NLD government to return confiscated land to rightful owners

[webfact]

NLD government to return confiscated land to rightful owners



NAYPYITAW: -- One of the top priorities of the National League of Democracy (NLD) government is to return land confiscated from smallholder farmers to the rightful owners, said Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Tun Win.

A legacy of land seizure by the former military regime, in collaboration with crony companies, has in recent years been compounded by large scale investments from neighbouring countries in extractive industries and energy production. One high-profile example is the Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Division operated jointly by Chinese company Wanbao and a Burmese military conglomerate, according to the Irrawaddy on Thursday.

Tun Win however asked people to be patient on this complicated issue while the government was formulating clear laws and procedures for the return of the confiscated land.

He blamed authorities of the previous governments of various levels, including township development committees and the military for grabbing land on false public pretexts and sold it off in plots.

Earlier this week, more than 6,000 villagers from Kachin State in northern Myanmar sent an open letter to the government to resolve massive land grab dispute with Yazana company, a Burmese conglomerate blacklisted by the US.

More than 270,000 acres of farmland in Hakawng region of Hpakant township has been seized by Yazana company in 2007 for agricultural projects, including cassava and sugarcane plantations.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/163197


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-13