USDA to be disbanded?

DVB ( July 3, 2003 )

It is reported that the chairman of the SPDC, General Than Shwe ordered on the 29th of June that all the offices of the USDA [Kyant Phut] are to be closed down.

The notorious USDA was formed by the military junta, the SPDC in 1993 and the organisation’s majority leaders are the generals of the army.

The USDA people who are in charge in the states, divisions and townships are unemployed graduates and veteran civil servants and most of the members are local ruthless yobs, said normal Burmese people.

Originally it was formed as a NGO social organisation but it later became a military’s watchdog organisation to disrupt the activities of the NLD. The organisation’ most notorious activity is the latest assault on the supporter of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at Dipeyin on the 30th of May.

The news of the disbandment of the USDA sounds quite strange to the people of Burma and the observers alike.

The DVB contacted the people of Burma and they confirmed the news as follows:

A Sagaing resident : Yes. That is true. I have just heard about it. Their offices are going to be closed and the USDA is going to be disbanded, I have heard. I have heard that the order has arrived. I heard that they have been crying. Moe Moe Thein is the secretary of the Division. I don’t know the name of the chairman but he is from the youth. I heard the news from the teachers. Moe Moe Thein became a member of the USDA from being a schoolteacher. She was promoted to the divisional secretary position. I have heard that they have been crying.

A Mandalay resident : I have heard that the order came on the 29th June. I have heard it. I am waiting to hear about it more this evening. I heard that U Aung Thaung is going to have a news conference in Mandalay. I have heard that U Aung Thaung is calling all the USDA members at Mandalay.

A Taungoo resident : I am not sure yet but I have heard that they are dismantling the USDA. I have heard about it in the market. I have heard it from market traders but I don’t know about it for sure yet. Everyone is happy. [giggles] Market traders find the USDA members very irritating and unappealing.

We also contacted a USDA official from Magwe Division and he told us that he’s still got no order from the top yet and he insisted with arrogance that the USDA would never be disbanded as follows:

USDA official from Magwe Division : They can’t dismantle the USDA. They can’t. You might be mishearing the news. We are protecting the country….

DVB : What we have heard is the USDA members are given basic military trainings.

USDA official from Magwe Division : Every country should have them…

DVB : What is the purpose of giving the military trainings to the USDA members?

USDA official from Magwe Division : To defend our country.

DVB : If the USDA were unexpectedly dismantled?

USDA official from Magwe Division : I don’t think they have the intention to do so.

Although it is claimed that the military trainings for the USDA are for the protection of the people, everyone knows that the USDA attacked Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD supporters with sticks, spikes, machetes near Dipeyin in upper Burma. Even if the SPDC disbanded the USDA, it is done with the purpose of pleasing the international community, said someone close to the political circles as follows:

A person close to the political circles : They [the generals] are trying to make it look as if the incident was caused by the USDA for the benefit of the world. They are doing so, so that the world would not blame them because they closed down the NLD offices and they also have to close down the USDA. It is their way of blaming the USDA. No one really believes it. In fact, the USDA is like a stick. We have to look at the people who use the stick. The user is the SPDC. For example, Dathagiri has ten heads. There is no problem if he lost one head. As long as there is the SPDC, there could be ten heads or twenty heads.

If the news of the disbandment of the USDA is true, people are watching with interest how they [the generals] are going to re-direct the economical and other benefits given to USDA members.