Introduction: "Emerging from five d
ecades of military
dictatorship,
civil turmoil
and
economic
isolation,
Burma has
lately
come to the
attention of
international
investors keen to
draw profits from the country’s vast
natural resources which
include
fertile land,
minerals,
oil, natural gas and timber.

This Interview, with Naw A---, describes events and issues occurring in Thandaunggyi Township, Toungoo District, reported to KHRG in January 2015, including land confiscation, education, healthcare, and development projects...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: •This joint submission by the Coalition of Indigenous Peoples in Myanmar/Burma focuses on
the collective rights of indigenous peoples, particularly the thematic areas of land,
territories, and natural resources, development, and language and cultural rights, with
militarization, self-determination, and free, prior
and informed consent (FPIC) as cross-cutting issues. •Section A describes the context of indigenous peoples in Myanmar/Burma. It highlights the

Table of Contents: Mangrove Deforestation, Shrimp Farming, and the Survival of the Coastal... Land Confiscation in Burma: Whose land is it?... Shwe Gas Pro ect and the Impact on Arakan State... A Brief History of Rice Agriculture and Chemical Fertilizer Use in Arakan State

This Situation Update describes events occurring in Kawkareik, Kyonedoe and Kyainseikgyi townships, Dooplaya District between March and May 2014, including issues of land confiscation and updates on villagers’ livelihoods and health care.

This News Bulletin describes human rights abuses occurring in Paingkyon Township, Hpa-an District between February 2013 and July 2014, including killing, forced labour, arbitrary taxation and land confiscation.

This Incident Report describes the destruction of farmland belonging to an A--- villager as a result of stone mining in June 2013. The mining work in question was carried out without the consent of villagers living in the area. Villagers living in A--- village expressed concerns that should the mining project expand, their village and plantations would be destroyed, and stated their intention to seek further information about the project.

The Asian Human Rights Commission has since mid-2012 closely followed, documented and reported on the struggle of farmers in the Letpadaung Hills of central Burma against the expansion of a copper mining operation under a military-owned holding company and a partner company from China.

Rangoon (Mizzima) – Htay Myint, the owner of the Yuzana Company, says the company will give back more than 1,000 acres of confiscated land in the Hukaung Valley in Kachin State to the original owners, said activist Bauk Ja.

Abstract:
"In 2012, the Government of Myanmar (GoM) passed
the Farmland Law and the Vacant, Fallow, Virgin
(VFV) Land Law—creating a formalized land market. In essence, this created a formalized land
market. Land titling is often considered “the natural end point of land rights formalization” (Hall et al.
2010: 35). This thinking has become dominant among most governments and development agencies
ever since De Soto (2000) popularized it in
The Mystery of Capital
, in which he argued that the

This Field Report describes events occurring in Toungoo District between December 2013 and December 2014. During this period, KHRG mainly received reports from Thandaunggyi Township and surrounding areas. The report includes information submitted by KHRG community members on a range of human rights abuses and issues of importance to local communities including land confiscation, militarisation, fighting between armed groups, commercial activity carried out by military actors, violent abuse, access to education, access to healthcare, and development projects.

In September 2011, residents of Je--- village, Kawkareik Township told KHRG that they feared soldiers under Tatmadaw Border Guard Battalion #1022 and LIBs #355 and #546 would soon complete the confiscation of approximately 500 acres of land in their community in order to develop a large camp for Battalion #1022 and homes for soldiers' families. According to the villagers, the area has already been surveyed and the Je--- village head has informed local plantation and paddy farm owners whose lands are to be confiscated.