Tatmadaw, Gov’t Return over 16,000 Acres of Seized Land

[army] and respective government departments, according to the State Land Utilization Management Committee.

According to records, the reinstated land in Kyaikhto [township] is 11,288 acres, 347.5 acres in Belin, 1,333.405 acres in Thaton, 664.703 in Moulmein, 47.73 acres in Chaungzone, 1,364 acres in Kyaikmayaw, 187 acres in Mudon, 51.66 acres in Thanbyuzayat and 1,024.89 acres in Ye. In total, 16,526.658 acres of land was returned.

“Of the returned land, most was returned by the Tatmadaw. Followed by the Ministry of Industry. Least was from respective government departments,” said an official from State Land Utilization Management committee in an interview with MNA.

The official added that of the 16,526.658 acres of land being handed back, 13,000 acres is temporarily overseen by government departments since the owners have not applied for the land yet.

The land varies from vacant land, fields and farmland. Due to petitioning from land owners and Tatmadaw and government department’s disuse of the land, it has been given back. Some land has been returned because the Ministry of Industry (2) and General Administration Departments are also submitting.

For owners of land that has been seized, there is an option to approach their respective township land record offices and inquire as to whether their seized land is listed as returned. Provided it is, they could apply for the land back with a recommendation letter from village-level land committee, or letters from community leaders, according to State Land Utilization Management Committee

“In our Ye Township, the Tatmadaw confiscated land the most. Some land owners got compensation and some got their land back. However, the land that they give back isn’t arable because it is silted and alluvial soil”, said Nai Soe Thein, a resident of Ye Town.

The land transfer will be conducted in accordance with the law and with legitimate documents, according to a statement released by Land Utilization Management Central Committee on March 17.

According to Food Security Working Group (FSWG)’s report, over 6 million acres of land from farmers were confiscated with 4 million acres seized by Tatmadaw.

This article originally appeared on the Mon News Agency (MNA) on April 11, 2016.