Free gambling of the authorities for water festival creates robbery

Independent Mon News Agency

April 5, 2004

Free gambling for the coming Thingyan, water festival in Southern Mon State started creating thief cases and robbery after the gambling started.

The coming Thingyan starts on April 12 to 17, and to get money from the gambler by tax, the Burmese government authorities announced to the people that they allow the people for gambling from the beginning of April 1 to April 17.

In Southern Mawlamyine, to get more money the authorities also ordered the people to open gambling in each village and town during this period.

After given orderes almost all of the village and town opened gambling widely and the thief cases and Anu Kyan robbery, a kind of robbery that enter to inside a house with gun at night, rob property, frightened and killed the properties owner.

“Every day villager came to complain about it to us. Anu Kyan robbery case also appeared again and people became afraid of it,” Nai Sike Loa, a community judge member in Thanpyuzayart town said.

Anu Kyan robbery strongly frighten among the people and during 5 days period gambling more than 10 thief and Anu Kyan robbery case happened in the Thanpyuzayart town. Like the Thanpyuzayart, Mudon and Ye township also happened a few robbery cases.

Natural of people in Burma, after gambler lost from the gambling, the gambler robs and steals other people things to get money for gambling.

The gambler were paid 3,000 kyat an hour in gambling by the authorities and most people play card gambling, snooker, cock fighting match and gambling on football match.

In last year there were no gambling during the water festival. Even the authorities intended that these gambling are for water festival, indeed these gambling are not the traditional gambling for water festival. The traditional gambling is only playing caroms, called Zae Thout.

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