Farmers suffer from mixed difficulties

 

They will reportedly request that the government allow them to live in four villages in Dakkhinathiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw. 

As we [homeless people] face charges under Section 26 of the Municipal Law, we will request the Union government to grant us land plots in the four villages. Now, we have formed a committee. We have listed 100 homeless people,” said a local farmer from Kalagyigon Village.   

Some of the petitioners were imprisoned under sections 26 and 27 of the law for squatting. Some 250 additional locals are reportedly facing lawsuits under Section 40(A) of the Forestry Law. 

Advocate Khin Maung Nyo said: “Former government employees from 10 ministries are also facing lawsuits for living on the land owned by the Forestry Ministry, even though they bought their land plots. They are close to facing trial. The locals should have made a request earlier. They have to send it to the Land Management Central Committee.” 

Lower House MP Naing Ngan Lin said it was a good idea to send such a request and advised authorities to deal with the issue. He said parliamentarians would also render any help necessary. 

 

A farmer jailed

Last week, a township municipal court in Nay Pyi Taw sentenced a farmer named Nga Chun to one month in prison on trespassing charges under section 26 of the Municipal Act.

The 67-year-old had been sued for residing illegally in Lewe Township and was sentenced on his 66th court hearing.

"It's unacceptable to say I'm a squatter. The place I live cost me Ks 1 million (US$1,000). They told me to move without giving any compensation. I want the officials to know that I don't have any place to live," Nga Chun said before the verdict was announced.

Currently, more than 20 residents have been jailed under section 26 in the township and four are still on trial.

Other so-called squatters were reimbursed and relocated to new plots but the remaining residents have not received compensation.

"The squatters before me received Ks 200,000 as an allowance for moving and also got new plots. But I got nothing," said Nga Chun. He added that he learned the previous squatters had to give Ks 300,000 to municipal officials to be relocated.

The president has pledged that he will recognise the group of more than 50 houses as a village during his administration and there was an official notification. Lower House MP Sandar Min from Zabuthiri constituency said the Nay Pyi Taw Council should obey the president's words.  

She added that she did not understand why the council was jailing farmers instead of giving them land.

"That place is listed in Lewe Township by the Immigration Department and therefore it is not a squat,” said Nga Chun's lawyer Khin Maung Nyo. “The residents are poor and can't afford to make an appeal. It's wrong to jail them. "

Another man, Aung Win, 76, was sentenced to a month in jail in a similar case on January 1.

 

 

Protests in Taungoo

Two groups of farmers gathered last week near the construction site of an industrial park in Taungoo district, Bago Region. 

While some 400 protested against the project which is operated by Kaytumadi Development Plc, some 3,000 supporters – villagers and officials from six townships in the district, showed up inside the project area. The industrial park is located between the 148 milestone and the 153 milestone along the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway.

“We asked for the official permission for the protest at the end of December and just received it on January 8,” said Tun Kyi, a farmer. “They applied on January 6 and received it on January 8. I think it's a wicked plan that will be no good for the townspeople," he said. 

A villager said that they were promised free lunch and Ks 3,000 cash for showing support to the project. The company also distributed water bottles, soft drinks, snow towers and biscuits to those who gathered in support of the project.

Thein Soe from Naypugon village said that the company bought land for the project but some farmers were worried that the construction work would damage their farmlands. 

“We fear that in time those who don’t want to sell land would be forced to. We don’t want to. We’re here today as we’re not sure that the project would be beneficial for us,” the villager said. 

Bago Region approved the project late 2013. Established with a capital of Ks 300 billion (US$300 million), Kaytumadi Development is closely related to Khin Maung Aye, who is the chairman of the Cooperative Bank (CB), one of Myanmar's most prominent private banks.