The Burmese military junta is now in the midst of collecting funds from people in Kachin State, Northern Burma for emergency use in the forthcoming general elections, said a local source.
The regime has promised to make available license for Chinese motorcycles without it and three wheeler vehicles or auto rickshaws before July 1. This announcement was made through posters pasted in Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State said, local people.
However, license fees are too high at 200,000 Kyats (US$207) for motorcycles. A brand new motorbike is about 400,000 Kyats (US$415), said the source.
The fees for a license for three wheelers are between 500,000 Kyats (US$518) and 800,000 Kyats (US$829), whereas the price of a new three wheeler is 1 million Kyats (US$1,036).
License was issued for Chinese motorcycles last year October but it could not be used for getting government subsidized fuel for which a different license had to be made.
Many departments in capital Naypyitaw are always into fund raising in Kachin State for their offices, said residents of Myitkyina.
Now junta’s Communication office (Sa-Ta-Ya) in Myitkyina is gearing up to issue license immediately to whoever applies for a CDMA phone connection for 500,000 Kyats said local people.
The junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) has also promised to issue license coupled with the CDMA phone connection to its advantage for the forthcoming general election.
During a meeting in May, junta supremo Senior-Gen. Than Shwe ordered his generals to help regime backed parties win the election.
While the USDA is into campaigning for the polls, the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) headed by former Vice Chairman No.2 of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Dr. Manam Tu Ja, is desperately trying to get approval for the party from the Union Election Commission (UEC) in Naypyitaw.
The KSPP general secretary and a senior member have been gone to Naypyitaw with an appeal letter for the party approval’s to the UEC on June 15. The party’s earlier discussion with UEC was in early May but it was not fruitful.
The residents of Kachin State believe that UEC is delaying approval for the KSPP because the party has tenuous connections with the KIO, the Kachin armed group, which is refusing to accept the junta-proposed Border Guard Force.
http://www.kachinnews.com/News/Junta-on-fund-collection-drive-from-civil...
