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) |
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.