Village raided over cement factory protests

22 May 2019
Village raided over cement factory protests
Photo: Bo Bo/Mizzima

Police on Tuesday raided a village in central Myanmar’s Mandalay region and arrested 13 residents along with a reporter for allegedly participating in a protest that turned violent against the Chinese operators of a coal-powered cement factory, a community resident told RFA.

Roughly 20 people were injured in the protest on May 15 after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into a crowd protesting construction work at the Alpha Cement Plant near Aungthabyae village in Kyaukse district’s Patheingyi township.

During the protest, villagers demanded compensation for land they say they lost when an 18-foot-wide road was built as part of the project and urged authorities to address an influx of hundreds of Chinese employees who are working at the site.