26 farmers sued for demanding the return of their confiscated farmlands

Rathedaung: 26 farmers from Rathedaung Township in Arakan State have been sued by an army backed businessman for their efforts to retain their own shrimp and paddy farmlands that were confiscated by the army during the tenure of last military regime. The Town of Rathedaung is located at 20 miles north of Sittwe, the capital Arakan. The farmers who are now being sued by the businessman U Saw Aung Thein are from the villages of Paungsar, Naypukhan, Kyunchaung and Kaungrechaung that are situated on the bank of the Mayu River in Rathedaung Township. “Now that the pro-democracy civilian government is in power, the farmers have appealed to the government...

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Newly-wed woman gang-raped by soldiers and paramilitaries

Ponna Kyunt: A newly-wed woman was gang-raped by three personnel of the Burmese army and the paramilitary group known as Swan-Arr-Shin in Ponnagyun in western Burma’s Arakan State on the 8th of March, after she was taken by them on the pretense of guest inspections. The victim is identified as 20 year old Ma——, a resident of Sanpateechaung Village in Ponnagyun Township. She was said to be raped while she was visiting her native village just after she married a colleague, they have been working together in a private fishery in Thandwe Township. A lawyer told Narinjara that the personnel gang-raped the young woman after taking her away from...

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Arakan Rangers and Government Troops Clash, One Injured, One Killed

Dhaka: The Arakan Rangers, formed by the Arakan Liberation Army to carry out inland activities, clashed with the government army on 14 March on Burma’s western frontier, killing one Burmese government soldier and injuring another. Ko Soe Than, member of the department of organizing and information for the Arakan Liberation Army, told Narinjara that the clash happened while the Arakan Rangers were giving medical aid to local villagers on the border. (Arakan Rangers of ALP in Arakan) “The clash happened around 12:30 pm on 14 March at Pe-Taung Upper Village as the government troops approached the village when our Arakan Ranger troops were giving...

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Land Owner Threatened for Demanding Compensation

Rambree: The authorities in Rambree in southern Arakan State have threatened to arrest a local land owner for demanding compensation for his farmland that was confiscated for road construction in the area. “The land owned by U Kyaw Nyan was confiscated by the municipality and was dug up for rocks to pave the road in the Kyaukchaung and Kyauknimaw Road Project. His farmland was also damaged very badly. The municipality did not pay for his land and when he demanded compensation, the township administrator became angry over his demand and ordered him to come to his office,” said a close friend of U Kyaw Nyan. He said the township administrator,...

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