28 March 2011: An immigration officer in Falam township, Chin state, Burma allegedly demanded Kyat 13,000 as bribe for a national identity card from a retired government employee.

It is learnt that a retired government employee in Bahlai block of Falam township had applied for a national ID card for his 18-year old son in the first week of March. An argument ensued when he went to collect the card from the immigration office, when the officer demanded Kyat 13,000 as bribe.

“The charge for issuing an ID is Kyat 5000 and has to be paid while submitting the form. But when he went to collect the card the officer demanded Kyat 13,000. The government employee refused to give the bribe, leaving the card to report to higher authorities,” said an eyewitness.

The matter was reported to the District Immigration Office and the concerned officer was hauled up and ordered to hand over the card to the retired person.

The government, meanwhile has proposed to issue national ID cards for Kyat 400 per head.

Not only some immigration staff extort money from the people, so do other government employees working in different departments.

“Government employees in Immigration, Education, Health, Revenue and Forest departments extort money from people in myriad ways,” said a local in Matupi town.