Abstract

Land Reform in Asia Justice versus Expediency

Prof Richard K Bullard
The Old Post Office, The Street,
Terling, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 2PG, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1245 233 351
Fax: +44 (0) 1245 233 751
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Email: richard.bullard@boltblue.com

Abstract
Land is the most important resource that we have at our command and use. How we use the land is important for our very survival but also for the benefit of future generations. The process of sustainable land use would be appropriate in these circumstances. It would in theory be an ideal if land was shared out equally so that every family had an equal opportunity to provide their own food and a surplus to provide funds for their personal needs from their own land parcel. This situation would assume that there was sufficient arable land available for each family unit, in the right place, and able to provide an adequate life supporting harvest and the surplus for extra expenditure. The reality is far from this ideal even if there could be such a simple solution. The fact that persons live in both the rural and in urban areas where they are now increasing in greater numbers, means that only those in the rural areas would provide the food and needs for urban dwellers. Therefore land reform in the process of redistribution is a more complex task than the theoretical model suggested above

While it might be, according to the UN agencies, appropriate to “distribute land to the tiller and the landless peasant”, the reality in Asia and other parts of the world remains far from this ideal. It must be questioned if the many UN Reports on Land Reform have fuelled the aspirations of those demanding land without explaining the reality.

This paper will refer to the situation currently prevailing in China, India, and other selected countries, showing how the current process of land reform is far from the UN ideal. The tragic human situation in Zimbabwe, referred to by that government as land reform, illustrates how political interference can result in unforeseen circumstances. These include the killing and beating of farmers and farm workers and others opposing the regime. The destruction of viable commercial farms with the subsequent loss of employment for the full and part time farm workers. High inflation with considerable loss of export earnings leading to shortages of both locally produced and imported food and other raw materials including oil. Destruction of buildings both domestic and commercial, and loss of flora and fauna. The resultant break down in law and order with the dismissal of independent judges, plus the political use of the police and army to enforce the changes will mean that the whole fabric of society has been destroyed under the claim of undertaking land reform. This is certainly only one example currently being undertaken by a ruling class.

There must be a balance between the justice represented by the UN ideals and the expeditious method of land reform where all the citizens are able to receive sufficient for their needs, accepting that majority rights may appear to suffer in the short term process