Troops of the Burmese Army’s Light Infantry Battalion (268) based in Falam Town of Chin state, Burma along with local police on the Indo-Burma border extorted 3.8 lakh Kyats from domestic animal traders in the last week of August.
“We met soldiers in Thip Cang village, Falam Township and were extorted 23,000 Kyats, and then again 200,000 Kyats were extorted by the local police in Tio village of No-2, Indo-Burma trade road. Our livestock would have been confiscated if we had not paid,” said a trader.
The animals were bought for around 30 lakh Kyats and included eight cows and three mythuns in Burma to sell it in Mizoram state of northeast India by the Chin traders.
“I estimated a profit of 10,000 Kyats, but the capital will be affected due to the extortion,” said a trader.
Most traders from Burma trade in Chinese goods and domestic animals from central Burma to Mizoram. And then they change Indian rupees to Burmese Kyats on the Indo-Burma border. The current exchange rate: one India rupee is equivalent to 14 Kyats on the Indo-Burma border.
Similarly, trucks owners were compromised with some amount of money by the LIB (50) battalion authorities based in Rih Khua Dar village of the Indo-Burma border daily.
But, military personnel from Than Tlang Township, Chin state were paid some amount of money as porter fees and bought rice for army rations with the current price from local people in some places.
“Local military activities have changed a little compared to earlier in our areas. They try to have a good relation with local people,” said a local from Lungler village of Than Tlang Township. – Khonumthung news