In Pazundaung Township, Yangon, police and administrators arrested a civilian on allegations of lottery selling and demanded 32 million kyats (320 lakhs) in extortion money. The incident occurred on February 4th when authorities arrested U Maung Myint, a resident of Zi Zawa Street in Ward 8 of Pazundaung Township. Following the arrest, Township Police Chief Police Major Min Han, Station Chief Police Captain Zaw Zaw, Local Security Police Lieutenant Nyi Min Naing, Ward 7 Administrator Bo Kyaw Min, and Pyusawthi member Jo Jo demanded the money from the civilian.
The incident reportedly took place without the knowledge of Ward 8 Administrator Myo Myint, as Pyusawthi member Jo Jo and Ward 7 Administrator Bo Kyaw Min collaborated with police forces to carry out the extortion. According to local residents, U Maung Myint was arrested on accusations of selling lottery tickets and was forced to pay the demanded amount. The extorted money was allegedly distributed among the involved officials. This case highlights the abuse of power by local authorities against civilians under military administration.
In a similar incident in Myitkyina, Kachin State, military personnel and police extorted two ticals of gold from a civilian after falsely accusing him of drug use. The incident occurred on March 19th near Myanmar Economic Bank street, where security forces conducting street checks stopped a motorcycle rider. According to a friend of the victim, the civilian was traveling to process raw gold when he was stopped, beaten with weapons, and robbed of his gold by the security forces who accused him of drug use despite his denials.
When the victim sought help from a nearby police station regarding this incident, the police ignored his plea for assistance. These incidents demonstrate the ongoing oppression faced by civilians under military rule, where law enforcement and administrative bodies continue to abuse their power against the general population. The cases in both Pazundaung and Myitkyina illustrate how security forces and local administrators exploit their positions to extort money and valuables from civilians, often using false accusations as pretexts for their actions.
