Residents affected by military land seizures in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mandalay Region, have submitted formal objections regarding the confiscation of over 200 acres of expansion military land, which includes property connected to Min Aung Hlaing’s son Aung Pyae Sone. The disputed land, measuring 200.4 acres, is located in Ward 12, Yay Chan Ote Village Tract of Pyin Oo Lwin Township. While originally agricultural land, this area has since been redesignated as urban land within municipal boundaries.
The land’s status was changed through a series of administrative orders. On July 21, 2006, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued Notification No. 200/22-254 Head 1, which reorganized Pyin Oo Lwin city into 21 wards covering 25,303 acres. Furthermore, following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Mandalay Region Government’s Municipal Affairs Ministry issued Order No. 3/Wa Ka/2021(344)(Municipal) on October 31, 2021, officially designating 204.4 acres in Yay Chan Ote Village Tract as municipal territory. This reclassification meant the land was no longer considered agricultural but rather urban property, making it eligible for different types of land use applications and grant permits under existing land laws.
Currently, Lieutenant Colonel Thein Naing Tun has applied to use the 200.41 acres in Yay Chan Ote Village Tract of Pyin Oo Lwin as military-owned land. Local residents have collectively opposed this application at the Land Records Department, with affected individuals submitting separate objection letters. The residents argue that there are already numerous underutilized military lands in various locations throughout Pyin Oo Lwin Township, and the seizure of these 200-plus acres would severely impact the lives, homes, and livelihoods of many civilians. As one affected resident stated, ‘This is about civilian-owned urban land being forcefully seized by the military. Though we know our chances of success may be slim, we are using our remaining strength to fight for justice by objecting to Lieutenant Colonel Thein Naing Tun’s application to convert this into military land and apply for alternative use rights.’
