‘Land rights have become the number one national issue’: Activists warn of Myanmese military’s land grab
All land in Myanmar is owned by the state, but individuals and communities have land use rights and can lease the territory they have traditionally farmed to other parties or foreign investors.
A prominent farmers’ activist in Myanmar appeared in court on Friday in what watchdog organisations say is part of an escalating crackdown on land rights campaigners.
Saw Maung Gyi, an activist from the 88 Karen Generation Student Organisation, was accused of habouring someone from an armed group, Maung Hla, a police official in Hpa-an in southeastern Myanmar, said.
If convicted, Saw Maung Gyi faces up to three years in prison. Human Rights Watch said he is a victim of “government intimidation” based on “trumped-up charges”.
The case is part of a broader campaign targeting land rights activists, as corrupt politicians and businessmen connected to Myanmar’s powerful military aim to push small farmers off their ancestral territory, the rights group said.
“Land rights issues have become the number one national issue,” David Mathieson, senior researcher with Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Yangon said.
Human Rights Watch said land disputes have increased dramatically since 2011, when a semi-civilian, reformist government took power after half a century of military rule.
Political parties, especially in rural areas, are campaigning on land issues ahead of elections on November 8, as part of the country’s political transition, Mathieson said.