Corruption in Namtu Traffic Police

On July 23, 2012, a traffic police and a young Ta’ang boy were involved in a motorcycle crash in front of the Barn offices at 9 pm in Namtu, Northern Shan State, Burma.

The incident occurred when the traffic police’s motorcycle brushed against Mai Aik Ngot’s motorbike as he was on his back from looking a relative at Namtu General Hospital.

Mai Aik Ngot said “I tried to avoid the policeman’s bike but the policeman was really drunk. Therefore, our motorbike collided side-on with each other. Even though he didn’t fall off from his motorbike, he took my key, treated me very rudely and threatened to beat me. Finally as I didn’t want to argue with the policeman due to his intoxicated state, I returned home on foot from the Barn office”.

During the accident, another local biker named Poethayout fell off his motorbike near the incident because he was looking at the accident as he was afraid of the traffic police.

“The traffic police also confiscated Poethayout’s motorbike even though his accident was not concerned with this problem. Poethayout explained to me later on that this particular policeman is always rude and exhibits threaten behavior to others when he has been drinking” said Mai Aik Ngot.

Next morning at 10am, Mai Aik Ngot looked for the police man and admitted that the accident was his fault so he could get his motorcycle back. But the police man refused to give it back and demanded money (50,000 kyats) from him. He tried to explain about his financial problems because of his relative being in hospital for medical care. In the end he had to pay over 40,000 Kyats in a fine to get back his motorcycle. He is very unsatisfied about his treatment throughout this case but didn’t know where to take his complaints.

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Innocent villager seriously hurt in fighting between the TNLA and Burmese Military

The fighting took place in Mansat (Ruja) village, Namhsan Township on the morning of July 17, 2012 while the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) were staying at the village, Burmese Military troops (ILB-112) fired their weapons targeting the village the conflict lasted about two hours.

As the result of the fighting several houses and a village monastery were damaged. Mai Thein Maung (22yrs), son of Thar Aik Sang, was shot in the stomach and seriously injured. He was sent to Namhsan general hospital for emergency medical care.

A local person said, “After the TNLA left the village, Burmese Military troops came to the village and tortured the head of village and the secretary of village until their bodies completely battered and bruised. The reason they were beaten was because they didn’t inform the Burmese military that the TNLA had come to the village.

There were no reports of any fatalities from the TNLA of Burmese Military during the conflict.

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Two Innocent Villagers Arrested and Detained without Word

An incident was took place in Mantong Township on the 4^th July 2012, where two Ta’ang youth were arrested by Burmese military troops from Infantry Battalion 507 as they suspected that two villagers had connections with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). 

On the road near Tin Joe Village, Mai Aik Kaung was arrested because he had a receipt that held a KIA letterhead. A second man, Aik San Maw, was arrested as Burmese soldiers carried out random house searches where they found an old walkie-talkie in his home.  

 “These kinds of walkie-talkies are very common in this area as they are useful in communication for logging and some former Palaung State liberation Army members still have them to use where there is no mobile phone coverage. It seems meaningless to arrest someone on suspicion of connection with armed rebel groups solely for possession of this item” said a local resident. 

According to their parents, the military troops took their two sons from Mantong to Mai Wee Village, Namhkam Township. There has been no news of them since their arrest and their families are worried for their safety.

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Fighting continues between the TNLA and Burmese military troops

Fighting took place between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Burmese military troops for approximately one and half hours on 5^th July, 2012. According to a local resident; the fighting began at 1:30 pm until 3:00 pm.

 “Since fighting took place we are afraid to stay at the village and some villagers are hiding out in the forest as we don’t want to flee far from the village because we don’t want to lose our property. One reason why we are hiding is that whenever Burmese soldiers arrive at the village they force the villagers to porter or pointer for them” said the villager. 

According to a TNLA source there were about 50 Burmese soldiers from Infantry Battalion-501 based in Kyaukme that started to attack the collaborative armies of the TNLA and KIA which have over 60 soldiers, near Htart Kyaet village, Nar Awn village tract, Mantong.

Sources from the TNLA state that two Burmese soldiers were seriously injured and were sent to Namtu Hospital for emergency medical care, but the alliance rebel groups of TNLA and KIA had no one die or wounded.

On this occasion the rebel armies were made up of only Kachin and TNLA soldiers; SSA troops were not involved in this conflict. 

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Villagers were tortured and disappeared

Two Paung Aww’s villagers have been tortured by Min Thet,the Sergeant of Infantry Battalion324 which is based in Namtu Town, Northern Shan State, Burma. The Burmese soldiers arrested Ma Dee and his friend at the checkpoint on Nampanlay-Maisin road during their way back from village to Namtu at 10 am on June 3, 2012.

"Ma Dee’s mother went to the Burmese army temporary checkpoint for looking her son because her son didn’t arrive back home and she heard that her son was arrested by the soldiers. But she didn’t see her son as the sergeant said that her son has been already released. His mother and relatives are still looking for their son until now and their son is still disappearance" said by the local person.

The reason that they were arrested is because of a viss of dry tea and a small bag of rice, the military regime suspect that the two villagers have connected with ethnic armed groups even without any evidence. Ma Dee, Kachin ethnic nationality, was tied by rope and basted until the bleeding of his head.

According to the local people said the victims were still disappeared even their family were seeking in the battalion where they got information about detention the victims.The Burmese soldiers used to torture and kill the innocence villagers during their troops in the Ta’ang region.

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Fighting of TNLA and Burmese Military

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Burmese military regime was fighting again for 20 minutes long in the morning. It was started from 45 past 8am to 9am on May 29 2012 .It was took place at the area of Pan Swe and Htart Kyart village road Man Tong Township, Northern Shan State.

 

According to Tar Hol Plang says about the war which are including in this war has three groups.)One side was Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the rest of the side was combined groups the Burmese military regime and Htun Myat Lay who was leading of Namhsan people militia group were fighting backed. 

There are three privates were over throw from the military regime side, and no one hasn’t get the injuries in TNLA side. A person who leads this column is called Loi Sang; he was taking responsibility as a lieutenant colonel in Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

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