Land confiscation for Burmese Army for border security

Independent Mon News Agency

December 22, 2004

A Burmese Army’s military battalion based in Three Pagoda Pass Town (a
southern Thai-Burma border town) put signboard written ‘Armed Force’s
Land’ in Ywa-Thit village which about three kilometers west of the town
in order to deploy a new army base for firm control in border area.

“Some soldiers recently came to village and they seized the lands in
November without paying compensation to land owners from the village,”
reported Min Thit Swe.

The military seized about 300 acres of land near Ywa Thit with the
instruction of Lt. Col Aye Cho, the commander of IB No.93, which bases
in Three Pagoda Pass.

Min Thit Swe said, “The purpose of Burmese Army, putting more army bases
in southern Mon State was for tightening border security.”

Ten artillery battalions are also deployed in the high mountains that
can overlook on Thai-Burma border area and most of these battalions are
along the main roads in Mon State and Tenasserim Division.

“Burmese Army also planned for artillery battalion in this new seized
land, on the Hday Hlae Mountain,” Min Thit Swe said. The mountain is
near the village in the border area.   Army also seized three kilometers
square land in Kyaw-haplu village in Three Pagoda Pass Township on 6th
October for another army base. In this 2004, the Burmese Army to deploy
two new military bases in this township.

In previous years, Burmese Army deployed one artillery battalion with
modern equipments in the road of Three Pagoda Pass-Thanpyuzayat motor
road which has 70 miles long connects the border and a town in Mon
State.  Burmese Army also increased military operation against the Mon
and Karen ethnic rebels in Three Pagoda Pass area in order to have more
control.

“The people did not found that border security plan directly affect to
the two countries. But it just affects to ethnic armed groups and to the
villagers who lost their lands and they are forced to work in the new
army base,” Min Thit Swe said.

“We did not make any complaint to army for compensation of our land
although there are many land owners who lost the lands get no
compensation from the army,” a villager from Ywa Thit said.

“If we made complaint, we get zero. What are we goanna to do. Just keep
mouths shut,” the villager added.

Like Ywa Thit village, many villagers in Thanpyuzayat Township who lost
their lands after confiscation have faced a serious difficulty in their
livelihood and many of them fled to Thailand to seek works.


For further information, please contact to Independent Mon News Agency
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail [email protected], [email protected]
www.monnews-imna.com

Tel: 66 (0) 9 5494 296