Community Engagement in Myanmar's Mining Sector

Community Engagement in EIA: A Regional Exchange and Learning Forum
Rose Garden Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN MYANMAR’S
MINING SECTOR
EMERGING FINDINGS FROM MCRB’S SECTOR-WIDE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
AUNG KYAW SOE
EXTRACTIVES PROGRAMME MANAGER, MYANMAR CENTRE FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
September 21-23, 2016

Contents
Introduction to Myanmar Centre for Responsible
Business
Mining Sector-Wide Impact Assessment
Project Phases
Field Research and Scope
Emerging findings related to Community Consultation
Recommendations
2

Current core funders:
• UK DFID
• DANIDA
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Netherlands
• Ireland
www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org
15 Shan Yeiktha Street, Sanchaung, Yangon
Tel/Fax: 01 510069
Founders:
MCRB Objective
To provide an effective and legitimate
platform for the creation of knowledge,
capacity and dialogue concerning
responsible business in Myanmar, based
on local needs and international
standards, that results in more
responsible business practices.
www.mcrb.org.mm
myanmar.responsible.business

Sector-Wide Impact Assessments (SWIA)
 MCRB has published three
assessments focusing on the
Oil &Gas sector (September
2014), Tourism (February2015),
and Information and
Communication Technology
(September 2015).
 4th SWIA Mining due for
consultation early October
and tentatively final report
will publish in November 2016
I. Pre-
Screening
II. Scoping
III. Idenification
& Assessment
of Impacts
IV. Mitigation
and Impact
Management
V.
Consultation
& Finalisation

Sector Wide Impact Assessment on
Myanmar Mining Sector

• Focus on mining of tin, gold, limestone and the production of cement.
• MCRB field visits to eight areas (Karen, Shan, Kachin, Bago, Sagaing,
Mandalay, Kayah and Tanintharyi regions).
• Field visit to 65 villages in16 townships
• Consulted More than 1500 individual stakeholders
• Interviews with company, government and CSO representatives as well as
local communities and mine workers in the informal and formal sector.
• Large, small/artisanal /subsistence-scale mine operations and processing
facilities visited.
Mining SWIA Field Research and Scope

SWIA
Research
Trips –
Multiple
sites in
8 state
and
regions

SWIA research
team consulting
with local
community
members
including women-
only focus groups

Findings: Community Consultation (1)
• Most mines visited had not carried out any meaningful
consultations.
• Where consultation had occurred, it was for more recent projects,
often carried out either to;
(a) satisfy the EIA consultation requirement, or
(b) obtain community signatures as part of mine licensing process.
• Some companies organised limited consultations, but only one-offs,
and when they needed signatures to sign off on project
• Consultations were often carried out with male village heads only;
were not undertaken in local languages; planned within short
timeframes and/or far from the affected communities; undertaken
after the project had already been initiated.
• At another site, where there had reportedly been a total of three
community meetings over the last six years (these meetings had
involved the village administrator, monks and the factory
communications officer, but no other community members)

• At one large-scale mine site, company management said that
there was no need to consult with the community as the
company had taken over the permit/operations from a
previous operator
• Some EIA processes did not involve any community
consultation. According to an operator at one site it was not
necessary to consult with local communities as part of the EIA
process as the operations were being conducted on
designated mining land
• At another site, both the company and local communities
reported that the consultant carrying out the EIA had not
visited local communities as part of the process
• Interviews conducted by the consultants for the EIA focused
purely on environmental and not social issues. Consultants
only spoke to the village leaders and heads of households

• At one site, the EIA process included two public consultations.
While EIA consultants invited all villagers to a consultation, they
only gave one day’s advance notice
• During consultations, EIA consultants used Burmese which is not the
local language; there was an informal translator but not a
professional
• Community members felt that EIA consultants intentionally used
technical terms during the consultations so people could not
understand
• Community members interviewed by MCRB recommended that
companies consulting on EIAs should provide a summary of findings
in non-technical language with plenty of time for community to
review document prior to consultation meeting.
• One company only consulted with group of village elders who
were supportive of project
• Some consultation included a special representative from an
armed group

• There was no or inadequate consultations regarding land seizure,
resettlement and compensation for accidents.
• No mines visited had an operational-level grievance mechanisms
in place.
• Continuous consultation was rare. Cases of ongoing company-
community engagement centred on donations rather than
project-induced issues. Generally donations were the subject or
more consultation than any other issue.
• Any ongoing consultation was most frequently informal. It might
take place through village or religious events rather than as part
of systematic company outreach.
• No evidence of:
• regular information sharing with communities about company activities
• stakeholder engagement plans or formalised procedures or strategies for
regular community engagement
• community relations functions or departments

Government should:
• require meaningful consultation of people affected by projects, including women
and vulnerable members in the community, including through a requirement for
stakeholder engagement plans as part of the EIA and permitting process
• monitor whether companies are doing this
EIA Consultant/Project Proponents should ensure:
• all key stakeholders participate in consultation
• It is undertaken in local languages where needed, with professional translator
• technical terms are clarified
• A written summary of findings in non-technical language is provided
• Communities have enough time to review written material prior to meeting
• Sufficient advance notice of consultations
Civil society organisations should
• Press for early disclosure of information by companies, in languages and formats
that are understandable to consultees
• build community capacity to understand:
• technical information related to project activities
• Communities’ human rights and capacity to claim these rights
Draft Recommendations from MCRB

• Multistakeholder consultation on draft Myanmar
Mining SWIA
• Tuesday 11 October (Yangon) – English
• Wednesday 12 October (Yangon) – Burmese
• Written comments invited by 17 October
• Publication November 2016
• Watch this space…..
www.mcrb.org.mm

MCRB publications
and translations
www.mcrb.org.mm

Thank you!
Aung Kyaw Soe
aung.kyaw.soe@myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org
16

Community Engagement in Myanmar's Mining Sector

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