Burma News International

 

7 October 2004

 

Army ordered villager about they are going to confiscate land

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Independent Mon News Agency

October 7, 2004 (Karen State)

 

The Burmese army based in Three Pagoda and village headmen gathered

all of the residents of a village of Three Pagoda township Oct. 6 and

gave them orders regarding seizure of their land.

 

Burmese army No. 63 gathered the Choo-cha-plu villagers in the primary

school, where army officers told them they are going to confiscate the

land and measure it.

 

“Army officers told us they are going to seize about a 3 kilometer

wide by 4 kilometers long area of land between Choo-Cha-plu and Chaung

Zone, and ordered 40 house owners to move from the land,” Nai Pick

said.   “The army officer told us they seized it for building an army

base,” he added.

 

“People are saying the army is going to give us who have to move half

the amount of the price of our house. But the army said nothing at the

meeting,” said Nai Krak Mon an owner who has to move.

 

“They said they will give us space for a house, but practically, we do

not know what they will do. In my experience it is difficult to get

compensation,” Nai Krak Mon added.

 

“If they do not pay it we will have have nothing. I am very poor. For

me, I will have to start my life at zero,” he said, “and not only me

but all of the villagers. Most villagers in Choo-cha-plu are very

poor.”

 

Most of the land the army is going to seize is owned by local

villagers in the area and some of it has orchid plantations.

 

According to villagers, Nai Htaw, a Three Pagoda town resident, owns

the largest plantation in the land which were ordered to be

confiscated.

 

In Mon State, the Burmese army seized thousand acres of land without

compensation and they regularly seize land for their army base and for

army business.

 

For further information, please contact to Independent Mon News Agency

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E-mail [email protected], [email protected]

 

www.monnews-imna.com

 

Tel: 66 (0) 9 5494 296

 

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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,

Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information

Network Group and Network Media Group.

 

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Burma News International

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