Caterpillar, Volvo and Komatsu accused of contributing to Myanmar abuses
Their machinery is used by local mining companies implicated in land grabs and armed conflict, a Swedish rights group says
Phnom Penh — Caterpillar, Volvo and Komatsu contribute to abuses in Myanmar by selling machinery used by domestic mining companies implicated in land expropriation, environmental destruction and armed conflict, according to a report published on Wednesday. The three companies "appear to be the dominant brands" represented in the Hpakant jade mines in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state, according to Swedwatch, a Stockholm-based charity. The research suggested thousands of people had lost their land in the past 15 years, while hundreds may have died each year in landslides and flooding linked to the mines. "Since the early 2000s, the dramatically increased use of heavy machinery in Myanmar has enabled the extraction of minerals at an unprecedented speed," said Swedwatch. Myanmar is a major gemstone producer. The civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi pledged to tighten controls after a landslide in a jade mine killed more than 100 people in 2015 in Kachin state. But mining continues...
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