Administrator Makes Granddaughter Write Support Letters for Illiterate Applicants

According to local residents' reports, the administrative officer of Pyinpu village tract, Paungde Township, Nattalin District, Bago Region, has to ask his grandson to write recommendation letters for him because he is illiterate.

It is learned that U Thein Tun, the administrative officer of Pyinpu village tract, is not proficient in reading and writing, so he has to delegate tasks to his family members.

"He didn't even pass 3rd grade. He makes his grandson write recommendation letters. When money has to be paid, it's given to the administrative officer's wife, Daw Mi Pwe. If you don't pay, they say they're busy and don't have time. Before, their family was poor, but now that he's become the administrative officer, they've built a house," a local resident from Pyinpu village told MyoTaw.

It is also said that Administrative Officer U Thein Tun, when collecting monthly military service fees, threatens that households on good terms with him don't have to pay, while those he's not on good terms with will be thrown into detention.

"Households that are well-off have to pay from 50,000 to 100,000 kyats. Those who aren't well-off are charged 10,000 or 20,000 kyats. Daily wage laborers only earn enough to eat day by day, so when they can't pay, even if they beg for one or two more days, he doesn't accept it. He threatens to put them into military service or have soldiers come and beat them. Even after paying the military service fee, they're still included in the village lottery draw," a local resident told MyoTaw.

It is learned that besides Administrative Officer U Thein Tun, the ward heads including U Myint Lwin, U Hla Soe, U Aye Than, U Thein Win, and U Naing Gyi have also been threatening that those who don't pay military service fees will be arrested immediately by calling the military, causing fear among the villagers.

"It's not just them, we're also afraid of his family members. His brother-in-law Win Aung Gyi curses and shouts every night. He boasts that if anyone dares to report him, his brother-in-law can do whatever he wants as the head. When we went to complain to the head about the noise, he just cursed at the person who complained," a local resident said.

With over 2,000 households in Pyinpu village tract, Paungde Township, a large amount of money is collected monthly from military service fees, but instead of being used to purchase replacements for military conscription, it is being divided among the administrative officer and ward heads themselves, while those needed for military service are forcibly taken through the lottery draw and put into military service, it is learned.