The military junta bars plantation workers from their workplaces

February 12, 2022

HURFOM: In August, 2021, the Oak Tara Myay Company Limited began an excavation project searching for treasure and other valuables left behind by retreating Japanese troops during World War II.

The project site is based at Mount Mane Bala near Wae Kawa village, Thanbyuzayat Township, in Mon State. Efforts to excavate treasure and other valuables from this site, was also attempted by the Royal Eagle Myanmar Development Group in 2018. That company found nothing and stopped their project in early 2020. By February 2022 the Oak Tara Myay Company Limited project stopped due to a failure to unearth anything of value.

However, the military junta wants to continue the project. On February 9th, 2022, the junta declared a nearby 65-acre piece of land to be included in the project area. The announcment also bars plantation owners and workers from accessing their workplace.

“The company handed over the project to the military junta as their project didn’t work. But the junta wants to do it themselves and put a notice that it’s a “project area”. They don’t allow plantation workers to go to the rubber plantation nearby the project area. They said they haven’t seized the land nor will it harm the plantations,” said a plantation owner.

The project area is guarded by soldiers and police. The military junta has also imposed martial law in the area. Local villagers have been threatened not to trespass onto the area without permission or they will be shot.

“We have to wait till their project ends. They even installed a “No Entry”sign on the motorbike pathway. One day before the sign was installed, plantation workers were stopped by security forces and they had to turn back as they weren’t allowed to go to their plantations,” said a local source.

The market price for rubber has been increasing, so barring plantation owners and workers from their workplaces is anticipated to have a huge impact on their incomes.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News