They submitted letters of complaint to different levels and re-opened the case but they still don't have permission to cultivate to date.
This kind of situation can only be altered if the agricultural policy of the state is changed and the government enacts new laws.
Q: How many acres of confiscated farmlands in Rangoon and Irrawaddy Divisions are you working on?
A: I am currently working on more than 10,000 acres in Rangoon and about 2,000 acres in Irrawaddy Division.
Q: Do you have any evidence to prove that over 10,000 acres of farmlands in Rangoon Division have been confiscated?
A: I think farmers who have to leave their lands must be the best evidence. In a couple of villages, farmers received official written orders saying if they don't leave their lands their huts would be destroyed. Those letters were not from division or township level authorities, but were sent by chairmen of the respective Ward Peace and Development Council. The rest of the farmers were ordered to leave their lands orally. They were threatened that if they don't leave their huts will be bulldozed. This is how they all had to move out of their lands.
Q: Is helping farmers risky?
A: Before the election last year, there were attempts to make farmers and I not get along, and at the same time farmers were also indirectly threatened to stay away from me. The situation seems to be better after the election as authorities only collect information on what I do and I can make trips freely. However, I was not permitted as an overnight guest when I went to Irrawaddy Division to work for fishermen there.
Q: Please tell us about what you did for the fishermen.
A: Many fishermen from 11 villages in Pyarpon Township died during a tropical storm in March this year. Thousands of others were swept out to the Andaman Sea and separated from their families. When survivors came back they were not given wages and other support they deserved. As a result, they had to shoulder great hardships.
So, I went there to help them demand their rights and submit related cases to the court. Before filing cases, I had to educate them about what rights they have. After my discussion with them one evening, I couldn't come back from the village and had to stay overnight there. But, I was not permitted.
Anyway, I managed to file cases all along. I filed a case for 45 widows and each of them was compensated 50,000 kyat [US$ 66] from the state and 100,000 kyat [US$ 133] from the company their husbands were working for. The amount of compensation, however, could no way compare to the life of a human. They had much more risks and grievances than what they had been compensated. There is no law to cover such grievances yet.
Q: Why were you imprisoned in 2009?
A: There are over 5,000 acres of farmland in villages around Natmauk where Gen Aung San, Burma's independence hero, was born. A factory, located near the town, unnecessarily confiscated those farmlands with a pretext of security and defense. Then, whoever wanted to cultivate had to rent their own land from the factory. Also, whoever wanted to go inside their rice fields to herd their cows had to pay money. Furthermore, farmers were forced to grow castor oil plants.
Finally, Zaw Htay, a local resident, reported to the International Labour Organization (ILO) about what had happened. He was later charged with leaking government secrets. I defended him in court and also filed land cases. So the authorities detained me to stop the ongoing trial. They couldn't find any offense against me so they looked through my diary. After that they said my legal team was illegal and charged me with the Unlawful Association Act. I was sentenced to four years imprisonment. The ILO intervened in my case so I was released after being in prison for 14 months.
Q: Why do you work for the plight of farmers?
A: They are starving right in front of my eyes, that's why I am working for them.
Q: We have heard that because of your full-time dedication to farmers you have had some problems with your family. Why do you continue your work under such circumstances?
A: My family supported me until I was studying for my master's degree. They wanted me to continue studying and I wanted that too. A foreign university also accepted me. However, after I was released from prison I was dismissed from my university when I re-registered for my second year master's program to study international law.
Farmers and workers are the closest people to me. I have seen and am well aware of how they live. I don't think they can survive by what they now earn each day.
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