Resource information
Over the years HURFOM has produced a number of accounts highlighting the
hardships faced by Mon farmers who became victims of land confiscation or
unjust land acquisition.1 In this report HURFOM follows-up on previously
documented abuses and concentrates on an emerging new trend: farmers’ active and
collective pursuits for rights to their land.
Disputed Territory aims to elaborate on the activities of and express solidarity with
farmers who are resolutely, and in some cases for the first time, seeking justice
regarding their land. To exhibit current challenges and bring into focus some of the key
obstacles in the Mon context, this report uses case studies of appeals over past military
land confiscations in Ye Township and on-going transgressions by various investors in
Kyaikmayaw Township. Where barriers to justice exist, HURFOM recommends effective
and immediate solutions.
HURFOM contends that farmers’ newly voiced demands present an important
opportunity for President Thein Sein’s government. Inherent in an environment of
growing activism is the chance to meet appeals with justice, thereby demonstrating to
domestic and international critics that the administration is committed to a clear break
with the abuses of past military regimes. Violations of farmers’ rights need to be publicly
condemned and owners of wrongfully seized land must have property restored or be
given fair compensation. There is an urgent need for the establishment of a credible
legal framework to prevent dispossession and violated rights from continuing to be
hallmarks of agrarian life under this government’s nominally civilian rule...
