House fires reported in depopulated Lekka village 

By Myo Thiri Kyaw 16 May 2020

Myo Thiri Kyaw | DMG
16 May, Mrauk-U 

Several houses reportedly caught fire last week in the largely deserted village of Lekka, Mrauk-U Township, where few residents remain after most relocated to IDP camps in April of last year.  

A resident of neighbouring Buywet Manhyo village, who asked not to be named, told DMG that about 10 houses were ablaze in Lekka on the afternoon of May 12. 

“I think the fire was at about 10 houses, according to the area I saw smoking. It is impossible that the fire started from negligence,” the anonymous villager said. 

U Tun Tha Sein, an Arakan State lawmaker for Mrauk-U, confirmed the fire and said he did not know the cause. 

Residents of nearby villages said they heard the sound of gunfire after a military contingent of some 50 soldiers entered Lekka village. 

Most villagers originally from Lekka are now sheltering at refugee camps in Mrauk-U town, and the Pepinyin, Tin Nyo and Tin Htein Kan camps, because of clashes near their home village since April 2019. About 20 elderly residents of Lekka remained behind to watch the houses. 

Daw Oo Win Kyi, a Lekka villager who now lives at the Pepinyin IDP camp, said she was concerned because they were unable to contact the elders in the village after hearing about the fire. 

“We are worried for our houses. Some IDPs are crying now. We cannot get contact with the people left in the village. We phoned them, but they could not be reached,” she said. 

There are more than 400 houses in Lekka village and prior to last year’s exodus, over 1,800 people lived there. On October 7, 2019, a fire broke out in the village as well, and one house was destroyed. 

The number of houses catching fire within war-affected parts of Arakan State has been increasing, the secretary of the Rakhine Ethnics Congress, U Zaw Zaw Tun, told DMG recently. 

Villagers said at least eight houses burned down in Nga Tauk Tu Chay village, Rathedaung Township, on May 4. 

The Department of Disaster Management in Arakan State has provided more than K90 million (US$62,000) to rebuild over 500 houses in Tinma village, Kyauktaw Township, that were destroyed by conflict-related fire on March 22.