Locals worried by huge cracks near coal mines in Thibaw
People living in Nam Ma village tract in Thibaw township, northern Shan State, are worried about large cracks in the earth that opened up recently in the area where a coal mine has been operating since 2004. On June 23, more than 600 people and 15 monks from more than 30 villages in Nam Ma held a ceremony to pray for the region’s environment. A day later, the coal mining company made an initial agreement with farmers to pay K150,000 in compensation for each acre of farmland damaged by the cracks, said U Kyaw Thein, Nam Ma’s administrative officer.
