Tin Sokhavuth
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| A tunnel of gold mine was dug by a Chinese company in Memot district. Supplied |
An illegal rush for gold in Tbong Khmum province’s Memot district has been ongoing for three months and no one has been able to stop the illegal mine exploration.
According to Koam Phalla, the police chief in Memot district’s Choam Tamao commune, there were 26 households living in his commune who came with 29 pieces of light machinery to dig the soil in a zone called “Sampeuy Loun” to find gold.
Mr. Phalla added that on Monday, officials from the provincial department of mines and energy, in cooperation with his police task force, went to stop the villagers from digging in the soil again.
The officials asked the villagers to sign a letter to not continue with the illegal gold mine exploration, but as of yesterday, the villagers continued their quest to strike it rich.
“We asked them to sign a paper to not do this illegal gold mine exploration again; they said yes and agreed with us. But, until now [yesterday], they still continue to dig the soil,” said the police chief.
Mr. Phalla added that previously, a Chinese company had come to exploit gold mines in the commune legally. But later, the Ministry of Mines and Energy ended the contract with the company and it withdrew its equipment, tools and machinery last year.
“After the Chinese, it was villagers in the commune who came to dig the soil. We have stopped them from doing so once. But recently, they came back to dig the soil again,” added Mr. Phalla.
He said district governor Cheng Bunnara already told them their activity was illegal, and if they want to exploit the gold mine legally, they should form a community and apply for a license from the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
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