Farmers protest against land confiscation in downtown Yangon

Farmers protest against land confiscation in downtown Yangon

Published on Wednesday, 10 July 2013 17:42

Farmers protesting at Mahabandoola Park in Yangon on July 9 (Photo-Nyan Win Shein)

Around 200 farmers gathered in downtown Yangon on Tuesday morning to protest against land confiscation by the military and regional authorities.

Farmers came from various townships in Yangon, Ayeyawady and Bago regions to voice similar concerns of land grabbing cases, many which go back 20 years.

"The Ayeyawady Naval Regional Command Headquarters confiscated our farmlands by saying that it was for a project. The only thing they have done is to fence the lands. It's been nearly 20 years since they confiscated the lands. They allowed us to rent the land for cultivation before but now they are destroying [the crops]," said Kyi Soe, a farmer from Khanaung village in Dala Township.

"Eight hundred and fourteen acres of lands were confiscated from us by the military, the government and financiers," said Myint Sein, a farmer from Htawkuu of Twante township.

Farmers and plantation owners from Bago Region said the Bago Region authorities did not give them permission to stage a protest in Bago so they had to stage their protest in Yangon where they were granted permission.

"My land was confiscated for not submitting a regular rice amount. When it was first confiscated, they said it would only be for one year, but it's been 20 years now. I didn't get it back. The authorities from Mawkyun township have been oppressing the farmers," said a farmer from Mawkyun township in Ayeyawady Region.

Tin Htut, chairman of investigation commission on farmland confiscation, submitted a proposal in the Union Assembly on Monday to request the government to solve the land grabbing issues in accord with existing rules and regulations.

Tin Htut told parliament that respective ministries, and state governments, and regional governments have not been taking sufficient actions in handling the land confiscation issues.

According to him, companies have paid over 5 billion kyats as compensation to farmers and given back 42,273 acres of lands in Yangon and Ayeyawady Regions.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/11/farmers-protest-against-land-confiscation-in-downtown-yangon/