The Myanmar junta forcibly seized and destroyed shops before rebuilding new shops and selling them, in Yangon City’s Yuzana Garden City housing estate in Dagon Seikkan Township’s Ward 94.

The shops, on Kantkaw, Kyung Shwewar, Seinpanpin, and Khayay streets, were seized on 23 June and destroyed within 24 hours. They were seized for allegedly being illegal, though after the original shops were destroyed new ones were quickly built. They were then offered for sale by junta-affiliated people for $1,800 USD each on 27 June.

A representative of Dagon Seikkan People’s Defence Force said: “The Military Council destroyed the shops saying that they were illegal. The shops were rebuilt and are currently being sold for $1,800 USD by Military Council-affiliated people. Ordinary people can’t afford to buy these shops so, these junta-affiliated people rent these shops to ordinary people.”

A resident of Yuzana Garden City housing estate said that the shop owners were facing difficulties following their evictions and local residents were very angry about what happened.

The seizure of the shops was allegedly organised by Khin Maung Zin, the administrator of Ward 94, officials from the Yuzana Garden City Housing Committee and officials from the Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Development Committee, which is supposed to supply subsidised housing at an affordable price.

Dagon Seikkan PDF has warned that it will take action on behalf of the evicted shop owners against all the junta-affiliated people who were involved in the seizure, rebuilding and reselling of the shops.