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By The Irrawaddy 15 March 2023
There was a fast enlargement in unlawful gold mining in Kachin State for the reason that Myanmar army’s 2021 coup, with illicit gold mines working round Myitsone, the confluence of the Mali and N’mai rivers, in addition to alongside these two rivers and in Sumprabum and Putao, the northernmost cities in Myanmar.
Kachin State is more and more affected by environmental degradation and contamination for the reason that army takeover, because the junta and its cronies mine gold, jade and uncommon earth minerals on a large scale, in response to the Kachin Nationwide Discussion board, a community of 12 Kachin civil society organizations.
Gold mines utilizing China-made equipment have been working day and evening on the confluence of the Mali and N’mai rivers, north of the Kachin capital Myitkyina, since late final yr. In some areas, miners are digging 300 ft beneath the river mattress, mentioned Myitkyina residents.
Locals mentioned that miners at the moment are primarily utilizing equipment to dig for gold, in contrast to previously.
One Myitkyina resident mentioned: “A lot of the miners are highly effective and influential enterprise homeowners. I say that as a result of we’ve been mounting appreciable opposition in Myitsone, in addition to on the Mali and N’mai rivers. However they [the mine owners] say that they’re mining legally. So that they should have ties to these in energy. We don’t have a authentic authorities now and we don’t know the place we must always complain. And the mines are persevering with to function, ignoring the objections of native individuals.”
Myanmar’s army regime has advised some media businesses that it has not permitted the mining of gold, jade and uncommon earth minerals in Kachin State, and that it’s taking motion towards unlawful miners.
An area environmental activist advised The Irrawaddy: “We noticed Chinese language males on the mines within the early days. However we barely see them nowadays. However the equipment is China-made stuff that we’ve by no means seen earlier than. There are literally thousands of items of equipment alongside the N’mai River. Beforehand, there was solely small-scale mining in Sumprabum and Putao, however now they’re additionally digging with equipment there.”
Enterprise homeowners persuade locals to permit gold mining close to their villages by doing improvement work for them reminiscent of repairing and constructing roads and bridges, added the activist.
Whereas some locals nonetheless oppose gold mining, they dare not be too vocal out of concern for his or her security, mentioned villagers.
Gold mining can also be rampant in N’dum Latep, a historic web site within the Landaung village-tract of Putao Township, mentioned residents.
In an announcement launched March 4, the Kachin Nationwide Discussion board referred to as for an instantaneous cessation of gold mining and for the safety of pure assets in ethnic areas, saying overexploitation of assets in Kachin will end in unfavorable environmental impression sooner or later.
In areas near gold mines, locals have been robbed of their livelihoods and are experiencing river shoreline erosion.
The confluence on the Mali and N’mai rivers will vanish within the subsequent 5 years if gold mining continues on the present scale, mentioned conservationists.
Gold mines are already poisoning the water provide and depleting fish assets alongside the Ayeyarwady River in Kachin, famous residents.
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