Land dispute

Amid increasing cases of land disputes in Burma, the country’s Parliament on September, 2018 ratified a controversial land law. The new law has been opposed by civil society and human right groups and the Karen National Union. The KNU released a statement on December 15 calling for the elimination of the newly enacted “Vacant, Fallow, and Virgin Land Management Law…

The Karen State authorities have been clearing up unauthorized buildings since July 17 on the land that has been released by the military in San Pa Ree Village Tract, Hpa-an Township. A total of 928.93 acres of land out of 1,128.39 acres, which has been released by the military, has been designated by the government as state-owned land. The government…

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…

The Karen National Union’s Agriculture Department will give priority to assist the public in obtaining their land ownership rights and solve land issues that rose up in the mixed controlled areas within this year. The department made the decision during its 12th year-end meeting held at Kalo Yaw Hta under Hpa-an District on May 30. Local residents from the KNU-controlled…

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…

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…

Villagers in Karen State have lodged a protest to their local land registration office against applications by companies and investors to take community land for development projects. The villagers from Minekan, Hpa-an Township, submitted an letter to the township land registration office on May 27 protesting that applications for permits to grow long-term crops in unclaimed forest land was owned…

Residents of Mi Kayin village, Hpa-an, Karen State, are once again united to oppose a proposed cement factory planned to be built near their village by the Myanmar Ji Dong Cement Company Limited. Saw Nyan Win, a Mi Kayin villager said in an interview with Karen News that residents are planning to take their opposition to the proposal to build…

More than 130 villagers from 20 villages in Hlaingbwe and Hpa-An Township signed a petition letter and sent to the state parliament demanding a solution to the dispute over farmland that was granted concession to businessman for a rubber plantation. Daw Nan Say Awa, a member of parliament from the Pyithu Hluttaw [House of Representatives], Karen State said that the…