Shwe Phee Myay, June 21, Kutkai
Over 100 acres of local farmland in Kutkai Township’s Ngawt Ngar village have been rendered uncultivable due to ongoing gold mining by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
Local sources report that rather than halting operations to alleviate the agricultural strain, the armed group has further expanded its presence by launching new mineral mining projects around the village perimeter.
According to a local resident, mineral exploration in the area began in May despite initial resistance from the community.
“They pressured us, stating they would mine with or without our consent, and forced an agreement to begin operations,” the resident explained, adding that the contract bypasses the community’s collective will.
“The agreement wasn’t signed with the consensus of the whole village. It was handled exclusively by a few village committee members and clerks.”
An anonymous local resident revealed that the community remains entirely in the dark regarding the specific type of minerals the MNDAA intends to extract. Furthermore, while authorities initially promised prior to the agreement that mining would be restricted to a one-mile radius, the finalized contract exposed a massive expansion of up to 16 km.
“Because they extended the operations across more than 10 miles, it has swallowed up the local tea plantations that our people rely on for their livelihoods,” the resident lamented.
“The community is completely opposed to it. We tried to negotiate, but they brushed us off, essentially saying that because this is their controlled territory, they will do whatever they want. They even told us that if we want to lodge a formal complaint, we would have to travel all the way to Laukkai to do it.”
The MNDAA is leading mineral extraction efforts in Ngawt Ngar village and has deployed armed security across the excavation zones. Meanwhile, affected residents are demanding an immediate halt to the group’s operations, calling for an end to gold mining in agricultural fields and mineral extraction on village lands and tea plantations.
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Translated by #KLT
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