“A complaint was submitted to the chief minister. He didn’t give any response. We are really suffering. We can’t stand it anymore. We can’t stand the odor. We will protest,” said Ko Zaw Naing Oo, who is running garment business in Mawlamyine Industrial Zone.

Local residents of the industrial zone said children, elderly people, and sick people from the surroundings have been more affected by the bad odor from the antimony refinery plants in the industrial zone.

“We demand the state government to solve the bad odor emission issue from the antimony factory,” said Daw Cho Cho Mar, a salad vendor from Mawlamyine Industrial Zone.

Daw Nyo Nyo Seint, a resident of the industrial zone, said antimony refinery plants should not be allowed to be built and run near residential areas since the bad odor harm public health.

“The odor is not emitted regularly. It is emitted between 6:30 pm and 7 pm and between midnight and 3 am after looking at the situation of the residents. If people go out to watch the factory, they stop emitting the odor. It’s difficult to catch them. It smells like potassium nitrate and makes us feel dizzy. I’m not the only one who has been affect. It happens to everyone. Some of them even vomit,” said Ma Nan Oo, a boat noodle seller in the east of the Industrial Zone.

Although ministers from the Mon State government, the state officer of the Mon State Department of Environmental Conservation and other government officials have inspected the industrial zone, they still have not been able to solve the issue up to now, according to local residents.

There are six antimony refinery plants in Mawlamyine Industrial Zone. The Mon State government allowed Myanmar Shin Shin Metal, Myanmar San Zaw, and Northeast Sin Phyu Taw antimony refinery plants to run on a trial-basic in December, 2017, according to the Mon State Department of Environmental Conservation.