A RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT

The government has promised to secure ethnic rights and the rights of original landowners in setting a new national land use policy...A national forum to discuss a draft national land use policy, which will create a framework for a new national land law, was held on June 29 and 30 in Nay Pyi Taw. Discussion was dominated by the question of the rights of ethnic community organisations and other rights groups.

Unofficial translation (by UNICEF)

The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 1/96 -
The 6th Waxing Day of Tabodwe, 1357 M.E.-
25 January 1996

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR -
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEEE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CULTURABLE LAND,
FALLOW LAND AND WASTE LAND -
NOTIFICATION NO 1/98 -
Yangon, Thw Waxing Day of Thadingyut, 1360 ME -
(28th September 1998)

The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 1/92 -
The 1st Waning Day of Tabodwe, 1353 ME -
19 February 1992 -
"Whereas it is expedient to provide for the repeal of certain laws from among existing laws, which on
scrutiny have been found to be no longer in conformity with the changing circumstances, laws which have
not been in use for a very long time and laws for which there are no reasons for use in future, the State
Law and Order Restoration Council hereby enacts this Law..."
[137 laws repealed]

The Government of the Union of Myanmar -
The Central Committee for the Management of Culturable Land, Fallow Land and waste Land -
Notification No. 1/91 -
6th waxing Day of Nadaw, 1353 M.E -
(12th December, 1991)

..Rights to land in Burma are bound up with issues of ethnic conflict, militarisation and lack of democratic institutions.
A future democratic Burma will need to seek ways to resolve competing claims to land, taking into account such issues
as traditional ownership by particular ethnic nationalities, return of displaced persons, varying religious ties to land,
development imperatives and agricultural demands. The chosen method of resolution will need to address, as much as
possible, the needs for certainty, efficiency and a fair hearing for those concerned.

... Extremely rapid growth in Chinese imports of ‘redwood’, ‘rosewoods’ or ‘Hongmu’ timbers from Myanmar in the past two years is directly driving increased illegal and unsustainable logging, posing a real threat to governance, the rule of law and the viability Myanmar’s dwindling forests. EIA research shows that, based on current trends, the two most targeted Hongmu species in
Myanmar - tamalan and padauk - could be logged to commercial extinction in as little as three years.

The Draft land law

The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 8/92 -
The 9th Waning Day of Tazaungmon, 1354 M.E. -
3 November 1992

The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 5/95 -
The 6th Waxing of Kason, 1357 ME. -
4 May 1995