Sun Phyo Tun, Kantarawaddy Times – The Burma Army and private companies own most of the land in Kayah State according to Sayar Kawrio the organiser of a farmer’s conference held to review land confiscation and land policy.
He came to this conclusion after discussions between farmers at the conference, which was held in So-Hlar-Kuu Village in Phruso Township, Kayah State from 14-16 February.
He said: “The reality is that the army has confiscated a lot of land in Kayah State. We concluded that the army and other people [companies] own two-thirds of the land.”
Ko Sithu the leader of the Our Land Network said that the majority of the land in Kayah State had been forcibly grabbed and that farmers should unite together to get that land back.
He said: “Now we have united together here to work for farmers rights we must claim the rights farmers have lost. If we all unite and work together we will be successful.”
Topics discussed at the conference included: the issues surrounding confiscation of land by the army, land ownership problems caused by projects, current land laws, customary land laws and the formation of a farmer’s union.
A farmer attending the conference said: “Organising this kind of conference is very good. We all discussed problems we are currently facing. We got suggestions on how farmers from different parts of the state could work together.”
The 170 farmers attending the conference came from six Kayah townships and the Shan-Kayah border. The only areas in Kayah State not represented were Yoar-Thit Sub-Township and Mese Township.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
