Broken Land, Broken Promises - Myanmar's Controversial Copper Mines

Feb 10, 2015 | Deutsche Welle
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"Sometimes there is a very strong smell from the sulphuric acid factory; people cannot stay in the village at those times. Our eyes tear up and we cough. It depends on the direction of the wind." These are the words of a resident of Kankone, a village located just a few hundred meters from the Sabetaung and Kyisintaung (S&K) mine, part of Myanmar's notorious Monywa copper mine complex.

There is considerable anxiety amongst the villagers about the mine's impact on their water, farmlands and health, particularly as it is only a short distance away from the local school.

The statements are part of an extensive report released by Amnesty International (AI) on Tuesday, February 10, examining the Southeast Asian country's mining sector. The 205-page document, titled "Open for Business? Corporate Crime and Abuses at Myanmar Copper Mine," aims to describe how forced evictions and pollution linked to the mine complex have destroyed livelihoods and exposed thousands of people to health risks.