Palms of Northern commander greased for illegal teak trade

With mounting military tension between the Burmese Army and the ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) on the thorny Border Guard Force issue, where a confrontation is likely, the junta’s Northern commander Maj-Gen Soe Win is making quick money from illegal teak despatched to the China border, said local teak traders.

Maj-Gen Soe Win, based in Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina, accepted 150 million kyat (US$149,254) as a one-time bribe from BDYA, a group of Chinese teak businessmen in China’s southwest Yunnan province bordering Burma last month, according to sources close to teak businessmen.

The bribe to transport illegal teak from Mantha, Sin Khan and Mai Hkawng in Bhamo district was given to Commander Soe Win through Awng Mai Company, a member of BDYA, said sources close to the group.

The BDYA also has had to bribe a lesser amount than the bribe to the northern commander, to Momeik-based Military Strategic Command commander Lt-Col Win Myint Htun, Bhamo-based Infantry Battalion No. 236 led by Lt-Col Nyi Nyi Zaw in key Kai Htik military checkpoint, Burmese troops and all military, police and forestry officials on the teak track--- Nongdao-Kai Htik-Sin Khan, added sources of BDYA.

On February 28 night, over 100 Chinese log trucks with over 200 Chinese workers crossed the border and entered teak forests in Bhamo district with permission from the Burmese Army, said loggers.

Subsequently, with the help of two Burmese battalions --- Sarhmaw-based Infantry Battalion No. 105 and IB No. 121, about 50 teak trucks crossed to the Nongdao timber camp on the Chinese side of the border on March 3; over 10 teak trucks on March 4 and over 50 teak trucks the next day, according to sources close to Chinese teak businessmen.

Sources close to Chinese loggers said they were permitted by Maj-Gen Soe Win to log only this month in the teak forests in Bhamo district.

On the other hand, Chinese businessman Lau Ying has been transporting teak from Sinbo areas to the China border since last month by bribing the Maj-Gen Soe Win, said sources close to Lau Ying.

Logging teak and exporting it to the China border in Kachin State are banned by the junta. However the law only acts against poor civilians, said residents of Bhamo.

After the junta set February 28 as the deadline for transforming KIA, the armed-wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to the junta-controlled Border Guard Force, civil war seems inevitable in Kachin State and Northeast Shan State.

Usually in the season for illegal teak business to the China border, the Burmese military tries to create this kind of situation for extra income, said teak businessmen on the border.

Source :http://kachinnews.com/News/Palms-of-Northern-commander-greased-for-illegal-teak-trade.html