Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Maungdaw Township administration officer ordered village administration officers to strictly follow restrictions while issuing permission to build a house in Maungdaw at the monthly village administration officer’s meeting at the Township administration office, said a village administration officer.
U Kyi San, the Township administration officer ordered village administration officers not to issue any building permits without checking measurements and the building type.
“You must describe everything about the building – mud shack, bamboo house, wooden house and brick building—while you issue permits to the authority,” U kyi San said in the meeting.
“I will fire you, if you made any mistakes while issuing the permits.”
To get permission to build, Rohingyas have to pay more than one million kyats, depending on the type of house. It is only for Rohingya community, not for other, according to an elder from Maungdaw.
The border towns – Maungdaw and Buthidaung - are under the jurisdiction of the authority which made the law in the towns where most of the Rohingya community reside, a politician from Maungdaw said.
“If you pay the money to the officer, you will get permission to build. The Rohingya communities in the towns are not able to repair their homes which are deteriorating because most of the houses are bamboo, wood and thatch, which need to be repaired every one to two years. But the authority is asking money from them to repair their home. So, no money no repairs.”
