Star Ceasefire Group Raising Tax Rates

Star Ceasefire Group Raising Tax Rates

A group that made a ceasefire agreement with Rangoon in 1989 and declared the area under its control a drug-free zone 3 years ago has begun to increase its tax rates on the local populace, said sources who came from Kengtung. 

The National Democratic Alliance Army (Eastern Shan State), led by Lin Mingxian aka Zai Luen, better known as " U Sai Lin" to Rangoon, with his area of control adjacent to the Chinese border, northeast of Kengtung, has since the last two months been raising its tax rates, said the visitors who requested that their names be withheld. 

"In the past, we paid ? 15 per year for a motor cycle and ? 30 for a Tolaji (a farm tractor)," said one. "But now we are paying ? 50 and ? 80 respectively". 

The reason was that Mongla, the capital of NDAA (ESS), that used to be a major tourist attraction, has been losing its luster and few tourists are coming from across the border. "Lin used to collect only ? 5 for each visitor and ? 80 for each vehicle, but the income was sufficient for him to support his three brigades (815th, 369th and 911th)," said a source. "But his revenue is now so low, he is facing a big challenge to maintain them".

Lin used to be known as a drug warlord and was on the US blacklist, but since 1997, he has declared Mongla a drug free zone. His name, as a result, is off the blacklist from this year's US report. (According to the New Light of Myanmar, Rangoon's official bulletin, Kokang is to be declared a drug-free zone this year and Wa shall follow suit in 2005).

Lin was born in 1949 in Panghsai on the Chinese border in northern Shan State of a Cantonese father and Shan mother. He went to a Chinese language school in Lashio ("the only one among his siblings to attend a Chinese school," one of his boyhood friends said), joined the Communist Party of Burma and participated in the military campaigns along the Chinese border. He became known as a drugwarlord after his ceasefire with Rangoon in 1989.