A wave of kidnapping and extortion cases appears to be related to recent clashes in the area
The kidnapping on Friday of a local business owner in the ruby-mining town of Mogok was just the latest incident of its kind in a region increasingly wracked by both armed conflict and crime.
Less than two months ago, another kidnapping victim, 53-year-old Khin Myint Htay, was held for ransom by members of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group that has recently begun fighting in the area.
Khin Myint Htay was released after a nine-day ordeal, but not before her family paid a ransom of 30m kyat ($22,600), she told Myanmar Now.
Four TNLA soldiers captured her at gunpoint in her own home and kept her in the woods until the ransom was paid, she said, adding that she was beaten so severely during her ordeal that the sticks broke.
“They beat me with three sticks, two of which broke. If the sticks broke in half, they would continue to hit me with the two pieces,” said kidnapping victim Khin Myint Htay
“When they came to kidnap me and I asked them if they were the police, they told me to shut up. One of them took out a gun from his waist and I went along because I was concerned about my old mother and the children,” she said.
The group initially demanded a ransom of 65m kyat ($49,000), but she asked them to reduce the amount to 50m kyat. They then contacted members of her family, who responded that it would be impossible to raise that amount.
Since the family could not say when they would be able to pay the ransom, Khin Myint Htay’s captors threatened to shoot her and then proceeded to hit her continuously for about an hour, she said.
“They beat me with three sticks, two of which broke. If the sticks broke in half, they would continue to hit me with the two pieces,” she said.
After a final negotiation, the kidnappers agreed to accept a ransom of 30m kyat, which her son was able to borrow by using the family’s home as collateral. Together with 4m kyat already paid, the family lost a total of 34m kyat, said Khin Myint Htay, who was released on October 27.
Although she reported the kidnapping to the police, she did not file charges, she said.
According to Mogok locals, the TNLA has been targeting many businesses in the town for extortion—everything from milk stores and motorbike shops to gas stations and jewellery stores.
“They say they’ll hurt my family if I don’t pay up. We can’t sleep at night over this,” said one extortion victim
Some victims say the amount demanded is far more than they can afford to pay.
“It’s happened twice now. The next time, we’ll have to pay 18 lakhs [$1,355]. We’re running a small shop. They threaten us when we can’t pay the amount they ask. They say they’ll hurt my family if I don’t pay up. We can’t sleep at night over this,” said one man who has been repeatedly targeted.
When contacted, TNLA spokesperson Maj. Tar Aik Kyaw told Myanmar Now that the group has no custom of demanding “tribute money” from the civilian population.
“We don’t have any such custom. If this is happening, we have social affairs centres that people can contact and file a complaint. Not everyone is aware of it, but they can complain. Then we’ll deal with it and solve the issue,” he said.
Mogok township Pyithu Hluttaw representative Naing Ngan Kyaw said that while there have been no official complaints, he was aware of cases of TNLA soldiers demanding money.
“We do hear about this, although there have been no official complaints. It’s just hearsay. And I think the people who are being asked to pay this are concerned for their safety,” he said.
An officer at the Mogok township police station said an investigation is underway in the case of Kyaw Win, the owner of the SP bakery, who was abducted at gunpoint on Friday.
The TNLA began operating in the Mogok area at the beginning of November. A clash between the military and the TNLA was reported on the evening of November 24 in Chaung Gyi A Lal, a village located seven miles north of Mogok.
Over a thousand villagers from five villages north of Mogok have fled to the town since November.
The TNLA is part of the Northern Alliance, which also includes the Kachin Independence Army, the Arakan Army, and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or Kokang Army.
All four groups are non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.
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