SPDC measured about 1700 acres land for confiscation

SPDC measured about 1700 acres land for confiscation

Independent Mon News Agency

June 29, 2004

Burmese military government recently measured about 1700 acres land for confiscation in the middle part of Mon State and in southern Mon State Burma for building dam, the local Mon people said.

In southern part of Ye township, the military government measured more than 700 acres land in east part of Ka-lort village near a water fall in 2002 where the government planned to build dam for hydroelectric power and water for cultivation, said Mr. U Shwe Tin a leader of land surveyor this area.

“I am not sure what is the government going to do in this land. But I heard from the government authorities that they will create plantation and farms in lower part of the proposed dam and take water from there,” Mr. Tin added.

In eastern of Thanbyuzayat Township near the Wae-khami village, some government soldier and land surveyors measured about 1000 acres of land, according to a source close to the land surveyor said.

According to source, the military government is planning to build a new dam in the area, where it has a river called Win-yaw and a valley area.

“This Wae-khami dam is an implementation of Gen-Khin Nyunt when he came to Thanpyuzayart to get the support from the people for his post as Prime Minister in March 2004,” said Mr. Nai Sike Chan a Mon community leader in Thanbyuzayat Town.

In both areas where the military government measured the lands and planned to build dams have rubber plantations and fruit plantations. Because of it, the local people are worrying about their loss of their lands, according to the community leader.

“Even we the land owners are not sure what is the government going to do with the land and whether they pay compensation or not, now we worry about losing land,” said Mr. Nai Shew Chaing, a rubber plantation owner.

After the New Mon State Party made cease-fire agreement with the regime SPDC, it has confiscated thousands acres of land for their military base and many other businesses related to SPDC’s militarization policy.

Even the New Mon State Party claimed to the regime and local military commands to give back lands to civilians or to pay for sufficient compensation cost, there has been no reasonable reply from the regime. Last year in August 2003, when the NMSP leaders met self-appointed PM Gen. Khin Nyunt, they also claimed to give back lands to the civilians because they said the amount of confiscated lands are more than required. Although Gen. Khin Nyunt promised it would give back or negotiate with to commanders of Burmese Army, the NMSP has not received any reasonable reply from the regime.

Thousand number of Mon people in the rural areas who lost the land became jobless in Ye township Mon State where a lot of land were confiscated in 1999-2003.

Accordingly a report “No Land To Farm” issued by Human Rights Foundation of Monland, over 8000 acres of lands belonged to Mon people were confiscated during the period 1998 to 2002, and the people lost about 1.5 Million US Dollar for their lands and other properties.

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