyaung-Ywa villagers are still living in poverty as a result of these infractions. Speaking to HURFOM, one victim, referred to here as Nai Blai, explained that farmers in his village have lived in distress since the confiscation, plagued by mental conflicts. Read more

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