Myanmar environment at risk
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi poses for a photograph as she visits the Mount Popa Botanical Garden and Museum owned by the Ministry of Forestry, on Mount Popa in Kyaukpadung township, near Bagan.
Image by: Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS
Image by: Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS
Exiled activists say Myanmar's once-rich environment is being battered as China and other neighboyrs rush in to exploit its natural resources.
They say the military-backed regime has few environmental safeguards for the country often described as the last biodiversity frontier in Asia.
The Burma Environmental Working Group said Monday that the exploitation of forests, hydropower and minerals is also sparking armed conflict including ongoing fighting between the government and ethnic Kachin militias.
The group told a press conference that the current civilian government, which replaced decades-long military rule, has failed to protect Myanmar's environment.
SHARE YOUR OPINION
If you have an opinion you would like to share on this article, please send us an e-mail to the Times LIVE iLIVE team. In the mean time, click here to view the Times LIVE iLIVE section.