Gwa locals angry over construction of helipad on township football grounds

By DMG 03 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
3 December 2022, Gwa

Local residents in southern Arakan State’s Gwa Township have criticised the Myanmar military for building a new helipad at the township football pitch despite the fact that there are already other helipads in the town.

The construction of the helipad at the football grounds is unacceptable while there are many other places where a helipad could have been built in the town, a Gwa resident told DMG.

“There are many other places. Besides, there are two battalions in the town, and there are also helipads there. But then, they built one on the football pitch. And they didn’t notify the local residents who play on the grounds, but rather built it in an authoritarian manner,” said the resident.

A young local man who often played football at the grounds expressed his disappointment thusly: “This football pitch has existed since before we were born. And we have improved it by ourselves. It is a good, earthen pitch. We feel sorry that they have dug the ground with backhoes and made a gravel foundation on the pitch. We are upset that community elders of the town did not complain about it.”

Other sports enthusiasts in the town are similarly angry about the helipad, he added.

When asked by DMG, an official from the concerned department in Gwa Township said the helipad was built at the instruction of the Arakan State Administration Council (ASAC).

“The order came from the ASAC to build a helipad at the football pitch. A major from the Gwa Township-based Light Infantry Battalion and the township administrator came at around 10 a.m. yesterday and told us to build the helipad. They said they would restore the football pitch to its original condition after helicopters landed. We started building the helipad around 12:30 p.m.,” he said.

DMG was unable to obtain comment from Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura and ASAC spokesman U Hla Thein.

Locals suggested that the helipad was purpose-built for junta officials who are expected to attend the opening of the Gwa Creek Bridge, which is located within a short distance of the pitch.