In Mawlamyine, Mon State, the military has demolished over 600 civilian homes without compensation and is now demanding 30 million kyat per plot for replacement land measuring 20 x 60 feet. The military forcibly removed homes from 11.239 acres of land in Hlaing and Thayar Aye wards, declaring them illegal settlements. The demolitions were carried out under the pretext of implementing the Hlaing Ratana New Town Project, leaving many residents not only homeless but also without any compensation for their losses.
On September 7, the military council summoned affected residents to the Mawlamyine District General Administration Office’s Shwe Myaing Hall. During this meeting, District Administrator U Htun Wai announced that replacement plots would be provided on Kaw Wa Chaung Road, but each plot would require a payment of 30 million kyat. Local residents have expressed that this monetary demand is unjust, particularly given that they received no compensation for their demolished homes. The military’s actions have effectively displaced hundreds of families while attempting to profit from their displacement.
The Hlaing Ratana New Town Project is being led by Moe Kyaw, a crony businessman based in Mawlamyine, with a shareholding structure of 40 percent owned by Moe Kyaw (Ngwe Moe) and 60 percent by the Mon State military council. It has been revealed that Mon State Chief Minister Aung Kyi Thein and Security Minister Colonel Kyaw Swa Myint also hold shares in the project. The military council is now selling the seized land as 40 x 60 feet plots for 150 million kyat each and 80 x 60 feet plots for 300 million kyat each, complete with land grants. Additionally, plots are being sold through an auction system in lots, further demonstrating how the military council is profiting from the forced displacement of civilians.
