Rakhapura News
Minbya, 22.8.2003

From the July 2003, in the name of preparation for American-Burmese war, township peace and development council of Minbya in Rakhine state were collecting Ks. 150 as compulsory money from each household to make catapults and shields.

The rumours are also spreading around the Minbya township area that every adults must learn the basic military training to prevent American invasion. A teacher from Minbya said our correspondent that all the households in the town had already paid the due amount to the authority for catapults and shields, but no one did receive yet any catapults and shields until now.

The SPDC knows very well that peoples will attack them back instead of American troops if the war came to the real. It is a merely twisting to the people and their way of extortion from the people. As usual, all the money will goes to the pockets of the higher ranked SPDC officials”, said that teacher who do not want his name to be disclosed.

Minbya is situated 45 miles away from Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state and a head town of Laymyo valley. It became a strait-laced town under the former BSPP after Arakan Communist Party (ACP) seized its police station and bank in 1986. Apart from army and police forces, a paramilitary force was founded and installed in Minbya. Three army base of infantry battalion No. 289, Infantry Battalion No. 380 and Infantry Battalion No. 541 have been deployed in Minbya after present military junta takes over power.