It is said that the Coup SAC demolished the Yaephyukan (industrial zone) IDP camp in Ponnagyun town among IDP camps of Rakhine state for the first time on the morning of March 3rd with machinery and forcibly drove the IDPs out.
The IDPs said that the new State Prime Minister of the SAC personally came to the IDP camp and brought machinery and vehicles, such as backhoe loaders ready, and forced the IDPs out of the camp.
“Eben if we don’t want to go home, we can’t stay here anymore. If we don’t go, they threaten to demolish everything. If we go back to the village, there will be danger of mines and soldiers near the village. They forcibly drove us out,” a woman from the IDP camp told MPA.
Rakhine civil organizations claim that the IDP camp was one of the camps built by the time of the National League for Democracy (NLD) at a cost of more than two billion kyats, and it was the first camp of built by the government (NLD) to be demolished by the SAC.
More than 100 families with a population of 532 are taking refuge in the camp, including those who fled the war from Paletwa Township, Chin State, and they say they have been living in the camp for more than four years.
The camp that was built by the government (NLD) was demolished by force, they believed that it could be the order of Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader, and it was demolished by force two days after the coup leader returned from his Rakhine trip.
“The prime minister came to demolish it himself. Min Aung Hlaing has only been left Rakhine for 2 days. He will not dare to demolish without giving his ((Min Aung Hlaing) order. If this is the case, the rest of the IDP camps may also be demolished,” a Rakhine civil society organization told MPA.
The SAC said that they would clear mines and provide some food in the original villages of the IDPs, but so far, no mines have been cleared and the SAC forces are still stationed near the villages.
ULA/AA criticized that the Arakan Army (AA) and the SAC in Rakhine made a temporary cease-fire on November 26, but the SAC did not follow the ceasefire agreements and did not provide security guarantees, forcing IDPs to return home.
According to the statistics of Rakhine civil organizations, there are more than 100,000 people who have fled the war between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar Military in Rakhine, including the fighting that started at the end of 2018 and the current resurgent of fighting.
Photo – MPA (Caption – Ponnagyun Town, Yae Phyu Kan (Industrial Zone) IDP Camp, which was demolished and driven out)