By Ra Wai / MPA
The military junta troops in Mandalay are primarily extorting money from the public under the pretext of security measures.
Whenever PDF bomb attacks occur in Mandalay, the junta forces only put on a show of conducting security checks in the incident areas, according to a junta administration officer stationed in Mandalay.
“Their so-called security measures are just for show. Their main focus is on staying alive. They are fathering their own nest by avariciously extorting a lot of money from the people during inspections,” the officer told MPA.
Reportedly, junta soldiers and police conducting these so-called security patrols in Mandalay are collecting over 100,000 kyats per day, per person.
“Over 100,000 kyats means the net amount left after a portion has been handed over to their higher-ups. Even on a day when they don’t make much, they still manage to extort 40,000 to 50,000 kyats per person. But in their words, they risk their lives to collect it. At any moment, PDFs could target them,” the officer added.
Due to the military troops’ focus on financial gain, PDFs are reportedly able to move in and out of Mandalay with relative ease.
“Despite the frequent attacks by PDFs in Mandalay, I’ve never heard of any attackers being immediately apprehended. The soldiers don’t do anything except put their lives at risk while making money,” said a resident of Chanmyathazi Township.
On September 3, after 4 AM, revolutionary forces fired 10 rounds of 107mm short-range rockets at the Central Regional Military Command (Lapakha) in Mandalay Palace. Seven of the rockets successfully hit their targets, reportedly killing seven people, including Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win’s personal aide, according to Brave Warriors for Myanmar (BWM).
