Military Refuses to Return 13 Bulldozers Despite Court Orders, Commander Allegedly Uses Them for Personal Gain

Mekong, July 3 In Penlong village, Moegoke Township, Kachin State, despite successive court orders from the Moegoke Township Court, Moegoke District Court, and the Kachin State High Court for the return of 13 state-owned bulldozers illegally seized by the military council, the military council's regional commander has refused to return them and is renting them out for profit, according to an investigation by Mekong News. The military is defying court orders and continuing to illegally confiscate public property, with the regional commander renting them out for profit, causing significant losses to the original owners, sources said. Furthermore, the commander of the North-East Military Command (NEMC) is extorting 60 million kyats from the owners for the return of these 13 bulldozers, Mekong News has also learned. "Commander Major General Aung Zaw Htwe has instructed the Deputy Commander to manage the illegal bulldozers and other equipment. The lion's share of the proceeds goes to the Commander. Although the Deputy Commander was punished for this, the actual culprit, the Commander, remains at large. In this bulldozer case, the Commander is demanding 60 million kyats, leaving the owners with no choice. The court has ordered their return, but the Commander is refusing," said a Mekong source. In 2023, a military column led by Captain Ye Min Htet of Infantry Battalion No. 15 seized bulldozers owned by nine individuals parked in Penlong village, Moegoke Township, and filed a lawsuit in the township court. In response to the lawsuit, the township court ruled that the bulldozers were legally imported vehicles on which taxes had been paid, and that the offense was merely a violation of traffic regulations. The court ordered a fine of 500,000 kyats per vehicle, with a three-month prison sentence for non-payment. Furthermore, it ordered the return of the 13 bulldozers as evidence to their owners. Dissatisfied with this ruling, the military council appealed successively to the Moegoke District Court and then to the Kachin State High Court, but both the district court and the Kachin State High Court upheld the township court's order. Moreover, documents obtained by Mekong News show that the military council's National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) notified the Ministry of Defence and the Kachin State Government on March 16, 2026, to return the bulldozers to their owners. However, to date, the NEMC commander and the Moegoke military region have not returned the bulldozers and are demanding 60 million kyats. "Although the court made a decision, the military did not hand them over, and upon submission to the SAC, the SAC notified through a letter dated March 16, 2026, via the Ministry of Defence to the Army Headquarters, and from the Army Headquarters to the NEMC to return the bulldozers, but to this day, the concerned parties have not received the bulldozers back," said a Mekong source. Thus, despite successive court orders for the military to return the seized bulldozers, the military council has not returned the vehicles to their owners to date. Furthermore, sources say that since their initial seizure, they have been misused for approximately three years and rented out for money to other areas such as Nam Hma. This incident demonstrates that the military council is above the judiciary and that the rule of law does not exist in Myanmar, a source said. #MeKongNews #Bulldozer #KachinState #NEMCCommander #Misappropriation Photo caption – Seized bulldozers