He said that the Kyauk Pru’s district authority confiscated the farm of 8.5 acres from U Htay Win of Kin Mrauk villages tract in Kyauk Pru in 2008 giving the reason it had to be cultivated for castor oil plants in the farms as a state project.

However the authority has not used the farm for the state castor oil plantation project since it was confiscated.

“Our district chairman leased out the farms to businessmen from fishery sectors every year after the farm was allocated to small plots. The authority has never planted castor oil plants in the farms. The authority leased out the farm with yearly contracts,” he said.

He quoted the local authority saying as the authority receive three hundred thousand kyats for one plot from the businessmen for a year.

The businessmen have used the farms to keep fishes in the sun making dry fishes.

U Htay Win recently sent an appeal letter to President U Thein Sein and Arakan state prime minister U Hla maung Tin as well as the ILO office in Yangon  to get back the confiscated farm  if the government has not used the farms  for the state project.

“ U Htay was threatened by Kyauk Pru district chairman with action in accordance with the law after U Htay Win complained to high authorities about the farm. The chairman told him not to disturb them as the farm is owned by state,” the relative.

U Htay win is now suffering from confiscation of his lands by authorities as they use the farms for their interests after giving the reason the land is for state projects.

U Thanda Maung from local political party RNDP in Kyauk Pru confirmed the confiscation of the land.

His party leaders also received a copy of the complaint letter written by U Htay Win that was sent to state level authorities recently.

U Htay Win became poor after his land was confiscated by the authorities but district authorities including the district chairman have earned 30 million kyats per year by leashing the farms to Businessmen.