Wed 25 Feb 2009, IMNA
Officers and soldiers from at least three Burmese army battalions remain unpunished after breaking into a Mon National School to drink alcohol and intimidate teachers. The lack of accountability continues even though the Southeast Command (SEC) announced earlier this week that officers guilty of punishing.
This week SEC Commander Major General Thet Naing Win announced that Burmese army officers would be punished if they abused civilians. The SEC controls military operations in the area.
“Army officers such as battalion officers, major, captain, and soldiers who against to the people will see action taken upon them by the Southeast Command,” said the NMSP colonel who described the recent order. The NMSP is the largest political party representing Mon People, and operates a number of clinics and over 200 Mon National Schools.
How much of the SEC order will trickle into actual enforcement remains to be seen however; officers that broke into a Mon National School in Ye Township, for instance, remain unpunished.
On February 1st, a group of soldiers broke into a Mon National Middle School in Toe Thet Ywar Thit village, southern Ye Township. According to a report from the Department of Mon National School in the area, Major Myo Swe from Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 31 broke into the school after he was unable to obtain a key to a classroom.
About 20 soldiers then proceeded to throw a party in classrooms for grades 8 and 9, leaving behind empty bottles from alcohol and beer, cigarette butts and spittle from chewed betel nut. The party, which went from 6 pm until the next day 1 am, also included Captain Han Win Kyaw from IB. No 31, Captain Zarni Oo from IB No. 61, and 9 people from administrative offices in Hangan and Toe Thet Ywar Thit village.
The next day, students cleaned their classroom before continuing on with their lessons. The Mon National Education Department has 200 schools including three high schools and employs about 900 teachers.
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