Land protesters from So-Hlar-Ku village in Hpuso Township, Karenni State who have been fighting a court case since September have taken their case direct to the Union Parliament, bypassing the Karenni State Parliament.
In 1993 when Infantry battalion 531 set up a base in Hpruso township they confiscated over 600 acres of land, that was nowhere near the base, from residents of So-Hlar-Ku Village
On 27th May 2014 farmers protested by starting to plough on the confiscated land. The army then prosecuted five farmers and a pastor for trespass.
They have been on trial since early September and have now taken their case to the Union Parliament’s Investigation Commission arguing that people should not have farmland and other land confiscated from them.
Kantarawaddy has learnt that on 23rd September U Oo Reh, the Member of Parliament for Hpruso township proposed a motion in the Union Parliament to return the confiscated land to the farmers who owned it and to drop the prosecution of the five people for trespass.
U Oo Reh said he should have an answer in the next session of parliament, after the proposal has been submitted to the president.
He said: “The proposal is already with the president’s office. They will let us know how they will handle the farmer’s case. If nothing happens I will table another motion.”
On 16th October the Karenni State Minister of Electricity, U Saw Hu Hu had said that the prosecution was a matter of law and nothing to do with the State Government. He also said that parliament could not discuss the case until they had received a request from the people to do so and so far no such request had been forthcoming.
He said: “Parliament has received no petition from the public, until they petition the parliament we cannot discuss it.”
