Govt warns villagers to quit monastery

The villagers were said to be previously living on land owned by the armed forces. On February 4, their houses were destroyed and they subsequently took shelter at the Aung Theidi monastery.

“We were forced to move from our houses and so we are now staying at the monastery,” said Ko Baik Thar. “But the ward administrative authority came here and gave us notice to leave. We have children attending schools and as the final exam is very near, we asked permission to stay at the monastery until the exam is over. They said they would report the matter to higher authorities. We did not come here to invade the place, we’re here because our houses have been destroyed. We have nowhere else to go. So, we are sheltering in the monastery.”

“On the morning of February 6, the Alai Ni village administrator came here,” said Bhadanta Agga Dhammaka, the residing monk at Aung Theidi monastery. “He brought a letter from the township administrative officer. The letter stated that I have to send these homeless people to the original place from which they hail. I replied that these people have no home, they are homeless refugees sheltering here. I couldn’t say no to them. If the authorities want to do something according to the law, they can do what they want. I’ll do what I should do. 

“In the evening, the deputy township administrator of Bago Region himself came to us,” the monk added. “And he made a list of those sheltering here and the school children, and told us not to build houses for these refugees. But he also saw that no new structures had come up. What he said was he came here on his superior’s orders. So far, there is no forced evacuations.” 

A total of 149 households of about 500 people are staying at the monastery under substandard conditions and there is a shortage of food.

Chapter 8 of the 2008 Constitution on citizens’ rights and duties mentions that every citizen of Myanmar has the right to live wherever he desires in the country.