Reported by Arkar, The Union Government has ignored locals’ wishes in signing a Momentum of Agreement (MoA) with the
Toyo-Thai Company for the coal-fired project in the Anndin area, according to Anndin Youth Group and Mon Multimedia Institute (M3i).
On October 7, Anndin Youth Group and M3i held a conference analyzing the opinions of participants who visited coal-fired plants abroad, at Rehmonnya Hotel, in Moulmein the capital of Mon State.
“In our report, we did not mention that the coal-fired project should be implemented. And, when the company representatives came to Anndin [village] the first time, they gathered locals and had a meeting. They took photos of the gathering with locals and said that the locals supported them. But in fact, the locals just went there to listen to what they said,” said Min Seik Rot, who also joined a trip to a coal-fired project abroad.
In December, 2014, the Toyo Thai company organized a group of representatives from local Anndin area, media, Hluttaw representatives from Ye Township and experts from the government, to visit Japan and Thailand, where they studied and observed coal-fired electricity projects.
“We, the local people, have continuously opposed this project. The main objective of organizing this event is that we would like them to know our true wishes,” said Mi Nilar Oo, a representative of Anndin Youth Group.
The union government permitted the Toyo Thai Company to implement the project after it considered the environmental impact assessment/social impact assessment (EIA/SIA), viewed locals’ supporting signatures, and saw reports from trips to Thailand and Japan’s coal-fired project plants. However, those 3 points are not true, according to Min Than Oo, of M3i.
“When we analyze the reports from the people who went to the coal fired projects in Thailand and Japan, we didn’t not find any reports that state they support the projects and this project should be implemented,” said Min Than Oo.
The M3i filmed documentary, in which it conducted interviews with those who went on trips to the coal-fired projects in Japan and Thailand and those who rejected to go along. The documentary was shown at the conference and transcripts the interviews were also distributed at the conference.
More than 70 people attended the conferences, including the interviewees in the documentary, locals from Anndin area, Mon monks, members of civil society organizations, media groups, and representatives from Mon political parties and New Mon State Party.
