All squatters in Yangon to be evicted starting end of March

[DagonKhan]

Photo: Hein Htet / Mizzima

“All illegal squatter houses will be demolished after the Dhammasariy Exam [Examination for Monks],” said the secretary of Yangon Region Government U Than Aung during a press conference on February 26. “The squatters are not from Yangon Division. They come from various states and regions. Yangon Region cannot accommodate all of them.”

The eviction and demolition will begin at the end of March.

“The demolition is inevitable, although there is no resettlement program yet,” added Yangon Region Border Affairs Minister, Colonol Win Tin.

Squatters make up ten procent of the Yangon population, which amounts to six hundred thousand people on a total city population of six million. About one fifth of all the houses in 44 of 45 townships in Yangon are illegal squatter houses, according to a Yangon Region Hluttaw Law Committee statement dating from 2013.

U Min Zaw is a squatter in Dagon Seik Kan Township (67) ward. He said squatters will live on the streets if their houses are demolished. “We have nowhere to live if our houses are destroyed. I have lived here since 2008.”

In the (67) Ward, there are presumably over four thousands illegal squatters. And in (60) Ward, (61) Ward and (93) Ward, there are altogether over two thousands squatters.

According to Hlaing Htar Yar Township Administrator U Htein Soe over five thousands squatters have already been removed. The remaining squatters that are to be evicted live mostly in Hlaing Thar Yar, Shwe Pyi Thar, North Okkalapa, Dagon Seik Kan, East Dagon and Insein townships.

http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/myanmar/item/10957-all-squatters-in-yangon-to-be-evicted-starting-end-of-march

53,000 Yangon squatters facing eviction Published on Sunday, 02 March 2014 21:51

Squatter houses in Myanmar Railways-owned land are being removed on February 21 (Photo-EMG)

Warnings have been issued to more than 53,000 households in Yangon Region to vacate their land, according to the regional minister for border affairs and security yesterday.

The latest warnings come after about 5,000 out of over 58,000 designated ‘squatter homes’ have been evicted in Yangon.

"We take action in accord with the 1898 lower Myanmar town and village act. We have to do it inevitably," said Minister Colonel Tin Win.

An exact date had not been issued to remove squatters from their homes although their have been warnings. There is no plan yet for the regional government to relocate the evicted squatters and those pending eviction.

"There are only a few real squatters. Most have squatted in vacant land after selling off their houses for various reasons. Consequently, the number of squatters increases. Some try to build squatter houses even though they have money. The problem will never be solved," said the colonel.

Yangon Region Chief Minister Myint Swe seen in parliament (Photo-EMG)

Officials from Yangon regional government met with the central government to try and solve the squatting problem but no solution has been reached so far.

Chief Minister for Yangon Region, Myint Swe, was a former military-in-charge for Yangon Command, as well as military intelligence chief under former general Khin Nyunt and the chief of Bureau of Special Operations No.5.

Myint Swe was elected as a member of regional parliament after competing in Seikkyi Kanaungto Township Constituency-2, and then appointed as the chief minister.

Chief Minister Myint Swe was favoured to succeed former vice president Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo when he resigned. He did not become the vice president because his daughter is married to a foreigner.

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5247:53-000-yangon-squatters-facing-eviction&catid=44:national&Itemid=384