SNLD cites bribery concerns at Hsenwi checkpoint
Citing
concerns about corruption and graft, representatives of the Shan Nationalities
League for Democracy (SNLD) have petitioned the central government to
reconsider the status of a checkpoint in northern Shan State that was reopened
on January 16.
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| A military checkpoint in Shan State |
The Nam
Oon Gate, located between Lashio and Hsenwi townships, was closed down during the
tenure of the Thein Sein government because locals claimed they had been threatened
by checkpoints guards and forced to pay bribes.
According
to Sai Wan Leng Kham, an MP from the SNLD representing Lashio Township, 40 of
the party’s MPs had signed the petition against the reopening of the
checkpoint, and had submitted a letter to the union government on January 16.
“As we
are the representatives of the people, we have to listen to their collective voice,”
he told Shan Herald on Tuesday. “People are against this checkpoint, and
we agree with them.”
He
explained: “This gate will create more problems rather than solving them. There
will be more traffic. People will not able to travel freely. Sometimes they
have to travel at night, but if there is a checkpoint they cannot. If locals
have an emergency, it could exacerbate the problem.”
The SNLD
lawmaker added that local people are worried that they will be checked every
time they pass the gate, and that this procedure could lead to a black market
and an increase in drug problems in their area.
The Nam
Oon Gate currently hosts officers from 11 different departments, including
customs and finance.
Last
Thursday, a group of traders in Muse Township also released a statement opposing
the gate’s reopening. According to a report from Shan
Herald on
its Shan-language site, the traders cited concerns over delays and excess fees.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Tags: News, Politics
