Police fail to investigate stabbing in Laiza
(DVB)–Police in the border town of Laiza in Kachin state have failed to investigate the recent stabbing of a visiting businessman, according to local residents.
A local man in Laiza told DVB that a visitor from another township had been stabbed by a local Military Affairs Security informer at around 10pm on 5 January, but the culprit has so far escaped punishment.
"The victim was visiting Lajahyan village in Laiza on business," the resident said.
"He was stabbed by local MAS informer Ko Htay but the police did not follow up the crime," he said.
"The military tried to get him medical treatment themselves but later they sent him to a private clinic."
The local resident said the incident was just the latest example of the police failing to properly investigate crimes in the area.
"The police are not bringing any criminals to justice. They just look at the crime scene as a way of filling their own pockets," he said.
"Whenever there is a road accident, they show up straight away and harass the driver of any vehicles travelling on the road," he continued.
"They threaten them, saying they will charge them with manslaughter and they only let them go when they pay them around 400,000-500,000 kyat."
If the vehicles are transporting smuggled goods, the drivers are happy to pay the fine to avoid further trouble with the police, the resident said.
"Most of the vehicles passing through the area are delivering goods, which have not been cleared by customs when they came into Burma from China," he said.
"So they cannot afford to have problems with the police and they just pay the money."
Reporting by ATK
