Little hope for land returns despite President's order to give back seized land in Mon State

Little hope for land returns despite President's order to give back seized land in Mon State
Published 18 December 2018
Maung Maung Shwe Myaing

There is no hope of for land returns as the staff and supervisors on ground are weak in implementing the guidelines of the President, who directed authorities to return seized land, when he arrived in Mon State, according to the state-based civil society organizations.  

President Win Myint stressed the need to make efforts for returning confiscated land plots to original farmers during his visit to Mawlamyine on December 14.

Some CSOs however said they were not happy with the work of responsible service personnel for the matter of land returns.

"Local residents have no high hopes for that. Despite such a policy adopted by the President or at a union level, civil servants and supervisors are too weak to implement the guidelines. There is little hope however good those policies are. It has been long since local land owners discouraged. Really, we want to see things go as the President says. We will have to try. But we have little hope," said Aung Naing Win, in charge of Yay Township CSO during Mon State CSP forum.

CSO members say the government needs to listen to the voice of local people in land management.

"When it comes to land management, the government should listen to the voice of locals for their interest," said Aung Naing Oo.

He said authorities should not seize land without the consent of local people, adding that land pieces were seized by the military for projects and business tycoons.

He said a paper had been compiled and presented regarding proportionate possession of land by all citizens.

The military seized farmlands in Yay Township in 2001. When some land pieces were returned, they reached the people close to them instead of going to the original ancestral land owners, he commented.