Motorcycle rickshaws have been banned by traffic policemen during the Burmese Water Festival -- Thingyan from April 12 to 16 in Myitkyina town, Burma's northern Kachin State's capital, local residents complained.
Sources close to owners of motorcycle rickshaws said, Myitkyina traffic policemen have gone about detaining over 100 motorcycle rickshaws with gusto during the weekend. No public announcement preceded the seizures. No reasons were given for seizing the motorcycle rickshaws.
The rickshaws drivers believe that the military authorities are providing a special business opportunity to private cars and line-cars to make money by transporting people during Thingyan.
The motorcycle rickshaws owners have been assured by the traffic policemen that they would get back their vehicles after Thingyan. However the owners do not trust the junta’ police and feel that their vehicles may be confiscated for good, added sources close to them.
In the past time, traffic policemen have been known to detain unlicensed Chinese-made motorcycles and motorcycle rickshaws in the town. The owners were told that the seizures were for a short term but the vehicles were never returned to the owners, said residents of Myitkyina.
The traffic policemen released some detained motorcycle rickshaws after they were paid between 20,000 Kyat (US $19) to 50,000 Kyat (US $49) per vehicle as bribe by the owners of motorcycle rickshaws, owners said.
There are about 2,000 motorcycle rickshaws in the town and the vehicles are issued special registration numbers by the junta's town municipal office, said local residents.
Motorcycle rickshaws are popular and most people prefer to ride it in Myitkyina because the transportation charges are reasonable compared to line cars. Moreover, motorcycle rickshaws transport passengers up to their houses, added Myitkyina's residents.
Unlike last year in Myitkyina, no Thingyan stage has been built by business firms but the junta-sponsored Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and several government departments have set up stages in Myitkyina, said eyewitnesses.
Last year, Aung Mai Company and famous Kachin tycoon Sutdu Yup Zau Hkawng, owner of Jadeland Myanmar Company built each Thingyan stage in town but the firms did not build stages this year, said local residents.
Celebrating the Buddhist cultural Thingyan or Water Festival is quite odd in ethnic Kachin Christian dominated Myitkyina and other towns of Kachin State, said local Kachin Christians.
