About 80 farmers protested in front of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) office on 2 May to demand the restoration of their farmland, which was ruined by a gas pipeline.
The farmers taking part in the protest outside the CNPC offices near Malegyun Village in Kyaukphyu, Arakan State demanded that CNPC repair 34.62 acres of mud-covered farmland owned by 38 farmers from the Leikkhamaw, Gonechain, and Ohntaw village groups in Kyaukphyu Township.
The farmers said that instead of compensation they would prefer it if arrangements were made to clear up their land so that they can continue farming it.
The farmers estimate that their land will be unusable for thirty years. So, if they have to take compensation the farmers want to be paid for the loss of thirty years worth of crops at a rate of 300,000 kyats per acre per year, which would make for a total of 9,000,000 kyats compensation per acre.
So far CNPC have only offered farmers enough compensation to cover five years of crops, which is 1,500,000 kyats per acre.
U Soe Lwin from Malegyun Village said: “We are holding this protest so that [the company] repair our farmlands. If they won’t repair them, we demand that they give us compensation for 30 years’ worth [of crops]. We can’t take the five years’ worth of compensation they are offering us. The five years’ worth of compensation can’t repair our damaged farmlands. That’s why we demand that they give us compensation for thirty years [worth of crops].”
Farmers Protest Against CNPC Pipeline.
Daw Kyi Kyi Hnin from Gonechain village in Kyaukphyu Township said: “Rather than the compensation, we want them to repair the mud-covered farms by building drainage and walls to prevent the mud from the pipeline flowing into the farms. We are holding the protest to make our demands because they are not meeting them.”
During the protest the protesters held signs that said: ‘Solve the Pipeline Land Issue’; ‘Respect the Local Residents’; ‘CNPC Get Out’; and ‘CNPC Is Not Wanted’.
Forty-six farmers own land affected by the pipeline, of those eight have agreed to accept CNPC’s compensation of 1,500,000 kyats per acre compensation, which is equivalent to five years worth of crops.
The remaining 38 farmers have refused the offer of compensation. They have demanded that the company either restore their farmland to its original state or pay them compensation of 9,000,000 kyats per acre, which is equivalent to the value of 30 years worth of crops.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
