Myanmar Wanbao says almost all villagers refusing to leave Letpadaung mine site now relocated

A Chinese-backed mining company says it has nearly completed the relocation of residents from villages affected by the controversial Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Region’s Salingyi Township, marking a significant shift in a land dispute that had remained unresolved for more than a decade. Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd. said in a statement released in June that most residents whose land was confiscated for the project have now relocated, leaving only 17 households in one village that continue to resist. The company said it would continue efforts to relocate the remaining families. The announcement highlights how the military’s consolidation of power since seizing power in 2021 has altered the long-running stand-off between local communities and the operators of one of Myanmar’s largest mining projects. Critics and residents say relocations that successive civilian governments failed to achieve are now being carried out under the pressure of military rule. The Letpadaung copper mine was launched in 2010 as a joint venture involving Myanmar Wanbao, a subsidiary of China’s state-owned Wanbao Mining, and Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd. (MEHL), the military’s sprawling business conglomerate. Authorities ordered the relocation of 441 households and four monasteries from the villages of Wet Hmay, Kantaw, Zee Taw, and Se Te, saying they were located within the project’s expansion area. However, disputes over land compensation, relocation sites, and financial assistance for displaced farmers delayed the process for years. Under a 2015 government report, affected households unable to secure employment after mining operations began were eligible for monthly allowances ranging from about $70 to $160, depending on the amount of farmland they had lost. According to the company’s latest statement, all households from Wet Hmay, Kantaw and Zee Taw have now relocated. It said 47 households from Se Te moved during 2025 and 2026, leaving only 17 families still refusing to leave. A villager is seen near the Letpadaung copper mine in December 2014 (Photo: EPA) Myanmar Wanbao described residents who relocated from Se Te as having done so voluntarily. By contrast, the company referred to the 2023 relocation of residents from Wet Hmay as having been “made to relocate.” Local residents dispute the company’s characterisation of the relocation process. A resident familiar with the dispute, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Myanmar Now that the company has benefited from conditions created under military rule after both the administration of former President Thein Sein and the National League for Democracy government failed to resolve the dispute. “During this coup period, I see that they are taking advantage of a problem that couldn’t be resolved by two successive governments for over a decade,” he said. “They are capitalising on the weapons and fear weighing on the people.” He said residents have become increasingly vulnerable because economic hardship and security concerns have left them with few alternatives. Travel restrictions, limited employment opportunities, and fear of military conscription have weakened the ability of families to continue resisting relocation, he said. “It’s not like they made any special offer,” he said. “People have to think about livelihood and family survival.” Myanmar Now reported in 2023 that authorities surrounded Wet Hmay with barbed-wire fencing after resistance forces attacked electricity infrastructure serving the mine. Residents said the fencing also enclosed land outside the officially designated project area, increasing pressure on remaining villagers to leave. A participant in Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement who previously worked at the Letpadaung project said the company is effectively presenting residents with a choice between accepting relocation or risking confiscation. “The old Se Te village is right at the edge of the company’s fence,” he told Myanmar Now. “It is highly likely to be a situation of, ‘Are you going to move or not? If you don't move, we will confiscate it.’” He said the remaining households continue to seek better compensation and have requested housing east of the Nyaungbingyi-Salingyi road, a demand the company has consistently rejected. Workers at the Letpadaung copper mine (Photo: Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd. / Facebook) The source also said the company has resumed activity at the mine, with heavy machinery operating at night and blasting during the day. More than 80% of employees who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement after the 2021 coup have reportedly returned to work, although labour union leaders and prominent participants in the movement were not invited back, he said. Residents believe production could increase further depending on the availability of fuel, sulfuric acid and other industrial materials needed for copper extraction. The Letpadaung project remains one of Myanmar’s most politically sensitive investments because of its ties to both the military and China. Ownership is split among the state-owned No. 1 Mining Enterprise, which holds a 51% stake, Myanmar Wanbao with 30%, and MEHL with 19%. Separate copper mining operations in Salingyi and Yinmabin townships, including the Sabetaung and Kyisintaung projects, are jointly owned by MEHL and Myanmar Yang Tse, another Wanbao subsidiary. Wanbao Mining is part of NORINCO, the Beijing-based state-owned China North Industries Group Corporation, one of China’s largest defence manufacturers. Myanmar Now contacted Myanmar Wanbao by email for comment on compensation, relocation negotiations, and current mining operations but did not receive a response. The developments come as China seeks stronger security guarantees for its investments in Myanmar. During a visit to Beijing last month, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was urged by Chinese President Xi Jinping to ensure the protection of Chinese-backed projects operating in the country.

Myanmar Wanbao says almost all villagers refusing to leave Letpadaung mine site now relocated

The Chinese-backed company hails progress in a land dispute that had long stalled the controversial mining project under civilian rule

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