Ethnic Activists Warn of Surge in Land Grabs After Ceasefires

[Zomi for Federalization and Democratization of Bur]

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The fake reformist BBBFMTR USDP Government has been preaching
alleviation of poverty while confiscating lands from poor farmers. The
BBBFMTR Armed Thugs have been arresting, torturing, and raping non-
Bamar, non-Buddhist people for more than 51 years now (from March 2,
1962 to today).
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Ethnic Activists Warn of Surge in Land Grabs After Ceasefires
By PAUL VRIEZE / THE IRRAWADDY| Thursday, May 9, 2013 |


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Photo:
22183-mountaion-e1368106819509.jpg

The construction site of the suspended Myitsone Dam, located in Kachin
State. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)
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RANGOON—About 40 ethnic activist groups are calling on the government,
ethnic militias and the international community to address a surge in
land-grabbing, as companies move into Burma’s ethnic regions following
recent ceasefire agreements.

But their campaign was off to a rocky start on Thursday when two
government committees on land use declined to meet the activists.

Kevin Woods, a researcher with the Netherlands-based Transnational
Institute (TNI), said the Land Investment Committee, headed by Union
Solidarity Development Party MP Tin Htut, and the Land Allotment and
Utilization Scrutiny Committee, chaired by Win Tun Min of the Ministry
of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, had turned down requests
to meet with the groups.

“They are the two most important committees for us to meet,” Woods
said on Thursday, as the activists prepared to leave for the Burmese
capital Naypyidaw. “If these committees won’t meet civil society
groups from ethnic areas, where most land disputes are happening, then
how do they expect to address these issues?”

Some presidential advisory bodies, such the Myanmar Peace Center and
the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, did agree to meet
the activists, Woods added.

Some 40 ethnic non-governmental organizations from across Burma and
groups based on the border in Thailand held a series of meetings in
Rangoon this week to discuss the growing number of land disputes in
ethnic regions. The meeting was the first of its kind in Burma and had
become possible because of recent political reforms.

During discussions on Thursday, ethnic activists voiced deep concern
over the lack of legal protection of land rights of ethnic
communities, who are increasingly losing farmland to mining or agro-
industry firms.

The 2012 Land Law and other laws, they said, often fail to recognize
land tenure of farmers—especially those reliant on traditional
shifting agriculture—or local customary law regarding land. Most
ethnic villagers struggle to register land ownership as the procedures
are too expensive or because they lack the required ID cards.

“Farmers have no land registration papers, no identity documentation,
so they have no proof of land ownership,” said Su Su Nwe, 88
Generation Students activist. “According to the 2012 Land Law… these
farmers can’t go to court if their land is taken.”

Most of Burma’s ethnic minorities live in the border regions rich in
mineral wealth, timber, fertile land and rivers suitable for
hydropower dam development. The areas are plagued by long-running
ethnic rebel insurgencies against the central government.

Burma’s powerful military has often grabbed resources from ethnic
communities at gunpoint. But after most rebels groups reached
ceasefire agreements with the government, there has been an influx of
local and foreign companies seeking to build mines or agro-industrial
plantations in ethnic areas. Often the firms gain support from the
military or, at times, from ethnic militias.

The ethnic activists and community representatives gathered in Rangoon
said they feared that peace would lead to a massive surge in land-
grabbing, deforestation and the damming of rivers.

“Ethnic nationals are scared of peace, although they want peace. They
are worried about losing their land, their forest, their water,” said
Saw Alex, of the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
(KESAN). “Right now, the government and the armed groups need to gain
the trust of the community.”

Karen State reportedly experienced a spike in land-grabbing cases
after the Karen National Union (KNU) reached a ceasefire agreement
with the government in January 2012.

Saw Alex said that any future peace agreement would need to address
key questions about land tenure and resource conflict in Karen State.
“The Farmland Law goes against KNU policy on land, which follows local
customary law. So which rules shall we follow when there is peace?”

He warned that an increase in resource-grabbing by military-supported
investment projects could also lead to a flare-up in the ethnic
conflict. “If we don’t resolve these issues we can’t say we are
establishing real peace and reconciliation,” Saw Alex said.

Activists from Mon and Kachin states, which experienced periods of
relative peace due to ceasefires, warned that the Burmese military had
used the ceasefires to expand its presence and to push through
projects that confiscate resources from local communities.

“Although we talk about peace and reconciliation [after the 1995
ceasefire], we have seen the military government build the Yudana gas
pipeline and confiscate a lot of land in Mon State,” said Nai Kasauh
Mon, of the Human Rights Foundation of Mon Land. “After the pipeline
was installed the government has shown no interest in holding further
peace talks,” he added.

Ashley South, a researcher with the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative,
said the ceasefires are having a mixed impact on ethnic communities.
“There are many benefits to the peace process for them, they no longer
have to fear violence, rape and forced labor by the military,” he
said. “But at the same time there is a massive increase in unregulated
mining and agro-business.”

“If these [latter] issues are not addressed it will undermine trust in
the peace process,” he said, adding, “There is a big role here for
civil society groups to raise awareness among government officials,
diplomats, donors and researchers.”

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2 Responses to Ethnic Activists Warn of Surge in Land Grabs After
Ceasefires
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andamanonge Thursday, May 9, 2013 - 4:25 pm

What are we talking about here? The land, the river and the hills
(Suu Kyi said she doesn’t care about Letpadaung taung!) in Burma
belongs to the greedy Chinese and their backers (the tycoons, the USDP
and now even Daw Suu Kyi). Who cares about the stupid farmers (NLD
doesn’t anymore) as long as Burma can have film festivals on human
rights with stars like Wut Hmone Shwe Yee, Sai Sai Kham Leung, Pho La
Pyae, Phyo TayZa etc. (I admit I’m not an expert on the light-skinned
Burmese entertainment industry LOL)
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Reply
Young Blood Thursday, May 9, 2013 - 8:27 pm

Aung Min hasn’t offered us anything visible but the government has
taken from us too much already. Ethnics need to be aware of foxy
behavior since day one.
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Reply

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http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/34167
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