The villagers from Goonshein Village in Kyaukphyu in Arakan State have said they will stage a protest as the human excrements dumped by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) have been badly affecting their village.
U Thandar Maung, a local social activist who is assisting the villagers, told Narinjara that they have reported the matter to the local authorities and that they will hold a demonstration to protest against the CNPC if the authorities delay dealing with the matter.
“We have lodged complaints with the district chairman as well as to the local lawmaker of the People’s Parliament, U Ba Shin, to prevent the CNPC from carelessly dumping the wastes of its workers. If they will not take action, we will hold a demonstration to protest against the company”, said U Thandar Maung.
Over 150 workers of the CNPC are said to have been staying in the buildings that have been constructed by the company at the entrance of Goonshein Village and their wastes are being dumped through the pipes into the creek on which the villagers depend for their washing water.
“The villagers are now unable to use the water from the creek for themselves and for their animals because the company dumps the toilet waste from its worker stations through the pipes into the creek. They have also stopped eating the fish from the creek. The whole village is now covered with a bad smell as well. They are now greatly troubled for their daily living”,said U Thandar Maung.
When contacted by Narinjara, U Ba Shin, the lawmaker of the People’s Parliament from Kyaukphyu, also confirmed the problems facing the villagers due to the careless disposal of human waste by the company.
“I visited Goonshein Village on 1st January as the villagers came for me. There are ten buildings the Chinese company has constructed for its workers at the entrance of the village. The toilet wastes from those buildings are being dumped on the bank of the creek. I have found that the wastes are overflowing from the bank and down into the creek. So, the water of the creek is polluted with the waste and has become totally unusable for the villagers. The whole village is also engulfed with the bad smell from the waste”, said U Ba Shein.
He said he has also submitted his findings in the village to the Chairman of Kyaukphyu District on 3rd of January.
“The district chairman told me that he would take action to solve the problems. I will contact him again if he delays to take action”,he said.
No phone connection was available when the district office in Kyaukphyu was contacted by Narinjara.
The villagers said they will hold a demonstration to protest against the Chinese company if the authorities delay to solve their problems by 10th of January.
