Local Residents Arrested in Effort to Silence Concerns over Land Rights in Ye Ta Gon

January 15, 2014

On January 10, 2014, an unknown, armed Karen group arrested eight Ye Ta Gon rubber plantation workers, and brought them to Ra Shan village, Karen State. At the time of arrest, none of the individuals knew why the armed group had arrested them. The following day, the Karen group announced they would release the eight plantation workers, in exchange for the arrest of Nai Khoung and Ni Nyain, who have been outspoken about their concerns of land right violations due to the recent Wae Kalee military base expansion.

Around 9 pm on January 10^th, seven members of an unknown, armed Karen group arrested eight residents. Those incarcerated included two Mon residents, Nai Tay Ngay, a follower of the Karen armed group Bo Law War, from Wae Kalee village, and Mi Yin Sein, from Ah Nin Village, who acts as a communicator between Karen and Burmese armed groups. The six other local residents arrested included Nat Pot (30 years old), Nai Oub (35 years old), and Nai Ma Krait from Pa Nga Village, Oung Soe (22 years old) from Nuu Village, Pyinmanar Township, Myit Naing from Irrawaddy, and a sixth resident from Law Tart Village.

On January 11, the armed Karen group announced that they would release the eight residents they had arrested the previous day, in return for the arrest of Pa Nga Village rubber plantation owners Nai Khoung and Nai Nyain. The group wanted Nai Khoung and Nai Nyain turned over to their custody, as these two individuals had recently submitted a letter to the New Mon State Party (NMSP), in which they expressed their concerns over the military’s announcement this month of its proposed base expansion in Thanbuyzayat Township, and the subsequent taxation of local rubber plantations (http://rehmonnya.org/archives/3040).

The Bo Lat War group has taxed plantation owners in Ye Ta Gon villages, alleging that the plantations belonged to the Karen, and thus proceeded to collect the tax. Residents state that Bo Lat War is a small group that is not a part of the Karen National Union (KNU), but has, in fact, separated from the KNU.

Nai Nyain and Nai Khoung have been outspoken about their concerns of protecting residents’ land rights against the Karen armed group’s illegal taxation of local residents’ plantations. Nai Nyain and Nai Khoung have organized local landowners to submit a letter to the NMSP. Upon receipt of the letter, an NMSO administrator then submitted a letter to Mawlamine state authorities. Mawlamine state authorities have assured residents that they will handle the case.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News