Farmers to take back confiscated land from military

Farmers to take back confiscated land from military

By Pyae Thet Phyo   |   Thursday, 01 May 2014

Farmers in Nay Pyi Taw's Lewe township are threatening to take back hundreds of acres of land they say was confiscated by the military in 2010, after local authorities refused to return it to them.

The farmers say they will begin ploughing the land on May 5 unless it is returned.

"They say these lands are military-owned but they are about 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) from the military base," said Ko Mya Kyaing from Kyo Sa Lote village.

The farmers could face trespassing charges if they proceed with the plan to plough the fields.

"If they sue us, we will face it by legal means," said Ko Nay Lin Aung, also from Kyo Sa Lote.

The decision was taken after military officials and local administrators met farmers on April 9 and announced they would not give back the land.

At the meeting, officials cited a report from a parliamentary investigation into land disputes that said the 432 acres in question had been transferred to the military legally as it was classified as forest land. It was included in a parcel of more than 2000 acres that the military received for free in August 2010, the report said.

"We just explained what the investigation commission said about the ownership of the land to the farmers," said Lewe township administrator U Hla Chaun. "They told us that they don't agree with it [but] we have no authority to get involved in the issue of military-owned land."

On April 24, 57 of the 97 farmers affected signed a complaint letter addressed to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and senior members of the government.

Translation by Zar Zar Soe

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/05/02/farmers-to-take-back-confiscated-land-from-military/