Ministers, MPs involved in dispute
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Farmers protest as lands taken for contract project are used for other purposes
Some ministers and members of parliament are involved in a dispute over land seizure, for taking farmland from farmers under a contract-farming project in Yangon.
The project was designed for mutual benefit between companies and farmers in Dagon Seikkan Myothit and East Dagon townships in 2008.
As the contracts were breached and land was used for other purposes, many farmers staged a protest, demanding compensation for their lands.
About 272 famers held a demonstration on July 20 at the farmlands seized by MP Aung Than Oo, the owner of Pinlal Koe Thwal and Mya Shwe Wah companies.
Aung Than Oo has sued 30 farmers for trespassing on farmlands, but the farmers are planning to file a lawsuit in South Dagon Township Court against him for land confiscation.
“Although the companies granted mutual benefits to the farmers, the peasants were hired with wages on a daily basis. Each family of farmers was given another land plot of 20 feet by 60 feet without being allowed to live on the farmlands,” said Lawyer Ko Pho Phyu.
The farmers had to abandon their farms and leave emptyhanded. When the farmers ploughed the paddy fields for their livelihood, they were sued for trespassing,” he said.
A farmer from Nyaung Pin Thar Village of Dagon Seikkan Township said, “We have relied on these farmlands since the time of our ancestors.”
The previous government suggested that the farmers cooperate in the state projects with agriculture-specialised companies. Later, the companies changed the word “cooperation” to “mutual benefit”, he said.
“We were forcibly expelled from our lands after being given 20,000 kyat (Bt700) for relocation by the government,” he revealed.
In May 2009, Shwe Nagar Min Company gave the farmers 50,000 kyat per acre to abandon their farmlands.
The 16 large local companies worked on more than 7,000 acres of farmlands intended for mutual benefit with farmers. While most of these companies gradually confiscated the lands, some companies returned the farms to the farmers after realising the wishes of farmers.
Soe Myat, project manager of Max Myanmar Company which is working on 380 acres of farmlands together with the farmers, said the company has worked with the farmers on the basis of contract farming since 2008.
“We aim to disseminate agricultural knowledge to the farmers, to upgrade the quality of lands and to develop the livelihood of farmers,” he said.
When Max Myanmar Company first ploughed the lands, the earth was covered with thick bushes and not ready for cultivation. The lands were then prepared for cultivation. The farmers were allowed to work the farms for salaries or on profit basis by purchasing the paddy from them, the project manager said.
These farmlands could produce only 35 baskets of paddy in the past, but they have increased to 70 baskets at present, he said.
“Our company takes care of health and education of the farmers’ families. So our farmers do not protest against our company. We have also decided that we would continue this agricultural project only when the farmers accept our company,” Soe Myat pointed out.
In accordance with the contract farming system, the companies can also purchase more farmlands from nearby farmers. Some companies reportedly compensated the farmers for the loss of farmlands through the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development.
A businessperson said that the amount of compensation to the farmers should be audited again.
Land seizure also occurred in Mingalardon and Thanlyin townships.
The farmers recounted that at the time the company offered them 50,000 kyat per acre to hand over their farmlands. When they disagreed, the company increased the amount to 300,000 kyat and warned the farmers that if they did not accept the money, the company would confiscate their farmlands.
The company’s management later called the farmers individually almost every day to discuss the land-confiscation plan.
The company gave 240 million kyat to farmers for 815 acres in April 2010, according to a letter from the farmers to the president in February 2012.
The current price of these farmlands has reached 2 million kyat per acre.
Zawkabar Company initially rented these farmlands for cultivation in 2011 but later established an industrial zone on the lands.
During a parliamentary session on July 23, MP Khin Shwe refused to return the confiscated farmlands got by his company, saying the lands have been sold for the industrial zone.
Another land-grabbing case occurred between peasants and the navy at Alwanswit Village in Thanlyin (Syriam). Yangon Region officials had to intervene in this case.
The farmers have stopped ploughing and have requested the government to help restore their livelihood.
