The junta authorities have demolished seven houses inTaungup, a district town of southern Rakhine State on Sunday morning, usingheavy machinery. The junta officials claim that the residents were occupyingthe government lands.

The houses, which were demolished with the order ofthe municipal authority, are located at Tawartingthar road in Kaing Chayward.

The demolition process was led by the municipal chiefU Maung Sein and materialised by municipal workers.

"They came in the morning to demolish the houseswith backhoes loaders. We could not oppose them. They destroyed all brisk wallswith a hammer," said a local resident.

Fire brigade vehicles with police vans were alsobrought to the site.

 “As they demolishedeverything, we were not allowed to take photographs. Even the cellphones ofhouse owners were also confiscated," he added.

The victim families informed Narinjara News that thevalue of their demolished properties will be around Kyats 1,00 million perhouse.

They also asserted that the lands were bought fromformer landowners ten years back.

An owner stated that the municipal authority regularlycollected house taxes from them. He termed the action arbitrary and forceful.

A social activist commented after visiting the sitethat it was the military council's tyrannical action.

"It was a dictatorial act by the militarycouncil. They have no sympathy for the common people, he added.

Regarding the action, Narinjara News tried to contactthe municipal chief Maung Sein, but he did pick up the phone.

The military junta have recently issued an order toremove thousands of houses in Taungup, Sittwe, Ann, Thandwe and Gwa localitiesfrom a distance of 150 feet away from main roads.

Many restaurants and housesin Sittwe were forcibly removed by the junta official using heavy machineries.