Pro-government ceasefire groups slide by license crackdown

July 8th, 2010

Asah : Although the government announced that they will arrest drivers without legal licenses, and confiscate the vehicles, pro-government ceasefire groups and police continue to trade products from Myawaddy with out restriction.

At the end of June the Burmese State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) announced a campaign to crack down on illegal drivers. However IMNA has found that in the border trade town of Myawaddy the Burmese secret police (SP) and pro government ceasefire groups of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the Karen Peace Force (KPF) all continue to operate unlicensed trade trucks.

Most of the normally 500 four wheels trucks, which run the routes from Hpa-an to Myawaddy or Moulmein to Myawaddy, have no licenses. However since the crackdown, a little over 100 hundred trucks now run the route.

One truck owner who is close to a member of the KPF, but has since had to return to Hpa-an due to his lack of a licenses, said “After we heard the news about them arresting the cars which has no licenses in June, just the DKBA, KPF, SP’s trucks run.”

“I had to stop running my truck because I’m afraid [of being] arrested,” added the truck driver from Hpa-an. “That is why I had to sleep two nights in Myawaddy. It is very bad for people who have accesses to truck organizations [unions]. Some of the organization’s trucks have to [make the] run and avoid [the authorities].”

As a result of fewer trucks now making the trips to Myawaddy, truck drivers with licenses are cashing in.

From Hpa-an to Myawaddy truck owners – those with legal licenses as well as SP, DKBA, and KPF drivers – are asking for increased fare prices by 2X, according to one of traveler.

He explained, “[Before] we had to pay 5,000 kyat for the Hpa-an to Myawaddy [route] but now we have to pay 10,000 for one person…It is beneficial for traders in trading goods.”

A trader who trades commodities from Myawaddy to Hpa-an told IMNA, “As they still are arresting and checking, we are afraid to trade goods. Many of merchants have to stop because of the situation. Then we heard that special police from Nay Pyi Daw had arrived in Myawaddy.”

However many traders, rather then face the prospect of arrest and confiscation of truck and goods, instead have opted to sell their products to local shops and dealers in Myawaddy, or store their goods until the security crack down on licenses passes.