In an unusual move, the Burmese ruling junta's new Northern Command (Ma-Pa-Kha) Commander Maj-Gen. Soe Win, who replaced Maj-Gen. Ohn Myint, is wooing religious organizations with rice and edible oil in Myitkyina Township, the capital of Kachin state, northern Burma, local Christian sources said.
Commander Maj-Gen. Soe Win is the first Northern Command Commander in history who has met the main religious organizations in the township with basic food donations, according to Myitkyina residents.
On July 2, Commander Maj-Gen. Soe Win, with the help of junta's Ministry of Religious Affairs, especially invited and met Christian leaders and followers in the township in a hall in St. Columban's Church of Roman Catholics in Aung Nan quarter in Myitkyina, a local attendee told KNG today.
During the 20-minute meeting from 9 a.m. to 9: 20 a.m. local time, between Maj-Gen Soe Win and local Christians, he introduced himself as the new commander of Kachin state and donated 80 sacks of rice and some cooking oil to all church attendees of different denominations, those who attended said.
A staff member in the office of Myitkyina District Baptist Convention (MDBC) in Myitkyina told KNG today, they received 15 sacks of rice and 75 Visses (1 Viss = 1.6 Kg) of ground-nut-oil, which will be distributed soon to 15 Baptist churches in the township.
At the meeting, only the heads of the two main Christian denominations in the township, Rev. Labya Paul Naw Tawng, General Secretary of Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) and Father Gregory Naw Din of the Roman Catholic Church were allowed to make short introductory speeches, a KBC pastor told KNG.
About 300 Christians attended the meeting including church leaders and pastors in the township. They were invited by church leaders and the junta's quarters or village administrators, attendees said.
Before Commander Soe Win met Christian denominations, he first met Buddhists in the township on July 1 with donations of rice and cooking oil, said sources close to the Buddhist monasteries in the township.
Commander Soe Win then met the Muslims in the township on July 3 with rice and cooking oil, a source close to the Muslims said.
Currently food prices are soaring in Myitkyina. A sack of rice is at least Kyat 24,000 to Kyat 40,000 (US $ 21-36) whereas a Viss of cooking oil is at least Kyat 4,000 (US $ 4), said a local consumer.
Northern Command or Kachin state Commander Maj-Gen. Soe Win was also the former Company Commander of Infantry Battalion No. 37 based in Myitkyina and he worked at the junta's Officer Training School (OTS) in Pyin Oo Lwin also called Maymyo before he was promoted as a regional commander, a source close to Northern Command said.
The junta has been into donation of 'rice and cooking oil technique' for mobilizing Buddhists, Christians and Muslims in Kachin state since late 2007.
