NLD supporters’ businesses undermined

DVB ( July 4, 2003 )

While the SPDC is cracking down on the supporters of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD, the regime is also trying to undermine and destroy the business interests of the NLD supporters.

The first attempt of the regime is to order the dismantling of all the 4000 shops at Zegyo market mostly owned by the NDL supporters by the end of June. Although the authority told the shopkeepers that order was issued so as to make the market appear like the surroundings of Mandalay city, the shopkeepers believe that they are being punished for supporting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during her trip to Mandalay.

A shopkeeper told the DVB about the situation as follows:

A shopkeeper : Yes. All the shops between the 26th and 28th streets, and from 86th to 30th street are to be dismantled by the end of last month but nothing has been done to this day, the 3rd of July. We don’t know what is going to happen.

DVB : They told people to dismantle all the shops by the end of last month but nothing is done yet?

A shopkeeper : Yes.

DVB : They haven’t issued more orders since?

A shopkeeper : No. But we shopkeepers are living in fear. They are saying that we might have a chance to reclaim our shops and sometimes not... The sale is not good and the shopkeepers are feeling dejected.

DVB : Who ordered you to dismantle your shops?

A shopkeeper : The municipal department summoned us to a meeting at the town hall. They told the people concerned to tell shopkeepers about it. They told us at No.1, Town Hall. They told us that they would return our shops. It would only last six months. That’s what they said.

DVB : When they discussed things like that didn’t they ask the opinions of the shopkeepers?

A shopkeeper : No, they didn’t. They planned it in a way that we could say nothing. They said that they would build new shops for us near the Kanna Street so that we won’t ask questions. When they have done that they would return us our shops. Shopkeepers have no niggling questions to ask. That’s how it’s done. They have planned like that so that we could ask no question.

DVB : Did they explain to you why they wanted to dismantle the shops?

A shopkeeper : They said that Mandalay has become a city and they want to make it look like a city. As for us, we don’t think so. Whenever there is political instability, they have been disrupting us like that. A contractor would come and invade our area. They take us out of the list so that people would not be interested. Burmese people here know that they are turning towards us. They are trying to change our minds.

DVB : What are the feelings of the shopkeepers on the attempt to dismantle their shops?

A shopkeeper : As the country is unstable at the moment, people are feeling rather agitated. It is very difficult to find the daily meals these days. Would their new locations good for the business? If something happens let it happen. That’s how they feel. If it happens, let it happen. That is good and the like.

DVB : How do you see the current situation of the country?

A shopkeeper : We all want human rights. If we could say what we want, that would be better. We want to do things with consensus not like the current situation where we have to grind our teeth. We don’t know what to do if we wanted to. The people behind us are all members of our families who depend on us. It seems that we have to keep on struggling like this. We are expecting the best but we don’t know where to start. We don’t know what to do and if we plan to do something we have to watch our back all the time. I have said too much.