Narinjara news
BURMESE ARMY FORCEFULLY ENGAGE
CARPENTERS TO BUILD HOUSES FOR RELOCATING BURMESE FAMILIES IN ARAKAN
Maungdaw, 7th March 02:
A large number of carpenters of the Maungdaw
and Buthidaung areas, close to the south-eastern
border of Bangladesh have been engaged by the Burmese Army to construct houses
in the border areas of Maungdaw, in the south-western
state of Burma (Myanmar).
According to a Construction Department engineer, the
State Peace and Development junta is constructing houses in about one dozen
"Model (Sanpya) Villages" in Buthidaung and Maungdaw
townships. Seventy Burmese families consisting of 296 family members from
The houses have been ordered to be completed before the 27th of March, the Burmese Army (Tatmadaw)
Day.
It was learnt from some of the residents of the 'model' (otherwise known as
SPDC) villages that, since February 3 this year two families, one headed by U
Khin Hla (38), wife Daw Nwet
(38), daughter Ma Aye Aye Pyunt
(15); and U Hla Tun (42), Daw Yin Yin Win (40), who were forcefully relocated from Rangoon
(Yangon) to Aungthabray 'SPDC' village, fled to
unknown destinations, taking with them their belongings and left behind a
bullock-cart and two acres of paddy land.
According to the engineer and sources in the Maungdaw
township administration (Mawata) the new houses as in
the one dozen model "SPDC" villages in the area are meant for
relocating Burmese homeless people, lepers and HIV-infected people from Burma
proper including Rangoon and Mandalay cities.
The carpenters, on the other hand, are not receiving their dues according to
the prevailing rates of wages, but according to the Burmese military
supervisors entrusted with the construction works, it was learnt. #