Kachin News Group

Seven Chinese loggers were secretly put in a prison cell for a night after their belongings were seized by Burmese policemen in a partially successful attempt at extortion in Bhamo district in Burma's northern Kachin State, said local sources.

The Chinese loggers were stopped in Jan Mai village in Manje Township at about 5:30 p.m. on November 27. Their personal belongings such as two mobile phones, a camera, a clock and Chinese Yuan 1,000 (about US$147) were looted by the police and forest authorities of Manje, or Mansi in Burmese, said residents.

The secret operation was led by Kyaw Hsan Oo, the deputy in-charge of the Manje police station along with police sergeant Maw Zee and Than Aung and office staff of the Township Forestry, according to sources close to them.

After the seizure of their personal belongings, the Chinese citizens were asked to shell out 5,000,000 kyat (US$5,208) in cash by the policemen. The Chinese  had their hands tied with ropes and taken to Kyauk Taung village from Jan Mai village, near Manje after they said that they had given all they had, said the sources.

In Kyauk Taung, they were kept like hostages from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. to allow them to call their Chinese boss and tell him to come with five million kyat in cash. The ruse did not work and they were secretly put in a prison cell in Manje police station for the night, said police station sources.

The fact remains that the police cannot arrest anyone and put him in a prison cell without asking permission from the ruling junta's Manje Township Administration Office (Ma-Ya-Ka), said local people.

The Chinese loggers had their belongings looted and were put in a prison cell for one night for an extortion campaign for two police officers and an office staff of the Forestry Department, added locals.

The campaign is locally known as "Phar-Yike", which means that the authorities demand cash from selected persons like businessmen, loggers, border traders and timber merchants from whom they can get extortion money, said residents of Manje.

In random "Pha-Yike campaign", police, soldiers and civil workers in multi-governmental departments make extra money, said local people.

Deputy police officer Kyaw Hsan Oo came to Manje in September.

The Chinese government has warned its citizens to stop cross-border travel and business ventures in neighboring Burma in apprehension of civil war since August. However Chinese loggers have been entering forests in Kachin State and Northeast Shan State since late October.

Border timber merchants said, Chinese log trucks are transporting teak and hardwood to border timber camps from Kachin State and Northeast Shan State since early November.

In Bhamo district, Chinese timber businessmen have to pay the highest amount of bribe for permission to log, to the two key Burmese Army officers--- Maj-Gen Soe Win, commander of Myitkyina-based Northern Regional Command and Col. Khin Maung Maw, commander of Momeik-based Military Strategic Command, said timber traders.