The Burmese military junta has earned a whopping net profit of over 1,000 million Kyat (an estimated over US $909,091) from its biggest auction ever of seized cars in Myitkyina, the capital of the country's northern Kachin State. The revenue was raked in, in a matter of days, local sources said.

Hundreds of car dealers, brokers, businessmen and the rich, mainly from Rangoon and Mandalay dropped in at the car auction venues in the Kachin State Football Stadium and the Burmese Army compound of the No. 37 Infantry Battalion in Myitkyina in the 2nd week of this June, said local residents.

Over 400 unlicensed cars were show cased in the exhibition. Most were luxury vehicles made in Japan while a few cars were of Chinese make, said local visitors.

All the cars in the auction were seized mainly in Myitkyina town as of 2000 from local civilians, businessmen and officers of two Kachin ceasefire groups--- the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) by the town’s military authorities, according to residents of Myitkyina.

Now, the junta's town Municipal Office is collecting the annual 'Wheel Tax' from motorcycles owners in Myitkyina at the rate of 3,500 Kyat (US $3.2) per vehicle, said residents.

Sources close to the civic body said, the office earned over 20 million Kyat (an estimated over US $18,182) as revenue from imposing fines on motorcycle owners who drove it without paying the annual ‘Wheel Tax’.

Moreover, unlicensed Chinese motorcycles are always stopped and owners fined by traffic policemen in Myitkyina, local residents added.

Last week, the Municipal Office also forcibly demanded money from shop owners in the town at the rate of 8,000 Kyat (US $7.3) per shop for license cards issued by the civic body, said a shop owner in Tatkone quarter.  Actually, it is meant to be free, according to shop owners.

Residents of Myitkyina are accusing the military authorities of trying to fleece civilians whenever they get the opportunity.