In the 1st week of May 2011, Myo Min Zaw, a senior police officer of Kutkai Township shot a motorbike trader from Pansone villagers, Theiny Township.
The above happened when the guards at the Nankhaing Bridge between Nampaka and Kutkai Town asked for money from the traders as they stopped to pass the bridge, but at the same time, the police also stopped at the bridge as a military General was on a visit when they caught the four motorbike traders who attempted to pass the bridge.
Thus, as the motorbike traders where approaching the bridge and saw the police they panicked and didn’t slow down when the bridge guards try to stop them. The police senior then shot at them three times. One of the gunshots impinged in Ko Sai, one of the motorbike trader’s stomach. His co-workers immediately took him to the Kutkai public hospital where he was admitted and stayed for over one month. When in hospital Ko Sai was threatened by the Police, as they were worried he would take a case against them. Finally due to the continuing police intimidation he paid his own medical costs and opted not to proceed with a legal case.
For the bridge security, Kutkai police personnel always forcibly ask for extra tax from car drivers, long truck drivers, and motorbike traders at the bridge. One motorbike has to pay 25,000 Kyats and there are about ten gates that usually request this illegitimate tax from the China border to Lashio from the traders.
On the same point, in March 2011, in Manpayn village between Kutkai and Theiny, a police staff, Myin Shai, shot dead at a motorbike trader in the stomach with a Point Two Two gun. This altercation happened as the motorbike trader began to quarrelling with the police officer as he was asking for an unacceptable amount of tax from him. The dead man is the son of a sergeant from Won Thin (Lar Tard) battalion, at the Lashio entrance. Relatives of the motorbike traders’ family were told by the police that the officer concerned was sent to jail for two years, although this has not been confirmed yet.
Human Rights Document and Information Department
Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization
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