Scenes of Maungtaw which is more frenetic day by day!

Scenes from Maungtaw: Students strive for normalcy

There were few signs of worry or fear on the faces of students at No. 4 State Middle School in Maungtaw yesterday. A few minutes before the school bell tolled to mark the beginning of the school day, children played in the front yard of school campus.

Maungtaw November 18

Since our arrival at Maungtaw, the block in which tea and coffee shops are situated on the construction road, west ward of Maungtaw sees customers having their first morning meal from 7 a.m to 9 a.m or so daily.

When we roamed about the town on the morning of November 17, we saw tea shops and rice-selling shops crammed with consumers. According to U Kyaw Htoo Mon, a local from Maungtaw, some shops remained close and now was less crowded compared to the situation of the past time.

I noticed Myoma Market run by board of township development committee has started to open since 6:30 or 7 a.m but nearly all shops started working just after 8 a.m. Shops usually close at 5 pm but these days at noon shops were closed as customers from nearby villages did not come to the market to purchase commodities they needed, it is learnt.

Gold and jewellery shops, hardware shops, fishery stalls and groceries along the Member Gyi Street are active just in morning periods at the present time. They hope the business will return to the normal state very soon.

On the Anawrahta Street motor vehicles, motor trishaws, cycles, trishaws and pedestrians are moving to and fro. There cannot be signs of worries or fear seen on their faces with normal living styles found as usual. On my way in front of no 4 State Middle School(branch), I found students playing happily in the school campus just prior to school bell toll.

During my brief observation at the check point of the Maungtaw toll gate this morning, I saw passenger buses plying between Maungtaw and Buthitaung, cargo trucks, sellers and purchasers from nearby villages by motor trishaws. According to passengers and drivers, their income is much less than ever and they want peace and stability as usual as soon as possible.

Farms and fields just outside Maungtaw and at both sides of the road were crowded with paddy harvesters, cattle and farming workers.

District Judicial Court Office, township education office and other buildings under construction are being built again.

Daw Ma Oo disclosed that she has grown many crops— pea, cabbage, chilli, cauliflower, egg plants and so on. She also wants peace and stability of the area.

During today’s trip to Buthitaung, I found more and more passenger buses and motorcycle carriage plying more than before.

The Myawady Daily