"Gold Mining Company Suspended After Death of A Worker", 17 September 2024

A Chinese gold mining company in Kratie province has been ordered to halt operations after the death of a worker who was crushed when a pit collapsed, prompting concerns from civil society organisations about miners’ safety.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy has released a suspension announcement regarding gold mining company Xing Yuan Kanng Yeak Co., Ltd in Kratie province after an employee died while resting in a pit.

The announcement said the accident occurred … during a landslide at the mining site, causing serious injuries to the worker, who then died on the way to hospital…

…The Department of Mines confirmed that the “company has ensured supporting the dead worker”.

Pen Bonar, Head of Local Community Empowerment at Cambodia Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), expressed concern over the safety of miners, while noting they face obstacles, including their safety and protection by the company.

“We see that the obligations of the state [government] are still limited, so I am still worried because workers' challenges in the mining business are very dangerous,” he said…

Bonar recommended that the government pay more attention to miners’ obligations by supporting them, as well as provide them with more rights, such as social protection, and ensure that the company has received a licence…

Xing Yuan Kanng Yeak Co., Ltd. is the fifth Chinese company to be granted a mining resource industry licence, receiving confirmation from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to operate its gold mining business on a 28-square-kilometre area …