According to a press brief held by the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) on November 8, the now Kayah State Chief Minister stand accused of seizing land belonging to the Catholic church back when he was serving as a Township education officer.
Complaints were made regarding this case but was ignored, thus prompting the conference by the MJN, organized by parish priest Rev. Richard Thura Tun, chairperson of Parish Pastor Council Teresa Win and Secretary Joseph.
“The case happened when Po Cho aka Alphonshio was an assistant township education officer. Po Cho aka Alphonshio on May 2014 cleared the land owned by Catholic Church in Maese District, Kayah State, located near BP 14 highway road. He cut down the trees and ordered land clearing works at the north-eastern part of land owned by Catholic Religion in Maese. Officials from the church tried to stop him from doing so but he objected to their actions and built a fence there,” said Rev. Richard Thura Tun.
“After Po Cho aka Alphonshio became Kayah State Chief Minister, he smoothened out the land more and dug a drainage system over the land in which some parts are owned by the Church. Without legal information and authority sent to the Parish Pastoral Council or the Parish Priest, he misused the authority he held. He constructed documents regarding the land and seized it for himself,” said Rev. Richard Thura Tun.
In order to resolve the problem, letters detailing the matter were sent to Heads of State and officials from National League of Democracy (NLD) with copies of relevant legal documents but no action has come forth over a year now.
“In July, 2017, we sent letters to Heads of State. No replies were made and so after 5 months in December, we sent letters through the Kayah State NLD chairman Thaung Htay. He said that he will put down remarks and submitted the letter but nothing occurred. So, another letter was submitted dated May 22, 2018,” continued parish priest.
Concerning the case, he (parish Priest) met with NLD spokesman Dr. Myo Nyunt in September but he said that there is the by-election and request patience to wait for awhile. In the meantime, Alphonshio carried out more fencing and laid gravels on the land on October 25, 2018.
Which leads to this press brief, said the Parish Priest.
Concerning the land dispute, contact was made to Maese District administrator Myo Thant. He said, “I arrived here in 2017 and know nothing about their case. In 2014, land plot were measured and set for private ownership. And speaking on behalf of the department, 2014 land measurement was final and it became approved. That’s why land ownership grant was issued to him. This is not similar to a land grabbing issue. Chief Minister received agreement from the previous boss and applied it. With the boss’s permission, he lived on that land. That is what I know about the case in general. But I don’t know thoroughly about the disputes.”
The land owned by Catholic Church in Maese District in Kayah State is 14 acres large while the size of the contested land measures about half an acre.
An attempt was made towards contacting Kayah State Chief Minister Alphonshio, one of the members of Kayah State cabinet, and Ko Sai, PSO of chief minister regarding this case but there was no response.
