Buthidaung, Arakan State: The Buthidaung Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman ordered that 820 houses in Buthidaung south be vacated. The order was issued on June 20, this year. The Nasaka has alleged that the houses were built on farm lands, said a school teacher from Buthidaung on condition of anonymity.
These houses were built in the villages of Buthidaung Township nearly 100 years ago. But, recently, the junta authorities issued an order to vacate the houses, which were built on farm land. A list of these houses has been made.
Earlier, the villagers did not comply with the order, so the Chairman of the TPDC of Buthidaung Township along with policemen from Buthidaung police station went to the villages on August, and asked villagers to vacate the houses. Anyone not complying with the order, will be punished according to the law, said a local elder from Alel Chaung ( Aliyoung) village tract.
The authorities did not talk of paying compensation to the victims and did not specify any place where they could go and re-build their homes.
The authorities ordered villagers to vacate the houses when it was raining heavily. The authorities deliberately chose the monsoons to relocate the Arakanese Rohingyas’ houses so they would suffer. To get over the difficulties, the villagers collected one million kyat and bribed the TPDC Chairman through Md. Rafique, a collaborator of the TOC (Tactical Operation Commander) of Buthidaung to allow them to stay temporarily in the rainy season, said a trader from Buthidaung town.
Recently, the TPDC Chairman went to the said villages and asked the villagers to vacate at the end of this month. The authorities always find new ways to harass the Arakanese Rohingya people to drive them away from their mother land.
The authorities ordered them to vacate houses from ten village tracts of Buthidaung south. They are as follows: 36 families from Nyaung Chaung village tract, 114 houses from Paron Chaung village tract, 12 houses from Gudar Pyin (Gudam Para) village tract, 203 families from Seinnyinpya (Saindeepran) village tract, 94 houses from Thapate Taung (Ke Singa Para) village tract, 7 houses from King Chang (Kinn Chaung) village tract, 206 houses from Alel Chaung village tract, 110 houses from Kajapa village tract, 18 houses from Kajapa Kan Pyin village tract and 20 houses from Maung Nah(Myoungnah) village tract, said a Business man from Buthidaung Town.
Besides, yesterday, 28 houses were vacated from Horitala village under Aytahliyah (Italia) village tract of Maungdaw Township and over 100 houses of Bakkagoena village under Butkargonenah village tract are to be relocated soon, said a local elder from Maungdaw town who requested not to be named.
Recently, the authorities relocated Arakanese Rohingya houses from their villages where they have been living for a long time.
