The Union Parliament Farmlands and other Land Seizure Inquiry Commission has stated that the armed forces' process of returning seized land to their rightful owner is very slow and that the land returned is less.
The statement was made on August 27 by Lower House MP Pe Than from Myaybone constituency, who is a member of the Inquiry Commission.
The Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Wei Lwin had informed the Parliament on July 16 that the total amount of the land seized by armed forces was 297000 acres and 18364 acres or 1/16th of the total land will be returned to the farmers.
After the announcement, the Inquiry Commission received more than 100 complaint letters. The Commission found that more land should be returned to the farmers after verifying the complaints. MP Pe Than stated that 19000 acres of land should be returned to the farmers, in addition to the 18364 acres.
He added, “The total land to be returned to the farmers are very less. In Rakhine State alone, we have received complaints regarding 20,000 acres of land. Only about 1/10th of it or 1782.2 acres will be returned to the rightful owners.”
He also said that the process of returning the seized land was too slow and therefore, the farmers could not plough or plant crops on these land during the monsoons.
In accordance with the current process, the army would return these land to the government first. Subsequently, the government would transfer these land back to the rightful owners through the Ministries concerned. The MP is apprehensive about the long process and the amount of time it takes for the land to reach the farmers.
Thwe Thwe Soe, Central Committee member of the Rakhine Nationality Development Party (RNDP), who is working towards reclaiming land seized by the armed forces said that the situation of the farmers who work on the seized land in Rakhine State has not seen any improvement. They have also lost the right to till their land.
She said, “There are some farmers who are still working on these land as sharecroppers after paying a rent of 10 baskets of rice (460 lbs) per acre to the army. Some of them have even lost the right to farm their own land as sharecroppers.”
Farmers from Gwa Township have expressed their concern over the ownership of land though they still own and can farm on them at the moment.
Farmer Win Htut from Thegone village, Kyeintali sub-township said, “The army came and threatened to seize our farmlands next year.”
