began on August 23rd.
Members of the YSS visited the Parlain village area, where the coal power-plant is set to be built, and began gathering signatures in protest of its construction after meeting with Buddhist monks, members of the Parlain Regions United Group, and local residents.
“If the people do not agree with the project, it will not be built. That is what state [chief] minister said verbally, but, [he] has not announced it officially yet. So, this movement has to be organized because it has not reached the step that we can trust yet,” said YSS secretary Ko Aung Naing Win.
Ko Aung Naing Win continued that September will be the last month in which signatures will be gathered. The YSS will focus its signature-gathering efforts in Parlain Village, while also collecting signatures in Ye Town and other villages in Ye Township.
At their August 23rd meeting, in order to further advocate for local residents, the Parlain Regions United Group decided that village administrators will supervise local lands purchased by investors.
“Besides gathering the signatures from the locals [who] oppose the building of [the] power plant, we will also make video records of local products, such as fruits,” said Ashin Nanda from the Parlain Regions United Group.
Ko Aung Naing Win states that after the YSS gathers signatures, the group will submit the list of signatures to the President’s Office, the Union Electric Power Ministry, the Mon State government, the Toyo Thai Company, and to Nai Lawi Aung, who runs the State government for Ye Township.
The Parlain Regions United Group was founded by local monks in late 2013, and encompasses eight villages. Led by the monks, the group meets monthly to further their aims for local development and unification.
Plans to construct the coal-fired power plant were agreed upon by the Mon State government; plans include 500 acres of land to build upon, with a 2,700 million (USD) investment under operation of the Toyo Thai Group. The plant will be capable of producing 1280 Mega Watts, and is expected to begin running in 2018.
