The military has forcibly demolished homes on over 200 acres of civilian-occupied land in Ward 12, Yay Chan Ote quarter, east of the Defense Services Technological Academy in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mandalay Region. Lieutenant Colonel Thein Naing Tun has now applied to designate this land as military property. This area was previously owned by farmers before becoming a residential area for civilians.
Late last year, the military forcibly evicted approximately 1,000 households with around 30,000 residents from the area and destroyed their homes. Now, Lt. Col. Thein Naing Tun has applied to designate these 200.14 acres as expanded military land. Of this area, 50 acres of prime road frontage will be acquired by Aung Pyae Sone, son of Min Aung Hlaing, for private construction projects, according to local sources.
Regarding this land, the military attempted to designate it as a planned site for military factory construction in 2000, but the project was suspended when landowner farmers refused to agree. In 2013, farmers submitted evidence through proper channels proving it was not military land, which was confirmed. However, after the military coup in 2021, the military forcibly seized the land. The seizure was led by Lt. Col. Thein Naing Tun, Major Pyae Phyo Aung, and Captain Thein Than Zaw. Sources within the military indicate that the land grab serves multiple purposes: to create plots for Min Aung Hlaing’s son Aung Pyae Sone and other generals, to construct a Central Military Training Workshop, and to clear civilian residences in front of the Defense Services Technological Academy for security concerns, particularly regarding Min Aung Hlaing’s personal security.
