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Trapped in a Cycle of Oppression

HURFOM: From 1996 to 1997, a total of 81168.72 acres of land in Kywae Thone Nyi Ma village tract, Tae Chaung village tract, Ohn Bin Kwin village tract, Min Tar village tract, Eain Da YarZar village tract, inYebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region, was confiscated by theMawyawadi Navy camp.

On February 18, 2011, the Mawyawadi Navy camp announced and distributed letters to villages about land confiscation officially, in which they claimed, the land would now be “Army Land”.

When the army distributed the letter of confiscation in 2011, they did not deliverthe letter or inform the government departments. They only distributed it to these 5 village tracts. After the army confiscated the land since 1996/97, villagers were not permitted to work on the land and because of this, many villagers faced countless difficulties.

Many of the confiscated lands have plantation gardens, which are the livelihoods of many families. The army warned that locals can no longer plant anything on the land. Since the confiscation, it has become increasing challenging to find new means of survival. Many lives have been affected. Some people have left the village to neighboring countries. Others have become displaced. Several still live in the village and work on the land regardless of the army and their threats.

U Maung Shwe from Kan Taw village expressed that “We have lived in this village since our ancestors. Whether we have documents or not, we want them to know that this place has ancestral rights. If there are any groups or organizations that take away our land, we will try to protect it within the law, no matter what. I don’t have a piece of land here but I will try to protect it. I have many relatives on this land. We cannot survive without land. If these lands are taken away, we all will become rebels”.

He continues stating that,“During thepolitically unstable period, our region was recognized as a rebellious area. When the rebel groups left this area, our land turned froma black area to a yellow area, however, it is not a white area yet. Now, when the situation is stable, they [army] came to say that this is their land. We cannot accept this. They should have done something to stand by the people instead during that politically unstable period. Now they came to say this is their land. Do they understand how people here have been oppressed under many difficult situations?No matter what groups or organizations came, villages in this area are always being oppressed. Rebel groups were powerful in this area but now the situation is getting stable and they claim it is their lands. We want them to think”.

In Kan Taw village alone, a total of is 3,000 acres of farmland and 347 acres of plantation land was confiscated. Only one letter was submitted to the Prime Minister in Dawei on August 11, 2013 regarding the land confiscation problem in Kan Taw village by Mawyawadi Navy camp.

U Ba Myine from Kan Taw Village stated that “In terms of economy, we have been based on this land since our ancestors. We cannot accept the land confiscation which occured during the military government. We would be thankful if anyone from Mon technical person could help us resolve this issue”,

U Ba Myine continued, “We have been so desperate. 5 acres of my land was also confiscated. Our livelihood is to work on this land. We have been very unhappy since our land was taken. People who have health problems cannot handle this loss. It could even lead to death. We cannot sleep or eat.”

Currently, in accordance with the Land Law, land registration processes are taking place in every township. Yet, regarding land that was confiscated by the army, there is no clear information from the Township Land Record Department for these village tracts about what will happen.

On April 28, 2016, there was a meeting with these village tracts at AungTharWatti Hall, Yebyu Township. Tanintharyi Region Prime Minister,Daw Lae Lae Maw, Electricity Minister, U KyiHlaing, official representatives and village tracts representatives attended the meeting. Daw Lae Lae Maw stated in the meeting that within the next 6 months, the needs of the villages such as electricity and bridges will be fulfilled. The confiscated land will still be further discussed and worked on.

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