ALP extorts money from traders in Paletwa Township
06 January 2016 — The Arakan Liberation Party forcibly demands money from local traders in Paletwa Township, Chin State for crossing the India-Burma border.
Paletwa traders said that the party had established a temporary camp near Landan village, also known as La-ba-wa, and that it had been collecting money from them for months.
They said that they had to pay 200 Indian rupees for each domestic animal including cows, pigs and goats that were taken with them for sale in Mizoram State, India.
“We have to give 100 rupees for a package of goods and 200 rupees for an empty boat if we have to use it,” a Khumi Chin trader, who asks not to be named, told the Khumi Media Group.
Peter Lawilu, a KMG editor, said that the extortion had got worse in recent months and that people were not happy about the ALP members having their camp in Paletwa area.
He said: “There is only one way for people in our area to go to India and it is via Landan near Karamaik village. This is where the ALP sets up its camp.”
Lawilu indicated that residents were not informed of the reasons for setting up the camp and for exacting money from traders.
The Arakan Liberation Party that has an armed wing, the Arakan Liberation Army, signed a ceasefire agreement with the Union government of Burma on 5 April 2012.#