Local monks and the Pyar Taung Area Development Association will put up posters in 20 villages objecting to the Mawlamyine Cement Limited (MCL) coal-powered cement factory planned for the Pyar Taung area of Kyaukmaw Township in Mon State.
Mi Ni Ni Aung from Kawdon Village, one of the activists who will put up the posters, said that even though local residents had demanded that MCL abandon their plan to use coal-power for the cement factory the company had ignored them and continued with the plan. So, the residents are planning to get MCL’s attention by putting up vinyl posters.
She said: “The local residents submitted a letter of objection but they [MCL] ignored it and are continuing [with their plan]. It seems like they are neglecting us, the local residents, so we have decided to put up the vinyl [posters] so that they can be seen by the public.”
The posters will be put up in 20 areas from Tayanar Village to Kwam Ngan and Katonsi villages in Kyaikmaraw Township. Leaflets outlining the problems caused by coal-fired power stations will also be distributed to villagers.
Until now MCL has been following its original plan and it has started to carry out tests at the factory using coal power.
Mi Ni Ni Aung said: “The factory has started burning coal for over 20 days now. They burn coals between 9pm to 10 pm every three or four days. We can see smoke being released from the factory.”
The Mon State Hluttaw (parliament) Deputy Speaker Dr Aung Naing Oo previously said that the Mon State Hluttaw would reinvestigate MCL’s plans to use coal as the factory’s power source after a petition protesting against the factory signed by 4,000 residents was submitted on 25 April.
Before leaving office president Thein Sein’s administration also granted June Cement Industry Ltd permission to build a cement factory in the Pyar Taung area, which the company is now building.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
