'Zay Kabar' Khin Shwe Faces Lawsuit
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'Zay Kabar' Khin Shwe Faces Lawsuit


By KHIN OO THAR / THE IRRAWADDY Friday, February 17, 2012


Khin Shwe, chairman of Zay Kabar Company, talks during the 37th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting at a hotel in Rangoon on November 3, 2011. (Photo: Retuers)
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Khin Shwe, the chairman of Zay Kabar Company and a member of Burma’s Lower House, will face a lawsuit filed by farmers from Rangoon’s Mingaladon Township whose farmland he allegedly confiscated.

The farmers were previously allowed to continue growing paddy and other crops even after their lands were seized, but they are no longer permitted to do so. Many have been threatened and told to vacate the land, that’s why they are preparing to sue him, said Kyaw Sein, a farmer who lost 50 acres of land.

Over 1,000 acres of land belonging to more than 70 farmers  at Mingaladon’s Apaung, Shwenanthar and Paungku villages were reportedly confiscated in 2010 with compensation paid out at 300,000 kyat [US $390] per acre.

A number of aggrieved farmers told The Irrawaddy that Khin Shwe claimed that no compensation needed to be paid as those lands had been confiscated by the state to build nationalized factories and workshops. Khin Shwe allegedly told the farmers that the 300,000 kyat-per-acre payments were made “out of sympathy.”

“We are being forced to get off our own land and the company is threatening legal action against us. So we have authorized someone to act on our behalf in filing a lawsuit against Khin Shwe,” said Kyaw Sein.

The chairman of the Peace and Diversity Party, Nay Myo Wai, who was appointed by the farmers as their representative, told The Irrawaddy that he is preparing to sue Khin Shwe for land confiscation and abuse of state power.

He said he is currently in consultation with legal experts to submit a case for 815 acres of land belonging to 35 farmers, and hopes to file it in the coming days.

According to prominent lawyer Aung Thein, the Lawyers’ Network will provide the plaintiffs with all the necessary legal assistance.

Ohn Myint, a woman who lost 14 acres of farmland and a garden, told The Irrawaddy that she is concerned about her livelihood.

“I had to survive by selling papayas and bananas following my land confiscation. But, those trees were recently cut down so I don’t have anything left. Besides, I am being forced to move out,” she said.

She said that Myint Zaw, the manager of Zay Kabar Company, visited the area and told farmers to destroy their huts and leave.

She said that the farmers' discontent is fueled by reports that Khin Shwe is allegedly preparing to sell the land to foreign companies at inflated prices.

The Irrawaddy was unable to to contact Khin Shwe for comment.

The current price of an acre of confiscated land is reported to be between three and four million kyat [$3,896—5,195].

In 2011, Khin Shwe, an in-law of the Lower House’s current speaker Thura Shwe Mann, reportedly seized farmlands in Mon State in order to build a cement factory. No action was taken against him at that time.

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Than Lwin Wrote:
21/02/2012
It is this group of super-rich fascist military leaders and their cronies, who systematically destroyed civilian institutions of all kinds over the years. It is also disgusting to know further that it is this group of super-rich fascist military leaders and their cronies, who refuse to send their children overseas to do further studies, expose them to outside world but just enjoy just enjoying royal life style and everyday preying on young and innocent Burmese girls in Rangoon’s & Mandalay’s Karaokes and pubs, who just want to survive day-to-day and make ends meet for their families.

Sidney Wrote:
20/02/2012
Another stooge of the regime that leeches the blood of the people.

Maung Soe Wrote:
19/02/2012
This is Burma,a lawless country where the generals and their cronies rule and do whatever they like,never giving a thought to ordinary people like us.I can understand their greed and selfishness.The only thing that makes me angry is their shameless and repeated claims of being patriotic.What a blatant insult to the country!

Than Lwin Wrote:
18/02/2012
This is a classic example of how this fascist Burmese military ran the country’s zero-sum economy for the past 50 years – in order to make a few groups of cronies super-rich, many millions of ordinary Burmese people including rank-and-file soldiers must become absolutely poor. It won’t be difficult to casually observe in Burma that 99% poor are subsidizing 1% super-rich in every strata of the economy. It is not exaggerating. Under unbroken fascist military rule, farmers, fishermen, traditional craftsmen, technocrats and many others, who become professionals either through by talent or by training could not survive by emotionally attached to their own noble professions. You starve. Or you run away. Or you become a crook by signing to their tune and act on their whim, marry into their families and become a member of gereration-destroying gang.

Bill Gov Wrote:
18/02/2012
Eating out of the farmland but will turn against the farmers and betray the ones who fed him. What a shame to society! Utterly useless and disgraceful!

Oo Maung Gyi Wrote:
18/02/2012
makin g trouble with farmers is a sin because they are peoples feeders and their gratitute is enormous. Time will arriving
soon to take action to this kind of peoples those abuse state power. He is one of the cronies of previous MIS chief Khin Nyunt who is now powerless and can not talk at this time. State should disqualify his MP status.
One of the most corrupted personal in Burma.

Myanmar Patriots Wrote:
18/02/2012
This is outrageous. How can anyone confiscate other's property or land? Are they still practising evil BSPP robbery?
What legal basis is there for such confiscation?
Talk of rule of law, without understanding anything.

Reforms cannot be affected without a corpus of laws. Get it?
What is the source of law? Is the parliament the only source of law?
what logic will lie behind the acts of parliament?
Think if you have more than 2 brain cells.
Our farmers feed us. We have a duty to protect them. In the days of monarchy farmers were also soldiers of the kings.

Mualcin Wrote:
18/02/2012
Throw him into prison for 50 years.

kkloveburma Wrote:
18/02/2012
This is great news. Just keep going on.

timothy Wrote:
18/02/2012
Folks,
None must be above the law. Everyone must be treated equally in the eyes of law except none.
Rule of Law is the utmost important measure Burma needs urgently. I am sure the genuine investers would not feel comfortable with the lawless 2008 Constitution. The lawless China and India are quite happy to rape Burma in lawless society of military-ruled Burma. I will watch the situation with cautious optimism. I hope investers should apply their sound mind to help Burma.

Shwe Myo Wrote:
18/02/2012
Khin (Shwe) Mann-Speaker for the people or for Zaykabar? Lets just wait and see...

yebaw Wrote:
18/02/2012
If "No one's above the law is correct," this guy will get a good punishment.

Ohn Wrote:
18/02/2012
So this government is Really, really Different!

Flea bite!

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