KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Opponents of a rare earth refinery in Malaysia
refused to back down Thursday after the authorities gave the Australian
company behind the project the approval to proceed.
One group, Himpunan Hijau, has vowed to blockade the port in the
Malaysian town of Kuantan, near the plant, if the company, Lynas, tries
to import the raw earth materials from Australia.
“We are prepared to paralyze the whole port until the raw materials
leave our port,” said Wong Tack, chairman of the group. “The world will
witness one of the biggest civil disobedience events in this nation.”
The Lynas plant has had several regulatory and construction delays as
opponents and local residents have held protests and taken legal action
because of their concerns that the plant could produce harmful
radiation. Lynas has denied that there will be any radiation hazards.
The Atomic Energy Licensing Board of Malaysia said Wednesday that it had
decided to issue Lynas a two-year, temporary operating license because
the company met all technical and regulatory requirements.
The board initially approved the license in January but refrained from
issuing it because Lynas had to fulfill additional conditions.
Read full article at Herald Tribune
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