Balloons judge the unjust

Balloons judge the unjust

_{By: Ywe Lai}

For Buddhists, the Full Moon Day of Twelfth-Month in Shan Year is one of the most auspicious days. In Thailand, people called it "Loy Karathong", which means to flow banana leaf cup. In Burma, people have many kinds of celebration. One of the most well-known is the "Hot Air Balloon Festival" which is held in Taunggyi, capital of Shan State, situated in Northeastern Burma. It is one of the biggest festivals and no other places have done the same before. However, this year another "Hot Air Balloon Festival" was held at Kengtung's stadium by the SPDC soldiers based in Kengtung, Eastern Shan State. One captain was killed in the event.
 
Last November 24, 2007, on the full moon day, the Triangle Region Command led the Kengtung civilians to hold "Hot Air Balloon Festival" and ordered every quarter and village headman to collect donation money for the festival. The complaints of the people were echoed throughout the whole district.
 
As the headmen could not refuse the order, they collected donations from different five quarters in downtown in the following rates:
                        Quarter (1) 1,000 Kyat per house
                        Quarter (2) 1,500 Kyat per house
                        Quarter (3) 1,500 Kyat per house
                        Quarter (4) 1,000 Kyat per house
                        Quarter (5) 1,000 Kyat per house
Also from ten villages in the outskirts, each village must pay 50,000 Kyat. Additionally, the festival committee said they were afraid the money would not be enough, so everyone including the government servants must pay 3,000 Kyat.
 
The committee also organized competition, so that each quarter must build one balloon. For each balloon, some cost 600,000 Kyat or even up to 1, 000,000. There were 16 balloons altogether including those from the Triangle Command.
 
The winners would receive prizes; first prize was K 500,000, second prize K 200,000 and third prize K 100,000. The prizes were offered by SPDC soldiers who also performed as a festival committee.
 
By the time they released the balloons, all smoothly went up through the air except the balloon of the fire brigade. It stuck on the stadium and people ran out as they were afraid the balloon would fall on them. From one of the balloons, the burning oil dropped on a captain (name unknown). The captain was burnt and brought to the hospital. The next day, on 25 November, 2007, he passed away at the hospital.
 
The junta says it is doing a good dead and the people should participate. This is one of the usual ways of junta's deception. However, the balloons proved it wrong this time.

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