Rathidaung: Burmese military authorities have sacked two senior officers from Rathidaung Township in western Burma's Arakan State reportedly because their competitiveness in the township level administration became problematic.

An official from the TPDC told Narinjara that the two officers were Township Chairman U Aung Myo Myint and Township Police In-Charge U Tun San Yone. They were dismissed from their positions last week on charges of corruption and misuse of administrative authority.

"Both of them were transferred from the army, and Police In-Charge U Tun San Yone was senior to Chairman U Aung Myo Myint prior to their transfer. The police in-charge held onto his army background and never showed respect to the chairman, despite that their new positions in the township administration required it. One day, their power competition sparked a problem between themselves and the higher authorities forced them to retire from the positions on charges of corruption and misuse of administrative authority," said the official on condition of anonymity.

The official said that the problem between the officers came from a letter from the chairman that summoned the police in-charge to his office for a meeting to hold a class-ten examination.

"It was learnt that the chairman had written in his letter that he had to do interrogation of the police in-charge instead of writing for the meeting on the examination issue. The police in-charge became angry with the chairman and came to his office, beating and abusing his staff. The chairman reported the police officer's behavior to the higher authorities and the both of them were finally removed from their posts after being investigated by the authorities," he added.

"The police in-charge was forced to resign from his post on charges of misusing authority while the chairman was forced to resign on charges of corruption, including charges of possessing counterfeit 5,000 kyat notes and unauthorized collection of toll-taxes and bribes. However, no legal action has been taken against them by the authorities," he said.

According to Rathidaung residents, the chairman had problems with local traders in the town market recently after he purchased items from them with the fake 5,000 kyat notes. He was also notorious in the township for forced taxation of the local small businesses and for receiving bribes.

The residents said they had lodged so many complaints against him to the higher authorities in Arakan State and Naypyidaw for his misdeeds toward the public, but no action was ever taken against him. He was finally sacked by authorities only after problems occurred with his fellow personnel.

"We are happy for the sacking of the chairman from his position, but very sorry for the police in-charge because he was one of the rare authorities who served the public well," said one of the residents.