Police use force to disperse Migyaungkan

No injuries were reported during the crackdown which started around 3 am in the morning. Police firstly requested the protestors to move but resorted to force after protestors refused to comply. 

“We are protesting here to bring justice for our lands seized unfairly. We are not protesting against the government. We the people have the rights to express our desires democratically. We can’t accept using force,” said Sein Than, a protest leader. 

He added that the protesters will rebuild the camp and continue the protest until the government answers their demands. Protestors denied receiving any warnings before being forcefully removed from the camp.

The Migyaungkan protesters opened their third protest camp on March 24 next to Yangon City Hall to demand the return of seized land in Migyaungkan Wards 1, 2 and 3, after their previous camps were removed. 

Meanwhile, 64 evicted families from Thameekalay village have returned to seek refuge at the Aung Theikdi Monastery on March 29 after being resettled to empty land plots.

Villagers also claimed that as well as not being given title deeds, that there was no water supply and lots of dangerous snakes in the area the government designated for resettlement.

"We are not registered as the official owners of the lands we were given. They didn’t even build a bamboo hut on the plots for us to live. We were also ordered to build houses to live within ten days. How can we build houses without anything?” said one villager.

Many have taken instead to follow the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), an ethnic armed group from eastern Myanmar, who have promised the evicted villagers free land in Kayin State.

The presiding abbot told Eleven Media that the villagers who were relocated to empty plots near War Yar Kone village said there was no long term guarantee for them to live there.

“All 64 families have returned to our monastery this morning. The key reason is that there is no guarantee for them to live there long-term. Bago Township officials have ordered us to clear up the makeshift huts built here. They say they will demolish the huts if we don’t. I have nothing more to do,” said the presiding abbot Agga Dhamma.

The evicted families had drawn lots for free land plots near War Yar Kone village in Bago Region, after being forcefully evicted from their houses in February.

Many took refuge in the Aung Theikdi Monastery despite persistent threats from the local authorities to kick them out.