Land Seized by Military in Hpa-kawng Allegedly Distributed as Private Plots to Military Officials Including Brigadier General Than Htin Soe

Mekong | August 1 Public farmlands near Naung Taung and Nyaung Pin villages in Hpa-kawng Township, southern Shan State, have been designated and seized by the military as military-owned land, and subsequently distributed as private plots to military officials, including Brigadier General Than Htin Soe, the principal of the Hpa-kawng-based Military Computer and Technology Science Institute, according to affected local residents. According to local residents, Brigadier General Than Htin Soe acquired three acres of land, and military officials of the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and Major have also received land allocations under their names. Although designated as military-owned land, local residents allege that it is not actually used by military units but is being utilized as private property by military officers. It is understood that these lands were agricultural fields and orchards cultivated for generations, but the military designated them as military-owned land and prohibited the original landowners from using them. Subsequently, the original owners were accused of trespassing and forcibly evicted from the lands. The affected residents have collected proof of land ownership, land registry records, and tax payment documents, and are demanding an investigation into the land seizure incident and the distribution of land among military officials, as well as the return of the lands to their original owners. "After seizing it as military-owned land, it was ultimately distributed to officers under their personal names. The seized plots are valuable lands located by the main road. We are facing many difficulties in our livelihoods after losing the lands we have cultivated for generations," a farmer whose land was seized told Mekong. The dispute between local residents and the military regarding the lands near Naung Taung and Nyaung Pin villages in Hpa-kawng Township has been ongoing since early 2026. In February, the military designated 561.75 acres of land in the area as "unoccupied land" and notified local farmers to vacate. However, local residents objected, stating that these lands were not unoccupied but were agricultural fields and orchards that had been cultivated and used for generations. Following this, local residents protesting the land seizure held a press conference, revealing that over 18,360 acres of land in Hpa-kawng Township had been seized, affecting over 200 households. In late March and early April, 12 local residents who protested the land confiscation in Naung Taung and Nyaung Pin villages were arrested by the military, police, and PNO-affiliated security forces, it was learned. Only some of those arrested have been released, while the rest were detained for a considerable period without contact with their families, local residents stated. In June, households whose lands were seized were reportedly demanded to demolish their homes themselves and pay 500,000 kyats each as demolition costs. The latest development is the additional allegation that the seized lands have been distributed under the personal names of military officers. #MekongNews #ShanState #HpaKawng #Farmland #PrivateLand #Seizure