"Villagers say banana business threatens their way of life", 7 March 2019

Villagers and farmers protesting against the practices of a nearby banana plantation....

...They said the plantation, which is believed to use the tissue culture method to grow bananas, has led to the death of livestock and losses to farmers due to the chemicals it uses.

U Aung Myint, Khout Sint village administrator, said: ..."The plantation claims that the government bought the land and allowed them to operate it, so we have to move, as we are considered squatters. We have been living in the area and working the land for many years. They use large amounts of chemicals that could be dangerous to animals and people, so we are trying to stop them."

U Aung Myint claimed that some of the village's cattle had died as a result of the chemicals.

U Tun Aye, secretary of the Myanmar Ethnic Farmers Union, said "...Land collectively owned by villagers has been gradually disappearing. Cattle die if they fall into the plantation's ditches or just by drinking the water,"....