Woman sells the flowers to customers in Maungtaw district,
It has been nearly two months since the violent armed attacks occurred in Maungtaw district, Rakhine State. In this time we have the area become active again.
As dawn broke, there were morning meal takers seen sitting at breakfast tables in tea shops. Most of the customers in the shops belong to the departmental staff — permanent jobs in Maungtaw as well as those coming to temporarily work for the departments. As there are not many stalls here for fried rice, tea and coffee, Myanmar traditional foods such as Monthinkha, Nangyithote, and other kinds of food are available in one place, making it a natural gathering place for many people to assemble. Some were found having their meals in the eatery while enjoying the premier league soccer match that was played last night.
Some of the staff were found to have been sharing their experiences while chatting. Inside the Myoma monastery nearby, we heard a group of women reciting paritta, sacred sermons. In the neighborhood of Myoma Zay, vegetable markets and meat bazaars were crowded with buyers and sellers.
Near Myoma Bazaar, there are fruit stalls and second-hand clothes tables. Most shops in the Myoma Bazaar seldom open early in the morning, starting their business after 9 a.m. Though being a town near the border area, Myoma Zay sees the sale of clothing, foodstuffs and cosmetics ordered mostly from Myanmar. Only a few shops sell imported goods.
One of the most crowded places in the mornings are the vegetable and meat bazaars. Local residents depend on this market for their shopping. Most of the sellers here are local ethnics from the surrounding villages near Maungtaw, coming to sell chilli, eggplants, tamarind, betel nuts, corm of taro and green groceries. In meat and fish stalls, salty fish is sold along with shellfish.
U Ottama Street and Zaylan (Bank street) is the most crowded place in the afternoons. The corner of Myoma Bazaar and U Ottama Street is busy with lorries and passenger buses. Shops such as barber shops, drug shops, eateries and beauty salons that belong to local nationals and other believers are situated on U Ottama.
Zay Lan is mostly occupied by shops of other believers, which sell travelling bags, spectacles, hats, watches, slippers and utensils. Gold shops and banks are numerous on this street. In Maungtaw, there are four main streets —Alaungphaya Street, U Ottama Street, Zay Lan & Construction Street. Of these, U Ottama Street and Zay Lan are mostly crammed with people. Departmental offices are located on the way to Buthitaung in the eastern part of Maungtaw. The clock tower at the top of Zay Lan is a grand feature of the town. In the evening, we saw trucks loading and unloading at the corner of Myoma Zay and U Ottama Street and passenger buses bound for Buthitaung. Air tickets and waterway ticket selling depots are found in U Ottama street. Privately owned cars are rare in Maungtaw with departmental vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles and trishaws mostly used.
A breeze comes after a storm. Now we are seeing the atmosphere of peace and stability in Maungtaw and nearby areas.
Myint Maung Soe