Rock quarries cause environmental damages and human rights violations, says NSD's Project Coordinator

Rock quarries cause environmental damages and human rights violations, says NSD's Project Coordinator
 The submission of the NDSP report to the Mon State Hluttaw (Photo – Mon Hluttaw)
The submission of the NDSP report to the Mon State Hluttaw (Photo – Mon Hluttaw)

Rock quarries have been causing environmental losses and human rights violations in the Mon State, the Network for Social Development and Peace (NSDP)’s project coordinator Daw Zun Pan told the Mon News Agency.

Daw Zun Pan said the NSDP submitted a report on the environmental damages to the Mon State Hluttaw and attended a meeting on March 15 and to find out how the state government will proceed.

“There are environmental damages and human rights violations due to the rock quarries. We want [the government] to do an inspection if [the rock quarries] do not meet the bylaws and procedures. Another thing is that we want respective departments to find out via the hluttaw on how the public is suffering. We want EIA surveys to be conducted systematically to find out the extent of environmental harms before allowing more permits,” said Daw Zun Pan.

According to the Mon State Hluttaw news page, the Mon State Hluttaw Speaker, Deputy Speaker, State Hluttaw MPs, the Environmental Conservation and Monitoring Committee, the Complaint and Appeal Letter Review and Assessment Committee, and the Finance, Project, and Economic Affairs Review and Assessment Committee attended the meeting.

Min Aue Mon, program director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), said rock quarrying creates losses in water resources and rock showers from the mine blasts affect the livelihood of the local residents.  

“Many water resources have been lost on the mountains due to some rock quarries. We have found that the local residents do not receive any compensation in four or five cases where they have been affected by the rock showers from the mine blasts in the mountains. No responsibility or accountability has been taken. We believe the state government should restrict their work permits with transparency,” said Min Aue Mon.

Local residents have staged three protests against the rock quarries operated by Long Life Aggregate Co. Ltd in Paung Township after debris from the rock quarries destroy their farmlands and plantations and cause losses in water resources.

Over 100 local residents held a demonstration on December 9 to demand the government to shut down the rock quarries in Paung Township after their lives have been threatened by the workers from the rock quarries and underage rapes have been committed in the rock quarries.

According to the Mon State Ministry of Natural Resource and Environmental Conservation, 25 rock quarries are being operated officially in Paung Township to produce aggregate for road construction. Among them, four rock quarries are operating on 30-year permits.

Rock quarrying licenses have been granted to 22 companies inside reserved forests and 88 companies inside plantations in the Mon State in the 2017-2018 fiscal-year.

Pyithu Hluttaw MP Mi Kon Chan from Paung Township told the Pyithua Hluttaw on October 19 that the state has only received Ks 80 million as tax from the rock quarries in the Mon State for 2016-2017 fiscal-year.

February 26, 2025
Gambling dens in villages within the New Mon State Party (NMSP)-controlled areas along the Thai-...
February 25, 2025
A battalion operating under the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the National Unity Government (NUG...
February 24, 2025
The military junta has expanded security checkpoints inside and around villages in the eastern...
February 21, 2025
A landmine explosion in Pauktaw Village, Kunngan Village Tract, Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State,...