Sittwe to get public park on site of demolished beachside eateries

By Admin 23 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
23 October 2023, Sittwe

A public park will reportedly be built on the land plot that formerly hosted several eateries along the main stretch of beach in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, which were bulldozed earlier this month.
 
More than 100 regime police personnel and municipal staffers demolished over 10 eateries along the beach on October 5.
 
“They will soon beautify the land and build a public park there,” said U Hla Thein, spokesman and attorney-general for the Arakan State military council. “There are small parks on the beach, so visitors to Sittwe can take a walk when they come to see the beach.”
 
A new road from Sittwe’s Sanpya Ward to the beach will be built, and will also pass by the Sittwe Hotel property.
 
Junta-appointed Arakan State Chief Minister U Htein Lin and an entourage visited the site of the future park on October 16.
 
“The new road from a lane leading to Sittwe Hotel to Shu Khin Thar Street will be built,” U Hla Thein said during a briefing for the chief minister.
 
U Aung Than Wai, a resident of Sittwe, suggested that a public park should be just that — opened to the public — and that it would be “inappropriate” if a fee were to be charged for access to the park.
 
“If a park is built for public recreation on a site where beachside eateries were demolished, it can be accepted. If the military council creates a park there, we will accept it if it is a free park for the public, but it would be inappropriate if it was a park that would allow entry for a fee,” he said.
 
There are two main public parks, U Ottama Park and Khaing Thazin Park, in the Arakan State capital. Sittwe Township also has a Nandawun Garden in Kyarmathauk Village, but the garden is reportedly leased to a private company.