“The order described [us] as squatters. We are not squatters. We are working on the land after leasing it. We have to move out if they won’t lease to us anymore. We requested them to allow us to work here until the year’s end since it’s the rainy season now, but it was denied. Now, everyone has to move out,” said U Maung Aye Phyu, one of the tenants.

The tenants submitted a plea to the Rakhine State Chief Minister to allow them to work on the land until the year’s end.

“We submitted [a plea] to the Rakhine State Chief Minister to allow the farmers to work here until the year’s end but [the state government] responded that the order was not concerned with them,” said U Maung Tun Wai, a farmer who came to work from Myay Ngone Island in Pauktaw Township.

The twenty-two farmers have been working on this land for many years and the land area covers four acres of farmland and one acre of plantation.

The farmers have leased the land for Ks 60,000 per acre this year and most of the farmers came to work there from other townships. Some of the farmers have been working for around six years and some of them have been working for eight to to twenty years.

“They use airport security as the reason. It’s better for the airport security by having us work here. If you measure from the runway, Bar Sar Village in the west of the airport is even closer to the airport,” U Maung Aye Phyu continued.

The 22 farmers have over 20 school-age children and it is very difficult for them to move out in the monsoon. The farmers told the reporters that they want the state government to arrange land plots for them to live in.