Press release Statement
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Community Sustainable livelihood and Development Committee – CSLD (Kamothway)
Regarding unfair and non transparent compensation by the Italian-Thai Development PCL
Regis No: 9/2013 Dated: 17.9.2013
The Community Sustainable Livelihood and Development (CSLD), call for an immediate response from the Italian-Thai Development PCL (ITD) to give the compensation to 38 villagers who were affected by the construction of the Road Link between Thitgadon and Myitta in 2010implemented by the ITD. The construction is the major part of the Dawei Deep Sea Port and Special Economic Zone project.
Without Free Prior and Informed Consent, the Italian Thai PCL has implemented the transnational road link construction project in the area of Myitta, Pyinthataw, Thabyu Chaung since 2010 destroyed betel nut, rubber, and cashew nut plantations which are the main source of income of the local communities.
The land was confiscated unfairly for road construction which destroyed the livelihoods of the many villagers from Myitta, Pyinthardaw, Ka-Htaung-Ni, Tha-Byu-Chaung, Yebouk, Ka-Let-Kyee and Thitgadon since 2010. Even though the villagers were uncertified to agree the terms of compensation for unprincipled project activities, the ITD promised to give compensation after the completion of the assessment of affected area but they didn’t keep their promise.
Several meetings related to the compensation were done in 2013 and the ITD did (111) separate payments to plantation owners. However, the ITD failed to pay the remaining payments to the 38 villagers and no specific time frame was set transparently for the remaining compensation process.Some plantation owners didn’t received compensation yet because ITD didn’t count their plants destroyed by road constructions since 2010.
Therefore, on 9th September 2013 the affected villagers gathered at Thabyu Chaung Village to request the ITD to give an accurate answer to the compensation payment process. In order to obtain the public attention to their concern, the villagers detained three vehicles owned by the ITD on 9th September which later have been released on 11th September.
At present, the IT hasn’t so far given an accurate answer to the villagers’ concern. Therefore, Community Sustainable Livelihood and Development, CSLD calls for the ITD to immediately respond to the request of the affected villagers in a manner to mitigate the tension between the local communities and the ITD as the developer of the road infrastructure of the Dawei Deep Seaport and Special Economic Zone Project in the future.
Community Sustainable Livelihood and Development, CSLD believes that the development of the project cannot be achieved without the consent and participation of the local communities.
Contact:
Saw Kho – CSLD – 0931418851
Saw Kedoh – CSLD – 0949337492
U Thant Zin – DDA –09422190691
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dawei-Development-Association/324514247578588
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