Myanmar military officers accused of profiting from dismantled homes in Sittwe villages

By Admin 17 Feb 2026

DMG Newsroom

17 February 2026, Sittwe

High-ranking Myanmar military officers are allegedly profiting from dismantling and selling homes in villages under junta control in Sittwe Township, according to local sources.

A junta tactical commander and his associates in Sittwe are reportedly overseeing the demolition of houses and the felling of trees in villages including Tawkan, Theintan, Kyauktangyi, Kyauktan and Kyarmathauk. Salvaged materials are then resold on the market.

“Military officers from Sittwe Regional Command 1 and their subordinates are tearing down houses in villages outside the city and selling them. We see trucks transporting these materials at least 10 times a day,” a local source told DMG.

Amid soaring prices of firewood and charcoal in Sittwe, junta soldiers are reportedly dismantling vacant homes, fences, and wooden or bamboo structures, and selling them to buyers, including members of the Muslim community.

Residents of Gantgawkyun Village said their homes have been destroyed as part of the alleged illicit trade carried out by junta troops. Similar incidents were reported in May 2025, when junta soldiers dismantled vacant wooden and bamboo houses in Setyonesu, Mingan and Satyoekya wards for resale.

“They have turned the high price of fuel and firewood into a business opportunity. They dismantle the houses and transport them by truck. Some vacant houses inside the city are also being openly looted and demolished,” a male resident of Sittwe said.

Residents of Sittwe, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), are facing severe livelihood hardships due to the military’s restrictions on the flow of goods and travel.

Many villagers from the outskirts of Sittwe have fled to the city centre or to areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), fearing escalating hostilities or forced eviction by the military regime.

“I don’t know what state my house is in. It’s heartbreaking to see news of drone strikes or arson. As a displaced person, it is impossible to afford a home of my own again in this situation,” said a displaced woman from Kyauktan Village.

Military tensions remain high in Sittwe, with frequent exchanges of heavy artillery fire and drone strikes between the military regime and the Arakan Army.

While the Arakan Army has surrounded and blockaded the state capital, the junta has reinforced its presence in an effort to prevent the group from entering the city.