U Myint Aung, a 63-year-old man from Shan State who set himself on fire on 21 May to protest against the army confiscating his land died from his injuries in Sao Tun Hospital, Taunggyi on 22 May.
When U Myint Aung, who lived in Yaypu Village in Kunloan Village-Tract, Taunggyi Township, Shan State, set himself on fire he was holding placards that said: “Eastern Command division Return Our Confiscated Farmlands” and "We Are Unhappy That We Lost Our Farmland Due to the Corruption of House Leaders from Yaypu Village and the Land Management Department Clerk."
He initially set himself on fire in his house at 7am on 21 May before running out into the street whilst he was burning according to his family,
He suffered 86 percent burns to his body and was immediately rushed to hospital.
U Myint Aung’s elder brother said: “We are just illiterate farmers. When we were asked if we had any evidence that we owned the farmland [title deeds] we did not understand. Since they [the authorities] have power and money they can do whatever they want and quickly get whatever title deeds they want. Our 8.5 acres of farmland was part of the land that was confiscated.”
Farmers said that the Eastern Division Command has already confiscated over 1,000 acres of farmland just in Yapyu Village.
U Nyo, a Yapyu Village resident, said: “We have been using these lands since the time of General Maung Aye, [the deputy chief of the military government from 1994 to 2010]. Now, a captain from the Eastern Division Command has come along and he is going to construct a temporary building on the farmland. His reason for doing that is so they can demonstrate to the Naypyidaw government [the union government] that there are army buildings on the farmland.”
Villagers have already complained four times about this case to the state and union levels of the investigation committee looking into cases of confiscated farmland and confiscated land.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
