Land Lead Story News Pegu Division
Around 450 acres of land belonging to 123 farmers in Dhammange, Phalanbin, Jobintha and Shasaybo villages were allegedly confiscated in 1991 by the Burmese army.
Seven farmers from Kanbalu in Sagaing Division, jailed for staging plough protests on confiscated land, were released from prison after serving their full three-month sentences.
Burma’s parliamentary Farmland Investigation Commission has cited the overwhelming layers of bureaucracy as the foremost cause for delays in returning confiscated land to its original owners.
More than a hundred farmers from nine villages in Hpa-an Township, Karen State, staged a rally on Monday demanding the return of lands they say were seized by the military many years ago.
According to Sagaing villager, 384 acres of land will be returned by military, which confiscated 3,000 acres in Hyaukshai village in 1999 for a sugarcane plantation project.
Shan State Chief Minister Sao Aung Myat said he believes all seized lands will be returned to farmers in his region before the end of the year.
Land Law Lead Story News Politics
Burmese activists Myint Myint Aye, Khin Mi Mi Khine and Thant Zin Htike walked free from Paungde prison in Pegu division on Tuesday morning after the regional high court upheld their appeal.
Land Law Lead Story News Politics
Myint Myint Aye’s brother says the families have been denied access to three land rights protestors and are worried about their health given that it is nearly a week since they declared they were starting a hunger strike.
By arresting and sentencing so many farmers and activists for protesting land grabs, Burmese authorities are affecting the stability of the state, warned the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society.
Burma’s Land Utilisation committee vows that it is working to resolve all cases of land grabs and return seized lands to their rightful owners before the end of the government’s term in 2015.
