Police informer extorts money from Thai-cordless phone owners

Thu 24 Jul 2008, IMNA
A police informer in Mudon Township is extorting money from villagers using Thai-cordless telephones by threatening them.

Former boxer, U Aung Phyuu a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) in the township, extorted 40,000 Kyat from a phone owners in Nyaung- gone village and Wete village.

"He threatened to bring police officers to arrest us if we did not pay the amount he demanded," Than, a phone owner in Nyaung- gone village told IMNA after paying.

Aung Phyuu, who is a police informer, extorted money from about 50 telephone owners in two villages every month. In addition phone owners pay thousands of Kyat to government officers for allowing the phones to be used.

According to a phone owner, they paid 30,000 Kyat to the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No.209 based in Kamawet. Telephone owners pay 5,000 Kyat monthly to each senior police officer. "Some time we have to pay more when the police from Moulmein city come over," Than said. Mon State's strongest armed cease-fire group also collects 20,000 Kyat annually as tax.

According to villager, Aung Phyuu who also works in military government owned rubber plantation, also sexually harasses women workers who sap rubber plants.