The lead mining in Pa Saung Township, Karenni state, are likely going to block off while the lead mine workers are few importing minerals to the Burmese government, according to the residents sources.

The Burmese Army does not get minerals from the miners, while lead miners use to export minerals as blackmarketing to other organizations. As few of selling minerals to the local Burmese Army seem forces the government to close down the lead mining ventures in Mawchi and that issue was announced on before the end of last year, said, Saw Keh Ro, a spoken person from Karenni Army battalion no. 1.

“The sale profits between Burmese Army and blackmarketing is very different then the lead miners turning into smuggle ways. As that time the government knows this case, so the lead mining ventures could be blocked off.”

Importing minerals to the Burmese government as officially is cost 1kg for 6000-7000 Kyat, meanwhile, blackmarketing cost 1kg for 8000-10000 Kyat.

Lead mining in Mawchi is one of the biggest business ventures to make money for the residents. If the government blocked off the lead mining in Mawchi it will be a huge lost in making money for the residents, according to the local sources.

“To the people those who could not make money and when the others are impossible to make money with other business ventures except lead mining, It will be very hard for them to make money,” says a resident.

Burmese Army has demanded yearly taxes from lead mining and the profits of selling minerals from miners but the taxes do not give back to the government’s taxes department that hit the government to block off the Mawchi lead mining.

Miners selling minerals to the cease fire group, which based on Pa Saung Township and also known as Karenni National Solidarity Organization (KNSO) with blackmarketing processes. And the KNSO is bringing the minerals to Loikaw with 10 wheels trucks then selling to Chinese people. On the way of bringing minerals, they keep minerals under the timbers which makes the KNSO appears as trunks logging for reconstructed for building, according to the sources which close to the cease fire group.

There are over 150 lead mining holes, while residents from Pa Saung Township come for lead mining and also far away residents are coming for lead mining as well.