When Saw Eh Pa Doh‘s land was forcibly taken by the Burmese army, he lost his home and his livelihood. However, Saw Eh Pa Doh is not alone. In the area in northern Karen State where he is from, 327.55 acres of productive farmland has been stolen from villagers by the Burmese army. To date, no villagers have received any compensation for the loss of their lands, livelihoods, or crops.
Before his land was taken he planted crops, and sold the excess he produced to others. From this income he could support his family and send his children to school. Their lifestyle was modest however their basic needs were met.“Now we only think about food. I cannot send my children to school anymore,” he said.
Thousands of villagers in Burma have their land forcibly confiscated by the Burmese army each year. Villagers do not receive adequate compensation for this theft, if they receive any at all.
This theft of land not only removes villagers from their homes, it also steals their livelihoods. Nearly three quarters of Burma’s population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods. Without land, their livelihoods disappear.
Moreover, the crops that villager, like Saw Eh Pa Doh, were growing when their land was confiscated also become the property of the army. This can lead to food shortages and push villagers to borrow money or food in order to feed their families, creating a cycle of debt.
The Burmese army confiscates land often to implement development, such as hydro-electric dams, or agricultural, for example physic nut plantations, projects created by the country’s military junta. Other times, the soldiers take the land as a means to supplement their low salaries from the junta. There is no system of redress for villagers’ whose land has been stolen.
soldiers take the land as a means to supplement their low salaries from the Junta.
Sadly, the confiscation of Saw Eh Pa Doh‘s land was not the end of his humiliation. He was forced to work on his land to grow crops for the soldiers who had stolen his land.
Forced labour demands from the Burmese army are common. On another occasion Saw Eh Pa Doh and other villagers were forced to construct five miles of road (8 kilometres). If they missed one day they were fined 5,000 Kyat. Because Saw Eh Pa Doh spent time working for the army his family had less food to eat.
The time he spent working on their land meant he had less time to spend finding work to sustain his family. Coupled with a deteriorating situation it became increasing harder to survive from day to day.
“It has been very difficult to live. There was not enough food to feed my family,” he said.
“If I was single I would flee my village and live in the refugee camp. But I have my children, and it is difficult to travel or leave with them since they are little.”
And so Saw Eh Pa Doh and his family stay inside waiting for a situation to get better or until it deteriorates further and they are no longer able to sustain any sort of life. Saw Eh Pa Doh’s story is one of thousands of villagers, all who are merely trying to have enough food for each day for themselves and their families.What they are trying to achieve isn’t a luxury, it is the most basic necessity. Shouldn’t that be possible?
To read the other articles in the April 2008 please click on the links below:
soldiers take the land as a means to supplement their low salaries from the Junta.