An Arakanese family from Pauk taw Township in Arakan had to spend 900,000 Kyat to take away their son from military training after he was deceived into being recruited by an army corporal.
The family gave 300,000 Kyat to the chief army trainer of the military training school and 400,000 Kyat to the principal of the training school, a relative of the family said.
The army training school is located in Phaung Gyi, Rangoon, Burma.
The victim was identified as Maung Tun Wai (19), son of U Myint Htun and Daw Saw Nhin living in Praing Taung Village in Pauktaw Township in Arakan State.
He was working in a garment factory in Industrial Zone No. 1 in Shwe Pyay Tha Town in Rangoon.
According to a family source, Maung Tun Wai went to Prome town from Rangoon by a night train in order to go home in Arakan in the first week of October. When he reached Prome railway station next morning, a man of 35 asked him where he was going. Maung Tun Wai said he was going home to Arakan. The man told him he was going to Arakan state as well and they could travel together. He invited Maung Tun Wai to visit his house before the bus left for Arakan. Maung Tun Wai agreed to visit the man's house because he had enough time.
However, the man took him to an army recruiting unit in Prome instead of his house and army officials registered him as a new private soldier.
Maung Tun Wai was in the Prome recruiting unit for nearly a month. After which he was sent Danhingon Unit in Rangoon and then to the Basic Military Training Centre No. 1 of Phaung Gyi, Rangoon for Basic Training No. 12/2008.
After a month he got a chance to contact his parents in Arakan.
When Maung Tun Wai's parents received a letter from their son, they rushed to the army training centre in Phaung Gyi. They tried to withdraw their son from the training but army officials refused.
Luckily, Maung Tun Wai's family met an army broker who was experienced about such things. He promised Maung Tun Wai's parents that he would help secure their son's release from the army.
Maung Tun Wai parents subsequently paid 300,000 Kyat to the chief trainer, 400,000 Kyat to the principal of the training school and another 200,000 Kyat to the broker and other officials.
After the army officials were bribed, the principal issued a testimonial to Maung Tun Wai's family that the boy's health was not good enough to serve in the army. Finally, the army officials from the training school handed over Maung Tun Wai to his parents.
