The Ethnic armed group, New Mon State Party received a complaint from local people because its development department officer had confiscated plantation land from local residents and sold it.

The NMSP's development department got permission from the Burmese military government to take 5000 acres of uncultivated land in southern Mudon Township where hundreds of local people already have cultivation.

But NMSP's department officer sold the land without informing the local land owner. Due to this, the local land owners sent a letter of complaint to the NMSP.

"The local land owners are not satisfied and about 20 of them signed on a complaint letter and sent it to NMSP headquarters without identifying themselves," IMNA sources said. They also asked a religious leader in the area to deal with the NMSP.

"NMSP will take action on this case. Currently the NMSP has sent a commission to investigate the case," said NMSP spokesperson Nai Ong Mange.

About 173 local’s owners also owned some part of the 5,000 acres of land which the military government granted to NMSP. The situation has become complicated because the NMSP officer sold the land.

NMSP sources said, "This has happened because of personal interests of a NMSP leader and due to not investigating the ownership before they sought permission from the junta."

In that area, most of local people have cultivated the land without registering with the government for grants. After NMSP received permission, NMSP's development department sold the land for about 50,000 Kyat per acre in 2004 and about 120,000 Kyat per acre in 2005-2006. The cost of the plantation depended on the quantum of cultivation that is possible on the land from 2007 to now.