Owners of more than 70 shops that are adjacent to Sittwe’s No. 1 Police Station have started moving out on Friday since police told them a security fence was going to be constructed for the police station.
U Soe Naing, proprietor of a household electronic accessories shop, said his shop is being dismantled because the head of Sittwe Township police force held an urgent meeting with shop owners on 13 June and told them to move out on 15 June.
“The regional government promised to provide a new location for us. We requested the Arakan State police chief to wait until we can build our shops at the new location arranged by the government,” he said.
However, the regional government has not revealed the new site for the shops so far. Police colonel Kyi Linn, head of Arakan State Police Force, also said that he was not sure if the regional government had a plan to arrange a new area for the shop owners.
“We have already notified shop owners of our plan to stop leasing out our land for shops. We told them 10 months ago,” the police colonel said.
Currently, shop owners have requested the regional government to arrange a new location for them as quickly as possible so they can keep on operating their businesses.
“We cannot operate our shop at the moment. We are now packing up our goods to move to another place. So, on behalf of all shop owners, I’d like to respectfully request to the government, since it made a promise to us, to arrange a new location for us,” U Soe Naing said.
When the DMG phoned U Win Myint, minster of Municipal Affairs in Arakan State government for comment regarding the new location for shop owners, he responded that he was not fully aware of all the details.
“Shop owners have submitted petitions on the new location for their shops. I have no idea where is the new location. I will let you know when I know it,” U Win Myint said.
The police station is surrounded by different shops such as an electronic accessories shop, pharmacy shop, convenience store, clothing store, goldsmith shop, phone repair shop, beauty salon and plastic accessories shop.
Shop owners bought the shops near the police station since 1990 under the approval of the police force, and they are paying a monthly rental fee to the No. (1) Police Station for the buildings, shop owners said.
