Indenpendent Mon News Agency
5/30/01
(Tenasserim Division, Mon State, November 2000)
Since November 19, 2000, SPDC’s some government departments and army have planned to
construct a gas-pipeline and bring natural gas from Yadana gas field via Kanbauk area of
Tenasserim Division to Pa-an township of Karen State to provide the required energy for an
extent cement production factory. In Myaing-kalay area of Pa-an township of Karen State,
there is an existing cement factory and now SPDC extended another factory and so for the
operation of this factory, SPDC planned to construct a gas pipeline from Tenasserim
Division, and passes into Mon State and then connect into Karen State.
To implement this pipeline construction project, SPDC’s Nationality Race and Border
Area Development Ministry, Construction Ministry (Minister Oo win) and Southeast Region
Military Command (Southeast Command) have coordinated each other and formed a gas pipeline
constructing corporation and planned all rough construction processes to complete within 7
months. Thus, the concerned ministries’ department and army battalions have
participated in this project.
The corporation have planned to construct the pipeline along Yebyu-Ye motor road that
connects Tenasserim Division and Mon State; between Ye and Moulmein motor and railways
roads; along Moulmein-Kyaikmayaw motor road by passing Attaran river bridge; from
Kyaikmayaw township of Mon State into Pa-an township of Karen State by passing Gyaing
river bridge. (Look in the map.)
When corporation officials cleared the route for pipeline along Yebyu-Ye motor road, it
had passed into Yapu village tract and the lands and fruit plantations owned by villagers
were also confiscated by the authorities. When the route passes into villages, the
officials ordered to cut down trees that lied in front of their house surrounding. The
bushes and trees along the motor road were also cleared by villagers without payment.
When the route passed between Ye – Moulmein motor and railway roads, some paddy
farmlands in these areas have been also confiscated. When the route into a Mon village
near Thanbyuzayat town, called Wae-rat, about 20 houses and their gardens were also
confiscated by officials on November 27 and the villagers were ordered to destroy their
houses, cut their trees and leave from their houses within three days. The villagers have
been homeless and landless within 3 days.
Similarly when the route passed Wae-thun-chaung village, near Thanbyuzat town, about 10
houses and lands were confiscated on November 29 and the villagers were ordered to destroy
their houses, cut their trees and leave their houses within three days. Among the
villagers, the houses and lands owned by (1) Nai Mun Tin; (2) Nai Nai Nyan Sein; (3) Nai
Ai; (4) Nai Pyin; (5) Nai Kyaw Aye; (6) Nai Ohn; and (7) Nai Sein were also confiscated
and they became homeless within three days. Nai Sein had lost totally about 0.7 million
Kyats. As common abuse by government authorities in Burma, no land and house owned by
villager were compensated and they also did not provide any new space of lands. Then, the
villagers suddenly displaced due to this government development projects.
Accordingly to villagers, these confiscated lands have price about 0.5 million Kyat to 2
million Kyat per plot of lands. The lands price differs because of different land spaces
and trees have been grown in lands. The villagers have been resided with their families in
these spaces of lands for over one hundred year and now they displaced within 3 days.
Then, when the route passes into Kyaikmayaw township along the motor road, although it
does not cross into a village, about 50 feet of lands which have some fruit trees and
paddy farmlands owned by the villagers in Kyaikmayaw township were confiscated. As
estimation, about 200 acres of lands with fruit trees and rice-fields along the motor road
are confiscated in Kyaikmayaw township and nobody received any compensated cost.
Therefore in the official pipeline construction conducted by SPDC, some hundreds of
civilians in Tenasserim Division, Mon State and Karen State have lost their lands, trees
and houses. The government officials never take responsibility for these victims and just
gave a complaint that all lands in Burma are own by the State.
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