On July 23, 2012, a traffic police and a young Ta’ang boy were involved in a motorcycle crash in front of the Barn offices at 9 pm in Namtu, Northern Shan State, Burma.The incident occurred when the traffic police’s motorcycle brushed against Mai Aik Ngot’s motorbike as he was on his back from looking a relative at Namtu General Hospital.
Mai Aik Ngot said “I tried to avoid the policeman’s bike but the policeman was really drunk. Therefore, our motorbike collided side-on with each other. Even though he didn’t fall off from his motorbike, he took my key, treated me very rudely and threatened to beat me. Finally as I didn’t want to argue with the policeman due to his intoxicated state, I returned home on foot from the Barn office”.
During the accident, another local biker named Poethayout fell off his motorbike near the incident because he was looking at the accident as he was afraid of the traffic police.
“The traffic police also confiscated Poethayout’s motorbike even though his accident was not concerned with this problem. Poethayout explained to me later on that this particular policeman is always rude and exhibits threaten behavior to others when he has been drinking” said Mai Aik Ngot.
Next morning at 10am, Mai Aik Ngot looked for the police man and admitted that the accident was his fault so he could get his motorcycle back. But the police man refused to give it back and demanded money (50,000 kyats) from him. He tried to explain about his financial problems because of his relative being in hospital for medical care. In the end he had to pay over 40,000 Kyats in a fine to get back his motorcycle. He is very unsatisfied about his treatment throughout this case but didn’t know where to take his complaints.
