Kyauk Pru: Local farmers in Arakan State have recently lodged a written complaint with the central government because they have become landless after their arable land in Kyaukpru was secretly grabbed and leased to a foreign company by a retired Burmese naval officer.
A farmer said their land in Pyatae Village Group in Kyaukpru Township were taken and rented out to an Indian company by the retired navy officer, Lt. Colonel San Aung who bears national identity no. 9/Ma-Na-Ma (Nain) 013961, without their knowledge or consent.
"Lt. Colonel San Aung has secretly grabbed 24.16 acres of our farmland in Pyatae Village and rented it out to an Indian company that is cooperating with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise for 29 months at a rent of 20.548 million kyat. Those lands are our traditionally cultivated farmlands and we complained of the matter to the central government on 26 December because we have become landless after the officer rented our lands to the Indian company secretly," said the farmer.
He added that four farmers from Krattin Village, five farmers from Katthapae Village, and one from Kamdee Village under the Pyatae Village Tract in Kyaukpru Township have complained to the high government authority about their land being rented out by the navy officer.
"We have sent the written complaint of the matter to the Union Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, forwarding copies of the letter to the President, the Chairmen of the People's and National Parliaments, our regional government, and responsible senior officers in our region," he said.
According to the farmer, they came to find out their lands were grabbed by Lt. Colonel San Aung after the Indian company and its Burmese partner started to bulldoze the land for construction.
The farmer said officials of the companies told them they had rented the land from Lt. Colonel San Aung, and showed the written agreement between the Indian company and the retired Lieutenant Colonel.
"There are the names of six people on their agreement, but only three of them have signed on the deal," said the farmer.
"Sergeant Htun Aung Kyaw of the navy, who bears identification Ka-Pa No. 25249 and national identity no. 10/Ma-La-Ma (Nain) 019867, has signed on behalf of Lt. Colonel San Aung as the receiver of money for renting the land, while U Ko Ko Htwe, the Assistant Director General of Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, who bears national identity no. 12/La-Ma-Na (Nain) 048223, has signed as lessee of the land, while U Khin Maung Myint, Assistant Director of Kyaukpru Township, who bears national identity no. 9/Pa-Ba-Na (Nain) 124780, has signed as the witness to the deal," the farmer said.
He added that the other three people who are named but have not signed the deal are U Aung Sein Shan, Administrator of Krattin Village, U Saw Lwin, Assistant Construction Engineer of MOGE, and Morim Jom, Chief Supervisor of the Indian company.
According to the deal, the lands were leased to the company effective from 8 August, 2011, through December 2013, at a payment of 20,548,000 kyat.
"Now we have no land for our livelihoods and hope the government will look into the matter and take necessary steps to get back our lands to us as soon as possible," said the farmer.
