Land loss resident in Dawei to sue ITD

Some 200 villagers who live along the Dawei-Kanchanaburi highway gathered in September 2012 in Kaw Htee Lor village to pray and call for a stop to the destruction of their livelihoods by the impact of the construction of the Dawei-Kachanaburi Road and the Dawei Industry Zone.

The Dawei Watch Group has said that a local resident is planning to sue the Italian-Thai Construction Company (ITD) for losses incurred when the Thai firm built a highway through his land in Yay Phyu Township.



Win Lwin Oo says he lost two acres of farmland because of the highway construction which leads from the Dawei Special Economic Zone in Tanintharyi Region to Kanchanaburi in Thailand.

The farmer claims that he has lost crops and land fertility due to blockages in streams as a result of the highway construction.

“I have reported this twice to ITD, but they are procrastinating and not taking responsibility,” he said. “So, I will sue the construction engineer in charge.”

This is the first time that a local resident has taken action against the Thai firm. It comes following a meeting between Dawei residents and Niran Pitakwatchara, the managing director of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.

According to a report submitted to the Special Court by farmland owners in the Talaing Yar District, 14 persons including Win Lwin Oo disputed the amount of compensation offered for losses to their farmland and livelihoods.

Win Lwin Oo is on record as saying that he first began planting rubber and areca (beetle nut) trees on 35 acres of land in 2006-07.