Jan 29, 2009 (DVB), Owners of shops and stalls situated around police station 1 in Myin Chan township, Mandalay division, have been ordered to move out by the end of March, according to a local business owner.

The owners of 78 stores were summoned to the police station on 17 January and told to take down their stalls and move out in preparation for the building of a new police station, a shop owner said.

"They say they are bringing the police stations up to ASEAN standard and they are tearing down police stations nationwide," she said.

"They said they will take down the shops after they have done them in Rangoon and Mandalay. They will help us dismantle them."

Two goods depots were given land elsewhere by the government, but the other shops receive no compensation, the shop owner said.

"Our families will be in trouble and we are all feeling miserable," she said.

"Our families depend on our business to survive and for our children's education."

All the shopkeepers signed a petition letter and send it to Naypyidaw yesterday asking the authorities not to close down their stores.

The police station refused to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile in Bogalay, stall owners said local authorities have still not repaired the main market which was damaged by Cyclone Nargis.

Even though the stallholders have been unable to trade, authorities have still continued to collect the market tax from them, a stall owner said.

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw