Fifty farmers who have not yet received compensation for their farmland that was destroyed by mud from a gas pipeline construction demonstrated in front of the Kyauk Phyu Township Administration office on 19 February.
The farmers come from 12 villages in Kyauk Phyu Township, Arakan State.
U San Shwe, a farmer, said: “We have already tried to claim compensation for our destroyed farmlands three times. We want to find out when we will get it [compensation], if we cannot we will continue protesting.”
He said that the farmers had met and had discussions with the township deputy administrator, the head of the township agriculture department and officers from Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) at the administration office.
The deputy township administrator said: “Regarding their proposals we submitted a complaint letter with a list of the [destroyed] farmlands from township level to district level. They are being scrutinised, we cannot comment as we are only employees.
The head of the township agriculture department also said to farmers in the meeting: “The compensation is being processed, you should all believe that you will get it [compensation].”
U Wai Dawn, a farmer from Pyar-Tae village said: “We are being squeezed between the company (MOGE) and the government. If the government authority does not pay anything to aggrieved members of the public how can we believe them? If the authorities do not urge the company to pay compensation we want to meet directly with the company.”
Previously a Chinese gas company has paid compensation of 385,000 kyats per acre of mud-covered paddy.
The farmers whose land was covered by mud were paid compensation in September 2013. But, for this growing season the rice has already been harvested and there has not yet been any compensation and that is why the farmers are complaining.
In 2012 and 2013 MOGE paid compensation for farmland covered in mud.
This is the third time this growing season that they have protested asking to be paid compensation.
The protesting farmers came from the following villages on Mala Island: Pyine-Sae-K, Kan-Dee, Pyar-Tae, Tha-Pyu-Taung, Kyat-Ka-Tain, U King, Se-maw, Kyan-Chai, Daunt-Chaung, and Kulabar-Taung.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
