Junta Officer Gets a Bad Name

Junta Officer Gets a Bad Name

A military officer in Monghsat, Shan State, has received a bad name from the local transportation sector for his dog-eat-dog selfishness, reports Maihoong from the border. 

Maj. Soe Than Naing, 38, staff officer to Col. Win Kyi, Commander of Military Operations Command, Mongton Township, Monghsat District, has become so unusually rich "with his devious methods" that he even has 30" television set of the latest model, says Maihoong. 

"He owns a gas station jointly with a Thai woman. Though there are two other gas stations in Mongton, he manages to coerce the drivers to fill up their tanks at his station by refusing to issue gate passes to those who fill up at other stations. Their vehicles would also get rounded up frequently to transport troops on their several missions". 

He is reported to own also a parquet factory in Mongton jointly with a businessman in Nong-ook, Chiangdao District, Chiangmai Province. "Early in September, he received an order for 20 tons of his products from Tachilek. As it was during the rainy season and the transportation cost was heavy, he rounded 25 truck owners in town to demand that they pool in together to transport some illegal logs seized recently to Namzang (across the Salween)". 

The truck owners agreed to hire 3 six-wheelers for him, said Maihoong, and discovered afterwards that the loaded trucks were not heading for Namzang but Tachilek instead. 

"They were furious, but they could do nothing against him", added Maihoong. 

"So they contented themselves by changing his name among themselves from Soe Than Naing to Hsoe Thwan Naing instead". 

In Burmese, Soe Than Naing means "to be able to govern millions", while Hsoe Thwan Naing means "to be able to run riot".