Myanmar military forcing Thandwe Twsp village to relocate

By DMG 28 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
28 April 2022, Thandwe 

Homes in Jaithar village, in Arakan State’s Thandwe Township, will be forcibly demolished if they are not moved within the next two weeks, according to locals. 

The Myanmar military has called for the relocation of Jaithar village, giving residents 15 days from April 26 to do so, locals said. Armed soldiers were among those who came to the village to convey the relocation order, affected residents told DMG. 

A Jaithar villager said that if they had to leave their current location, they would have difficulty finding food and shelter. 

“They have asked us to relocate four times. We are used to living here. If we move from here, we will definitely face many difficulties,” the villager added. 

This is reportedly the third time the military has ordered the relocation of Jaithar village since 2018. 

Most of the people in Jaithar village are engaged in fishing and if they have to relocate, they will face many difficulties in the coming rainy season, villagers said. 

U Ko Ko Naing, the administrator of the Kyaukkalat village-tract of which Jaithar is a part, said the military planned to relocate the residents of Jaithar village to Ah Sein Ma hill, about 2 miles from the village. 

“The Myanmar military is also planning to provide them with land plots and drinking water about 2 miles away from the village. In addition, the Myanmar military will supply 150,000 kyats to each household,” the village-tract administrator added. 

U Ko Ko Naing said he did not know why the military had ordered the village to be relocated. 

Jaithar village is said to have been established in 1976. By 1996, the village area was designated as a land plot owned by the Myanmar Navy, and residents of the village had to pay an annual tax of K500 per house.