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Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State & Tanintharyi Region (MONTHLY OVERVIEW)

March 1, 2023/in ND-Burma Members' Reports, News

Martial Law and the Devastating Toll on Civilians in Southeastern Burma as the Junta Continues to Commit Human Rights Violations With Impunity The third anniversary of the failed coup was commemorated on 1 February, 2023. To mark the day, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), called upon the international community to use their platforms […]

Myanmar military destroys more than 100 homes in Mandalay on encroachment claims

February 28, 2023/in News

Residents of two blocks find themselves homeless overnight amid a junta eviction campaign. As soldiers and police looked on, bulldozers destroyed more than 100 houses on two streets in Myanmar’s second largest city, leaving residents – many of whom had been living there for decades – homeless overnight, sources in the country told Radio Free […]

Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State & Tanintharyi Region (MONTHLY OVERVIEW)

March 1, 2023/in ND-Burma Members' Reports, News

Myanmar military destroys more than 100 homes in Mandalay on encroachment claims

February 28, 2023/in News

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Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State & Tanintharyi Region (MONTHLY OVERVIEW)

March 1, 2023/in ND-Burma Members' Reports, News

Martial Law and the Devastating Toll on Civilians in Southeastern Burma as the Junta Continues to Commit Human Rights Violations With Impunity

The third anniversary of the failed coup was commemorated on 1 February, 2023. To mark the day, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), called upon the international community to use their platforms and diplomatic will to change the deeply concerning trajectory of violence in Burma. It begins with measures and concrete steps that prosecute Min Aung Hlaing and end his legacy of tyranny.
Across the country, civilians participated in nationwide Silent Strikes to show their disdain and ongoing rejection of the military. Many photographs taken by the network reporters showed empty main roads in Southeastern Burma, including deserted streets, and markets.

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Myanmar military destroys more than 100 homes in Mandalay on encroachment claims

February 28, 2023/in News

Residents of two blocks find themselves homeless overnight amid a junta eviction campaign.

As soldiers and police looked on, bulldozers destroyed more than 100 houses on two streets in Myanmar’s second largest city, leaving residents – many of whom had been living there for decades – homeless overnight, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia.

The junta demolished the homes on Monday on Mandalay’s Ma Kha Yar street and on 49th street the following day, claiming that the structures had “encroached on land owned by the state.”

According to rights organizations, the junta has forcibly evicted people living in informal settlements as part of a bid to increase its land holdings.

The United Nations estimated in December that the junta had evicted more than 50,000 people since the February 2021 coup, and burned or destroyed 38,000 homes, leading to the displacement of over 1.1 million people.

RFA’s sources estimate that the military has destroyed more than 5,000 homes under the pretext of “encroachment” since the coup, claiming the land belongs to the railway department, the irrigation department, or has been zoned for municipal infrastructure.

ENG_BUR_EVICTIONS_02282023.2.jpg — Myanmar junta authorities destroyed more than 100 houses in Mandalay’s Pyi Gyi Tagon township on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, leaving the residents homeless. Credit: Citizen journalist

Like the many who were evicted before them, the Mandalay residents were given no warning, and some were not even allowed to gather their belongings before their homes were torn down, a man who witnessed this week’s destruction told RFA.

“Houses are being destroyed and removed with encroachment accusations very frequently these days,” said the source who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal. “The residents have lived there … for over a decade. Some big buildings built of bricks and concrete were also destroyed.”

While some of the people were essentially squatting in undocumented buildings, others purchased their homes legally. But the authorities made no distinction.

RFA attempted to contact Thein Htay, the junta’s economic minister for the Mandalay region, but calls went unanswered.

The junta’s spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA previously that the military has had to deal with encroachment violations to adhere to the rule of law, because previous governments ignored the issue.

Homeless overnight

A woman who lives in the area said her cousin, a mother of five whose home was destroyed, is now scrambling to find somewhere to live.

“[She] has lived there for quite a long time and they destroyed her house, so she’s no longer a homeowner,” the woman said.

The eviction came out of the blue, so her cousin had no time to save up for a move, the woman said.

“Rent is a minimum of 80,000 kyats [U.S.$38] and that’s just enough for a very tiny house,” the woman said. “For a family with five children it would be difficult to live in something like that.”

The cousin is now roaming the neighborhood with all her possessions, looking for somewhere to live, she said.

“They are in big trouble under the burning heat of the sun,” she added.

The junta is now destroying homes on a daily basis in Mandalay, according to residents, prompting a run on rent prices as the displaced desperately search for shelter.

People who have lost their homes often choose to pull their children out of school because they are struggling to make ends meet.

“I have lost all my belongings and I am having a really hard time,” a man who had his home and water storage tanks bulldozed told RFA. “Where can I go and stay? Just look at my situation. As a Buddhist, I just pray that those who destroyed our homes will not meet the same fate.”

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Eugene Whong.

RFA News

Spring Revolution

Civil Society Position Paper on ASEAN’s Goal of a Myanmar-Owned and -Led SolutionDecember 18, 2024 - 12:11 pm
Recommendations to ASEAN and Its Member States (1) Move beyond the 5PC to achieve a Myanmar people-led and people-centered solution to the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN’s “Myanmar-owned and -led” approach must be backed by genuine political will that aligns with and supports the collective aspirations of the people of Myanmar. (2) Cease all pressure on […]
The Airstrikes after the journey to the China of the Junta Military LeaderDecember 10, 2024 - 1:28 pm
Operation 1027 was a coordinated military attack against the junta on October 27th, 2023. It was carried out by the Northern Brotherhood, which includes the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army. Several months later, the Three Brotherhood Alliance held three meetings to negotiate with China on January 11 […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 15 to 21, 2024)September 27, 2024 - 8:26 am
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]

Multimedia

GenocideSeptember 2, 2025 - 9:42 am
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International Humanitarian Law Cartoon AnimatonApril 29, 2025 - 8:37 am
အတိတ်မှ ဆိုးရွားသည့် အကြီးအကျယ် လူ့အခွင့်အရေးချိုးဖောက်မှုများ ထပ်မံမဖြစ်ပွားစေရေးအ တွက် အာမခံခြင်း (Guarantees of non-recurrence)February 10, 2025 - 9:58 am

ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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