• • • • The regional authorities have permitted the use of a total of 42,200 acres of wild land in Tanintharyi Township. This permission by the Central Committee, however, does not include vacant, fallow and virgin lands which the company has, so far, cultivated 3,144 acres. According to the company’s report of 7 August, it has compensated (200.4) million Kyats for 3,089.99 acres of land. According to the report submitted by the company to the Tanintharyi Regional Government on 30 May, coordination is being made for compensation of the remaining land. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being prepared. Arrangements are being made to make a field investigation trip by a team led by members of the Investment Committee and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conversation. At the time of writing, the Commission has yet to obtain feedback from the Malaysian company as the Commission is waiting for further response from the MNHRC prior to engaging with the Malaysian company. S U H A K A M A N N U A L R EPOR T 2017 77 2 The complainant further claimed that the JVC activities have caused severe negative social and environmental impacts on four indigenous Karen villages, home to approximately 4,480 people, within the concession area and affected the livelihood of the villagers who depend on betel nut and cashew orchards. It was further claimed that the families who have lost their productive land have fallen into high levels of debt or been forced to work as day labourers with low wages. Furthermore, run-off from chemical fertilisers and pesticides used by the JVC has allegedly polluted local water sources, resulting in the villagers suffering from skin irritation and other health issues apart from watching their livestock die off. In response to the complaint, the Commission wrote to its counterpart in Myanmar and received feedback on 6 November in which the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) informed that they have written to the Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and Tanintharyi Regional Government with a view to obtain a response. As a result, the MIC provided the following salient points contained in a reply dated 12 October: C H A P T E R the Central Committee for the Management of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands or putting up acquisition notices issued under the Myanmar Land Acquisition Act 1894.