The farmers of Kyauk Phyu township in Rakhine State, whosefarmlands wereconfiscated by the authority for the Shwe Natural Gas Project,filed a lawsuit againstthe South Korean company named POSCO International in 2016.

In December 2022, the Korean court gave the verdict where the farmers, who filed lawsuits, lost the case.

Moreover the Korea court imposed a fineof Korean Yuan 27 million as thefarmers lost the case  afterPOSCO International  asked for compensation for the court proceedings. The fine is equivalent to Myanmar Kyats  80 million.

“Since the Kyauk Phyu farmers lost the case, POSCO International company demanded the amount ascompensation from the farmers in theKorean court. So the court ordered the farmers to compensate the
company with the amount of money,” said U Khin Maung Myint from Gong Chuin village.

Meanwhile, the Korean court sent a notice to the farmersthrough Kyauk Pyutownship court on 26 June.

The money was recently paid to POSCO International  bythe South KoreanLgong Law Firm, which represented the case for the farmers (whose land was seizedfor the Shwe gas project) through the Seoul Central District Court, informed  Khin Maung Myint.

"From our side, we cannot pay the amount. TheKorean lawyer's group paidthe amount to the  company through the court,” he added.

U Tun Lwin, who mediated between the farmers and a Korean lawyer's group, said that it was  relatedto the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise(MOGE). The court finally observed the Kyauk Phyu farmers failed in the lawsuit.

More than 90 acres of land belonging to over 100 farmers fromMalakyun andOhntaw village under Kyauk Phyu township were seized in 2010 at a price of Kyats  20million  per acre for use in  the natural gas project.

20 farmers, who received small compensation for landconfiscation, filed a lawsuit with the help of the Lgong Law Firm attorney team and filed a lawsuit at theCentral District Court in Seoul in 2016.

Regarding the case, the Seoul Central DistrictCourt decided POSCO was notguilty in the land’s  confiscation as it was not related tothe company, but the MOGE.

In December, the final order was passed, and the farmers whosued lost theircase. Currently, the local farmers have lost their land and also the  hope for filing anotherlawsuit for their damages, lamented an affected farmer.