ALARM altogether with 12 local organizations conducted the MSPP land grabbing study for about 18 months and the study aims to understand and highlight the social and environmental impacts caused by industrial oil palm expansion in Tanitharyi region of southern Myanmar and advocate for the rights of local communities suffering those impacts. The research was carried out by collecting various kinds of information including documenting human right abuses, conducting interviews, mapping the concession area, remote sensing and investigating the revenue chains that fund MSPP.

MSPP activities have caused severe negative social and environmental impacts for four indigenous villages, home to approximately 4,480 people within the concession area, and in total 13 villages are affected. Since 2011, the company has cleared more than 6000 acres, including the betel nut and cashew orchards villagers depend on for their livelihoods. Families who have lost their productive land have fallen into high levels of debt or been forced to work as day laborers for low wages. Many villagers do not earn enough money to feed and clothe their families.

Furthermore, run-off from chemical fertilizers and pesticides used by MSPP has polluted local water resources, causing livestock to die and villagers to fall ill with skin irritations and dysentery. MSPP has never offered villagers fair compensation for these impacts. The MSPP oil palm project has failed to comply with both domestic laws and international human rights principles. Following the granting of the MIC permit, MSPP should have acquired permission from the Central Committee for the management of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands to use the relevant land.

There is no evidence that it did so. Further, because the land belonged to the communities, the only way that it could have acquired is under the 1894 Land Acquisition Act. This would have required a public notification process and opportunities to raise objection, neither of which took place. MSPP has also violated the indigenous Karen community’s right to Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples(UNDRIP).

Green Book (Myanmar Final)