How MI officers get rich:

[shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

13 March 1999 

How MI officer get rich 

After serving in Kengtung for 6 years, Maj. Sai Aung Thein, head of MI -
branch
22, was transferred to Rangoon in mid 1998 to become G - 1 ( Personnel Section
) for Gen. Khin Nyunt. He was succeeded by Maj. Zaw Lin and Capt. Naing Lin. 

Reasons for his transfer were reported by Kengtung's citizens as follows: 
1. He's getting sufficiently rich; 
2. Reports of his assistance to a drug - smuggling ceasefire group has become
too loud for his boss's comfort; and 
3. It's time he makes way for other to start getting just as rich. 

The only things he claims as gifts from the richest and strongest ceasefire
group were a Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep and an XGL Toyota four-wheeler Model 1997.
One of those unclaimed is a three-story house worth K.70 million in Nawnghpa
village of Kengtung. People remember that it was only an earthen walled
cottage
with zinc sheet roofing when he first arrived there with his wife, Nang Liang,
a native of Nawnghpa.

In 1996, Sai Shwe Aye, 40, outwardly a gold-shop owner, was caught with (
6,000,000 ) methamphetamines in Mongkhak. He and his driver, Sai Myint, age
35,
were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with harsh labor by the Kengtung
court.
He was later "smuggled" out by "followers" from the Monghsat prison into
Thailand, and is now living comfortably in Bangkok. Back home, his wife and
family's life goes on as usual. Contrary to usual way of confiscating
everything a convicted drug smuggler owns, all the properties belonging to Sai
Shwe Aye were spared. 

Later in the year, Sai Tip, 45, of Nawngpha, was arrested with smuggled 5
motorcars and 30 motorcycles at Mongphyak's gate. Normally, he would be
"fined"
at least K. 50,000 for each vehicle before he was allowed to pass. But he got
it off with only K. 80,000 for all the vehicles. Even this amount of money had
to be returned to Sai Tip on the next day. The reason: Sai Tip is Nang Liang's
older brother. 

Apart from this, the good old Maj. Aung Thein was reported to have made a lot
of money from teak logging in Mongnai and Mongpan. 

Therefore, as long as there are people who live above law, laws promulgated
and
enforced by the junta shall continue to be empty and useless. 

/// END \\\
S.H.A.N.