12 April 2026 By Mon Lay
YANGON, Myanmar — Authorities in South Dagon Township have been accused of running an illegal real estate scheme and a systematic extortion racket, using the threat of military conscription to fleece residents in one of the city’s poorest districts.
Local sources in Ward 54 report that the Ward Administrator, Thiha Myo Naing, in collaboration with members of the pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militia and the military-backed USDP party, has begun partitioning public vacant lands into small plots for forced sale.
The group has reportedly carved out 10-by-60-foot plots, demanding 20 million Kyats (approximately $9,500 USD) per lot from local families. Residents claim this is not a standard real estate transaction but an enforced purchase.
“They claim they are working with the Department of Urban and Housing Development,” a resident told MPA under the condition of anonymity. “When people say they cannot afford such an amount, they are threatened with eviction or told they will no longer be allowed to live peacefully in the ward.”
Beyond the illegal land sales, the administration is also accused of imposing a monthly “conscription fee.” Every household with an eligible young male is reportedly required to pay 50,000 Kyats per month to avoid being drafted into the frontline of Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
For many working-class families, this amount represents a significant portion of their monthly income. “Fifty thousand kyats is more than enough to feed a family for days,” a local mother said. “They told us that if we don’t pay, they will come into our homes and take our sons away. Now, every house with children lives in constant terror, day and night.”
According to local witnesses, the administrator’s team—including a notorious figure identified as Soe Yu—acts with total impunity. Armed with authority and backed by the military junta’s administrative apparatus, the group is accused of pocketing the collected funds for personal gain.
“They tell people that because they are linked with official departments, complaining is useless,” another resident added. “It is essentially state-sponsored robbery of public land.”
The situation in Ward 54 has become so dire that many young people have fled their homes to avoid both the financial burden and the threat of forced recruitment. While the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has vowed to take legal action against officials who extort civilians, the reality on the ground remains one of unchecked power.
As Myanmar’s military junta struggles to maintain its grip on the country, the daily life of citizens in Yangon is increasingly defined by these small-scale tyrannies, where local administrators have transformed their offices into hubs for extortion, human trafficking, and land theft.
