In a rare instance a policeman was thrashed by locals early this month in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State in northern Burma while the police was seizing unlicensed motorcycles in a quarter of the town. The policeman sustained injuries on his head, a source said.

A group of Chinese people from Kachinzu quarter in town beat up the policeman because the police was about to seize the two local Chinese women's motorcycles at 6 pm on September 6, a resident told KNG.

While the traffic police were mostly seizing unlicensed motorcycles on the main road used by most people, other policemen (not traffice police) were also looking for unlicensed motorcycles in every corner of the quarters, a resident said. Seizures were also made in the late evening.

Seizure by the traffic police in Myitkyina was stepped up last month. The police confiscated unlicensed motorcycle rickshaws (three wheelers), which in local parlance, is called Tong-bee-car.

Meanwhile, the Township Land Transportation Department (Ka-Nya-Na) has announced that it will issue license for motorcycles till the end of October. But most unlicensed motorcycle owners are not interested to apply for a license because of the high fees, a resident added.