By SAW YAN NAING
The Irrawaddy News
Burmese tycoon Tay Za, a business crony of junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe, has confiscated an entire village in upper Burma to make land available for jade mining, according to a local resident.
More than 300 people have been relocated without compensation from the confiscated village, Tayor Gone, near Phakant, Kachin State, the source, Ma Grang, told The Irrawaddy.
Tay Za claimed the village belonged to him, Ma Grang said. He had also ordered a church to be removed from the village by the end of February because it stood in the way of his planned jade mine.
Tay Za’s company, the Htoo Trading Co Ltd in Rangoon, was not available for comment on the report.
Htoo Trading Co Ltd is a leading teak exporter and is also involved in tourism, real estate and housing development. Tay Za also owns Burma’s o¬nly private airline, Air Bagan.
Business sources in Rangoon report that the young tycoon traveled recently to Pusan, South Korea’s largest port, to purchase a freight ship and a tanker.
He is believed to have procured a loan of US $10 million from the military government to buy the two vessels, reportedly as part of a plan to create Burma’s first privately operated international shipping line.
Because of his close business and social ties to Than Shwe and other military leaders, Tay Za is a prominent target of US sanctions. In October 2007, the US put Air Bagan, on its blacklist.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I learned from the Masters of Pretence to disclose comments and or information that support own's cause only.
If you would like your comment approved, please choose your thoughtful words supporting Freedom and Democracy. thanks from the bottom of my heart. :)))