Junta soldiers demolish more houses in Tinma village to build a military camp

The junta soldiers continue demolishing  houses in Tinma village, which comprises over  500 houses, under Kyauk Taw township to make space for a military camp.

The village is still deserted as the residents left their houses during the last gun fighting between the junta forces and Arakan Army members in 2021.

The wood pillars, timbers and roof-tins are being demolished by the junta soldiers for use in the army camp and some may be  sold out illegally, said local residents.

They informed that the military council troops  started demolishing remaining houses in the market area of Tin Ma Gyi since 11 September.

"Since Monday, we could hear the sound of demolishing houses. Many houses in Tinma  village market were demolished. They are planning to build a  camp there and also to sell the leftovers,” said  a resident.

The junta forces also demolished many public properties in the residential areas. A villager even insisted that the military council and AA members should protect the houses under the law.

The villagers reported that several houses in Tinma village were built in Rakhine culture style many years ago and are now being razed by the military council army.

The soldiers also killed and consumed the cattle of villagers and many are captured for selling  illegally for an extra income.

In March 2020, the junta forces and AA members clashed near the village and it scared the villagers. The soldiers also burned down more than 100 houses in Tinma village.

Even, some soldiers of number 55 army brigade-stationed at Taung Shay mountain near Tinma village- entered the village on 13 and 16 March 2021. At least 18 villagers from U Maung Sein Gyi, U Hla Kyaw Gyi and U Kyaw Win Maung were also arrested and they went  missing since then.

The relatives of those villagers had repeatedly written to Rakhine State government for information about those missing villagers. They also urged the authorities to allow them to return to their village.

Even they appealed to junta chief major general Min Aung Hlaing for allowing them to return to the village for repairing religious buildings, including the monasteries, which were damaged by cyclone Mocha that hit Rakhine State on 14 May, but till date no response is received.

"As there is no  fighting, the situation is  stable and peaceful. The villagers have written to Min Aung Hlaing and his officials at least 9 times, for allowing the villagers to come back. But the authorities have not responded positively, said a villager.

It is understood that over 3,000 people from Tinma village have not been able to return home. They are living in IDP camps and other villages under  Kyauk Taw township, which is 80 miles north of Rakhine capital city of Sittwe, for  almost 4 years now.