The Burmese Military Training School in Thanpyuzayart Township, Mon State is selling land confiscated from a nearby monastery, say local sources.

According to a layman at the monastery, Training School (TS) No. 4, based in Wekali village, seized about 140 acres last week. At least 100 acres have already been resold at 500,000 kyat per acre.

TS No. 4 promised to give the monastery 100,000 kyat for each acre sold, but the monastery has yet to receive any the money.

According to a monk from the monastery, the abbot is unhappy because he could not stop the seizure and resale. The officer in charge of the training school came to the monastery to discuss things with the abbot, the monk said, but was going to sell the land regardless of whether he left with an agreement.

Over twenty years ago, the abbot made the land an animal sanctuary on which hunting and logging was prohibited. “Mon and Karen armed groups never dared to take this land,” the Monk said. The Burmese army does not appear to have shared these reservations, and had even been using the sanctuary for training exercises prior to the seizure.

Unfortunately, the monastery’s land was not officially registered with the government. The army contended that the monastery was only permitted five acres, and any extra land could be confiscated.

Gaining official permission for a monastery to own land requires navigating a long and complicated process that includes negotiations with the Village Peace and Development Council (PDC), Township PDC, Land-surveying Department, District PDC, all before the proposal can reach the State level. After which the state reports to the central of Religious Affair Department in Kabaraye.

Elsewhere in Thanpyuzayart, the Khonekaroat village monastery has been trying to gain official control of their land for over a year. In spite of paying significant bribes, the process is still not complete.