“At the moment, there is no army base settled there, [on Kalegauk Island], yet. The residents continue to live and work there [as normal]. It’s (the confiscation of the land) purpose is to use as a navy base in the future, if needed. But, [we] have no plans to return the land to the locals,” said General Kyaw Nyunt, in a reply to queries from Mi Myint Than, Pyithu Hlutaw representative for Ye Township, as published on the Pyithu Hlutaw website.
The Deputy-Minister states that the Mawyawaddy Navy Command seized 3,525 acres of land on Kalegauk Island; when land is needed for the country’s defense strategy, the government will pay residents local coastal prices and take the land.
Concerned that Hlutaw representatives from effected constituencies are asking whether the army plans to return the seized land to the people, Pyi Thu Hlutaw representative Mi Myint Than has inquired as to whether the army, after taking only the area of land that they truly need, will return the remaining land to the original owners.
At the Pyithu Hlutaw 10th regular session, Mi Myint Than presented the issue; “Mawyawaddy [Navy Command] confiscated the Kalegauk Island in 1996, and then they forced locals to give the signatures without paying compensations to them. So,” She asked, “will this army-seized land also be returned to the people, as lands [in other parts of Burma] have been returned?.”
Deputy-Minister General Kyaw Nyunt responded that, “[On] 2/5/2001, the Ministry of Home Affairs handed 3,525 acres of land to Mawyawaddy Navy Command as army land, free of charge.”
According to the Gen. Kyaw Nyunt, when the 3,525 acres of Kalegauk Island land was taken by the government, 920 island residents agreed to the land acquisition, and provided signatures in front of the secretary of the former Ye Township Law and Order Restoration Council, the Township People Police, and the official of the Land Marking Department.
Island residents say that their lands have been passed down from generation to generation, and given to them by their grandparents. Residents claim that no one gave up their land for free, and had only provided signatures for land-grant applications for their properties.
In an interview with IMNA, Ah-lae Seit resident Nai Aung stated that “In 1996, when [the army] seized more than 200 acres of land to settle the Artillery base between Ah-lae Seit (Middle Port) and Auk-Seit (Lower Port), there was no compensation at all. Then, [the army] demanded village heads to have villagers sign [away their land] and told the villagers that [it was] for an application of land-grant.”
Kalegauk Island is located in Lamaing Sub-Township, Ye Township, Mon State, and comprises the three villages of Auk-seit Village (Lower Port), Ah-lae Seit Village (Middle Port), and Ah-pow Seit Village (Upper Port). Kalegauk Island is home to roughly 634 households, with a population of 4,275 residents who earn their living through fishing and farming.
After the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) signed a ceasefire agreement in 1995, the government installed more than 10 Infantry Battalions (IB) and 10 Artillery Battalions in Ye Township. The Tatmadaw confiscated more than 10,000 acres Ye residents’ farmland, rubber plantations, and orchards for their bases. The NMSP submitted a letter to the government urging the government to pay landowners suitable compensation, but has not received a response from the government.
