Tombs destroyed by machinery at Tamwe cemetery, burial site of Burma independence hero U Razak

Mizzima

Tombs and mature trees on a disputed plot of land inside the historic Tamwe Muslim Cemetery, where independence hero U Razak and Comrade Ko Htwe are buried, were destroyed using heavy machinery, a member of the cemetery’s trustee committee told Mizzima.

The destruction occurred while the land ownership dispute remains unresolved in court after years of litigation, the trustee member said.

The disputed land was originally donated by a donor in 1921 for use as a cemetery. Burials began there in 1922, and the government suspended further burials at the site in 1997, according to the trustee member.

The ownership dispute began around 2010 when descendants of the original donor demanded the return of the donated land, he said.

The trustee committee consulted with Islamic religious scholars and met with the claimants at their office about three times, explaining that even the original owner has no right to reclaim land once it has been donated.