The Narinjara News

(19 January 2009)

www.narinjara.com

 

NEWS IN ENGLISH

 

 

Burmese Army confiscates land for brick kiln

2010 election, a game played by Burmese junta

Shoot at sight order to BDR on smugglers

 

 

NEWS IN BURMESE

http://www.narinjara.com/burmese.asp

 

 

Tha Sein Pru becomes the 8^th Mong Raza

A Memorial service for Dr U Saw Mra Aung held in Norway

The construction of new pagoda in Cox’s bazaar will be completed soon

 

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Narinjara News

Sittwe, 19 January 2009

 

Burmese Army confiscates land for brick kiln

 

The Burmese Army has confiscated over seven acres of farm land from two farmers in Siittwe Township to set up a brick kiln.  No compensation was paid for the land, said a relative of a farm owner.

 

"The farm lands were forcibly taken by an army battalion based in Sittwe for a brick kiln. The bricks produced will be used for construction of army buildings," he said.

 

The farms owners whose lands were confiscated are U Tha Maung and U Tun Maung from Tha Ya Gon village, four miles north of Arakan state's capital Sittwe.

 

"The lands included four acres of pastures and three acres of paddy farms. They were confiscated by the power and engineering battalion of the army stationed in Sittwe cantonment.

 

“The families are suffering severely following the loss of farms in the wake of the seizure," he said.

 

A village chairman confirmed the seizure but he told Narinjara that the army will return the lands to the owners after three years.. The army will work the land for that period.

 

However, the land owners are worried because the lands will not remain fit for cultivation once used as a brick kiln.

 

 "Some farms near our village were abandoned after being used by the army for brick kilns. So the lands no longer remain cultivable even though army returns it," he added.

 

Such confiscation of land by the Burmese Army takes place among the Arakanese people to force them to leave their homelands for neighbouring countries in search of jobs after they face a crisis in Arakan.

 

A human rights organization based in Thailand said that half the agriculture lands in Arakan State were confiscated by the army for its own purposes. In Arakan state nearly 60 army battalions are stationed at present.

 

U Saw Hla Kyaw, Secretary of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (Arakan), based in Sittwe said nearly one million Arakanese people have already left the state for Thailand and Malaysia as well as northern part of Burma near China's Yunan province due to business crisis and other human rights violations by the Burmese Army.

 

 

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Narinjara News

Sittwe, 19 January 2009

 

2010 election, a game played by Burmese junta

 

 Arakanese people believe the general elections of 2010 will be no different from the 2008 May referendum and the Burmese junta will force people to cast their vote for a pro government party, said a leader of the Arakan League for Democracy in Rathidaung on condition of anonymity.

 

"In last year's referendum, the authorities announced over loudspeakers in villages that the regime would punish people with three years in prison if anyone cast a " No" vote in ballot boxes," he said..

 

The ALD leader pointed out that in the referendum many people cast "Yes" votes as they were scared of action by the junta if they cast "No" votes.

 

"People were helpless and the 2010 elections will take place in the same way as last year's referendum," he said.

 

The authorities are yet to invite politicians to form political parties to contest the 2010 elections but some pro government parties are mobilizing people in Arakan to support them in the polls.

 

"You can see the junta's double standards.  It has not allowed the NLD and the ALD to engage in politics in Arakan state but it has allowed the UNP, USDA and the Amyo Thar Yi party to campaign," he said.

 

In Arakan state, some senior members of the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA) are mobilizing some rich and educated people in the state to be in the state level committees in the USDA when the organization transforms to a political party to contest the 2010 elections.

 

"I heard some leaders of the USDA in Arakan state will be removed from their positions very soon in a reshuffle where other news leaders will take charge," he said.

 

The military regime has reportedly planned to form at least five pro-military government political parties to contest the 2010 elections. Three pro military government parties are already preparing for campaign in Arakan.. They are the USDA, NUP and Amyo Thar Yi party.

 

The ALD leader told Narinjara that the 2010 election is a game, which will be played by the present military junta, for the sake of the international community to form a government after elections. It is not meant to restore democracy and it is not for the people. It is only in the interest of the army to legitimize the rule of the regime in Burma.

 

 

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Narinjara News

Cox’sbazar, 19 January 2009

 

Shoot at sight order to BDR on smugglers

 

The Bangladesh government has issued shoot at sight orders to its border security force, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) if they spot smugglers taking out fertilizers and diesel across the borders.  

 

The present Bangladesh government is trying to reduce the price of essential commodities as well as fertilizers and fuel but problems are surfacing because of some smuggling syndicates which are transporting fertilizers and diesel to neighbouring countries like Burma and India.

 

According to sources, the order came on the heels of reduction in price of agricultural inputs tempting dishonest traders to smuggle out the items as the price is higher on the other side of the border.

 

Bangladesh Foods and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzak yesterday directed BDR officials to take steps so that fertilizers are not smuggled to neighbouring countries.

 

A  BRD team stationed in Tekaf on the Bangladesh-Burma border fired at a boat carrying fertilizers on January 13.. The boat managed to flee to Burmese territory.

 

In the incident, three smugglers were arrested and one among then was injured. The BDR seized 400 sacks of fertilizers and 300 liters of petrol along with the boat used for smuggling.

 

The price of fertilizers and fuel in Bangladesh is cheaper than Burma and India. Because of this businessmen and smuggling syndicates transport such goods to neighboring countries such as India and Burma.

 

 

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Narinjara News (NN) was founded by a group of Arakanese in exile in Bangladesh from Burma in 2001 seeking to voice for the people depriving of human and democratic rights and to pave the way for them who are struggling for those rights. The Narinjara News is an independent organization, not affiliated with any political party or organization. Any opinion or advice relating to our News Agency is warmly welcomed and please email to: narinjara@...

 

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