U Tin Mya Soe was the administrator of Namataung National Environment and Wildlife Park near Kanpalet Town, Chin State from 2010 to September 2014. He worked under the director Major U Win Naing Taw

Whilst he was administrator he caused an outrage when he decided to only pay the women who worked in the park half their salaries. When staff complained he told them he did not care if they reported him to higher authorities because they were all on his side.

After people complained he was sent to China temporarily before before being transferred to Pya-Dar-Linn Wildlife Area, near Yoar-Ngan in Mandalay Region.

Despite this he is still associated with the Natmataung National Park and is still causing controversy.

U Tin Mya Soe received the contract to construct a hotel in the park from Major Win Naing Taw, but he is using park staff, who are still on the park’s pay roll and receiving their wages from the government, to help build the hotel. They are: U Thun Tin (forester), U Aung Aung (ranger), U Lian Thang (daily worker).

He is also using equipment and tools belonging to the park to construct the hotel.

A local NGO Spokesperson said: “Using a government servant [U Tin Mya Soe] for hotel construction and maintenance is an abuse of power when some of the government servants are paid only half their salaries.”

He added that the construction involved felling trees and constructing large roads in inconvenient places against local people’s wishes.

Previously, 26 government employees worked at Namataung National Park, but now there are only 12. Also, in October 2014, the wages of rangers U Luai Kim, U Lawm Sin Awm, and U Sian Leia were cut by half.

A local said: “Whatever type of hotel they build in this area it will lower the reputation of the state because the people do not want a hotel in this area, it is against their wishes. That is why a federal union is really needed for all ethnic people.”

Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI