Shwe Baho, Thayay Konebaung and Villages in southern Maungtaw!

December 4, 2016         

We, the news team, who are currently in Maungtaw of the Rakhine State, left for villages in southern Maungtaw in a vehicle on November 30. The car took us along the Maungtaw-Buthitaung road and moved on along the concrete road near May Yu Golf Club 4 miles far from Maungtaw, arriving at the village of Vesali. Houses are sparsely situated in the village but systematically built and well-fenced. Near the village, a school was found nearly in a state of newly constructed building.

Proceeding from there, we reached the village of Shwe Yin Aye very soon, a village where local ethnics reside. In the surrounding, a beautiful landscape—a mountain range and fields were seen. Then we got to the village “Khayemyaing”, going past by Kantharyar and Bhodhi-gone villages along the road. Most of the local populace in the village well-built with a primary school, a dispensary and corrugated-iron-sheet-roofed & bamboo-walled houses in it, eke out their living by farming.

Out of all the villages, Shwe Baho is a remarkable one, being next to the road and being abundant with pucca-buildings—50 units at the conservative estimate and roads with an urbanized pattern. There is a drinking water well each on both sides of the road, crowded with people who came to take baths or to fetch water. The houses are fenced with woods and at the top of the village is a monastery. Some of the local residents are learnt to have immigrated to the country from Bangladesh. Though not being economically developed, they mainly live on agriculture and livestock breeding, depending upon farmland and cattle given an aid by the government since the advent of setting up the village.

Other well-known villages in southern Maungtaw are Thatay Konebaung, Kaingyi, Mawrawady and Oodaung. It is learnt that there are about 11 ethnic-assembled villages linked with concrete roads to each other. Only one vehicle can drive on the roads, but people in the area rely completely on these roads. On one side May Yu forest reserve and green mountain ranges can be seen with a vast land of golden paddy fields on the other side—some harvested and some ready to be reaped. Occasionally, firewood fetchers, paddy harvesters and cow herders were found. In the period after 1990s, these villages were systematically set up for nationals, with villagers provided with houses and cows free of charge.

A village has dwelling places from 50 to 200. At the time when Maungtaw district will be supplied with electricity from the greater national grid line, these villages are coming to have greater job opportunities and their socio-economic development will improve for sure.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar