SPDC told people to paint their roofs green

July 1, 2003

It is reported that the local SPDC authorities are forcing people of Magwe who live along the main roads to paint the roofs of their houses green. Although the order is said to have come from township municipal department, the people are saying that it is the work of the USDA members and they are said to be feeling angry by it. Some people who can’t afford to do so paint only the roofs that face the roads.

DVB’s Thet Naing reports:

Thet Naing : The order to paint the roofs green was given by township municipal department and all the houses along the main roads were forced to do so since the beginning of June. The authorities threatened to prosecute effectively those who disobey the order with ‘existing laws’. A local resident confirmed the report as follows:

A local resident : Yes. It is true. We have to paint our roofs green. All they have is green. They will prosecute anyone who disobeys the order with ‘existing laws’. You must not have tin and thatch roofs along the tarmac roads. Most people have done it. They know which colour to paint. During the BSPP era, they told us to paint the roofs blue, during U Saw Maung era, they told us to paint them white and now they tell us to paint them green…

Thet Naing :Although the order came from the municipal department, the local people believe that it is the work of the USDA members. The local people are bearing more grudges against the USDA members for forcing them to paint the roofs of their houses green. Although the roofs of the houses along the main roads are painted green, the majority of the people are only able to paint only the sides of the roofs facing the road due to the expenses.