- Web Master
- October 26, 2024
The junta authorities have demolished seven houses in
Taungup, a district town of southern Rakhine State on Sunday morning, using
heavy machinery. The junta officials claim that the residents were occupying
the government lands.
The houses, which were demolished with the order of
the municipal authority, are located at Tawartingthar road in Kaing Chay
ward.
The demolition process was led by the municipal chief
U Maung Sein and materialised by municipal workers.
"They came in the morning to demolish the houses
with backhoes loaders. We could not oppose them. They destroyed all brisk walls
with a hammer," said a local resident.
Fire brigade vehicles with police vans were also brought to the site.
The victim families informed Narinjara News that the
value of their demolished properties will be around Kyats 1,00 million per
house.
They also asserted that the lands were bought from
former landowners ten years back.
An owner stated that the municipal authority regularly
collected house taxes from them. He termed the action arbitrary and forceful.
A social activist commented after visiting the site
that it was the military council's tyrannical action.
"It was a dictatorial act by the military
council. They have no sympathy for the common people, he added.
Regarding the action, Narinjara News tried to contact
the municipal chief Maung Sein, but he did pick up the phone.
The military junta have recently issued an order to
remove thousands of houses in Taungup, Sittwe, Ann, Thandwe and Gwa localities
from a distance of 150 feet away from main roads.
Many restaurants and houses
in Sittwe were forcibly removed by the junta official using heavy machineries.