Villagers in Karen areas of southeast Myanmar continue to face widespread land confiscation at the hands of a multiplicity of actors. Much of this can be attributed to the rapid expansion of domestic and international commercial interest and investment in southeast Myanmar since the January 2012 preliminary ceasefire between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar government. KHRG first documented this in a 2013 report entitled ‘Losing Ground’, which documented cases of land confiscation between January 2011 and November 2012.
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Showing items 1 through 9 of 23.-
Library ResourceReports & ResearchJune, 2015Myanmar
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchJuly, 2015Myanmar
The Complaint Letter below was sent to Saw Naw Dee, head of the Agriculture and Land Directorate, from the Karen National Union (KNU) Agriculture Department, Paingkyon Township. It was written by U B--- who is the representative of the land owners whose lands have been confiscated. The villagers’ uncultivated lands were confiscated by Cantonment Area Supervisor U Kyaw Hein from Border Guard Force (BGF) Battalion #1015 who then sold them.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchDecember, 2015Myanmar
The Complaint Letter below was written by the Shwegyin Karen Baptist Association, a missionary association from Kyaukkyi Town, Kyaukkyi Township, Nyaunglebin District, and sent to the chairman of the Burma/Myanmar government Kyaukkyi Township Land Management Committee, on November 5th 2015. The letter concerns the Burma/Myanmar government’s construction of buildings on a Christian church compound. According to the letter, the compound has belonged to the church for 55 years.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchFebruary, 2015Myanmar
This Interview with Maung A--- describes events occurring in Kawkareik Township, Dooplaya District in October 2010, including the confiscation of his land by the Tatmadaw for the construction of buildings for the Karen Peace Force (KPF). Villagers were not compensated for the land and Maung A--- remains landless and unemployed. He refrained from submitting a formal land claim due to intimidation from the Tatmadaw...
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchJuly, 2015Myanmar
This Photo Set shows development projects including road and bridge construction in Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District between December 2014 and January 2015. These development projects destroyed villagers’ fruit and rubber plantations. Villagers report having not yet received any compensation for their destroyed lands.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchFebruary, 2015Myanmar
This Photo Set depicts land confiscated in Kawkareik and Kyainseikgyi townships, Dooplaya District for infrastructure development and military purposes. These projects include the expansion of existing roads and the construction of new roads, as well as the construction of buildings for use by the Tatmadaw. The photos were taken between December 2013 and September 2014. Villagers did not receive any compensation for their land which was confiscated and destroyed.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchAugust, 2015Myanmar
This Photo Set depicts road construction, including the Asian Highway, in Kyainseikgyi and Win Yay townships, Dooplaya District between November 2014 and January 2015. Villager testimony describes land confiscation and the destruction of houses, shops, and plantations in order to make way for the roads. Villagers also report a lack of compensation for the land and crops destroyed as a result of the road construction....
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchNovember, 2015Myanmar
This Situation Update describes events occurring in Kyainseikgyi Township, Dooplaya District between March and May 2015, including violent clashes between armed groups, injury caused by a landmine, and militarisation...
On March 10th 2015, fighting broke out between Tatmadaw Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #549 and LIB #231, and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) in A--- section, M--- village, lasting for around 30 minutes. KHRG is unable to confirm whether any villagers were injured during the fighting...
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchAugust, 2015Myanmar
This Incident Report describes the confiscation of villagers’ land committed by Border Guard Force (BGF) Cantonment Area Commander Kya Aye, who oversees Battalion #1015 and Battalion #1016, and Cantonment Area Supervisor U Kyaw Hein on May 1st 2015. They then resold the land to the Steel Stone Group to be used for road construction and infrastructure development. The villagers reported the incident to the Karen National Union (KNU) requesting compensation for their land and calling for restrictions on the BGF commanders’ power.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchJuly, 2015Myanmar
This Situation Update describes events and issues occurring in Hlaingbwe Township, Hpa-an District during the period between April and May 2015, including a development project in which the Burma/Myanmar government built a new town on villagers’ lands, as well as healthcare and education updates...
Between 1981 and 1982, some of the A--- villagers fled to the refugee camps on the Thai-Burma/Myanmar border and left their lands behind. Between 2013 and 2015 the Burma/Myanmar government built a new town on these villagers’ lands and called it A--- Town...
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