A restaurant in Rambree demolished, two arrested by junta forces

A restaurant titled ‘Than Yozein’ running at ward number 3 of Rambree town in Rakhine State, was demolished by the junta authorities.

Even the owner of the restaurant U Aung Lwin (57 years old) and his brother U Maung Than Htay alias Maung Bwa (40) were arrested.

A group of 100 soldiers from five departments including the police (40), fire, construction, municipality etc arrived at the location at 10 am on 3 July and asked the family members to leave the place within one hour. Soon they demolished their house. They also picked up two persons, said a local resident while talking to Narinjara News.

"They first broke the fences and then entered into the campus. The police personnel threatened to arrest anyone who indulges in shouting. The construction team was behind and most of the items belonging to the owner were taken away. Later they bulldozed the building,” add the person.

"I would like to request the authorities to release my uncle and father without framing any charge,” said a young family member of the arrestees.

Currently, both of them have been detained at Rambree town police station and they are not being allowed to see their families.

Narinjara News contacted the officers in the police station, but no answer was found.

As the shop and other buildings were destroyed the family members have shifted to their relatives’ houses.

The land possessed by the shop was around 50 feet wide and 70 feet long on Soe Mae Kei road.

The construction ministry was repeatedly claiming the land but could not produce any documents that it belonged to the ministry.

On 27 February, more than 100 people led by the engineers belonging to the construction ministry tried to remove the restaurant with the help of bulldoggers but later withdrew as the locals opposed the move.

According to local residents, the land was used as a boat house by a rich man over 100 years back. After years, the house collapsed and later the military intelligence of junta forces repaired the house and lived there.

The military intelligence allowed the family to live in that area nearly 20 years back and it has nothing to do with the construction department.

The construction ministry earlier in 2015 filed a lawsuit against the owner of the restaurant claiming that the land was owned by the ministry, but the court dismissed the lawsuit as it could not provide any valid document supporting the ownership.