land confiscation

In an exclusive interview with Karen News, Saw Albert, Field Director of Karen Human Right Group (KHRG), talk about the land confiscation and its impact on the livelihood of villagers, as well as the unfavorable conditions of legal mechanism towards villagers to secure their lands. Peace Process Doesn’t Help Villagers to Secure their Land Land confiscation is serious because 70%…

No compensation has been given to most of the villagers whose lands have been seized for development projects in southeastern Burma, the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) said. The KHRG made this claim during a launching ceremony of its report titled ‘Development without us’, which was held at the Thai-Burma border on September 18. “We’ve clearly stated that most of…

Residents of Mae-ka-ne Village under the Karen State’s Myawaddy Township held a peaceful demonstration on June 10 morning to demand the return of the farmlands that have been grabbed for development project. The protest leader Naw Htoo Htoo said over 300 residents marched from Mae-ka-ne Village Sakhan Gone to Shwe Mya Sandi Thaba Thukha Pagoda during the protest. “This area…

Refugees from Burma are finding it difficult to stay, difficult to go home. In Thailand, funding cuts to refugee camps have left over 100,000 displaced people from Burma to choose between trying to survive in deteriorating conditions and returning to a country not ready to receive them. The refugees are spread throughout 9 camps perched on Thailand’s southwest border with…

Complaint letters received by Karen State parliament related to land issues dominated all other concerns over the 10-month period from January to October 2017. A government official responsible for receiving the complaint letters said that 54 complaint letters were received by the related government committee. U Saw Hla Myint, a Member of the Karen State Parliament and Chairperson of the…

Villagers demanded the return of their land, confiscated by the Burma Army, with members of the Karen State Ceasefire Joint Monitoring Committee – State level (JMC-S) who held its first meeting with local villagers on April 26 at Kya-in Gyi village, in Kyain Seikgyi Township. Sources from civil society organizations and local villagers, said the Burma Army had confiscated villagers’…

The Karen National Union (KNU) will not only negotiate land issues in the Karen State with the Burmese government but also carry them out in practice, KNU’s joint secretary-2 Pado Mann Mann Mann said. He made the remarks at the press conference held on the last day of the Karen National Political Dialogue on Land and Environmental Sector. The event…

The Karen National Union (KNU) met with officials from the Karen State Government to discuss cooperation on solving ongoing and future land issues on 6 December at the Karen State Government office. Karen State Government officials including the Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Aung Lwin and the Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation Minister Saw Myint Oo met with the KNU…

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to their former villages are being sued for trespass by the Asia World and Shwe Padonmar companies who claim the land was given to them for palm oil plantations. Residents of Kyay Zuu Taw Village in the Hnam Kyal Village Group of Yebyu Township and residents of Ban Mae and Tone Byaw villages in Myeik…

Karen State based political parties and civil society groups said that they are not invited to take part at the state level Joint Monitoring Committee-State Level (JMC-S). The state level JMC-S was formed with 16 committee members at the headquarters of the Burma Army 22 Light Infantry Division in Hpa-an on the 29th of June, 2016. Saw Kyaw Swa, of…