YANGON- About 100 people including the police forcibly demolished squatter houses in Thazin Street in Nyuangywa ward in Hlaingthayar Township, Yangon yesterday morning, causing a brawl to break out.
The dwellers said that there were 135 houses and 503 peoples living in the ward since the beginning of 2000. They also had land-rent contracts issued by the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development under the Ministry of Construction.
Land owners later filed a lawsuit against the renters in 2012, a lengthy court case that saw them winning against the renters in 2017. Thus, this removal operation was launched on December 12 under the degree of the court for the first time.
The court also launched the second removal operation on December 27th, yesterday.
“The court rejected the vouchers for land rent and they didn’t accept our documents. We paid the land rent fee Ks 300 per month since the beginning of 2000. Finally, we paid Ks 5,000 as a land rent fee. However, the land rent fee hadn’t been collected about six months, we were sued,” said Chaw Su living in Thazin Street in Nyaungywa Ward.
Around 100 people including police members and a group in civilian clothing wearing blue armbands were demolishing a house when the clash between police and squatters took place.
The removal operation was also stopped because as a crowd of squatters including children blocked off the policemen in front of the street.
“We have been living here since 2000. But, we were sued in 2012. We paved the roads by ourselves. We started living here after removing the bushes. At present, they sued us for squatting and trespassing. We lost the lawsuit because we didn’t understand the legal process. On December 12th, the police started demolishing some of our houses. The court informed us of the removal operation on December 27th. Later, they demolished our houses. We have been here since 18 years ago. There are 135 houses in the ward. Some said that the plot was owned by the UK Vermicelli Company. Although we never see the boss, the company’s representative comes to our ward,” said Chaw Su.
In 2017’s squatter removal, 15 squatter homes were destroyed. Among Them, three houses claim they did not receive prior notice and were also not a part of the lawsuit.
The remaining 96 houses are also undergoing lawsuits.
At present, the remaining families had formed a human barricade including children in front of the road, forcing the police and the blue armband group to leave.
