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The following Situation Update was received by KHRG in July 2014. It was written by a community member in Toungoo District who has been trained by KHRG to monitor local human rights conditions. It is presented below translated exactly as originally written, save for minor edits for clarity and security.[1] This report was received along with other information from Toungoo District, including one other situation update, two incident reports, 30 interviews and 133 photographs. [2]
In 2014, the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council][4] has [so far] confiscated over 250 to 300 acres of land. The villagers in Leik Tho [sub-township], Thit Khwa Taung village and Let Pet A’in village usually work on plantations [for their livelihood]. The crops produced in the region are cardamom, dog fruit,[5] and coffee beans. After the confiscation [of their land], the local people are now unemployed. Because of these issues, the land owners whose lands have been confiscated face problems with their economic and social situations, as well as their livelihoods. The SPDC military government LIB [Light infantry Battalion][6] #603 has not given compensation to the land owners. The land that they confiscated was over 200 or 300 [acres] and there is also [part of this] land that they have not built buildings [on yet], but they do not allow the land owners to go into the plantation and collect the crops. They [the land owners] made a request to the military officers to [obtain permission] to collect the crops, but they did not allow it. [The Tatmadaw] only allows [local] female police officers to collect crops [for themselves] in [the area under the control of] LIB #603. The land owners signed [an informal document][7] and reported [sent it] to the regional sub-township office, district parliament and state parliament, but they have not received a reply yet. I interviewed the people whose lands were confiscated from Let Pet A’in village in the evening on March 17th 2014 at the [village] chairpersons’ [village head’s] house. According to the villagers, if they [the land owners] collect the crops from their plantations without getting permission from the superior officer [and if the soldiers catch them], they [the soldiers] ask them to leave the crops with them and they also say that the land no longer belongs to you [the villager] anymore. [Now], the villagers weave mats and sell them for their livelihoods. They [the villagers] said to help them [resolve this problem] if there are people who are willing to help them.