Condemnation on illegal land confiscation by Burmese army in Karenni state
December 17, 2019
Karenni-American Association (KnA) strongly condemns the ongoing unfair lawsuits brought against innocent Karenni farmers by the Burmese military in Demoso and Loikaw townships, Karenni (kayah) state.
KnA is particularly outraged by the fact that, to date, the Burmese military is still operating above the law, and also that the Members of the parliament and National League for Democracy (NLD) are unable to protect innocent ethnic citizens from human rights abuses. These gestures only demonstrate, once again, the superficial nationwide ceasefire endeavor on the part of the government and are a cause for great concern for civil unrest, now and into the future.
Under Articles 447 and 427 of the Penal Code for trespassing, causing damage and breaking military fences under the Public Property Protection Act, at least forty-one farmers, including three rights activists, have been facing unfair charges, of which eleven victims are currently being detained while the rest have been granted bail.
Farming has been the only livelihood of the Karenni people, thus the confiscation of their basic way of life by the artillery battalions is a direct violation of basic human rights.
The only perpetrator, from the very beginning of this suffering, has been none other than the military. The forty-one citizens, who have been generationally cultivating these farmlands for more than fifty years, are only falling victim to the tyrannical rule of the military.
WE DEMAND, in solidarity with the oppressed Karenni farmers and concerned citizens, that the government immediately address grievances of the farmers and their families, the military be brought to justice, answer for their lack of understanding of the laws and land rights, and most importantly, return the illegally-seized lands to the rightful Karenni owners.
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