MI motorists turn cyclists

General

MI motorists turn cyclists

The locals in Tachilek, opposite Maesai, have been tickled to see former car-driving military intelligence officers becoming ardent bicyclists overnight and offering to sell their motor vehicles cheap, reports Tai Touch from Chiangmai:

"It's a bit disconcerting and funny seeing them pedalling bicycles," said a businessman who used to seek favors from the once-all powerful elite officers, who suddenly found themselves powerless and futureless. "They are also using public phones as their office phone lines have been cut out."

MI-owned sedans and vans, commonly known as "withouts" in Burma as they hold no licenses, have gone into hiding, out of sight of the local authorities who once cowered under them but have now become zealous hunters for these cars, which on discovery will be confiscated.

The bids range between 40,000 - 70,000 baht ($ 1,000 - 1,750) for automobiles and between 7,000 - 10,000 baht (175$ - 250) for motorbikes. The regular price at the border for Japanese-made second-hand cars are 100,000 - 120,000 baht ($ 2,500 - 3,000) for vans and 200,000 baht upwards ($ 5,000) for sedans. "Still there are very few customers who dare to take risks," said a source.

The crackdown on unlicensed cars have resulted in what locals regard as a temporary stand-still in the car trade along the Mekong since 22 October, 3 days after Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt's fall from grace. Before then, used cars had been plying its waters from Chiangrai's Chiangsaen downstream to eastern Shan State's Nampan-Hsoplwe upstream each day to be sold in northern Burma.

"You just wait and see," promised a car smuggler. "The car trade does not stop with the downfall of the MI, because the Army still wants its units to look after themselves."

Related report: Junta units conferred rights to run wheels, S.H.A.N., 30 April 2004