Phil Robertson
Deputy Asia Director HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
In Burma, 70 percent of the people make their living through farming, so land is the key to their livelihoods.
U Se Thein
Farmer
It’s been many years. My grandparents passed away a long time ago. I have been work here on this land for almost 30 years.
Phil Robertson
Deputy Asia Director
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Karen state is fertile area on Burma’s border with Thailand. With Burma’s democratic opening, the area is attracting mining, tourism, large scale agricultural development and also industrial zone development. And as a result of that, local officials and crony capitalists are pushing people off land they’ve cultivated for generations.
U Ne Win
Farmer
They tricked us into signing the paper saying we agreed to move from our lands for their industrial zones and said if we continued working, they would charge us with trespassing on the land.
“Saw Tin Aye”
Lawyer
The government usually surveys the land, draws a new map, and confiscates the land for development projects. They don’t use the land themselves. They sell to cronies. They bully the farmers.
Phil Robertson
Deputy Asia Director
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
In some cases, police or border guard official are using threats or force to take people’s land and drive them out of their homes. Farmers who continue to work the land will certainly face trespassing charges. Farmers who organize protests and participate in protests will face arrests and lengthy court battles. Land grabs like this are happening in much of the country. The government says that they promoting development and that villagers don’t have a legal right to the land. As Burma open up to economic opportunity and investment, the government needs to make sure that development projects benefit everyone, and that farmers are not left without land and livelihoods.
証言から抜粋
“Some things are getting better. There is electricity in the next village, and we may get electricity here, too. But none of that matters if our land is gone.” –Nu Yee, San Klo village, Karen State, February 2015
“When they first arrived, they told us that we owned the land. But later, they took 500 acres for their own plantation. They never offered us any money for the land.” –Villager, Ta Nyin Kone village, Karen State, August 2015
“We went to the land office in September 2014 and the land office said, ‘It is too hot to measure your land,’ and they never came back to measure. We tried to phone them but there was no answer.” –Villager, San Klo village, Karen State, February 2015
“We just want our land back. We have large families but no land for our children. Our brothers and sisters are in Thailand now. They want to come back but there is no land to support them.” –Villager, Kuklo village, Karen State, February 2015
“[Karen State] Chief Minister U Zaw Min now said that he has given back 700 acres of land, but in reality they’ve given it to businessmen, cronies. We received a document that lists land return for 58 individuals. But some of the people on the list are not from this village. About 30 [people] from the village are missing from the list. Villagers from here got back only 186 acres.” –Villager, Kuklo village, Karen State, February 2015