A/HRC/7/18 page 15 of 26 October 1953 conferring land ownership on the State, these confiscations appear to have several aims, including relocating civilian populations deemed to be sympathetic to the armed opposition; anchoring a military presence in disputed areas; and opening the way for infrastructure development projects. 65. The New Light of Myanmar reported in May 2007 that seven hydropower projects on the Irrawaddy River had been designed to double production of electricity in the country by 2009. The projects are being implemented under an agreement signed in late 2006 with the State-owned China Power Investment Corporation. During construction, a number of human rights abuses in the local areas has been reported following the arrival of Light Infantry Battalion 121. The army is reportedly forcing villagers to pave the routes and is extorting money from local merchants, taking materials from shops and farms without paying. According to an environmental organization, the natural heritage of the Kachin people in the Myitsone area will be destroyed and more than 40 villages near the construction site will be flooded when the dam is built. 66. The extraction of natural resources, notably offshore gas, is providing various interest groups, including the military and foreign companies, with business opportunities. Economic concessions, including some for logging and mining, have been granted. This policy has led to numerous forced evictions, relocations and resettlements, especially in rural areas but also in urban areas, particularly in connection with the move of the capital from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw. The Special Rapporteur views the ongoing large-scale confiscation of land as a matter of grave concern that will continue to have a dramatic impact on the environmental, political and economic stability of the country if not addressed. 67. The Special Rapporteur is not aware of any provisions in the draft constitution that provide for secure land and housing rights of citizens, protect the rights to fair and just compensation as a result of legal or illegal land or property expropriation or guarantee traditional practices of ethnic minorities in relation to land and natural resource management, such as collective property rights and swidden agriculture, an important element of sustainable livelihood strategies. 68. Protection from land confiscation depends on settlement of the conflicts that have wracked the country for more than half a century. Nevertheless, some inspiring projects have been implemented by civil society groups in Myanmar. These examples show that it is not necessary to wait for fundamental democratic reform before the issue of land confiscation is addressed and transitional justice is introduced. 69. The majority of new incidents of internal displacement and forced migration were concentrated in north-east Karen State and adjacent areas of Pegu Division, still subject to armed conflict. In October 2007, sources estimated that the total number of internally displaced persons in eastern Myanmar was estimated at 503,000. These included 295,000 people in ceasefire zones, 99,000 in hiding in the jungle and 109,000 elsewhere in Myanmar, including in relocation sites. Assistance to displaced people from neighbouring countries is by definition illegal, as it challenges the sovereignty of Myanmar. Cross-border activities carried out include low-profile medical assistance and training of local non-governmental organizations staff, to the benefit of resettled internally displaced persons and other communities in Kachin and Wa ceasefire areas along the China border.