Myanmar Activist Jailed for Two Years Over Letpadaung Protest
A prominent Myanmar activist has been sentenced to two years in prison over her role in a protest against the China-backed Letpadaung copper mine…Activist Naw Ohn Hla’s jailing by the Monywa city court…came as hundreds of local villagers marched against the mine to mark the nine-month anniversary of a brutal police crackdown on protesters at the site that prompted the mine’s suspension. The project is set to resume at the end of September under a renegotiated deal that gives government a larger share of the mine’s profits and offers local residents better compensation for their land...[W]hole villages in the area are continuing to refuse compensation for their land, calling instead for a complete halt to the project…”We are losing our lands forever. The compensation they pay is not at a proper rate…” [said a villager]. [refers to Wanbao (part of Norinco), Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings]