"Kayin villagers blame black water on factory", 28 January 2020

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The protesters called for the closure of the military-run Myaing Kalay cement factory...

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Their top concern is the scarcity of clean water in the surrounding villages, which they attributed to the discharge from the factory, which contaminates streams and rivers and the underground water supply.

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Twenty-seven villages near the factory have discoloured water in their wells, which they blame the cement factory.

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Asked why the problem only began recently...they said that the factory only began using coal power in 2018.

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...Kayin Chief Minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint went to the area to assure the villagers that the water was safe to drink. To prove it, she drank some in front of the people.

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The water problem has also affected the livelihoods of the villagers.

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