The seizure and demolition orders came from Captain Thain Phe, a commander of the Light Infantry Battalion (299) stationed in Kalay Town.

The houses belonging to Mr. Vum Ling, Mr. Hriang Kep, Mr. Zakam, and Mr. Than Cung in a new block in Kalay were demolished by the LIB (299) for preparing a training ground on April 12. The total area on which the houses stood is 400 x 60 sq ft.

“Initially, they (military authorities) promised us new land, but no arrangement has been made,” said a local close to a victim’s family in Kalay.

Till the time of writing this report the owners of the demolished houses have been staying with relatives.

The land and property confiscated for the army training ground is worth about Kyat 140 million.  Bulldozers were used for the demolition.

Colonel Tin Hla, chairman of State Peace and Development Council of Chin state, allegedly demolished a school for orphans, which was constructed with the permission of the Township Development Committee and Taxation Department Hakha, capital of Chin state on April 2006. Another school for orphans run by Mr. Hawi ChunTum was also demolished in October 2006.

Under the SPDC regime, Chin people have been deprived of their homes through demolition and are subject to extortion. They have been pushed into forced labour, porter duty, recruitment of children in the army, slaughtering of domestic animals, made to work in construction of army camps and roads and tea and Jatropha plantations. – KNG.