Regional Development Programs and E

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Regional Development Programs and Exploitation by SLORC military

When the New Mon State Party and the State Law and Order Restoration 
Council (now the State Peace and Development Council) reached an 
agreement to cease hostilities, the declared intention was to 
undertake regional development once the cease-fire was in place.

The fact is that the cease-fire provided more opportunities for SLORC 
officials to enrich themselves than for the local people to become 
developed. The commanders of the various battalions and companies 
deployed in the region exploited the local people and made money out 
of the road and bridge renovation and construction projects. 

Here are some examples: 

1) Renovation of the Kalauk-Hangan road in Ye Township

The old Kalauk-Hangan road was an unpaved earthen road.  In mid 1997, 
SLORC's Major General Ket Sein, commander of South-West Command 
agreed to pave the road  and promised to provide 12 million kyat to 
the project.  The local people were asked to come up with the stones 
and earth needed for road renovation. 

Captain Zaw Lin, head of the township Border Development Working 
Committee was assigned to supervise the project.

Captain Zaw Lin took the project funds but did not start the project 
until the local people from Kalauk and Hangan complained to Ket Sein. 
When the project was started in October 1997, the local villagers 
were ordered not only to provide the earth and stones as formerly 
agreed but also to volunteer for the earth and stone laying-work for 
the road.
 
The labor for the road was supposed to be paid for by the 12 million 
kyat fund.  But Captain Zaw Lin misappropriated millions by forcing 
the local villagers to volunteer for road laying work and in 
transporting and providing supplies.

2) Social  Welfare Program: Women Home Economics Training School

A Women's Home Economics Training School was built at a cost of 12 
million kyat in the Thiri Nanda quarter of Ye township as a part of 
the Border Development Program.  The building was to have two 
boarding halls,  a main training room, a cooking and dining hall and 
a building for the management office.  The trainees were to be taught 
sewing, knitting and crotchet.

The construction work was jointly undertaken by the Border 
Development Working Committee headed by Captain Zaw Lin and the 
Hanthawaddy Company owned by Mon nationals.  Captain Zaw Lin took 
charge of procuring construction materials, such as timber, brick, 
sand, stones etc. while the Hanthawaddy company was responsible for 
the construction of the buildings.

Captain Zaw Lin summoned trucks from the SLORC departments, 
especially tractors from the Agriculture Department, and also 
commandeered buses from the local bus associations without any 
compensation.

The construction materials provided  by Captain Zaw Lin were of 
inferior quality far below the normal standards.  The Hanthawaddy 
company could not refuse the supplies and had to accept them without 
complaint. Because of time constraint, the, Hanthawaddy company ended 
up constructing the  buildings with inferior supplies without taking 
into consideration the security and safety of the people. 

Captain Zaw Lin has stolen millions through public projects since he 
was assigned to Ye township some two years ago.

3) Ka Nee New Town project

As part of the Regional Development Program, the Ka Nee New Town 
Project was introduced at the upper reaches of Ye stream in 1996. The 
main purpose  was to build a town for the families of New Mon State 
Party and the Mon National Liberation Army and the local people.  
Because of the town project, a road was needed between Ka Nee and Ye. 
The Border Development Working Committee and the local No. 61 
Infantry Regiment was given the contract to construct the road. The 
road had to cross four steams -- Ah poke, Kyon Long, Waen Paung, and 
Pha Lang -- and bridges were needed to be built as part of the 
contract. 

Major San Aye, the deputy commander of the No. 61 Infantry Regiment 
was awarded  600,000 kyats per bridge under the contract. The major  
concluded a deal with the local sub-contractors to build each bridge 
at 350,000 kyat.  

Maj. San Aye pocketed 1 million kyat but issued an order that big 
trees in the local farms will be cut down for the bridge projects. 
The order to provide timber for the bridges sparked off disputes 
between farm owners and the loggers. 

Due to heavy floods during the 1997 rainy season, the bridges across 
Kyon Long and Waen Paung streams were swept away.  They have yet to 
be reconstructed.  The two other bridges were constructed off the 
main route and the road has to be re-routed again.  Even though a lot 
of funds were spent all the bridges remain useless today.


4) Construction of the bridge across Kalawk stream

A 100-feet long and 20-feet wide bridge was to be constructed across 
the Kalawk Stream at an estimated of cost of 1.5 million kyat.  Even 
though these local projects are usually handled by the Township 
Construction Corporation, the Kalawk Stream Bridge Project was 
awarded to Major San Aye of the No. 61 Infantry Regiment.

Family members from the regiment were used as laborers in the 
construction work and paid much lower than the civilian workers. A 
regimental carpenter was paid only 200 kyat a day as against the 
going rate of 300-400 kyat for standard carpenters.

Major San Aye also used construction materials belonging to the 
Township Construction Corporation without any compensation.

The usual practice in construction projects was that the Construction 
Corporation Headquarters would advance  part of the estimated cost to 
the Township Construction Corporation and settle the rest of the 
funds in increment.  But, as a contractor Major San Aye demanded that 
all the funds be advanced to him first.  The officials of the 
Township Construction Corporation had to borrow money from the local 
businessmen to advance Major San Aye the project funds.

Reported by Min Yan Shin
Yoma  News Agency
Date: January 10, 1998