MAWLAMYINE — Mon State government has dismissed seven ward and village administrators since March and is investigating a further 31 more for selling communal land among other misconducts, said a state government director.
“Administrators have authority and responsibilities enshrined in ward and village tract administration law. They have overstepped their authority, and they were dismissed for this,” said Mon government office director U Myint Than Win.
Out of the seven dismissed administrators, three are from Paung, three from Kyaikto, and one from Chaungzon. Questioning has been completed on administrators from Mudon and Mawlamyine—two of the 31 currently being investigated—and their possible dismissal is being considered, added U Myint Than Win.
Former Mon State chief minister U Min Min Oo, who resigned in February “to live in peace,” also issued warnings to the Mudon and Mawlamyine administrators for their alleged wrongdoings, according to U Myint Than Win.
One of the dismissed administrators from Paung Township was involved in settling a lawsuit in a child rape case; the victim was paid seven million kyats in compensation, and another two administrators sold communal land in their villages, according to a Paung resident who asked for anonymity.
From April 1, 2015 to the last week of August, 2017, the state parliamentary committee tasked with handling complaints received about 500 objections—more than 60 percent concerning land issues.
“Village administrators sold the vacant land in plots for so-called village funds, and managed the funds. Many of the complaints are concerned with this. Again, administrators demanded money from both buyers and sellers in the sale of land plots. There are also many complaints regarding this,” said U Aung Kyaw Thu, chairman of the parliamentary committee.
In May, Mon State Chief Minister Dr. Aye Zan told township administrators to ask ward and village administrators not to become involved in land dealings, according to Thein Zayat ward administrator U Soe Thet Oo of Kyaikto Township.
In his inaugural address on March 1, the chief minister vowed to fight corruption and drug dealings in the state.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
