There are 88 mining companies producing gravel for road paving permitted by the Union Government to operate in Mon State, according to Major General Soe Aung of the Home Affair Ministry on Day 37 of Amyotha Hluttaw [parliament] 2nd Regular Session.
Of those 88 quarry companies, 44 are operating in Kyaikhto Township, 22 are in Paung Township, 13 are in Ye Township, 4 are in Kyaikmayaw Township, and 5 are in Thaton Township.
On Day 37 of Amyotha Hluttaw [parliament] 2nd Regular Session, U Soe Thiha, Amyotha Hluttaw representative of No. 10 Constituency questioned whether the quarry companies in Mon State have legal permission and urged the government to review whether the mining companies hold the correct licenses.
In response to U Soe Thiha, Major General Soe Aung said, “The [government’s] team is still doing field work on whether those quarry companies have legal permission or not. District level and township level committees have already been founded for the respective townships in order to prevent illegal quarry companies from operating. They are still going to those companies, without informing the company’s staff, to check whether they are holding legal documents.”
Major General Soe Aung continued that in accordance with the laws, the government will charge any illegally run quarry companies, which were exposed by the locals or founded by the government.
Amyotha Hluttaw Representative U Soe Thiha also stated that there are 37 gravel [quarry] companies in Paung Township but only 24 were given permission. Adding that here are still many illegal quarry companies in other townships.
“In Mon State, there are licensed mining companies, while there are also lots of companies that are not licensed. Although some mining companies have been given permission from the forestry department, there are still a lot of companies that aren’t given any permission from the MIC [Myanmar Investment Commission]. Also, some companies’ mining practices don’t follow the regulations,” said U Soe Thiha.
U Soe Thiha continued that the locals in Oukthatar Village, Paung Township, Mon State, are very concerned with the quarry forged by the Long Life Aggregate Mining Company because the company’s quarry has affected the underground water source which leads to drought in wells and lakes in the nearby villages. Additionally, the fracturing of the rock on the mountain can break and fall down on villagers living under the mountain.
Approximately 500 residents marched from Oukthatar Village to Long Life Aggregate Mining Company’s quarry site, on Kalama Mountain, Oukthatar, Paung Township, protesting against the company and demanding it’s closure.