Twelve women are detained during a prayer to Buddha, including Thet Thet Win, leader of an anti-copper mine protest. Fearing growing tensions, the authorities remain on high alert for possible mass demonstrations. Last week, hundreds of villagers stop a police raid.

Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The arrest of 12 women by security forces yesterday in northwestern Myanmar could spark fresh mass demonstration. The women were taken into custody inside a pagoda during a prayer ceremony before a peaceful protest at the Monya Copper Mine, a Sino-Burmese mining operations in Sarlingyi, Sagaing. Tensions have risen in the past few weeks between residents and the authorities over pollution, land seizures, compensation and relocation.

On 24 August, more than a 1,000 residents from 12 villages launched a public march to protest the paltry compensation stipulated by the authorities in exchange for their land.

The money would be paid to cover losses for the seizure of land and displacement from their areas of origin, in order to allow the expansion of a Sino-Burmese owned copper mine.

The site is owned by the Myanmar Wanabo Copper Mining, the Chinese state giant owned by China North Industries Corp. (Norinco), which operates in partnership with the Myanmar Ministry for Mines and industry close to the military leadership.

"After we paid homage to the Buddha, about 30 security police followed us" into the temple, a woman told Radio Free Asia (RFA). After blocking the entrance to the pagoda where she and others were praying, the women were arrested. Among the 12 held was Thet Thet Win (pictured) from Wetmhe village, a leader of the movement against the copper mine project.

Last week, police raided the mine seeking land rights activists and people involved in the more recent demonstrations, but they were stopped by villagers armed with knives and sticks.

According to local sources, protests began in December 2011 when officials from Myanmar Wanabo came at the night and spread mining waste on the fields to destroy the harvest.

When farmers complained, three Chinese workers on top of a mound responded with aggressive gestures, throwing a rock at the protesters, barely missing them.

The Monya mining case is not the first controversial Sino-Burmese project in terms environmental impact and rights violations.

Last year, Myanmar authorities suspended construction of the Myitsone Dam in Kachin state on orders of President Thein Sein.

Today, activists and environmental organisations want a stop to similar projects in a country that is resource rich but vulnerable to unfettered exploitation.

• myanmar
• china
• copper
• mining
• monya
• wanabo
• economy
• protests
• arrests
• repression