The Narinjara News
(4-5 August 2009)
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Saka Kha 15 amasses huge funds
Machine boats capsize, six missing
Increase in child labour in Arakan
Six Youths Conscripted into Burmese Army
NEWS IN BURMESE
http://www.narinjara.com/burmese.asp
Military Junta to increase the number of people militia to 11000 in Arakan
USDA ID card is available in traveling instead of National ID card
A prominent abbot passes away in
Saka Kha 15 amasses huge funds
Machine boats capsize, six missing
Increase in child labour in Arakan
Six Youths Conscripted into Burmese Army
NMSP rejection on SPDC pressure welcome to Arakanese leaders
30 people converted to christen from Muslim in Buthidaung
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Narinjara News
Buthidaung,
Saka Kha 15 amasses huge funds
Funds to the tune of Kyat 1300 lakhs has been amassed by Saka Kha 15, known as Military Operation Planning Bureau 15, based in Buthidaung, 80 miles north of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan state, according to a financial report of the military bureau.
A senior clerk working in the financial unit in the Bureau said that the amount deposited by Saka Kha 15 in the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (UMEHL), also known in Burmese as U Pai, is Kyat 53,579,000.
About Kyat 77,550,000 is currently invested by Saka Kha 15 in many business ventures in Arakan state
“The financial statement has been rounded off till
A bank manager in Sittwe confirmed that all army battalions stationed in Arakan state have to deposit at least Kyat 10 million at the UMEHL bank. This is on the orders of the Burmese Army brass.
The battalion LIB 550 based in Ponn kyunt town has deposited Kyat 55,160,000 at UMEHL bank. However, the funds of the battalion are lower than other battalions in Arakan state.
According to local sources, the Saka Kha 15 is involved in many business sectors in Arakan state for the past 15 years. Saka Kha 15’s business ventures include, timber production, transportation, brick making, shrimp husbandry and agriculture.
Saka Kha made major profits from over 2000 acres of farmlands, which were confiscated form local Arakanese farmers, by renting it out to local farmers annually.
A businessman in Buthidaung said, the Saka Kha gets a lot of money from local businessmen by issuing business contracts and license. Local businessmen have to give a large amount of money to Saka Kha for business contracts.
If a businessman wants to set up a brick kiln, he has to pay a large amount of money to Saka kha 15 for a license.
Businessmen in Buthidaung and Maungdaw areas cannot run their business in a hassle free manner without the permission of the Saka Kha 15, he said.
A large amount of funds were amassed by Burmese military battalions after the battalions were stationed in Arakan state. Because of this Arakanese people are becoming poorer by the day because the capital is not with Arakanese businessmen.
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Narinjara News
Machine boats capsize, six missing
Six people have gone missing after two machine boats capsized off the Arakan coast last week, said the state run newspaper, Kyaymon.
Of the machine boats, one is a fishing boat and the other a ferry boat. The boats sank off the Arakan coast during fierce winds.
The fishing boat, from
Five people went missing along with the fishing boat.
In another incident in
News related to such accidents in Arakan state have never been published by the state run newspaper in the past. The people have been left wondering after reading the story in the government run newspaper.
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Narinjara News
Sittwe,
Increase in child labour in Arakan
There has been a quantum leap in child labour in
“If we compare child labour with last year, there has been an increase this year. Most child labourers are waiters in restaurants and teahouses, pavement vendors, newsvendors, plastic collectors everywhere in Arakan state,” he said.
Most children in Arakan state could not attend schools this year because of financial crisis in the family.
“Most children in rural areas could not attend schools in this academic session. Only 10 per cent of children from some villages in rural areas attended schools because most could not afford the expensive school fees,” he said.
A parent from Maungdaw said a student in a primary level school has to pay 5000 kyats for entrance and stationery fees in
A traveller, who shuttles between Sittwe and Buthidaung by ship, said, “Yes, it is true many children in rural areas in Arakan could not join schools this year. Many aged between 10 and 15 are working in many places as child workers.”
On the ferry ships plying between Sittwe and Buthidaung, there are many children who sell food items in packages to passengers.
“I have never seen children selling food on the ships in the past. Now many children are seen selling foods packages on the ships,” the traveller said.
The number of child workers has increased in places like jetties and bus stations in major towns of Arakan including Kyauk Taw, Mrauk U, Sittwe, Ann, Minbya, kyauk Pru, Taungup and Thandwe.
A woman in Sittwe told Narinjara over telephone that the number of beggars has also increased since the onset of the monsoons in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan state. Among them, three fourths are children.
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Narinjara News
Bandarban,
Six Youths Conscripted into Burmese Army
Six Arakanese youth from the Indo-Burma border area in southern
"The youths are from Tharaw Ai Village and their families are very poor. The army officials organized the youths' families by giving food and cash to recruit their sons. Later the army officials forced the youth to join the army," he said.
The
The six youths who were conscripted into the army are Bo Win Tun, 18-year-old son of U Thein Aung, Aung Aung Than, 18-year-old son of Chin Khaing, Kyaw Kyaw Win, 18-year-old son of U Maung Kyaw, Aung Thein, 20-year-old son of U Aung Tun Oo, Pho Thein Kyaw, 18 years old, U Aung Thein Kyaw, and Maung Loon, 17-year-old son of U Aung Tun Khaing.
"The six youths were sent on Sunday to LIB 289 based in Paletwa. They will be sent to the Sittwe recruitment center from there for military training," the teacher added.
The youths who were conscripted by the army are mostly illiterate, and Maung Loon has never attended school.
The Burmese army is currently collecting a list of youths aged 18 to 25 who are living in the Indo-Burma border area but has not disclosed the reason for collecting this list. However, the army battalions stationed in the border area have been recruiting young people extensively by giving pay-offs of cash and food to their families.
Recently, three Khami youths in the area joined the Burmese army after army officials gave food and other items to their famine-stricken families. Youths in the border area who are illiterate and poor have been targeted by the Burmese army for recruitment and conscription.
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Narinjara News (NN) was founded by a group of Arakanese in exile in
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