The parents of the students lodged a complaint with the military region commander regarding the ward administrator's actions of collecting money from the students for various reasons.
The parents of the students stated that the new administrator, U Soe Myint, is pressuring the school principal and enforcing the collection of 5,000 Kyats per month from the students studying at No. 202 Basic Education Primary School in Ye Kyi Oo New Block, Ward No. 12, Pathein Township, Ayeyarwady Region.
"They collect money for various purposes such as constructing a new school building, expanding the dormitory, purchasing school furniture, funding cleaning activities, and supporting overall school development. During the enrollment day, I mistakenly assumed it was a one-time payment and paid 5,000 kyats. Some parents were unable to enroll their children that day due to their inability to pay the required amount. Now, they are once again collecting funds in July," said a student parent.
The parents of the students reported that they lodged a complaint with the military region commander on July 7. However, no action was taken until July 11, prompting them to announce their intention to file an additional complaint with the Pathein Township Military Council Administration.
According to certain teachers and individuals connected to the school, the administrator would disseminate fabricated information to individuals who disagreed with him, subsequently reporting them to the military and facilitating their arrest. As a result of this intimidating behavior, the school principal felt fearful and complied with the administrator's demands to collect money.
A 50-year-old woman in the ward said, "By paying 16 lakh kyats to the military council, he secured the position of ward administrator. However, he disseminated false information to the military and actively sought out problems within the ward, creating a state of panic and distress among the entire community."
The majority of residents in the ward live in fear of administrator U Soe Myint, as he has been known to report not only supporters of the NLD party to the military, but also individuals such as the 100 Houses Group Elders who have a strained relationship with him, organizers of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), as well as some members involved in women's affairs, for their alleged connections with the PDF (People's Defense Force).
U Soe Myint, who is around 70 years old, holds positions as an administrator and a trustee of the pagoda in the ward. He was previously associated with the USDP party but later became a supporter of the NLD party, which led to their victories in the 2015 and 2020 elections. However, there are concerns as he has reportedly sold more than 1 acre of ward development land. In response, the residents have filed a complaint to address this issue.
