Tue, 24 Jul 2012
Complaint letter to Burma government about value of agricultural land destroyed by Tavoy highway

The complaint letter below, signed by 25 local community members, was written in July 2011 and raises villagers' concerns related to the construction of the Kanchanaburi – Tavoy [Dawei] highway linking Thailand and the Tavoy deep sea port. Villagers described concerns that the highway would bisect agricultural land and destroy crops under cultivation worth 3,280,500 kyat (US $3,657). In response to these concerns, local community members formed a group called the 'Village and Public Sustainable Development' to represent villagers' concerns and request compensation.

Complaint Letter | Myitta, Mergui-Tavoy District (July 2011) [1] 

[From] Village and Public Sustainable Development Committee

 

To: Prime Minister
Tavoy Town, Tanintharyi Region

Date: 3.7.2011

Subject: Specific value of crops under cultivation

In Tanintharyi Region, the highway from Thailand to Tavoy deep sea port will go the whole way through the villages in K'Maw Thwe village tract in Myitta sub-Township. It will also go across the agricultural land of the civilians who live in the village.

That will cause a lot of grievances for the civilians who live in the village, and who rely on the plantations that are planted in the agricultural land. Therefore, the Village and Public Sustainable Development Committee members in K'Maw Thwe confirm with their signatures the loss of these plantations on the next page.

We are reporting the name list of the Committee members along with the specific value of the crops and sapling plants that are already planted there.

Sd.
Saw Hk---, Secretary
Village and Public Sustainable Development Committee
K'Maw Thwe Village tract
Myitta sub-Township, Tavoy District
Tanintharyi Region

Copy to:
- Minister, Ministry for the Progress of Border Areas, Tavoy Town, Tanintharyi Region
- General Governor, Myitta sub-Township
- Township police officer, Myitta sub-Township
- Resettlement and Mediator (Ital-Thai Development Co. Ltd)
- Village's committee members
- Office for receiving and accepting complaints

 

Village and Public Sustainable Development Committee

Myitta sub-Township, K'Maw Thwe village tract

Committee members

No

Name

Candidates' Role

Location

Signature

1

Saw Ay---

[Position censored for security]

Nyaw Ton

Sd

2

Naw Ng---

[Position censored for security]

Myin Kan Baw

Sd

3

Saw Ky---

[Position censored for security]

Pyin Tha Taw

Sd

4

Saw H---

[Position censored for security]

Nan P'Yok

Sd

5

Saw K---

[Position censored for security]

Th' Pyu Chaw

Sd

6

Saw D---

[Position censored for security]

Seik Pyon

Sd

7

Saw Gh---

[Position censored for security]

K'Let Kyi

Sd

8

Saw I---

[Position censored for security]

Th'Pyu Chaw

Sd

9

Saw N---

[Position censored for security]

Myin Kan Baw

Sd

10

Saw M---

[Position censored for security]

Kyin Tha Aye

Sd

11

Saw G---

[Position censored for security]

Th'Pyu Chaw

Sd

12

Saw Z---

[Position censored for security]

Kaw Se Chaw

Sd

13

Saw Bo---

[Position censored for security]

Nyaw Ton

Sd

14

Saw Sa---

[Position censored for security]

K'Meik

Sd

15

Saw R---

Committee member

Seik Pyon

Sd

16

U Saw L---

Committee member

K'Meik

Sd

17

U Saw H---

Committee member

Nan P'Yok

Sd

18

U Saw E---

Committee member

Pyin Tha Taw

Sd

19

U Saw B---

Committee member

K'Taw Ni

Sd

20

U Saw O---

Committee member

K'Taw Ni

Sd

21

U Saw Hp---

Committee member

K'Lat Kyi

Sd

22

U Saw T---

Committee member

Myit Ta

Sd

23

U Saw A---

Committee member

Myit Ta

Sd

24

U Saw Ht---

Committee member

Kaw Se Chaw

Sd

25

U Saw Y---

Committee member

Kyin Tha Aye

Sd

 

Village and Public Sustainable Development Committee

Myitta sub-Township, K'Maw Thwe village tract

Specific value of the crops

No

Plantations' name

Value of mature crops

Value of sapling or immature crops

1

Areca palm

100,000 kyat

50,000 kyat

2

Cashew Plant

100,000 kyat

50,000 kyat

3

Coconut Plant

100,000 kyat

50,000 kyat

4

Djenkol Plant

50,000 kyat

30,000 kyat

5

Mango tree

20,000 kyat

10,000 kyat

6

Srewai Tree

30,000 kyat

15,000 kyat

7

Durian Plant

150,000 kyat

75,000 kyat

8

Lemon Tree

30,000 kyat

15,000 kyat

9

Lime Tree

40,000 kyat

20,000 kyat

10

Pomelo

50,000 kyat

25,000 kyat

11

Rubber Tree

300,000 kyat

100,000 kyat

12

Mangosteen

30,000 kyat

15,000 kyat

13

Marian

50,000 kyat

25,000 kyat

14

Jackfruit Plant

50,000 kyat

25,000 kyat

15

Son P'Da Plant

50,000 kyat

25,000 kyat

16

Guava Tree

20,000 kyat

10,000 kyat

17

Banana Plant

10,000 kyat

 

18

Pineapple Plant

500 kyat

 

19

Black Pepper

20,000 kyat

 

20

Betel leaf plant

20,000 kyat

 

21

Rakam

20,000 kyat

 

22

Empty land (one acre)

500,000 kyat

 

23

Cardamom Plant (one acre)

1,000,000 kyat

 

Totals

2,740,500 kyat (US $3,054.63) [2]  

540,000 kyat (US $602)

 

Tue, 24 Jul 2012

Footnotes: 

[1] This complaint letter was submitted to KHRG in July 2012 and is presented here, translated into English exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security. It was received along with three interviews, one situation update and 424 photographs.

[2] As of July 20th 2012, all conversion estimates for the Kyat in this report are based on the official market rate of 897 kyat to the US $1. This reflects new measures taken by Burma's central bank on April 2nd 2012 to initiate a managed float of the Kyat, thus replacing the previous fixed rate of 6.5 Kyat to US $1.

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