Chaungsone Land Owner Dealing with Land Disputes for over a Decade

October 20, 2016

U Khin Zaw, from Nat Hmaw village tract in Chaungsone Township, Mon State, says he has been dealing with land disputes for over a decade.

In 1989, U Khin Zaw bought 10.05 acres of land from U Aung Thein and Daw Pu legally, with witnesses, at the administrators’ house, U Maung Kyine’s.

Administration accountant, Daw Pan Win, who is the sister of U Maung Kyine, said that she will keep the contract in place. At the time, U Khin Zaw was 28-years-old and assumed that Daw Pan Win will respect the contract.

unnamed U Khin Zaw explains “After 2000, people started building houses on my land. When I asked them how they could do that, they said that the department let them build on this property. Some people left when I asked them. Every year, one or two houses were built on my land. I always reported the incidents to the authorities but I only reported it verbally. I did not know that I would have to report it with proper documentation. Even though I was reporting the conflicts, they have not been helpful at all.”

In June 2013, after receiving advice from Chaungsone Township Hluttaw representative U Aung Naing Oo on how to report the case, U Khin Zaw started to report the conflict officially.

All of his land on the north, east and south has been disputed; the west has not been disputed because there is a monastery.

In December 2013, township administrator and other officials came to check and measure his land but nothing has been resolved. In November 2013, U Khin Zaw reported the case to the state minister. In January 2014, the state minister called a meeting with all people involved such as the land department, village administrator, and disputers.

U Khin Zaw continued “I have opened this case to the court and they said that the land I work on is only 6.28 acres.”

He goes on, “What I am not satisfied about is that the administrator and land department have deducted the land I own from 10.05 acres to 6.28 acres without informing me. The administrator and land department presented incorrect statements in court. They claimed that I work on only 6.28 acres. They drew a map and signed the map themselves, instead of checking with me. They are doing all of this in order for me to lose my land.”

U Khin Zaw has been paying taxes on the land since 2010 and has been applying for form-7 since 2013. He has gone to the land department almost 100 times. Today, he has still not received form-7.

He pronounces “They have been tricking me. They gave me several excuses every time I go to get form-7. I don’t understand much but I know these people are lying to me. Now I don’t care if I get my land back or not. I am getting old. I will be satisfied if the truth is revealed and justice has been done.”

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News