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Small business owner in Tenasserim Region loses out to privatization

HURFOM: On July 11, 1995, the State Law and Order Restoration Council gave the owner of the Golden Point Hotel & Trading Co Ltd. permission to open his first petrol station in Kaw Taung. He started the business in 1998, but just one year later, on February 18, 1999, the Ministry of Energy expropriated the station, asserting that petrol companies in Burma could not be privately owned. More than a decade later, the country embarked on a process of reform that led owner U Sit Kyan to anticipate finally reclaiming his business, until, three weeks ago, he learned that the station was granted to Yuzana Co. Ltd, one of the largest companies in Burma. Read more

Corruption in Mergui Township highlights vulnerability in remote areas

HURFOM: Situated on an island in the Andaman Sea near the southernmost tip of Burma, also known as Myanmar, Mergui Township’s remote location is causing some residents to be concerned that the transitions occurring in more central areas of the country may not reach their communities. Currently, authorities of the police and administration departments in Mergui Township are being accused of arbitrary taxation, corruption, and intimidation against local people, and recent interviews collected from ten Mergui villagers illustrate persistent exploitation and the perception that their distant island could be excluded from democratic reform. Read more

Farmers in Mon State urge formation of a Farmers’ Union

HURFOM: After years of land confiscation and unfair labor practices, farmers and agricultural workers in Mon State are looking to the formation of a Mon Farmers’ Union as a way to prevent future abuses and advocate for better conditions. Many residents depend on farming or plantation work as a way of life, but express feelings of powerlessness to protect or advance their rights, or to cooperate with other Mon farmers and plantation owners. Now, with added concerns that foreign investment may trigger new land confiscations or further destabilize the price of agricultural products, farmers are eager to come together to pursue their common goals. Read more

Equity and accountability in Burma entails more than FDI alone

HURFOM: Last Friday, the highly anticipated Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) law was adopted by the Union Parliament in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The law’s drafting process drew spectators from around the world, with economists, policymakers, lobbyists, academics, and political commentators weighing in almost daily to deliberate on Burma’s investment possibilities and pitfalls. Now, with the law only needing President Thein Sein’s signature to pass, many eagerly await the final outcome and its significance for the country’s people and economy. Read more

Kaw Taung resident tackles 15-year land dispute

HURFOM: For fifteen years, landowner U Nyan Sein has watched his property line slowly close in around him. The 70-year-old Kaw Taung resident reports that sections of his land were carved out and used by local authorities on two separate occasions, despite his documentation proving rightful ownership. After again informing the district administrator of the issue, U Nyan Sein approached U Than Tun, the regional organizer of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), on August 30 to help him pursue legal recourse. Read more

Heavy rains suspend rubber tapping and strain migrant incomes

HURFOM: Above-average rainfall has inundated many areas of Thailand this year, stalling the rubber tapping industry for almost two solid months and disrupting the related income stream for migrant workers. Although it is not uncommon for rubber tapping activities to slow or briefly halt during the rainy season, the unusually strong downpours have pummeled plantations since July, and laborers dependent on daily wages eagerly await a break in the weather. Read more

Mon State Rice Farmers Awash in High Water and Low Profits

HURFOM:An unusually strong monsoon season has pounded the upper and lower areas of Myanmar since July, causing flooding that displaced tens of thousands of people and wreaking havoc on agricultural crops. While farmers struggle to protect their impending harvests from the heavy downpours, they also report the strain of reduced profits and diminished personal savings. Although rice farming has traditionally been the primary occupation in Mon State, some farmers now feel that paddy cultivation no longer presents a viable or sustainable means of support. Read more