YANGON: Myanmar police fired on protesters near a mine at the centre of a long-running land dispute yesterday, killing one person and wounding 20 others, media reports said, as the China-linked company announced plans to expand
the project.
A Myanmar television station and website, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), said that one person was killed during the protest near the Letpadaung copper mine in central Myanmar.
Khin San Hlaing, a parliamentarian with the opposition National League for Democracy, cited witnesses as saying a woman died after being struck in the head by a bullet.
The mining company, Myanmar Winbao, confirmed a person was killed.
“The events leading up to her death are still unclear,” company spokesman Cao Desheng said in a statement. “We understand the police were at the scene, and we hope they will start investigating this event.”
Local police contacted by Reuters said they had no information about the protests.
Earlier yesterday, Wanbao, which is a unit of the Chinese weapons manufacturer China North Industries Group Corp, said it would “be extending its working area in the Letpadaung copper project to comply with requirements of its investment permit”.
“Construction is proceeding as a result of broad community support for the project,” the company said in a statement.
REUTERS
