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Regional Development Programs and E (r)



I have received the report by Min Yah Shin for Yoma News Agency and would
like to use it on BurmaNet.  Before I can do so can you please identify who
the Yoma News Agency represents.

Yours sincerely
Catherine
The new BurmaNet Editor  

At 08:15 AM 1/13/98, you wrote:
>Regional Development Programs and Exploitation by SLORC military
>
>When the New Mon State Party and the State Law and Order Restoration 
>Council (now the State Peace and Development Council) reached an 
>agreement to cease hostilities, the declared intention was to 
>undertake regional development once the cease-fire was in place.
>
>The fact is that the cease-fire provided more opportunities for SLORC 
>officials to enrich themselves than for the local people to become 
>developed. The commanders of the various battalions and companies 
>deployed in the region exploited the local people and made money out 
>of the road and bridge renovation and construction projects. 
>
>Here are some examples: 
>
>1) Renovation of the Kalauk-Hangan road in Ye Township
>
>The old Kalauk-Hangan road was an unpaved earthen road.  In mid 1997, 
>SLORC's Major General Ket Sein, commander of South-West Command 
>agreed to pave the road  and promised to provide 12 million kyat to 
>the project.  The local people were asked to come up with the stones 
>and earth needed for road renovation. 
>
>Captain Zaw Lin, head of the township Border Development Working 
>Committee was assigned to supervise the project.
>
>Captain Zaw Lin took the project funds but did not start the project 
>until the local people from Kalauk and Hangan complained to Ket Sein. 
>When the project was started in October 1997, the local villagers 
>were ordered not only to provide the earth and stones as formerly 
>agreed but also to volunteer for the earth and stone laying-work for 
>the road.
> 
>The labor for the road was supposed to be paid for by the 12 million 
>kyat fund.  But Captain Zaw Lin misappropriated millions by forcing 
>the local villagers to volunteer for road laying work and in 
>transporting and providing supplies.
>
>2) Social  Welfare Program: Women Home Economics Training School
>
>A Women's Home Economics Training School was built at a cost of 12 
>million kyat in the Thiri Nanda quarter of Ye township as a part of 
>the Border Development Program.  The building was to have two 
>boarding halls,  a main training room, a cooking and dining hall and 
>a building for the management office.  The trainees were to be taught 
>sewing, knitting and crotchet.
>
>The construction work was jointly undertaken by the Border 
>Development Working Committee headed by Captain Zaw Lin and the 
>Hanthawaddy Company owned by Mon nationals.  Captain Zaw Lin took 
>charge of procuring construction materials, such as timber, brick, 
>sand, stones etc. while the Hanthawaddy company was responsible for 
>the construction of the buildings.
>
>Captain Zaw Lin summoned trucks from the SLORC departments, 
>especially tractors from the Agriculture Department, and also 
>commandeered buses from the local bus associations without any 
>compensation.
>
>The construction materials provided  by Captain Zaw Lin were of 
>inferior quality far below the normal standards.  The Hanthawaddy 
>company could not refuse the supplies and had to accept them without 
>complaint. Because of time constraint, the, Hanthawaddy company ended 
>up constructing the  buildings with inferior supplies without taking 
>into consideration the security and safety of the people. 
>
>Captain Zaw Lin has stolen millions through public projects since he 
>was assigned to Ye township some two years ago.
>
>3) Ka Nee New Town project
>
>As part of the Regional Development Program, the Ka Nee New Town 
>Project was introduced at the upper reaches of Ye stream in 1996. The 
>main purpose  was to build a town for the families of New Mon State 
>Party and the Mon National Liberation Army and the local people.  
>Because of the town project, a road was needed between Ka Nee and Ye. 
>The Border Development Working Committee and the local No. 61 
>Infantry Regiment was given the contract to construct the road. The 
>road had to cross four steams -- Ah poke, Kyon Long, Waen Paung, and 
>Pha Lang -- and bridges were needed to be built as part of the 
>contract. 
>
>Major San Aye, the deputy commander of the No. 61 Infantry Regiment 
>was awarded  600,000 kyats per bridge under the contract. The major  
>concluded a deal with the local sub-contractors to build each bridge 
>at 350,000 kyat.  
>
>Maj. San Aye pocketed 1 million kyat but issued an order that big 
>trees in the local farms will be cut down for the bridge projects. 
>The order to provide timber for the bridges sparked off disputes 
>between farm owners and the loggers. 
>
>Due to heavy floods during the 1997 rainy season, the bridges across 
>Kyon Long and Waen Paung streams were swept away.  They have yet to 
>be reconstructed.  The two other bridges were constructed off the 
>main route and the road has to be re-routed again.  Even though a lot 
>of funds were spent all the bridges remain useless today.
>
>
>4) Construction of the bridge across Kalawk stream
>
>A 100-feet long and 20-feet wide bridge was to be constructed across 
>the Kalawk Stream at an estimated of cost of 1.5 million kyat.  Even 
>though these local projects are usually handled by the Township 
>Construction Corporation, the Kalawk Stream Bridge Project was 
>awarded to Major San Aye of the No. 61 Infantry Regiment.
>
>Family members from the regiment were used as laborers in the 
>construction work and paid much lower than the civilian workers. A 
>regimental carpenter was paid only 200 kyat a day as against the 
>going rate of 300-400 kyat for standard carpenters.
>
>Major San Aye also used construction materials belonging to the 
>Township Construction Corporation without any compensation.
>
>The usual practice in construction projects was that the Construction 
>Corporation Headquarters would advance  part of the estimated cost to 
>the Township Construction Corporation and settle the rest of the 
>funds in increment.  But, as a contractor Major San Aye demanded that 
>all the funds be advanced to him first.  The officials of the 
>Township Construction Corporation had to borrow money from the local 
>businessmen to advance Major San Aye the project funds.
>
>Reported by Min Yan Shin
>Yoma  News Agency
>Date: January 10, 1998
>
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>
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