Photographs for family registration taken in Shan State

Ruili (Mizzima) – Authorities on the Sino-Burma border towns of Muse and Nam Hkam in northern Shan State, have started taking photographs of families for registration.

A joint team of Immigration and Police officials as of September 10, has visited villages of Naung Hkam, Man Kat, Kaung Wein, Kaung Sa, Sei Hai, Man Kham and Man Naung in Nam Kham Township and taken photographs of families.

The officials took a total of three photographs of each family - one to be pasted in front of the house, while the other two copies are to be kept in the office of the Village tract Peace and Development Council and at the police station, local villagers said.

"The officials told all family members to be included in the registration to stand in front of their house in a group and took three photographs. Each family has to pay Kyat 2,000 [US$ 2] for the photographs. For those who are out of station, the recommendation letter given by the local authority was taken along with photographs of other family members," a local villager from Nam Hkam said.

The police said that this was being done for security reasons as there is heightened military tension in the region.

“They ordered us to inform them about the movement of strangers if any when they photographed us. They will check the family members with the photographs when military skirmishes and clashes take place,” another local resident said.

Three bombs exploded in Muse on August 28 while gun battles between the Kokang Army and the Burmese Army was on. Moreover an armed group crossed some villages in Nam Kham Township at the end of last month. Following these incidents, the authorities carried out these security measures.

The household registration was carried out recently in Tone Khan, Nam Khone, Wein Mai, Nam Pan and other villages in Muse Township also.

The authorities instructed the villagers living in Nam Kham Township last year to paste their household registrations in front of their houses for checks. But photo registration like this one is the first ever in these villages.