MCL report to be submitted to President

The report surrounding the Mawlamyine Cement Limited (MCL) cement factory will be submitted to the President following Mon State Hluttaw’s approval of the report on Tuesday, according to Mon State’s Natural Resource and Environment Conservation and Protection Watch Committee.

“We here at the Hluttaw have already approved the report. Consequently, the detailed report will be sent to the President within 5 days in order for him to understand the report’s details. Only if the President finds details of wrongdoing will charges be laid,” said Dr. Aye San, chairperson of the Natural Resource and Environment Conservation and Protection Watch Committee, which gathered the facts and information for the report.

Dr. Aye San mentioned how the report stated that MCL were not transparent with the public about its plan to apply coal power in order to run its cement factory. The report also urged MCL to use biofuel instead of coal power for its electricity generation and cement factory operation.

“At the moment, tension between company officials and locals is heating up. As a representative from the area, I am so worried that conflicts may break out there. The locals from Kyaikmayaw Township are now likely suffering from the impact of the coal power plant from MCL cement factory,” said Daw Khin Myo Myint, Representative of Kyaikmayaw Township Constituency (1).

Locals only found out about the coal power plant after the MCL’s ships began transporting coal to the factory site, located near Attaran River. Locals who have relied on the river for fishing over several years are now facing difficulties because of the disturbance from MCL’s ships, according to Daw Khin Myo Myint.

The Natural Resource and Environment Conservation and Protection Committee presented part two of the MCL report at the fourth regular session of the Mon State Hluttaw conference’s third day, on December 9. On December 13, the conference’s fifth day, three Hluttaw representatives discussed the report and supported its findings. Thereafter, the Hluttaw approved the report.

On April 25, 2016, approximately 3780 locals from Kyaikmayaw Township, the MCL affected area, signed a letter in opposition against MCL’s coal power plant and sent the letter to the President, the Mon State Chief Minister and the Mon State Hluttaw urging a halt to the coal power plant project.