Kaw Hline Resident Abandoned by Military, Resulting in Arrest and Land Seizure

August 6, 2014

A resident of Kaw Hline Village, Yebyu Township, Tenasserim Division, was unfairly detained by the Yebyu Township Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MECF) on charges of illegal wood-cutting, despite the fact that the victim had been ordered to cut the wood by Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 282. LIB 282 failed to take responsibility for protecting the victim.

In March 2014, Second Commander Captain Ye Thu Aung, from Yebyu Township-based LIB No. 282, ordered Nai Ohn Lwin, 40, to cut wood for army base construction. After fulfilling his duties to the army battalion by cutting the wood, Nai Ohn Lwn was arrested on charges of illegal wood-cutting, and his property was seized by MECF. Due to this incident, Nai Ohn Lwn was forced to flee his village.

“Even though the local military authority gave me the permission to cut wood in the forest, no one protected me when the problem [arrest and land seizure] happened. It is not fair to arrest me. Besides arresting me, the Yebyu Township MECF seized all my property, and then forced me to flee from my village,” said Nai Ohn Lwin.

Nai Ohn Lwin continues, “Captain Ye Thu Aung ordered me to cut wood [worth an] equivalent [of] 1.3 million kyat in Yebyu Township beside the Law Khee – Nine Daung Road. But, the Yebyu Township MECF told me that the forest area is owned by the Ministry. I replied to the Ministry that Captain Ye Thu Aung told me he would take responsibility for cutting wood. The captain said I don’t need to worry about my security, but paid no money.”

After he has cut wood for two or three days, officials from MECF arrested Nai Ohn Lwin; they kept him detained for two or three days and confiscated his chainsaw and other equipment.
According to Nai Ohn Lwin, he did not receive any support or protection from Captain Ye Thu Aung, nor from LIB No. 282. The military failed to take responsibility for Nai Ohn Lwin’s arrest and subsequent land and equipment seizure, as they had promised.

“If there was no problem, the military would take all the wood I cut. But, when the problem started, the military withdrew the wood, and stayed away from the problem. As a result, I was detained and all my property was seized,” said Nai Ohn Lwin.

After the incident, Nai Ohn Lwin and his family fled to Gate Kwei Village, a village designated for internally displaced people, located under New Mon State Party (NMSP) control. Having all of his property seized, and losing his job, Nai Ohn Lwin struggles to provide for his family.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News