Soldiers are deployed around a burnt Islamic school in Meikhtila
(Reuters)
By Shwe Aung
September 14, 2013
Some 3,000 mostly Muslim
residents from Mekhtila remain homeless nearly six months after their homes were
burnt to the ground in a deadly bout of religious violence, as a dispute over
resettlement plans continues to escalate.
The government wants the
residents, who are mostly farmers, to move into a series of apartment blocks
away from their original homes. But the displaced Muslims say they will not be
able to care for their livestock living in apartments and want their old land
plots back.
U Win, an influential
figure in the town, blamed the residents for being too stubborn to accept the
new housing.
“Our country’s
leaders, with utmost good-will, are looking to move them into new apartment
buildings from previously living in small huts, but as some of them don’t like
the idea and are refusing to sign a resettlement agreement, authorities are
unable to go ahead with the plan,” he told DVB.
Some locals have even urged
the government to forcibly relocate the residents if they are unwilling to move
voluntarily.
“They should be resettled
immediately – whether with use of authority or through reasoning – I would like
to see something decisive as now it has been over six months,” said Khin Nan
from the local charity, Htila Thukha Thamagi.
“Whether the authorities want
to go ahead with the [apartment block] plan or the other way around, they
should just go ahead.”
He added that although the
IDPs, who are currently sheltered in government offices, sport stadiums and
make-shift camps, receive regular donations from locals, they live like
“prisoners”
But critics say the new
housing plan could enforce segregation between Muslims and Buddhists in
Meikthila, and harm the reconciliation process. Some also worry that land
belonging to local Muslims may be taken over by Buddhists.
Local humanitarian groups
sent a letter of objection to President Thein Sein in July asking that the IDPs
just be allowed to rebuild their old homes.
“Many of us
are farmers who breed animals such as goats and horses. It’s not convenient to
be housed in an apartment. Where will we keep our animals?” a displaced
Meikhtila resident toldMizzima in July.
Over 10,000 people, mostly
Muslims, were displaced in March after a brawl in a Muslim-owned gold shop
culminated in Buddhist mobs ransacking the town, destroying mosques, homes and
murdering dozens of Muslim civilians – including 20 children.
Thousands of
people, whose houses survived the March riots, have already returned home.
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