As seen on the Myanmar Times

The Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry will formally allow residents of 1213 villages sited in forest reserves to live in their communities legally.

Residents of the villages currently risk arrest for trespass under forestry laws.

The villages” which all have 50 or more households” were established illegally but will be allowed to remain inside forest areas through the removal of the land from forest reserves and creation of community-owned forests” the ministry said in a statement on June 13.

The statement” released by the office of the director general of the Department of Forestry” said about 345″889 acres would be removed from Myanmar’s forest reserves under the plan. This includes 24″447 acres of residential land” 295″320 acres of farmland and 26″122 acres of public buildings” including schools” clinics and religious buildings.

The statement said the reclassification of the land was ordered by the president and was the first phase of the Department of Forestry’s rural development and poverty alleviation plan.

However” it warned that residents of any new settlements established in forest reserves would face action under the law.

Numerous trespassing cases related to communities established illegally on forest land are being heard in Myanmar’s legal system and the issue has also generated a flood of complain letters to parliamentary committees. – Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Original Article