SAGAING DIVISION – As business owners and businesses are becoming frequent targets of robberies and abductions in Monywa City, part of the wealthy class has departed the city, according to local residents.
Starting early last year, in Monywa City and the townships in Monywa District, wealthy people, business owners and owners of shops including gold shops and general goods stores, are often abducted and extorted by junta soldiers, police and Pyu Saw Htee militia. It is said that some unknown armed groups that are not part of the junta council were also involved in those crimes.
“All the well known rich people in Monywa have fled due to the abductions and robberies. Realtors are also not spared. Just recently, the son-in-law of the owner of the teashop near Shweseekhon Pagoda was robbed. The oilfield owners were also abducted and had to pay 100 million Kyats in ransom money. As many rich people started leaving the city, the houses in Myothit, Chanmyawaddy, Aungchantha and Thalla Wards where it is less crowded, are robbed. Some small general goods stores were blatantly asked to pay as much as they have then threatened that the shop will be torched if they close the shop. All the cars and motorcycles on the streets are stopped as if to check licences and asked to pay 700,000, 800,000 or 1,000,000 Kyats. These are all done by junta soldier, police and their subordinate Pyu Saw Htee militia,” said a local resident.
In addition, junta soldiers and police were reported to have demanded 15 lakhs Kyats from the trucks transporting oil barrels in Monywa on February 11 and even ordinary citizens are said to not be spared from the extortion of the junta forces.
“On February 11, junta dogs, police dogs and Pyu dogs (junta soldier, police and Pyu Saw Htee forces) chased behind a truck transporting oil barrels in three cars then demanded 15 lakhs Kyats. After negotiating, they agreed to let the car go at five lakhs Kyats. Just when they were negotiating with the driver, they asked 10,000 Kyats from anyone passing by, including labourers,” explained a person who experienced the ordeal.
In addition to junta forces, unknown armed groups are also said to be committing similar robberies and extortions. Criminals are also said to be picking up arms and committing robberies. Meanwhile, junta forces are reportedly even robbing their own informers.
“In Monywa, the police, army and Pyu Saw Htee are committing abductions, extortions and robberies in civilian clothes while criminals released from prisons are also picking up arms and committing crimes. There are also unknown armed groups doing the same things. As it is not safe in the city, everyone moved away. The owners of gold shops, general goods stores and boarding schools in Monywa all moved away. There are blatant armed robberies in Monywa using civilian clothes and cars. The worst is they are harming their own people as well when they ran out of targets. They would rob the houses of army veterans pretending to be defence forces even though the families are not rich,” said a businessman from Monywa.
On February 9, junta forces abducted an infamous junta informer in Myawaddy Ward and demanded a ransom of 25 million Kyats and the family had to go pick him up from the military compound.