Compensation held up
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1,500 hectares still not covered: panel
Farmers have yet to be compensated for about 1,500 hectares of farmland confiscated for a Chinese-backed mining project in central Myanmar, the Letpadaungtaung report-implementation committee told a press conference on Friday.
Out of total 2,624 hectares seized for the Letpadaungtaung copper-mine project, only 1,140 hectares had been compensated for as of July 20, a committee member said.
For 0.4 hectares of farmland, 1.5 million kyats (about Bt30,000) is paid in compensation. There are 1,486 hectares left to be compensated for, he added.
President Office Minister Hla Tun, Mining Minister Dr Myint Aung, Irrigation and Agriculture Deputy Minister Ohn Than and senior officials as well as representatives from the concerned companies attended the press conference.
There are about 364 hectares of grabbed land that would not be used in the project. Out of them, 89 hectares have already been returned to 134 farmers, said Deputy Minister Ohn Than, who is also the committee member.
The copper-mine project is set to resume operations in a few months, President’s Office Minister Hla Tun said earlier following the signing of a new contract that offers a major share of profits to the government.
The new contract gives the government 51 per cent, China’s Wanbao Mining Ltd 30 per cent and military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Ltd (UMEHL) 19 per cent of the mine’s profits.
The project was earlier a joint venture between Wanbao Company and UMEHL. It faced persistent protests by the local people due to environmental and land issues last year, and had to suspend operations last November.
A probe commission formed following a brutal police crackdown in November compiled the Letpadaungtaung report, which suggested continuation of the project but called for a review of the contract, fair compensation for seized lands and corporate social responsibility concerning environmental and social impacts.
