A pall of gloom and despair has descended on people in southern Chin state, Burma following rumours that the junta was gearing up to confiscate 250 acres of paddy fields for conversion into a tea plantation.

Reports suggest that Colonel San Aung, Commander, Tactical II, mentioned confiscating land in Phaneng village during a visit in March. The Colonel made the announcement when he promised to establish a middle school and auto-telephone line in Phaneng village.

A villager from Phaneng told Khonumthung, “There will be scarcity of food if the paddy fields are confiscated. We may have to migrate to other places.”

San Aung has been quoted as saying that the farmlands are around three miles from Matupi town and the authorities can manage tea plantation on this land.

Locals between Phaneng village and Matupi town call the farms targeted for confiscation - ‘Ti Tlok Kol.’ The area produces around 3,000 quintals of rice annually.

The locals rely on Ti Tlok Kol as the main producer of rice while jhoom cultivation is irregular.

A migrant from Matupi town, when interviewed, opined that the authorities discourage jhooming, as it degrades the environment. Tea and Jatropha plantation has therefore been forcibly introduced. The confiscation of paddy fields is meaningless and the authorities want the local people to migrate to other places.

Another report says that the regime authorities will prohibit plantation in the paddy fields and jhoom cultivation Confiscation of land and plantation of tea is to be initiated in the coming year. The authorities wish to engage the people fully in tea plantation rather than allow them other occupation, according to our source.

The authorities in Matupi Township had confiscated jhoom land and residential areas for tea plantation in 2004. No report has been received of the success of tea plantation in the confiscated jhoom land and residential areas.