According to reports coming from the border, Infantry Battalion 141 based in Sinbo Township, Kachin state collected money from resident gold-diggers earning a basic living and trucks carrying goods.
They were collecting from people in the villages of Talorkyi, Taparong, and upper Ngapyawtaw in Sinbo Township, a resident of Talorkyi village told S.H.A.N.
They summoned the gold-panners, motorboat and motorbike drivers to the 141st Battalion post and collected money, according to the sources.
“If we want to use machines to pan gold, we have to pay them 20,000 kyats per machine and 5,000 kyats per motorbike. Cars cannot be used there. As only boats are used, they collect 100,000 kyats for just small pieces of wood and bamboo carried by the boats,” he added.
As the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) continue fighting within that area, there are difficulties in transportation. Because of being unfairly collected by the Burma Army, they are facing extreme difficulty, according to the locals.
