Sittwe, Arakan State : The Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) Chairman U Aung Myint accompanied by 200 workers destroyed the shop of a NLD member of Sittwe and looted all the goods on April 7. The reason---he had actively participated in the saffron revolution last year, said a source close to authorities in Sittwe.
The victim was identified as U Ba Sein (47) from Night Bazar Ward of Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State . He was also frequently called by the authorities for interrogation and was arrested March 26, and then released on March 31.
On April 6 to 8, in the capital of Sittwe, members of Sittwe Town municipal area, members of United Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), members of women's affairs, members of the fire brigade and members of Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) were working in Maulik ward, football ground ward, Night Bazar ward, and Thet Gyi Paydaw Tha ward with locals. They were clearing the drainage system, for bettering the living standard of the people, for cleaning the wards and to restore the road system.
In Sittwe, everyday, 150 to 200 laborers from each ward including women, children had to work on the site for three days (April 6 to 8). At least two persons from a family had to go to the work site and if a family was not able to provide a laborer, it had to pay kyat 3,000 to the authorities per head per day, said another local.
All the laborers who were working at the site had been fed freely from the hotels nearby work site while tea shops provided tea free of cost. Concerned authorities did not pay the money to the shop owners.
However, 18 small shops of the Football Ground ward and Night Bazar ward were destroyed for expansion of the road.
Similarly, on April 7, the VPDC Chairman U Aung Myint ordered U Ba Sein, the National League for Democracy (NLD) member to move its shop back 20 feet back from the existing place. The owner delayed the shift. As a result, the VPDC Chairman accompanied by 200 laborers destroyed the shop and looted all the goods on April 27, at about 9 am as revenge for supporting the NLD and the Saffron Revolution, said a close relative of the victim in Sittwe.
