Narinjara News

(4 June 2009)

www.narinjara.com

 

 

NEWS IN ENGLISH

 

Large stretch of embankments for barbed wire fences complete

Youth killed in accidental gun shot

Riot Police to be Replaced with New Border Defense Forces in Western Burma

 

 

NEWS IN BURMESE

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

 

Arakanese women leave state to find work

Riot Police to be Replaced with New Border Defense Forces in Western Burma

Youth killed in accidental gun shot

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Narinjara News
Maungdaw, 4 June 2009

 

Large stretch of embankments for barbed wire fences complete

 

A stretch of over 200,973 feet of embankments for erecting barbed wire fences have been completed till 30 May 2009, according to an official report  of Maungdaw. The project to fence the western border began in February this year.

 

The embankment is being constructed by 7,000 workers at the site everyday. So far over 200,973 feet of embankments have been completed along the Naff River in the western border township of Maungdaw. Construction began in February, the report said.

 

The Burmese Army authorities have built a lengthy embankment along the Naff River to erect barbed wire fences.

 

Among the 7,000 workers at the site there are 800 soldiers and 600 riot policemen. The rest are local Buddhists and Muslims.

 

A worker said he receives 2500 Kyats per day but a Muslim worker receives 2000 Kyat per day. However most of the Muslim workers are working at the construction sites with the lesser amount without any angst.

 

Though some workers are receiving wages, most workers in the northern part of Maungdaw Township do not receive wages regularly.

 

A worker from Aung Zay Ya village in northern Maungdaw said that the army pays between 2000 Kyat to 2500 Kyat to a worker but it is not usual and permanent. On some days army officials do not pay the money to workers even though they have worked from sunrise to sunset.  

 

The Burmese military junta has been erecting barbed wire fences along the western Burma border with Bangladesh to prevent human trafficking and cross border smuggling from February 2009.

 

The military authorities are likely to complete fencing soon before strong objections are raised by the international community and the Bangladesh government. So the construction of fences is being done hurriedly by using many workers and a large budget.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Narinjara News

Pelatwa, 4 June 2009 

 

 

Youth killed in accidental gun shot

 

An Arakanese youth from a village in Paletwa Township in Chin State was killed when a gun belonging to a Burmese Army soldier accidentally went off on Tuesday on a motor boat. The youth was on his way to Pelatwa from his village, said an eyewitness..

 

The victim was identified as Ko Shwe U (26) son of U Thein Shwe, from Tha Raw Ai village, near the India border, under Pelatwa Township in southern Chin State.

 

The accident occurred on a motor boat on the upper reaches of Kaladan River at 8: 10 a.m. on Tuesday while the motor boat was heading for Pelatwa from Tharaw Ai village.

 

The eyewitness said the gun belonged to a private soldier Zaw Myo Aung from the Burmese Army’s LIB 289 based in Pelatwa. A shot was fired accidentally when the soldier put down his head on the gun.

 

The bullet hit Ko Shwe Oo’s on the right side of his abdomen. He was lying near the soldier Zaw Myo Aung..

 

About 30 minutes after the incident, Ko Shwe Oo succumbed to his injury on the boat. The soldier jumped from the boat and fled, leaving his gun on the boat. 

 

Shwe Oo’s body was sent to Pelatwa hospital’s morgue for autopsy after the police filed a case against Zaw Myo Aung for murder.

 

However, no one knows whether the army authorities will compensate the parents of Ko Shwe Oo who died because the gun belonging to a Burmese Army soldier accidentally went off.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Narinjara News

Maungdaw, 4 June 2009

 

 

Riot Police to be Replaced with New Border Defense Forces in Western Burma

 

The Burmese military junta has plans to replace riot police with a new border defense force in the two Arakanese border townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw, said a police officer who  spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

"It has been heard that two riot battalions will be replaced by border defense forces that are now under formation throughout the border area of Burma. The plan will be implemented before the 2010 election," the officer said.

 

The Burmese military junta is now trying to form the border guard force with many armed ceasefire groups in the ethnic areas of Burma, primarily in the east and north of Burma.

 

The border guard forces will be placed under the Kha Kha Kyi and will be directly controlled by senior army officials from Naypyidaw. 

 

The police officer said, "The authority has plans for all border areas in Burma to be guarded by the new border defense force before the 2010 election and the border defense force will be formed as soon as possible by the Burmese military authority."

 

Because of this plan, the military authority is now forcing the ceasefire ethnic groups to reform their forces with the name of the border defense force to guard the border areas.

 

"Yes, our government has proposed the ethnic ceasefire armed groups on the eastern borders serve as border guards under its supervision before its upcoming election in 2010," he said.

 

In the western border area, there are no ceasefire groups, but the army authority will form the border defense force with soldiers from the Burmese army to guard the western border..

 

"All ceasefire groups including the DKBA will be transformed into border guards under the direct supervision of army officers. There will be no particular name of the groups after the transformation and the force is supposed to be in effect from 2010 in all border areas of the country," said the officer, adding, "I do not know if such ethnic groups will come to the western border area for guarding after they are reformed into a border defense force."

 

A reliable source said the high military authority has already ordered local army officers to prepare for the formation of border defense forces in Arakan State.

 

The largest and most friendly ceasefire group with the junta is the United Wa State Army in northeast Burma. The USWA was also pressured by the military junta to reform into a border defense force but the armed group refused the junta's proposal. Relations between the USWA and the junta subsequently deteriorated.

 

The western border has its own border security force, Nasaka, which is a combined force of several government agencies, including the army, police, customs, and immigration. There is no information available about whether the Nasaka forces will continue to exist once the new border forces are formed.

 

Nasaka forces were already dissolved once in Burma after former Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt was ousted from power.

 

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

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@...

                                                         

-------------------------------------------------