Ponna Kyunt: Three families left their villages in Ponna Kyunt Township, north of Sittwe, for southern Arakan State after their lands were confiscated by the local authorities aided by the Burmese Army, a village elder said.
"Three families left our village, Ah Mae Kin, for a village in Gwa Township before the monsoon, after they lost their lands, when the local authorities confiscated their farms," he said.
At least 15 acres of farmland belonging to the three families of U Maung Aye Kyaw, U Kong Zauk, and Maung Pu Nyo were confiscated by Village Chairman U Aung Mra U with the help of local army officers.
After their lands were confiscated, the three families found themselves without jobs or means of earning their livelihood and eventually left for another village in Gwa Township, where land prices are cheaper than in Ponna Kyunt.
"They left for a village in Gwa Township, but I do not know the name of the village. I have heard land prices in the area are much cheaper and work is available there. So they left their freehold lands," the village elder added.
Twenty acres of land in the village was initially confiscated by army officials from Light Infantry Battalions 550 and 344, with the help of Village Chairman Aung Mra U for army purposes. Later, the village chairman confiscated another 43 acres of land with the aid of the local authorities to sell to rich families in the village.
Among the confiscated lands, were some that belonged to the entire village for use as pasture, while most of the lands had been owned by villagers for many decades.
"We heard that the Burmese Army needed 20 acres of land from our village to construct army buildings, but the army officials confiscated 63 acres of land, from our village without paying any compensation," a villager said.
Later, the officers and the village chairman sold the extra land to wealthy local villagers for Kyat 50,000 per acre, the village elder said.
The army officers sold 43 acres to U Kyaw Hla Sein, U Sein Tha, Maung Kyaw Bu, Alon Khin, Maung Tun Aye and Own Kyaw, all of whom are from Ah Mae Kin Village.
After the land was sold by the officers to the wealthy residents, the villagers found themselves divided into two groups - the rich and the poor. The three families, subsequently, left the village to look for a better place to find work.
According to sources, seven families from the village are likely to leave at the end of this monsoon due to the many obstacles they are facing in their native place, since the village chairman and army officials confiscated local lands.
Many villages in Arakan State are facing similar problems as Ah Mae Kin, since the Burmese Army has been confiscating land, belonging to the common people and selling it to the wealthy villagers.
