Locals oppose lead mine linked to southern Shan State armed group

Ethnic Padaung people living in a village in southern Shan State’s Pekhon Township say they will not allow a lead-mining project linked to a Karenni armed group to go forward in their area. The mine, a joint venture between a Chinese company and a firm owned by Than Soe Naing, chair of the Kayan New Land Party (KNLP), is located in the Myin Ma Hti mountain region near Thikyeik, a village under the control of the group. Than Soe Naing’s Four Star Kayan Region Development Mining Company, which also has at least two of his family members serving as directors, has signed a five-year contract with Chinese mining firm Master Wan to conduct lead mining in the region. However, local Padaung people oppose the project because they say they were not consulted about its impact, according to community leader Aung Naing Soe. “We are worried about the current political situation and the lack of specific laws to protect the people. Furthermore, we want to preserve the livelihoods of the community,” he said. Four Star first established worksites in the Myin Ma Hti area after 2000, according to Aung Naing Soe, who noted that locals have engaged in small-scale mining in the area since colonial times and continue to do so today. Before the 2021 coup, a joint venture with a Chinese company was planned, but the project was delayed due to various issues. Now, efforts are being made to restart operations at the site, he added. “We have strongly demanded that, due to the ongoing instability, the large machinery and companies should either pull back or cease operations altogether,” he said. On April 17, Four Star and a representative of the Padaung community held talks, but no agreement was reached. A follow-up meeting is reportedly set for May 9. Since early May, local residents have been protesting daily near the planned mine site, calling for the project to be halted. A mining site operated by Four Star at Myin Ma Hti mountain, seen on April 24 (Photo: Padaung Tribe / Facebook) If the project proceeds, it could negatively affect the social environment of five villages near Myin Ma Hti mountain and impact over 5,000 people from 11 other Padaung villages, according to Aung Naing Soe. The Four Star company set up mining equipment, brought in Chinese personnel, and stationed security guards at the site in preparation to restart the project in March, but the operation has been delayed due to protests. Myanmar Now has reached out to officials from Four Star for comment and further information, but has yet to receive a reply. On May 5, the KNLP released a statement indirectly referring to the mining project, accusing an “illegal” social group of posing as an administrative body to provoke instability in the region. The KNLP, based in the village of Sibu in Pekhon Township, was founded as an ethnic Kayan armed group in 1964. The Kayan are a Karenni subgroup, while the Padaung are a Kayan subgroup. In 1994, the group entered into a ceasefire with the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the junta then in power. The KNLP has refrained from hostilities with the current regime, but on April 10—commemorated as Kayan National Day—the junta bombed Thikyeik, prompting a statement from the group the following day condemning the attack as a breach of the ceasefire agreement. Although mining projects are often presented as necessary for regional development, they mainly benefit the organisations controlling the regions and the companies involved, while contributing little to the lives of local residents, according to Paul, the spokesperson for the industry watchdog group Myanmar Mining Watch Network. “The entry of large-scale projects and Chinese investors into the Myin Ma Hti mountain area could result in significant conflicts, land grabs, and various social problems,” he said.

Locals oppose lead mine linked to southern Shan State armed group

Residents of a region controlled by the Kayan New Land Party say the planned mine would adversely impact their way of life

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