2014 sees record number of land disputes

There are about 700 ongoing lawsuits throughout the country. Some 300 farmers have been imprisoned, said Min Thu, another FIC member. 

Residents and farmers have been subjected to land grabs perpetrated by government departments, organisations, companies and business persons who ignore existing laws, claims the report of the FIC, which has been submitted to the parliament. The report was completed at the time when villagers in Sagaing Region protested against the fencing around the Letpadaungtaung copper mine, which left one woman killed. The copper mine belongs to Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper, a joint venture of China’s Wanbao Mining. 

"We express concern and regret about the casualty," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told a regular press conference yesterday. "We encourage Chinese companies to abide by local laws.”

The mine has triggered fierce opposition from local villagers due to alleged land grabs and environmental damage. 

According to the FIC report, various ministries and companies will have to return 204,088.95 acres of land to the residents and farmers. The Ministry of Defence alone must return 104,074.75 acres of land the original owners, the Land Use Central Committee announced. 

 “Generally speaking, farmers in disputes with the government can expect up to 50 or 60 court appearances. The handling of these situations goes slowly,” Khine Maung Yi said. 

He said the number of disputes is high also because some squatters take advantage of this situation. They accepted compensation from companies and moved to another site, causing other companies to pay them again. This further creates disputes between local farmers, companies and local authorities. 

“It is not easy to handle the complaint letters sent to the Union government because they contain incomplete information. This causes farmers more suffering and additional legal entanglements. Some people take advantages of the farmers’ lack of understanding of the law,” Khine Maung Yi said.

Union parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann has pledged to help farmers in dealing with farmland disputes by legal means during the meeting between the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and farmers in Bago Region.

The speaker, who is chairman of the ruling party, said that since last 50 years to date, it can be said that the current period sees the flourishing of multi-party democracy and the transparency of human rights matters.

In exercising the multi-party democracy system and market-oriented economy system for the country’s development, farmers are facing problems such as farmland issues, he said. The Land Use Management Central Committee led by the vice president was formed so as to solve the farmland issues. Region/State, district, township, ward and village-level land management committee are making efforts to tackle land issues. 

“The problems must be solved regardless of challenges and difficulties,” he said. “The submission of desires and losses should be in conformity with the laws. There will no excuse if someone breaks the existing laws. It is very sorrowful that innocent people who have no knowledge of laws have to face charges due to the instigation of those who are experts in the law,’’ he said.