Myanmar: Letpadaung Copper Mine project sparks ongoing protests, land disputes & security concerns
The Letpadaung Copper Mine, located in Myanmar's mineral-rich Sagaing region, has been a source of ongoing controversy since its inception. Operated by Wanbao Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned Norinco, in partnership with Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), the project has faced numerous challenges including local protests, construction delays, and environmental concerns.
Initially agreed upon in 2010, the mine began production in 2016 after significant setbacks. While promising economic benefits, including government revenue and job creation, the project has been marred by land disputes, allegations of forced evictions, and violent clashes between protesters and security forces. Following Myanmar's 2021 military coup, the mine's operations have been further disrupted by worker strikes and broader political instability.
Project Impacts
- Environment: In May and June 2012, local farmers complained that bulldozers from the mine destroyed cultivated farmlands and dumped large amounts of contaminated soil near the local villages. In late 2015 several farmers in Wet Hme village saw that liquid from the drain in the perimeter of the mining site ran into their farmland, killing the crops. In 2017, there were allegations that the MEHL-run Moe Gyo sulphuric acid factory that supplied nearby Letpadaung Copper Mine and S&K Mines was causing health problems to local communities.
- Land: Due to incomplete land titling and weak legal protection, in the land expropriation and compensation process several disputes arose among family members and neighbours, negatively impacting the interpersonal relations in local villages.
- Other: The relocation of a pagoda and police assaults on Buddhist monks in late November 2012 fuelled public anger as religious sites and monks are held in high regard in the Buddhist-majority country. In addition, the local police’s use of excessive force between 2012 and 2016 contributed to making Letpadaung Copper Mine into an emblematic target of popular resentment against investments perceived as predatory.
Full Project Profile by The People’s Map of Global China
This page provides a comprehensive overview of the Letpadaung Copper Mine project, including its background, key stakeholders, potential impacts on local communities and the environment, and the ongoing concerns and opposition raised by various civil society groups.