Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA)
After
attending the Ye Township’s Chaung-taung bridge
opening ceremony, Maj. Maung Bo from the Ministry of
Defense plans to meet with village headmen from a fire-burnt Kaw-hlaing village.
But they are barred by the Township authorities to not talk the truth
about the loss in the fire disaster, that burned down
280 houses.
Ye
Township authorities barred the village headmen to not tell the truth about the
cost of loss due to fire, which is in estimation about Kyat 1000 Million. The authorities instructed to the village
headmen that if they are asked to talk about the fire loss, just say not very much
loss.
After
fire destroyed many houses in the village, but no government assistance or
relief assistance is provided and villagers became helpless and homeless for
nearly one week. Township authorities
also have a concern of being blamed by the higher authorities for no assistance
to the victim and so that they wanted the headmen not show seriously for their
loss to the higher authorities.
There
are over 1000 victims who became homeless because of the fire on November
19. Fire destroyed many houses in the
afternoon time.
A source
close to village headmen said, “Township authorities have pressured to the
village headmen that if the top leaders ask, they need to say they lost only
about Kyat 8 Million”. Ye Township
authorities do not want Kaw-hlaing village headmen to
show how seriously the flame and how seriously the victims are.
After
the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Maung Bo planned to meet the
village headmen from Kaw-hlaing village and wants to
know their situation after fire disaster.
About
15,000 civilians from all Town wards and villages are forced to attend Chaung-taung bridge opening ceremony. Township authorities also collected money
500 Kyat per household to use for expenses during the opening ceremony.