"Refugees from conflict in the northern part of Myanmar’s Shan state say they are worried that their land could be confiscated for Chinese-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-related infrastructure projects while they are unable to return because of fighting. In 2011, armed conflict between Myanmar’s military and several insurgent groups in the area broke out in northern Shan. Fighting intensified in 2015 as the military began conflict with the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS). The fighting has caused nearly 17,000 IDP to seek shelter in Namtu, Kutkai, Namhkam and Mong Yawng townships according to statistics kept by volunteer organizations. These IDP are worried because they don’t have the proper legal documentation for lands that they consider to be ancestral. Seng Tu, an internally displaced person (IDP) living in the Kutkai refugee camp, and a member of the IDP farmland committee, told RFA’s Myanmar Service that fellow refugees are very concerned and want a freeze on the Chinese projects. “The government is planning projects like reservoirs or agricultural zones on our land without our knowledge,” he said..."