Xinhua reported that Colonel San Yu Myanmar's Sagaing region police commander has apologized to senior monks at a ceremony for wounding some junior monks among protestors in the November 29th 2012 disperse action of boycott camps at the Latpadaungtaung copper mining project site.
In his supplication of the matter regarding the current situation stemming from the Latpadaungtaung copper mining project in Monywa of the northwestern Sagaing region Mr San Yu said that he was disheartened by the injuries of monks in the crackdown of boycott camps at the project site.
He told the ceremony that the Latpadaungtaung copper project is the one under an official contract with a foreign country. The authorities reconstructed houses buildings and monasteries as the local people suffered losses. Some monks joined the boycott camps and forced the shutdown of the project with political flavor, pointing out that the protestors even breached the laws under the cover of the monks.
The government also suffered loss as legal business activities have been disrupted by the boycott camps on November 18th 2012. Such unlawful acts hinder the inflow of foreign investment.
He said that according to the situations a statement urging the boycott camps to move from there by 12 noon on November 27th 2012 was aired through MRTV adding the security forces informed them of the request to move from there till 3 AM on November 29th 2012, 27 hours beyond the previous deadline.
Mr Yu said that despite step by step warning of the deadline set for the protestors, they defied the order to move out from their boycott camps at the project site forcing the police force to use fire hose and tear bombs only to disperse the demonstrations as the last step on November 29th 2012 at 3 AM with the least number of force using the legal rights for the sake of rule of law, community peace and tranquility and effect of executive power.
He said that "We didn't intend to harm your junior monks in the incident and have learnt that you also had discouraged them taking part in non religious matters."
