The agricultural plantations of 4 migrant workers who gave their details to the Burmese authorities in order to get a passport were confiscated a week ago.
The plantations, located in Burma are owned by migrants living in Thailand and were confiscated by the Burmese authorities. Ma Aye Hlaing who works in Surat Thani described how this happened, “I made call to my friend, 4 of them including Ma Mi Win owned gardens had been confiscated that what I knew. Due to making passport process and that have to give your Burma address detail and when authorities know the owners are working at Thailand and asked Tax for the lands. For those take care the land cannot pay tax and so those land had been confiscated. Many now tried to communicate to their families members who working in Thailand. At the beginning they thought passport making process is good but now knowing it was really bad. One of them a little bit clever and reply through parent that, cannot pay Tax for the moment but will absolutely return before 2010 election so her land is pardon from confiscation”.
Many migrant workers residing in Thailand have invested money in gardens and farm lands in Burma so they can have a secure livelihood if and when return from Thailand.
Ma San from Jaktaw village who is also aware of this situation said; “My elder brother from village phoned me. The government servants came and asked for Tax. We, the families here would face trouble. Don’t tell parents name, exact address. 4 gardens now been confiscated. Don’t make the passport if you are not sure; he said. We are filled all correct data so we are now in trouble”.
Ko Ah Naing originally From Thayetchaung village, Burma said; “the township authorities came down to our village and told that for those people who made passport would ask to return for voting. All of them must return, if some of those not return, their homes and lands would be confiscated. 35 of us including me here in our work already applied for passport and we all now are worry. Our parents, brothers and sisters from village phoned and told us.”
This land confiscation, coupled with the previously documented arrests of migrants applying for passports is leading to widespread fear and unrest in the Thai Burmese migrant population.
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