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Mawlamyine Municipal Department to bar local farmers from access to farm land

HURFOM: The Mawlamyine Municipal Department tried to fence a 235-acre paddy field farmed by the 23 local farmers in Thar Yar Aye Ward, Mawlamyine, Mon State on September 15^th 2018.

The farmland has been confiscated by the department since 1999, but the department has not done any with the land yet, so the original owners have been farming paddy rice on the land. However, the department, now, has tried to fence the farmland in order to bar the farmers from farming on the land. The farmers have decided to oppose the abusive act by the department. Read more

INTERVIEW with land confiscation victim: As there has been no improvement, everyone is living in silence

HURFOM: “We didn’t collect latex from our rubber trees for a long time. In 2016, the military [Burma Army Artillery Battalion No. 315] called us and said that we had to pay tax if we want to continue working in our plantation. We were already worried [about the situation] at that time. Our plantation was near to the military base and we had to worry about the possibility of [our land] being confiscated.

In the very first year [2016], we had to pay more than 200,000 kyat (US $125.50). In the next year, the tax increased up to about 500,000 kyat  (US $313.63). We had been worried as we didn’t know what would happen in the upcoming years. In 2018, the military said they confiscated our plantation. We were in trouble. Starting from that time, we’ve been struggling to get our land back. We filed reports to the Mon State [government] and also to the Naypyidaw [Union government]. But there was no change. Read more

Mon State Government Discourages Support of local for NMSP after signing NCA

HURFOM: The Mon State Government has restricted activities related to Mon Affairs after the New Mon State Party (NMSP) signed the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) early this year, according to report.

“Even when the NMSP hadn’t signed the NCA, we went to the NMSP military training and gave our support. Now, after the NCA, [the Minister of the Mon State Ministry of Security and Border Affairs] gave us a warning [about supporting the NMSP military training]. It’s unacceptable. [Anyhow], I’ve already decided to support Mon affairs in the future,” said Mon Activist Monk Aot Jae. Read more

8-year-old girl raped while trying to seek shelter from the floods

HURFOM: On September 3^rd 2018, an 8-year-old girl who was taking temporary shelter from the flood was raped by a motorcycle taxi driver near Mawlamyine Railway Station.

The girl lives in B— village, Hlyne Bwa Township, Karen State, and was temporarily staying in Shan Su Street, Aung Kyin Ward, Mawlamyine, Mon State. She was raped near the station while trying to go to Mote Tama Town. Read more

Locals unhappy as electricity company breaches contract: raises prices and charges extra fees

HURFOM: Southern Myanmar Development Co. Ltd., is an authorized distributor of electricity in Northern Ye Township, Mon State, and currently the company has been arguing with local villagers about the electricity fee. In the contract, the company promised not to collect a service fee and for the cost of the street lights; however, in reality, the villagers have to pay a 500 kyat (US $0.32) service fee and each household has to pay at least 5,000 kyat (US $3.16) for street lights. Read more

Journalists and CSOs protest unfair ruling on 2 journalists in Mawlamyine citing government oppression of media freedom

HURFOM: On September 3^rd, two Reuters journalists were sentenced to seven years in jail for breaching the “Official Secrets Act”. Despite journalistic protection under the 2014 “News Media Law, the two journalists were charged under the colonial era “Official Secret Act” and sentenced to long-term imprisonment.

Journalists and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Mon and Karen states have seen the imprisonment of the two journalists as an attack on media freedom, and organized a street protest on September 7^th 2018. Read more

Spate of muggings leaves Mawlamyine residents in fear

HURFOM: Frequent street robberies in Mon State’s capital, Mawlamyine, have locals feeling unsafe, particularly university students who have private classes at night, according to local residents.

“I haven’t been robbed yet, but I’ve read news about robberies very often and I do not dare to go out [at night]. When I have to go out alone for something, I’m really afraid. I feel insecure. I don’t like this situation. We must improve the rule of law in this city,” said Ma May Q Thet Htar, a university student. Read more

MNEC give up on requests for funding from the Mon State government for Mon educational programs

HURFOM: According to an official from the Mon National Education Committee (MNEC), the committee has given up on requesting education funding from the Mon State government.

“More than a month ago we requested 50 million kyat (US $32,446) for the Mon education system. We hoped to repair about 50 damaged schools with that money. But our proposal doesn’t match the budget policy of the Mon State government. So the government replied that we must change the goal of our proposal to get funding. They advised us to plan an organizing event or a kind of competition to get funding. We informed the committee [MNEC] about their suggestion and the committee decided to stop requesting funds from the government,” said Nai Rot Ga Kao, an official of the MNEC. Read more

Flooding in Mon State leaves farmers facing livelihood difficulties

Farmers in Mon State are facing livelihood difficulties following recent flooding that has left their farmlands submerged.

“Almost all of our plants were destroyed because of the flooding. We can’t even replant the paddy as there is still flooding and the water level has not dropped yet. If we wait until there is no water, it may take until around October, which is too late to start growing. The rainy season is over at that time, which means paddy fields must use water from the sea in order to survive,” said Nai Kyat, a farmer from Ni Don village, Kyaikmayaw Township.

In addition to water shortages after the rainy season has ended, farmers must access sufficient water via pipes connected to the sea, which increases the cost of replanting the paddy.

Daw Sein Than, a Ni Don village resident explained, “Our career is agriculture. We may face large [livelihood] difficulties if the paddy production is low. Therefore, we would still work on that even if the costs are high to grow. We have no choice. It is importance for us to get the rice. It is very difficult for the farmers who have no money.”

Affected farmers are concerned that they will not see the benefit of replanting as the costs are too high, even though the Mon State government has announced plans to provide one basket of paddy seeds and 8,500 kyat (US $5.50) per acre to farmers.

“We have provided paddy seeds and money to farmers in some areas [already]. To offer the remaining areas [aid], we have already requested 100 million kyat [US $64,788] from the Mon State Chief Minister, and once we receive it, we will disperse it,” said U Kyi Soe, an officer at the Mon State Department of Agriculture.

Similarly, on August 14th, the Thaton District Agriculture Department provided 100 million kyat to flooded areas in the 24 village tracts in Bilin Township in order to help farmers replant their paddy fields.

“We have not received the aid yet. We are not fine to replant the paddy because it is too late for us. We don’t have any dam to get water from. We have many challenges. Moreover, currently we also face difficulties in buying paddy seeds. We won’t grow the plants this year.” said U Hla Aung from Mae Nit Kaung village, Bilin Township.

U Nay Myo Thu, an assistant officer of the Thaton District Agriculture Department explained, “In order to get the paddy seeds needed to replant the paddy on time, we have collaborated with a company to try to get it for the farmers. Additionally, we will provide the needed technical education to the farmers as well.”

According to Mon State Department of Agriculture, approximately 66,685 acres of farmland in Mon State have been submerged by flooding and 26,492 acres have been completely destroyed this year.

44 families left without homes after flooding upset as government halts reconstruction plans

Locals in Ah Hlat village, Paung Township, Mon State are upset after authorities denied their requests to rebuild their destroyed homes in their original locations after flooding destroyed 44 houses and damaged another 45 between August 12–13th 2018. Read more