Two Chinese mine workers kidnapped in Myanmar

Two Chinese men working at a controversial China-backed copper mine in Myanmar have been kidnapped by activists who have threatened to kill them, the firm behind the project said.

Wanbao, which operates the Letpadaung mine in the town of Monywa, said activists were holding two 23-year-old contractors and demanding that the projected be halted.

The mine has triggered fierce opposition from local villagers over alleged land grabs and environmental damage, and raised questions over Myanmar’s reliance on investment from China.

The firm called for the immediate release of the men, who were surveying a part of the mine when they were kidnapped on Sunday.

The firm's statement said the activists, who claimed to be from a group called the Student Network of Mandalay, had issued a number of demands and a death threat.

Source: AFP

​Photo: AFP