Sittwe: The Burmese army authority has ordered some battalions in Arakan State to make slingshots and cane sticks for use in crackdowns on possible demonstrations in Arakan State, said a source close to army officials.
Battalions Ordered to Make Slingshots and Canes for Crackdowns
8/30/2009
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Sittwe: The Burmese army authority has ordered some battalions in Arakan State to make slingshots and cane sticks for use in crackdowns on possible demonstrations in Arakan State, said a source close to army officials. Battalions based in Buthidaung in northern Arakan as well as battalions in Rathidaung, Ponna Kyunt, Sittwe, Paletwa, and Kyauktaw have been ordered by high army officials at Western Command to produce the weapons. Nasaka headquarters based in Maungdaw also received the orders. “I was told by an army officer that all battalions in Arakan are now making 100 slingshots and 100 cane sticks. The slingshots are made with a rubber strip and the sticks are made of cane, but the sticks are only two feet long,” the source said. In its orders, the authority instructed the battalions to complete the work by August. An activists from Taungup Town said, “Whenever police teams are deployed in our town to beef up security, the police bring slingshots and cane sticks to crack down on demonstrators. The stick is intended for use in close confrontations between the police force and demonstrators. while the slingshot is intended to be used from a long distance to crack down on demonstrators.” A source from Maungdaw said that the Nasaka headquarters is also making the slingshots and sticks quickly after receiving the instructions from the high authority. The army authority in Arakan State reportedly believes that demonstrations against the government will emerge during the anniversary of the Saffron Revolution protests in September. A politician from Sittwe said that the authority in Arakan State is preparing everything to crack down on demonstrations if they occur in Arakan. According to a local source, the authorities have also beefed up security at all major towns in Arakan with additional police and riot police deployments, as the anniversary day of the Saffron Revolution protests is very near. Narinjara |
