Myanmar’s environmental record was weak but improving. Then came the coup
It started with the water changing color. Soon after that, the fish began to die. When the villagers bathed, they became itchy and covered in sores like an allergic reaction. Later, women and farm animals in the area started having miscarriages at an unusually high rate.
“We were very shocked,” said environmental activist Saw Tha Phoe, who is currently in hiding, facing criminal charges. “We told the government it needs to take action, this is a very serious case, but the government refused to listen.”
Instead of investigating the nearby coal-powered cement plant that the people of Kayin state in Myanmar believed to be responsible for the water contamination, the government went after Tha Phoe. While he was in a meeting out of town in March 2020, 10 police officers barged into his home in Hpa-an township, attempting to seize his nephew in a case of mistaken identity. The raid was the culmination of a years-long struggle between the activists and the government.
Andrew Nachemson
