[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
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
>
>
>
>
>