Farmers and protesters flock to Suu Kyi's home seeking help

More than 20 farmers, relocated due to the development of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone on their plots, asked for but failed to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in front of her residence.

These farmers are from the 400-hectare Thilawa SEZ. Despite a long wait from 10.30am to 12.30pm, they received no reply on their request for a meeting.

“The farmers’ aim of going to Suu Kyi’s house was to talk about the compensations for their farmlands,” said protester Aye Tun. “We did not obtain compensation in accordance with international norms. The people from Baybauk village of Thilawa were also paid only compensation for damaged crops, but not compensation for farmlands. There is no rule of law for displaced villagers. For that reason, we came to meet the opposition leader to make our problem known to her.” 

In a similar incident, more than 50 protesters from the Michaungkan demonstration camp demanded to see Suu Kyi in front of her house at about 5.30pm on the same day on Saturday. Most of the demonstrators were elders aged more than 60. Although the protesters waited for Suu Kyi until 8pm, they did not get to meet her but saw Lower House MP Win Htein of the National League for Democracy and the doctor of Suu Kyi.

The protesters shouted the slogans such as “Wish Suu Kyi is good in health” and “Come out to see Michaungkan people”. The rally lasted about two hours.

“We came to Suu Kyi to ask for help. All the people here rely on her. She is reliable. Despite the government’s promises made to us, there has been no progress in this case,” said protester Nay Nwe Than to Lower House MP Win Htein.

In another development, the presiding monk of Shwe Wah Myaing Monastery said officials issued an arrest warrant against his monastery on Saturday after it failed to go to court over the charge of “squatting”.

The “Sein Talone” mango plantation project zone has been under way in areas where “squatting” monasteries would be evicted by authorities in Nay Pyi Taw.

Soon after the monasteries are taken over, the project zone is expected to be launched.

“I didn’t appear in court yesterday [Friday],” presiding monk Pinnya Linkara said. “I passed the Dhamma-sarira [in Buddhism]. They have issued a warrant. I will wait for the day when they [officials] use force to evict us from the monastery. At 10am [on Saturday] police came to warn us. They said they would arrest us if we did not move away.” But some other monasteries were allowed to remain near the soon-to-be evicted ones.

“Why are they [monasteries] officially allowed to continue to exist? The monks living in the monasteries are like us taking the Dhamma-sarira. Some became monks when they were older. I will face whatever comes if they arrest me,” he added.

“The state-owned newspapers were completely wrong to say that the monks staying in such monasteries are uneducated,” said the presiding monk of Nyaung Napin Monastery. “We have certificates to prove we are educated. The land here is farmland donated by former owners who used to plough the plots.”

During a high-level meeting of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee on July 28, 2012, the monks’ authority decided 24 monasteries built without permission in the administrative area of Nay Pyi Taw Council were “squatting” monasteries. Shwe Wah Myaing Monastery is among them.

However, the presiding monk of Shwe Wah Myaing Monastery said the Nay Pyi Taw Region Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee ordered him to stay there “peacefully” in September 2013.

The committee has ordered an investigation into the case and the case has not been finalised, the presiding monk said. 

Meanwhile, three presiding monks of the Sasana Aunglan Monastery, Dhamma Rakhita Monastery and Buddha Yadanar Monastery were recently sent to jail for six months after appearing in court to face charges of squatting. A monastery comes into existence based solely on donations made strictly in accordance with traditional Buddhist ways. 

Once the ordination hall of the monastery is established, the land no longer belongs to the government.