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Development P rojects Hit Burmese Rubber Farmers in Mon
State
Reporters: Cherry Htike/ Banyol Kong Janoi
Title: Burma rubber plant
Date: 30/01/2013
INTRO
Burmas Mon State is rich in rubber it has been the locals main
source of income for
generations.
But since 2009, thousands of hectares of rubber plantation have
been cut down to make way
for a road project.
The project is run by the powerful armed wing of the New Mon
State Party.
As Cherry Htike and Banyol Kong Janoi report, many locals were
forced to cut down their
trees.
TEXT
SFX: sound of cracking rock to repair the road
About 50 workers are repairing the 35 kilometre long road that
connects Wa Sar Laoi village
to Mudon city in Mon state.
The project is run by a committee backed by the New Mon State
Party, the local ethnic armed
group.
The party argues that people will benefit from the road.
SFX: rubber processing
But 52-year-old Ma Ong Kyi lost part of her 100 hectare rubber
plantation because of the
road project.
Aung Ong Kyi clip 1 (female/ Burmese) "Our land was taken away
when they started the
road project a few years ago. Now they tell me to cut down 100
rubber trees to extend theroad. What else do we have for our
livelihood?
Rubber plantations are the main source of income for locals.
But a total of roughly 6,000 hectares of rubber plantations has
been cut down to build the
road.
Like 42-year-old San Yin, many are too afraid to speak up.
San Yin clip 1 (Female/Burmese) They are soldiers... we do not
dare complain. We might be
arrested if we do.
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In rural areas like Mon State, the Burmese are still largely
ruled by armed groups.
The New Mon State Partys armed wing is believed to have about
1,000 troops in the hills of
southeast Burma.
In the past, locals supported them, believing that they were
fighting for the people.
But San Yin has started to change her mind.
San Yin clip 2 (Female/Burmese) "We have to pay a lot money to
armed groups for many
purposes; for security fees, to repair roads, and an annual tax
to the group. They never tell us
how much money they get. Some of the money went into their own
pockets."
Many say land was taken away without compensation.
But a spokesperson for the New Mon State Party, Nai Talanyi,
claims that people support the
road project.
Talanyie clip 1 (Male/Burmese) "We have been consulting the
villagers. They already knew
that their plantations would be cut down for the roads. Our
local administration didnt inform
us that there were objections from the villagers. So we dont
know anything. We dont have a
budget to compensate the rubber plantation owners.
The New Mon State Party also received some grants from the
government for the
development project during the signing of the peace deal last
year.
But its unclear how much they got and whether its being used for
the benefit of local people
or not.
SFX: sound of track that is going on the road
A Member of Parliament for Mon State, Banyar Aung Moe has been
urging the government
to take over all the development projects in order to secure
peoples rights.
Nay Myo Wai is a local land activist.
Nay Myo Wai clip (Male/Burmese) "Nationwide, land has been taken
away by state military-
backed companies, the army itself or ethnic armed groups. We
dont have the capacity tofight for those people whose rights were
violated by the armed groups. Were still struggling
to fight against government violations. The state government
should behave better than the
ethnic armed groups because theyre the ones who are in the
international spotlight.
Most of the complaints, he says, relate to the army.
SFX: showing record of land confiscation that committed by the
state military army.
In 2003, Mon human rights groups reported that the army
confiscated more than 1,600
hectares of land from farmers for military purposes and
barracks.
