Protest leader Ko Zaw Zaw Han said the protest is held to raise the President’s awareness on the sufferings of the local residents, which are caused by the antimony refinery plants that are running on coal power in Mawlamyine Industrial Zone in Nyaung Bin Seik Village Group of Kyaikmaraw Township in the Mon State.  

“The public is suffering from the emission of foul odor. We don’t want this plant in this industrial zone. We want it to be relocated to another area. The odor from the antimony plant is very bad. It harms the health of the local residents. We have reported the foul odor from the plant, but the government said it wasn’t foul and it was only emitted for a few seconds. We are not suffering this for only a few seconds. We have been suffering from it [every] day and night. We are protesting to reach up to the President,”

Petitions against the coal-powered antimony refinery plants will be signed and submitted to the President.

Although various odors are emitted in Mawlamyine Industrial Zone, the local residents said these odors are different from the odors emitted from the antimony refinery plants. They claimed that they have trouble breathing and suffer from dry throat, headache, vomiting, and coughing after breathing in the foul odor.

“We live near the plant. We suffer from the foul odor. We smell it 24 hours [a day] so we vomit and become sick. We want them to stop emitting the foul odor,” said U Thaung Tin, a local resident who participated in the protest.

The protesters marched on the street in front of the industrial zone and called on the government to investigate whether or not the officials that allowed the running of the plants are corrupt and urged the President and the State Counsellor to assist the public that resides in the industrial zone’s surrounding area.

Among the antimony refinery plants in Mawlamyine Industrial Zone, the state government allowed the trial run of Northeast Sin Phyu Taw Antimony Refinery Plant on October 2, 2017 and Myanmar Shin Shin Antimony Refinery Plant on November 20, 2017.

“If the plant is emitting odor and something happens, come and tell us. We will resolve everything. Our business is a small-scale business. We have taken great measures to prevent odor. We have followed the government’s instruction. We will reveal them to the public after everything is completed,” said Daw Yadanar Lin Aung, managing director of Myanmar Shin Shin Antimony Refinery Plant.

The State Minister of Resources and Environmental Conservation Dr Min Kyi Win said on July 10 that the company has been instructed to control the emission of foul odor from the antimony refinery plants and actions will be taken if they fail to follow the instruction.

There are six antimony refinery plants in Mawlamyine Industrial Zone. The previous government suspended all antimony refinery plants due to fainting of local residents after it allowed one of the antimony refinery plants to run. The existing government allowed two plants to run.