The junta ordered residents in Taung Yadanar Ward in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mandalay Region, many of whom are military veterans, to leave their homes by 8 May.

“We were all asked to move by today [8 May]. We are very depressed. We have filed a petition not to demolish the ward. But, since they started forcibly demolishing houses we decided to demolish our house move of our own accord, even though we didn’t want to.”

The area of Taung Yadanar Ward that the junta has ordered to be demolished is home to many military veterans, former police officers and former and current civil servants, as well as many other ordinary people.

According to ward residents, the junta has said it is clearing the land because it belongs to the railway station.

“We are not squatters or people who have cleared land and built houses. We are veteran military staff, policemen, and employees of government departments. We have been living in this quarter together with the current [government department] staff members and ordinary people. They came to demolish [our house] after sending three notice letters. Actually, we received only one notice letter. It was last year [2022].

The junta ordered 1,000 households in Taung Yadanar Ward to be destroyed on 1 September 2022, claiming that the land was owned by the railway. In response, the residents filed a petition.

The residents said that their land is far from any land owned by Myanmar Railway and 2.8 miles (4.5 km) from the railway station. They also said that the4 residents had installed and paid for sealed roads, electrical lines and fences. They also hold a Legal (10) Form saying they are entitled to live there.

Since the coup, the junta has cleared away housing in big cities such as Yangon and Mandalay claiming that they are encroaching on government land.