Protest organizers said that about 100 people will stage a protest in Yangon, opposite Yangon Town Hall, against the building of a coal-fired cement factory near Aung Tha Byay village and demanding the release of villagers from Aung Tha Byay village in Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region.

About 100 protesters from Yangon based CSOs and environmentalists will take part in the protest without the required permission from authorities.

Kyaw Kyaw who is leading this demonstration said, “The villagers from our Aung Tha Byay village were arrested and are still in prison. Those who are prosecuted in this case will lead this protest demonstration. This project will not be beneficial to our village and nearby villages. The villagers are demanding cancellation of the project but nearly two third of our villagers have had to flee because the court issued arrest warrants against us. Nothing is done for us. We will call for cancellation of this project as our main demand. The political forces will join us in this demonstration as the main force.”

Protesters will demand cancellation of the project, the release of Aung Tha Byay villagers, investigation regarding the custodial death of villager Tun Myint Win, and immediate release of 9th Grader Too Wai Yan.