Myanmar's reformist government is under fire for its brutal crackdown on peaceful protests against the copper mining project in Monywa, Sagaing Division. The police action which left several monks seriously injured has enraged the Myanmar public. Far from crushing resistance to the project it has set the stage for even more intense opposition.
But even before the crackdown last week, many in Myanmar were deeply opposed to the mining project not simply because of the damage it has already caused and the further harm it could do if allowed to continue but because of the two parties that stand to profit most from this massive undertaking.
The copper mining project in Latbadaung near Monywa is JV between the military owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited and China's Wanbao Company. More than 7,800 acres of land have been grabbed from 26 villages in the Latbadaung mountain range to make way for the project.
The UMEH has been involved in many lucrative business deals over the past two decades since it was formed under the ex military regime, many of them involving Chinese partners who received generous concessions thanks to Beijing's friendly relations with the junta that ruled until last year. In most cases, little is known about the details of these deals, as both sides have seen little need for transparency.
What has been apparent, however is the social and environmental impact of these partnerships. Thousands of people have been displaced without compensation and the land they lived on has been subject to immense degradation.
It's no wonder, then, that simmering resentment has been coming to a head over projects like the Latbadaung mine and the even larger Myitsone hydro dam that was suspended last year due to popular opposition. The copper mine protests started three months ago, when local people began demanding that the mine be closed and has since become a national cause celebre among activists and the general public.
Unfortunately, President Thein Sein has not been as swift in his response to this growing crisis as he was last year when he ordered the suspension of the USD 3.6 billion Myitsone dam project in Kachin State. That decision, which stunned the China Power Investment Corporation the main player in the deal, came in response to anger over the fact that most of the generated energy would be sent directly to China while cause Myanmar's domestic electricity needs remained unmet.
It was a brave move on Thein Sein's part but one that he seems unlikely to repeat this time around. Instead, the authorities have attempted to appease their critics by apologizing for the crackdown and the president has formed another commission of inquiry. This time, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will lead the investigation, which will probe the recent crackdown and assess whether or not the Latbadaung project should continue as planned.
It was a step in the right direction but it failed to placate protesters, who organised further demonstrations in Yangon and Mandalay. Above all what the Myanmar people want is accountability not only for incidents such as last week's crackdown but also for the dirty deals behind these projects.
