Agent collects toll from pebble breaker

Maungdaw, Arakan State: An agent who has license for logging from Mayu range,  is collecting money from people who breaking stone into pebble from mountain range in Maungdaw, said  Kala Meah, pebble breaker from Maungdaw.

“Htun Myint Thein, the owner of Meko Company, the agent for logging – teak, hard wood, big tree, and other trees- from Mayu range.”

Htun Myint Thein is collecting money from poor people who are working stone breaking from morning to evening for their survival after supplying to General Engineer Crop (GE) who are constructing road in Maungdaw as a project program, said a NGO staff from Maungdaw.

“The poor people are giving hard work to fulfill the government project to go smooth with their break pebble to make the road, but the agent collects 4000 kyat from a truck which loads the pebble.”

“The agent has no rights to collect money from pebble breaker, but he used the power of Burmese border security force’s director Lt.Col. Aung Gyi, the copartner in the logging business. The green Mayu mountain range become without trees after Meko Company logging in this mountain.”

“The poor people (Rohingya community) have to work one week for three people to load a truck with pebble where they receives 18000 kyat, how they survival after giving 4000 kyats to agent and 5000 kyats to truck,” said an environment watch from Maungdaw.

“The Meko Company cut all the trees from Mountain which made landslide on the road and other climate change in the area.The landslide made the road block which made difficult the people communication to other town and their business.”