In Ward 67 of Dagon Seikkan Township, Yangon Region, over 200 homes were forcibly demolished under claims of illegal settlement by the military and municipal authorities, leaving nearly 1000 residents homeless ahead of terrorist military leader Min Aung Hlaing’s planned visit to the area. On September 5, the military and municipal authorities issued a three-day evacuation order for homes and shops along Ayeyarwaddy Road, threatening to use force if residents failed to comply. As a result, local residents were compelled to demolish their own homes and shops and relocate within the three-day deadline.
According to local residents, those affected by the demolitions were primarily working-class people who had migrated from various regions of the country. The forced relocation during the rainy season has created significant hardships for the displaced residents. Despite their appeals to postpone the demolitions until after the rainy season, the military regime refused to grant any extensions. The entire riverside section of Ward 67 was affected by the demolitions, with residents forced to move their belongings while crying in the rain. The military regime has systematically carried out such forced evictions and land confiscations across Myanmar since the 2021 coup, often using claims of illegal settlement as justification.
The terrorist military leader Min Aung Hlaing has reportedly ordered the development of military housing projects and urban development initiatives in Dagon Seikkan Township and is expected to inspect these projects. Plans also include the opening of a new market in the area. Since seizing power in 2021, the terrorist military has consistently engaged in the systematic seizure of civilian homes and lands throughout Myanmar, frequently labeling legitimate residences as illegal settlements to justify their actions. This latest forced eviction represents another example of the military regime’s ongoing displacement of civilians to serve their own interests, causing severe humanitarian consequences for local communities who have established their lives and livelihoods in these areas.
