Mon political parties to fight land confiscation

Burma’s Mon political parties claim to focus for the land confiscation disputes in the state and in particular in the Tanintharyi region.

The All Mon Region Democracy Party and the Mon Democracy Party met with the 88 Generation Student Group in August to discuss how to work together for civilians fighting land confiscation cases.

U Naing Soe Myint, Central Executive Committee member of the Mon Democracy Party confirmed to Karen News that his party intends to work with the 88 Generation Student Group on specific land confiscated abuses that have been committed by privates businesses and the Burma Navy.

U Naing Soe Myint claims that a company, Zaykabar, with links to a member of parliament, paid inadequate compensation for villagers’ farmlands to build a cement factory in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State. It is alleged that the Burma Navy confiscated civilian-owned land in Yaybyu Township, in the Tanintharyi region of the state to build their naval base.

U Naing Soe Myint told Karen News.

“We’ve discussed with the 88 Generation Students how we can work together to protect civilian rights. We especially talked about land confiscation issues.”

A Mon human rights group, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) reported that the worst land confiscation abuses were by the Burma Army between 2000 and 2005. According to HURFOM documents, up until 2011 there had been at least 20,000 acres of land belonging to villagers confiscated.

A report by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland – ‘Burma’s Navy Attacks Civilians’ Livelihood’ – details the land confiscation abuses by the Burma Navy.

From December 2010, the Burma Navy, Battalion 43 took more than a 1,000 acres of rubber plantations plots owned by 240 villagers. In this case – Thone Nyi Ma island in Yaybyu Township – villagers were not paid compensation.
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