MP urges to sue hotels for illegal buildings

By Khaing Roe La 29 Apr 2019

Khaing Roe La/ DMG
April 29, Sittwe

Owners of nine hotels illegally built on the sandbank of Ngapali beach in Thandwe Township should be sued, an MP submitted a motion to the Rakhine State parliament on Monday.

U Naing Kyway Aye urges the Rakhine State government to sue all nine hotel owners for illegal building on the sandbank of the beach. Presently, only the Aureum Palace hotel has been sued while nine other hotels are breaching local construction rules and regulations.

Filing a lawsuit against only one hotel while other hotels are breaching the same regulations represents a kind of discrimination, said U Naing Kyway Aye, MP for No. 2 Constituency in Thandwe Township.

“Ignoring a hotel owners blatant disregard for construction rules and regulations is a form of discrimination. Imposing a fine for illegal construction on public property is not a good decision because hotel owners will continue to develop public beach property in spite of paying fines,” he said in the regional parliament.

Hoteliers were building a retaining wall, swimming pool and restaurants on public property which is part of the beach, but these construction projects didn’t have any legal action taken against them were while some hotels were fined for their illegal buildings, he added.

“A municipal committee visited hotels in Ngapali in July and levied a financial fine on the hotel for illegal construction. The Aureum Palace Hotel was told to pay K15 million. I will submit a video file to the Hluttaw speaker,” he said.

According to the rules, hotel facilities should be 150 meters away from the area where water reaches the beach at high tide. However, hoteliers built retaining walls on the beach to prevent erosion, the new retaining walls have made it problematic for people to stroll along the public beach property, he said.

The MP asked a relevant question on February 13 regarding the hotels’ illegal extension on public space. Yet no action has been taken so far, so he submitted the proposal.

He listed eight other hotels undergoing illegal construction projects on public property. They are Jasmin Hotel, Amazing Hotel, Ngapali Paradise Hotel, Hilton Hotel, PVI Hotel, BT Bay Hotel, Memento Hotel and Jate Marina Hotel.

The DMG contacted the Jasmin Hotel for comment however hotel administrators refused comments. The DMG could not contact the Ngapali Paradise Hotel and is also contacting other hotels involved in illegal development projects.