Over 500 groups reportedly engaged in illegal gold and lead mining near Yamethin
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Phyo/Pearl (NP News) - March 26
A source close to the mining industry told The Statesman that there are more than 500 groups illegally mining gold and lead in the mineral-producing areas of Yamethin District, Mandalay Region.
“If you go down to this side of Nay Pyi Taw, there are illegal minings in the whole area of Yamethin. There are more than 500 groups in that area. They are mining there heavily. For all the illegal blocks in Yamethin, they don't need to pay to only three departments. Payable amount depends on the size of the plot they work. The situation in Yamethin is stable. They are doing it without official permits, and instead, anyone who wants to operate just pays money and carries on. You can find them all over that area. There is also a lot in Paung Laung area. They mostly mine for gold and lead in Paung Laung. However, all of these blocks are being illegally mined,” he said.
When applying for new mining licenses for minerals, including gold, applications for new medium-sized and large-scale mining are not permitted, except for non-business and small-scale mining, which are authorized by regions and states.
Currently, about 80 percent of the mineral blocks in the country are located in the areas where armed conflicts are taking place. Despite the stability of the area, legal rights are not granted, and extensions of the blocks that have expired are not allowed, resulting in illegal mining.
“For gold mining, there is only about one large-scale operation being carried out legally. There is a major site called Shwe Min Phone near Kalaw. As for Moehti Moemi, which covers around 6,150 acres, it was previously taken over due to issues involving national economic interests and later transferred to MEC, which is now operating it. Small-scale mining has almost completely disappeared, and medium-scale operations are also nearly nonexistent. It is no longer possible to apply for new permits, and extensions are not being granted either. However, in some states and regions, there are still small artisanal plots for minerals like antimony, lead, and lead-zinc. The ministry has issued a directive, and it has not been revoked yet. They made a power-sharing arrangement with the states and regions. In some cases, small mining plots can still be approved at the regional level if applications are submitted,” he said.
Therefore, the government is reportedly losing revenue due to illegal mining, while also damaging the environment. –