Local authorities of the Burmese military junta in Mongton Township, eastern Shan State, last week seized Thai mobile phones belonging to villagers and stopped all buses during the Triangle Region commander's visit, according to sources from the border.
Maj-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, Commander of Kengtung-based Triangle Region Command and Chairman of Peace and Development Council-Shan State East, visited Monghsat, Mongton, Pongpakhem, Nakawngmu, opposite Chiangmai on May 21 and 22. During his visit, all local buses in the areas of Pongpakhem and Nakawngmu were temporarily stopped from plying and mobile phones belonging to civilians were seized by the authorities.
"The bus services were halted until Maj-Gen went back," said a Nakawngmu villager.
"They [authorities] went from one house to another and seized mobile phones," said a villager in Pongpakhem.
The regional commander on May 22 called a meeting of civil servants from different governmental departments and village headmen to assign them with new duties and responsibilities and said thank you to them for doing a great job for the junta drafted charter on the May 10 referendum.
"Earlier, they just deployed more security forces when the regional commander visited. The situation was not tense like now," said another villager.
- The heightened security measures may be due to these reasons, according to one Burma watcher:
- Too many reports about official irregularities during the referendum
- Increased number of clashes during and since the referendum between the Burma Army and the Shan State Army (SSA) South
- Increased tension with the local United Wa State Army (UWSA) after most of their members had boycotted the referendum and a few of them who came to the polls voted 'No' on the draft
According to the draft constitution, the UWSA will have to transfer its administrative power along the Thai-Burma border to the Burmese authorities. Its Self Administered Region (SAR) is confined to areas along the Sino-Burma border.
