Narinjara News

 

7/5/2005

 

 

Authority Loots Local Farms for Modern Villages

 

The Burmese authority has confiscated several acres of farms from local farmers. The confiscated land will be used for new settlers in the government's 'modern villages' that are being set up in the northwestern area of Rathidaung Township, in Arakan state, reported a social worker.

The farms confiscated by authority are located near the modern villages, most are from the villages of Zaydi Byin, Athet Nanra, Aut Nanra, Chuk Byin, Chin Wra, Thein Daung, Kyauk Ran, Tha Pree Daw.

Currently, the farms are being re-allocated to new settlers in the modern villages, for cultivation to begin with the rainy season.

According to local sources, the new families did not have anything when they came to the modern villages from Burma proper, but they now own several acres of farms, cows and paddy fields.

All the property which now belongs to the modern villagers had been confiscated by the authorities from the locals, a local farmer said.

The authority has recently set up 3 modern villages, Paduck Myine, Mala Myine, and Tha Zin Myine with about 100 families settling in each village. The villages are in the foothills of the the Mayu mountains, the westernmost mountain range of Burma, under Rathidung township, 20 miles north of Akyab.

The modern villagers are from Burma proper, most are homeless, and have been brought by the Burmese government to settle in several modern villages in the north of Arakan state.

The current military government is setting up the modern villages in northern Arakan under the 'Border Development Program'. According to one analyst, local people believe the program will bring Burman culture to dominate in Arakan state, and that the program is being carried out to increase the number of Burmans in relation to the Arakanese population.

In three northern towns of Arakan state, Rathidaung, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw, there are over 30 modern villages that have been built since 1990. #


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