A recent forest fire destroyed around 3,000 tins of paddy stored in a paddy hut near Lailenpi village. 

Captain Myo Than Thaih of the Light Infantry Battalion (304), stationed in Matupi town announced that members of the Village Council (VC) have to take the responsibility for the forest fire, and arrested U Hlaing Maung, a member of the council of Lailenpi village, Matupi township in Chin state in the second week of April.

The head of Lailenpi village was not present when Captain Myo Than Thaih and his soldiers on patrol duty arrived in Lailenpi. Therefore, the army, arrested and took Hlaing Maung to Matupi town where he was sentenced to four months in jail in place of the village head, said a local from Lailenpi village.

"The soldiers arrested him for being careless. Nobody could do anything as they were all scared. Hlaing Maung lost his paddy stocks too. We are unhappy about the whole thing," said a local.

In April, another forest fire broke out in Paisin village in Matupi Township which razed the whole village to the ground. But no responsible persons were arrested for the loss of public property.

Military authorities in Chin state had issued a notification to village heads that in case of a forest fire, the village head would have to take full responsibility and may face trial.

"Paddy is crucial for us. We are facing a problem since we have lost a lot of paddy. There is no assistance or any attempt by the military authorities to solve our problem," a local said.

Mara tribals of the Chin ethnic groups, from abroad were said to be planning to collect funds for victims of the fire in Lailenpi. Maras from Singapore had donated Kyat 500,000 (US $ 408. 16) to the Mara Church in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar. – KNG.