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“Myanmar Wanbao says almost all villagers refusing to leave Letpadaung mine site now relocated”

Myanmar Wanbao [...] says it has nearly completed the relocation of residents from villages affected by the controversial Letpadaung copper mine [...] a land dispute that had remained unresolved for more than a decade.

Critics and residents say relocations [...] are now being carried out under the pressure of military rule. Authorities ordered the relocation of 441 households and four monasteries [...] but disputes over land compensation, relocation sites, and financial assistance for displaced farmers delayed the process. Local residents dispute the company’s characterisation of the relocation process.

A resident [...] told Myanmar Now that “They are capitalising on the weapons and fear weighing on the people”. Residents have become increasingly vulnerable because economic hardship and security concerns [...] and fear of military conscription have weakened the ability of families to continue resisting

[...] “People have to think about livelihood and family survival”. A participant in Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement [...] said the company is effectively presenting residents with a choice between accepting relocation or risking confiscation. [...]

Myanmar Now contacted Myanmar Wanbao by email for comment on compensation, relocation negotiations, and current mining operations but did not receive a response.

The developments come as China seeks stronger security guarantees [...] junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was urged by Chinese President Xi Jinping to ensure the protection of Chinese-backed projects.