CNI News

23 Nov 2022

Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and local People's Defence Forces were collecting money from travellers in Tanai Region in Kachin State, according to locals.

The two armed groups has been separately collecting human taxes, Ko Myo Min, a local resident, told the CNI.

 Archway to Tanai.

He said, "They were collecting human taxes along Lawar route. The KIA asked for MMK 50,000 per person but we apologized to them and paid MMK 30,000 per head to them. They might collect MMK 200,000 to 300,000 per vehicle. Then, they issued us receipts. So, when we travelled past the area again, we showed our receipts to an armed groups but they said they were PDF and collected funds. So, each of us had to pay MMK 20,000 to them. So, it cost a total of MMK 50,000 to travel in the area that day."

Although amber miners have already paid taxes to the KIA, their amber was seized by KIA troops and the miners were forced to pay an amount set by the KIA to retrieve their amber.

KPDF troops under the command of the KIA. (KPDF-Hopin)

KIA Spokesperson Col Naw Bu did not respond to a request for comments.

The PDF did not used to collect money but they likely to do so beacuse of the instructions from their superior, Kachin Politician U Kwan Gaung Kham told the CNI.

The KIA levied MMK 5,000 taxes for a bag of amber but it has raised the taxes to MMK 20,000 per bag since the first week of this month, Ko Zaw Naing, a Tanai resident, told the CNI.

 Testing amber. (Hkun Lat)

He said, "KIA troops seized amber from the merchants. They all have already paid taxes set by the KIA at the transportation terminal but they KIA troops seized their ambur worth MMK 100 million because the taxes were not paid to them. They merchants were forced to retrieve their amber by paying more taxes two or three days ago."

Tanai area is under the control of KIA brigade (9) and joint forces the KIA and PDF are active in the area.

Fighting has frequently erupted between the KIA and the military