In Sagaing city, a violent incident occurred when ward administrators from Sann Thit Ward and Htut Khaung Village, along with their associates, forcibly seized relief supplies intended for earthquake victims. On April 7, when a group of donors arrived to distribute aid materials for the earthquake-affected residents’ basic needs, the village administrators demanded that all donations be handed over to their authority. However, the donors decided to distribute the relief supplies directly to the affected civilians rather than surrendering them to the village officials.
The donors were in the process of verifying damaged house records and distributing supplies to victims living in temporary shelters when the administrators and their relatives arrived to forcibly seize the relief materials. During the confrontation, those who resisted surrendering the supplies were subjected to group violence. A 21-year-old female earthquake victim was beaten during the incident. Additionally, an 18-year-old woman with a pre-existing heart condition lost consciousness during the chaos and had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
According to local residents, the violent seizure occurred after the administrators’ demands to control the distribution of aid materials were rejected by the donors. This incident represents a further victimization of people already suffering from earthquake damage and clearly demonstrates an abuse of administrative power. The actions of the officials have added additional hardship to civilians who were already struggling to cope with the aftermath of the natural disaster, highlighting how local authorities’ misconduct can compound the suffering of disaster victims.
