Differing Perspectives on Ain Din Coal-fired Power Plant

June 11, 2014

On April 25, a community meeting was held to discuss concerns regarding the Tokyo-Thai coal power plant that is to be built along the seashore in Ain Din, a village located west of Ye Townshiop, 10 miles from Ye City. The Tokyo-Thai Company plans to appropriate 500 acres of land for the project, 200 of which are wild and virgin land, and the other 300 are farm land.

Monks and local Ain Din residents, representatives and village administrators attended the meeting, along with Tokyo-Thai representatives Nai Lawi Oung, aka Nai Myint Swe, the Mon State Minister of Electric Power and Industry, the Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house) representative from Ye Township Mi Myint Than, members of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), as well as media groups.

The Tokyo-Thai Company plans to purchase 200 acres of wild and virgin land from the Burmese government, and will purchase the 300 acres of local farmland from 12 farmers who own the land. Tokyo-Thai has promised to purchase farmland at triple the market price, and will hire 10,000 educators and foreign workers to operate the power plant.

One Ain Din resident, 40, did not attend the meeting, but relates the conversation consuming the village. Residents are saying that at the community meeting, Nai Lawi Oung, aka Nai Myint Swe, told the people that “I am a minister who has been approved by [the] public, so in return, I want to help the local people as much as I can.” The resident goes on to explain that Nai Myint Swe threatened the community and told them “if they refuse to accept this opportunity…they will deserve what they choose”.

During the community meeting, Mi Myint Than and Tokyo-Thai representatives attempted to assure residents that they will benefit from the power plant. “I am selected by local people to reach this place”, said Mi Myint Than, “For that reason, I will always stand for [the] public [in] whatever situation I have to deal with.” Company representatives also assured the people that Tokyo-Thai will take responsibility for any harmful effects on the community from the power plant.

Although Burmese authorities and company representatives are trying to assure the people of the project’s advantages, the EITI is wary of potential harm the project will bring to the residents. One EITI member states that, “if this plan succeeds, local people will encounter more harmful effects, then positive ones. The positive aspect of the power plant is that the local people will be able to use electric power, and those who want to sell their land will get a good price. If we look back at its harmful effects, marine creatures will become extinct, and people will be exposed to different diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, as well as skin cancer due to gas emitted from the coal-fired power plant.”

The EITI member notes that the EITI has produced a workshop to educate people about these serious effects, but some villagers could not reconcile themselves which possible negative effects because they have been convinced by the company. As a result, some members of the community support the project, while others oppose it.

According to a 40-year old man who had attended the meeting, “this company offers triple the price to land owners, so it’s acceptable. [The] current price is 1.5 million kyat per acre, so it will become 4.5 million kyat per acre. Moreover, the whole village will get electric power, so it’s acceptable. Among 12 land owners, 10 already accepted the offers but the other two are still negotiating with the company to get a high price. To make local people believe them, the company plants to select 20 local people to bring them to other countries which use coal-fired power plants, for free, to show that coal-fired is not dangerous.”

On the other hand, according to local sources, Buddhist monks in the area are strongly opposed to the power plant project.

The Tokyo-Thai Company has signed a three year project contract with the Burmese government, and plans to import coal from South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia.

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