Pajau Media
8th October, 2024
Local residents report that as the cost of goods has increased and it has become challenging to earn a sufficient living, there has been a noticeable rise in incidents of robbery and theft in both Hti Win Ward and Kyar Ra Pati Ward in recent times.
It has been reported that individuals who walk alone are often the primary victims of theft. A local resident from Kyar Ra Pati Ward recounted an incident from the previous week, stating, “My brother-in-law was accosted by three men while returning home from work. They claimed to be KIA soldiers and feigned a recruitment process for new soldiers, subsequently they tied him up. They then stole his motorbike and fled the scene. Since he had placed his phone on the motorbike, it was also taken by them.”
Local residents report that gangs of three or four individuals primarily focus on women and solitary pedestrians during nighttime hours, stealing mobile phones, motorcycles, and various other possessions. Furthermore, there has been an increase in burglaries occurring in unoccupied homes. The community members noted that incidents of robbery are frequently heard about on a daily basis within the neighborhood.
As said by another local resident, “Now we have to take care of ourselves. The government is ineffective, leaving us uncertain about whom to trust. In our area, specifically in the Hti Win and Kyar Ra Pati wards, there is a casino nearby, which has led to an increase in thefts and robberies compared to other wards. Furthermore, a motorbike was stolen from my neighbor's residence just last night."
Following the collapse of Myanmar's administrative framework, the oversight and accountability by the appropriate government authorities have diminished significantly, resulting in local inhabitants experiencing heightened anxiety regarding their safety.
In September of the previous year, a woman was fatally stabbed in an isolated area of Kyar Ra Pati Ward. Residents reported that, alongside incidents of theft and robbery, the area frequently experiences murders and the discovery of unclaimed bodies.
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