Mining project's fence affects people

 

The fence was expanded on December 22 and 23 amid the accelerating conflicts between villagers and Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Co Ltd.

The residents said they had not received any compensation for their lost land and destroyed crops, which were ready to harvest.

“Before fencing, we could manage our livelihood through farming. But now we have lost everything, even the pasture for our herd. We are helpless,” resident Khin Mhat said.

Farmers in the Seltel, Zeetaw, Kantaw and Wethmae villages are being forced to move to make way for the mining project.

Than Nu, a younger sister of Khin Win who was shot dead during a recent conflict, said: “I want the whole project to end. Over 10 acres of our farm was taken by the fencing. I have filed a case against the people responsible for my sister’s death.”

A Shwehlay villager said: “The fencing has now stopped near our village. They changed the direction of the fence away from the plantation land and turned towards the mountain.”

The expansion of the fence stopped on December 24, following a protest by villagers which left one person dead. 

Khin San Hlaing, a National League for Democracy Lower House MP, said she would raise questions over the villagers’ plight in Parliament if the government did not give any explanation.

On December 27, politicians, monks and students attended a protest near the Chinese consulate in Mandalay. The protesters demanded answers over the death of Khin Khin Win and condemned Myanmar Wanbao.

Police prevented the protest from reaching the front of the consulate.

Thein Aung Myint, a protest leader, said: “Shooting Khin Khin Win is like shooting the hearts of the people. I’d like to ask China which is more important: friendship with Myanmar or the Letpaduangtaung project. We are not opposing China. We just demand China investigates the mistreatment of farmers by Wanbao.” 

The Golden Sangha Network stated that the Letpaduangtaung project was not transparent and Khin Khin Win died because of the instructions of a reckless government that caused disputes to distract from other issues. The government was fully responsible for the injuries, it said. 

The statement said that the copper mine issue, like constitutional reform and peacemaking, were issues of concern to the whole nation. It blamed rumours about religious and racial disputes and riots at Letpaduangtaung on government duplicity.

The consulate refused to accept the statement.

Although the protest had no official permission, the protesters would not be charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, said Lieutenant-Colonel Sein Htun of Mandalay District police.

 “There is no plan to charge them because of the strength of feeling right now. We put security first since the space was limited and as we don’t want our country to be criticised for failing to protect a foreign consulate,” he added.