The Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) collected money from villagers in Karoatpi village, Thanphyuzayart Township, Mon State for the opening ceremony of a new bridge.

Major General Thet Naing Win from the Ministry of Defense and Brigadier General Tun Nay Lin, Southeast Command, attended the ceremony at this bridge which connects Karoatpi to Panga salt field.

The bridge was built through a contract between the Karoatpi village headman, Nai Cartoon (aka Nai Maung Sein) and a Moulmein businessman, reported a former VPDC member. “The village headman Nai Cartoon and Nai Thaung will take collect a tax for the next 30 years,” he said. This tax will be collected from all villagers in the surrounding area, villages who will most likely use the bridge.

The bridge took two years to build and was supported by construction instruction and material from the Ministry of Construction. The total cost was around 300 million kyat, explained a Karoatpi villager and head construction worker on the bridge.

One Panga villager, in Thanphyuzayart Township, professed,“We are happy because the building of the bridge is finished.” Yet, the contractor did not take responsibility for the cost of the opening ceremony, explaining that it is the government’s responsibility. Many villagers in the surrounding areas have reported frustration for now having to pay for the opening ceremony themselves.

According to a We-ka-laung villager, 1000 kyat was collected from small households and the larger households were forced to pay 2,000 kyat for the opening ceremony.

Before the construction of the bridge there was no direct connection between Panga Village connecting Karoatpi, We-ka-laung, An-khae, Kaw-lay, Htin-yu, Kwaung ywa, A-nin, Lamine and finally Ye by car or transport vehicle.

The old bridge was named “Karoatpi bridge,” but the local authorities have spoken their desire to name the new bridge “Pyi Khaing Phyo,” which is an abbreviation of the United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) [the junta proxy part in the upcoming election], remarked a 75-year-old Karoatpi villager.

“The Karoatpi village was changed Pyi Khaing Phyo village by the village headman and the township authorities. Now they also want to change the bridge’s name,” added the same villager.

The contractor and local authorities in Karoatpi village want to change the name to ‘Pyi Khaing Phyo’ as a symbol of the Mon Peace Group to commemorate the handing over of arms to the state in Moulmein and the recognition of the November 7th elections. Yet, the name has not yet officially changed, described a member of the People’s Militia in Karoatpi village.

The old Karoatpi bridge was used as both a railway and a highway, built after Burmese independence from England in 1948. Now considered to be dangerous, the highway has been built separately.