October 4th, 2022
The military council has seized a total of 28 acres of land to build a railroad line for the Pinpet Steel Mill in Namhsee village, Taunggyi Township, southern Shan State.
After the military took power, the head of the military council, Min Aung Hlaing, resumed the implementation of the Pinpet steel mill project from May 2021.
For this, a 15-mile railroad line will be built to transport the products from the Pinpet Steel Mill.
“The implementation of the Pinpet steel mill has been accelerated. Speaking of which, a railroad line is being built. According to our calculations, it will be at least 15 miles long,” said Nang Kyi, spokeswoman for the Pa-O Youth Organization (PYO), at a press conference.
We have learned that the railroad will transport iron produced by the Pinpet Steel Mill to the No.1 Steel Mill in Myingyan Township.
According to reports, three companies are currently engaged in the construction of the railroad line.
“They are in no hurry to build the railroad, but are working steadily on it. It has been underway since May. Three railroad construction companies are carrying out the project. One of them is Shwe Minthar Company, but we are not sure about the other two,” Nang Kyi said.
Earlier, on October 1st, 2022, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had called for the mill to be put into operation within the set date and steel production to be carried out as soon as possible to reduce foreign currency expenses and build railroad lines to run electric trains to transport the iron ore and steel produced.
The Pinpet Steel Mill project was started under the former military regime in 2014-2015 by expropriating more than 5,000 acres of land from farmers to develop the project, more than 100 acres in 2010 and 28 acres since May 2021, according to a PYO report.
The regime seeks to put the factory into operation in 2023-2024. Once the factory becomes operational, some 30 villages in the area with a population of nearly 2,000 people would be directly affected.
The PYO has also called on the military council to return the forcibly confiscated land to the original owners – farmers – and pay fair compensation for the land used.
“Most of us residents have not been able to eat well or sleep well because we have no land to farm. The compensation is good temporarily, but we have lost our long-term livelihood. That’s why everyone is worried about the future,” said one farmer.
The PYO also called for a halt to all large-scale investments that do not benefit locals, as well as projects that only benefit the military council under the current political circumstances.
There were meetings at home and abroad about the Pinpet steel plant after junta leader Min Aung Hlaing revealed the construction of nuclear reactors with Russian support after the coup.
Meanwhile, the military council is trying to stay in power with the use of weapons while pushing hard for the steel plant project, which involves Russian investment.
In addition, the regime is implementing other projects that could lead to a loss of land, water and forest resources for farmers, according to the PYO statement.
Sent by The Shan Herald