About 200 villagers in Waingmaw in Kachin State are protesting against Chinese companies that are planting tissue culture bananas, which they say are causing land and environmental problems. The Chinese companies started planting three years ago, and it has been spread to Myitkyina and Tar Law Gyi from Waingmaw. Objection letters signed by some 800 residents were sent to the chief minister’s office twice last year but there has been no response from the authorities… After the protest, the township administrator asked the Chinese companies to acknowledge their protest letter and told them to begin work after getting permission from the national and state governments….

“There are four Chinese firms. One company owns 1200 acres and another company owns 850 acres. These two firms came and signed but the list is not complete yet. Only the field belonging to one firm has ripe bananas. …[V]illagers [who] have rented out their land to Chinese companies [were affected]. To make things worse for local people, the companies involved in the plantation bring their own workers from China, who are involved in every stage of production. …[A]ccording to rumours, no other plants can be grown on land used to grow tissue culture bananas for at least five years.