Residents near Pyin Oo Lwin rush to vacate homes, shops after eviction order

Residents of a village near a major urban development project in Mandalay Region’s Pyin Oo Lwin Township are scrambling to relocate homes and businesses after junta authorities ordered the area cleared within three days, according to local residents. The eviction order affects parts of Thone Taung, a village near the Yadanabon New City project, a 10,000-acre development site situated between Thone Taung and the nearby village of Pyin Sar, both located along the Pyin Oo Lwin-Mandalay road. Residents said the project’s management and maintenance committee issued the directive on Tuesday as part of what officials described as a “100-Day Plan.” Witnesses reported seeing trucks and vehicles of various sizes transporting household belongings and dismantled shop structures from the area. “People are moving out because they are afraid,” said a resident of Pyin Sar who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity. “They were told they could face arrest if they failed to leave within three days.” According to residents, more than 30 shops and homes have already been removed. Businesses affected include grocery stores, restaurants, beauty salons, clothing shops, mobile phone accessory retailers and money transfer services. The reasons given for the removals have varied, residents said. Some properties were reportedly targeted under the junta’s 100-Day Plan, while others were accused of occupying land designated for the Yadanabon project or for nearby industrial facilities, including an optical lens factory and a phone card printing factory. Residents said eviction notices have also been issued to long-established households, including families who have lived in the area for generations. Others affected include landowners and buyers who acquired property within the project zone despite longstanding concerns about uncertain land tenure. Warning signs have reportedly been erected throughout the area prohibiting land sales, transfers, and new construction within project boundaries. One shop owner who said they leased land legally from a local owner wrote on social media that they were forced to dismantle their business without receiving a clear explanation. “They say it's the 100-Day Plan, and they also say it’s because the area is included in the project,” the individual wrote. “I no longer know what is what.” The 100-Day Plan was announced in April following the formation of a new government headed by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing after an election widely dismissed as rigged. The initiative outlines objectives related to national development, economic growth, education, and security, and includes calls on resistance forces to surrender after more than five years of conflict. Min Aung Hlaing visited the site of the Yadanabon project during a two-day trip to Pyin Oo Lwin last month. He also urged Indian investment in the project during his state visit to India last week. Originally conceived as Yadanabon Cyber City in 2010, the project has seen renewed activity since late 2024. Residents said large-scale land clearing, road construction, and building projects have accelerated since the beginning of this year, contributing to sharp increases in local land values. Pyin Oo Lwin, a hill town known for its cooler climate and located about 20 miles east of Mandalay, has become a destination for people displaced by conflict and natural disasters in recent years. Property prices and rents have risen significantly as demand has increased. The latest evictions add to a series of land clearance operations reported in Mandalay Region since the military seized power in 2021. Previous redevelopment projects in the region have drawn criticism from residents who said they received little notice and were not offered alternative locations for businesses or housing.

Residents near Pyin Oo Lwin rush to vacate homes, shops after eviction order

The order comes as work on the Yadanabon New City project accelerates as part of the regime’s “100-Day Plan”

Subscribe for full access

After 100 days of ‘civilian’ rule, Myanmar remains a bastion of oppression

‘We cannot write as before’: Women poets of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution

Sent to die: Myanmar’s conscripts caught between a junta’s war and a nation’s collapse

Magway emerges as key front in junta’s strategy to claw back control of western Myanmar

Subscribe for full access

Related Articles

ASEAN envoy meets Myanmar junta, ethnic armed groups in Thailand as NUG questions exclusion

Russian troops, Myanmar junta forces hold small-scale joint military exercise in Naypyitaw

Associates of resistance leader questioned following his escape from NUG custody

ASEAN ministers push stalled peace plan in Myanmar talks