Alpha Cement plant to resume construction

Construction of Alpha Cement plant, near the village of Aung Thabyay in Patheingyi Township, Mandalay, Myanmar is due to resume after police arrested approximately 100 protestors in May.

The US$200m cement plant is being established by China's Myint Investment company under the approval of the Myanmar Investment Commission, but the project has been suspended since its approval in 2012, due to local opposition.

Protests from local farmers and residents are mainly over the environmental and health concerns of the facility, which is being designed as a coal-firing plant.