Residents of Kyaik Ywea and Nyaung Kone villages in Mudon Township, Mon State, whose houses were demolished because they are located in the area of the airport project, report that they are struggling to find accommodation.
Not only do they have to leave their homes during the rainy season, but the plots of land for which they received compensation are flooded, making them uninhabitable at the moment, residents said.
A resident from Mudon said that the Mudon township administration under the military council has ordered the demolition of houses in the airport project area within two months from 21 May. This has forced them to demolish their houses and relocate.
“Some have already moved out, others have not yet. That makes me sad. Some residents have built huts on the plots provided by the junta-appointed township administration. Because it is the rainy season, others just moved in with their parents after demolishing their houses,” said the local.
Currently, 13 houses in Kyaik Ywea and 3 houses in Nyaung Kone have been ordered to be demolished because they are located in the airport project area. The houses to be demolished include valuable brick houses and wooden houses, according to local residents.
Regarding the compensation plots, the Mudon resident said: “The had filled the plots they gave with land, but they are still flooded. So we had to dig drains with two or three trucks. Then the water drained away. But the drain pipes didn’t reach our house, so we asked them to extend the pipes. Only then did we feel a little relieved”
In addition to financial compensation for the demolished houses and land, 40 x 60 feet plots of land were also provided as replacement land near the villages of Kyaik Ywea and Nyaung Kone.
However, locals are concerned about possible re-acquisition as the replacement land lacks proper ownership documents such as Form 7 and is classified as cultivation land.
While the houses within the airport project area are being ordered to be relocated, there is no visible progress in the actual implementation of the project, according to local residents.
In Mon State, over 4,600 acres of land has been designated for an international standard seaport and airport, with an area near Kawt Pa Yan village in Mudon Township earmarked for the new airport project and land between Ba Lauk Nyaung Waing and Wea Ka Li villages earmarked for the seaport project.
Sent by IMNA.