KNU exploited government-owned land for KK Park, says Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun
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Htet Nadi/Thant Zin (NP News) - Oct 26
The KK Park land was sold by the KNU (Karen National Union) at the behest of the government, according to the statement by Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, head of the State Security and Peace Commission's press release team, in response to media inquiries on October 20.
KK Park is located on the banks of the Thaungyin River, on the Thai-Myanmar border near Mae Htaw Thalay village, south of Myawaddy, and is an area of activity for the KNU Brigade (6), according to Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
"First of all, if we talk about the history of KK Park and how it came to be, everything will become clearer. It is located near Mae Htaw Thalay village, south of Myawaddy town, along the Thaungyin River on the Thai-Myanmar border. It lies within the operational area of KNU Brigade (6). The BGF’s Shwe Kokko New City Project, on the other hand, is located north of Myawaddy. To the north of the KK Park New City Project lies Lay Kay Kaw. Lay Kay Kaw was established in 2015 as a symbol of peace efforts by the then Chief Minister of Kayin State and former KNU Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, with assistance from Japan’s Nippon Foundation," said Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
Then, after the KNU invaded and occupied the area, the locals were expelled, and the KNU, PDF groups, and their support groups continued to live there, said Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
On February 27, 2020, the KNU's Mulaei Ahlin Company Limited and a Thai company signed a contract for the initial land lease for the KK Park project, said Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
“The witnesses to the agreement, the land leaser, Mulaei Ahlin, the current KNU chairman, Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, signed as the central committee of the KNU Finance Committee, and the former KNU defense department chief, Colonel Saw Roger Khin, also signed as the central committee of the KNU Finance Committee,” said Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said that it was also found that the contract agreed to lease approximately 100 acres of land for 30 years.
“The contract stipulates that the land will be leased for 30 years, covering approximately 100 acres. These contracts are binding contracts. According to the information in the contract, the price per acre is 35,000 bahts per year, and the land is 3.5 million bahts per year for 100 acres of land, payable every six months,” said Maj. Gen.
In addition, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said that the KNU has charged a security fee of 500,000 bahts per month for 30 acres, and that the contract also promises to increase security costs as the project area expands.
Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun continued, "Therefore, the KNU, driven by financial interests, has unlawfully exploited state-owned land without any form of official authorization. It was found that for every 30 acres, the KNU was to receive 500,000 baht as a security fee, and the agreement stated that the security payment would increase in proportion to the project’s expansion. In May 2022, the KNU signed a new contract with Trans Asia International Holding Group. This time, instead of the previous company, Mulaei Ahlin, the agreement was changed to a contract between the KNU and TROTH STAR COMPANY, led by Brigadier General Saw Ne Lin Lwin. Among the foreign investors, it was also discovered that a former company and Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Economic Association were involved. Sihanoukville in Cambodia is known as the country’s casino hub. After Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on August 18, 2019, that he would take action against online gambling operations, many of those businesses began moving their activities into Myanmar."
“This is purely an act of financial greed and the illegal exploitation of state-owned land. We already released a statement on this matter in yesterday’s news. Our findings show that there is no official approval or lawful authorization for any of the land-related activities being carried out there. Furthermore, the gambling operations on that land are being protected in exchange for payments essentially, they are collecting money and providing paid protection. The funds generated from these businesses are being used to commit acts of violence against the State and the ethnic population. These groups are protecting online gambling businesses and facilitating criminal activities that affect not only Myanmar but also neighboring countries, including China and Thailand. This shows that the KNU is an extremist organization willing to sell out the entire nation for money. Therefore, I would like to call upon the international community and all ethnic national citizens to unite and oppose the KNU,” said Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.