Authorities Repeatedly Ignore Ye Township Landowners’ Appeals

July 15, 2014

With the arrival of democracy in Burma, farmers are pursuing their right to reclaim land that has been confiscated by military and government personnel. Residents of Ye Township have submitted multiple letters of appeal to relevant authorities in efforts to seek justice for unjust land confiscation, but, due to corruption and abuse of power, authorities have repeatedly ignored the villagers’ request for justice.

Sein Gyi Village resident and member of the Ye Township Tin Gan Kyun Village group, Daw Ye, 73, has submitted letters of appeal to authorities in efforts to reclaim her 10 acres of land which has previously been confiscated by Village Administrator U Soe Win.

In response to her letters, U Min Thant, of the Ye administration crew, told Daw Ye that the administration would issue her a reimbursement of 200,000 kyat per acre for the ten acres of confiscated land. The administration crew has presented this offer four times, to which Daw Ye has continually refused.

“The price was too low. Today’s market price is 3 million [kyat] per acre, so it’s better not to take their compensation if it’s just 200,000 kyat. If they do not pay at market price, we (Ye Township landowners) won’t take any compensation from them,” stated Daw Ye.

In another case of unjust land confiscation, while serving as village administrator, former village administrator U Thein Zaw of Ah Baw Village, which is located between Ye Town and Duya Village, in Ye Township, Mon State, confiscated 5.54 acres of 50-year old villager Nai Myint Sein’s garden land.

“We submitted appeal letters two times to Mon senators, as well as to [the] government, but there was no response from them,” explained Nai Myint Sein, “The land [was] located on [a] good position/place. It was passed [down from] our parents. We had tried to get it back, whatever it took.”

Nai Win, 40, from Duya Village, Ye Township, attempted to receive compensation for his one acre of land which was confiscated by the government and used to build a hospital in 2006. As his land was not fit for cultivation, Nai Win did not farm it. Former Duya Village Administrator Nai Thet Cho cooperated with the military to use Nai Win’s land, without reaching any agreement or compromise between the landowner and former village administrator. Nai Win has attempted to submit letters of appeal on two or three separate occasions, receiving no response from the government. Nai Win also presented his case to Mon senators.

“I did not hear any agreement between Nai Win and [the] former village administrator about Nai Win’s land when his land was confiscated for use [to] construct [the] hospital,” said U Thin Yu, current Duya Village Administrator, “ Nai Win had submitted appeal letters two or three times to [the] government department. The authorities had visited here to ask what Nai Win wanted [in regards to] his land, but the situation remained unresolved.”

According to Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) data reports, military units based in Ye Township have confiscated approximately 55 acres of farmland in Duya and Ah Baw villages.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News