Junta seals off Shan casino

Politics

Junta seals off Shan casino

The Shan ceasefire groups still pressing Rangoon for the release of their leader were dealt another blow on Monday, 7 March, when one of their money-makers, the casino on the Sino-Burma border in Muse was sealed off by the military authorities, according to sources on the border:

The casino, Xin Dong Fang, was raided by troops commanded by Col San Shwe Tha, Commander of the Kutkhai-based Military Operations Command ("the same guy who had stormed Khin Nyunt's Nasaka outpost on 12 September, that marked the downfall of the general") They had smashed into the building, closed since December due to stiff curbs on visitors from China, took out some yet to be identified items and then fixed a seal on the main entrance.

"I haven't heard other establishments being sealed off like this," said another source. "For instance, the Moonshine Island on the Mao River of So So Pyay-Pyay Sai Htun Aye is still open for both local and Chinese gamblers who managed to smuggle themselves in despite the ban by Beijing".

The Shan State Army "North" leaders are not available for comment.

Maj-Gen Hso Ten, Chairman of the Shan State Peace Council, a joint setup by Shan State Army "North" and Shan State National Army, was arrested on the same day on 9 February with Hkun Htun Oo, President of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy and 29 others.

Hkun Htun Oo's Overseas Courier Service was closed on 14 February. This is the first time Rangoon has taken action on one of the SSA's businesses.

Update (12 March 2005)

The action on 7 March was taken at the order of Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing. To which many consider as a provocation.

Others pointed out that the Burma Army had already stopped the SSA from collecting taxes on the Mao crossing points in Namkham township since February. Another source at tax for buffalo meat alone brought at least 100 million kyat ($ 100,000) annual revenue.