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10,000 protest, in Kuala Lumpur, against Lynas rare earths processing plant

The rally is a culmination of a 13-day march against the plant’s opening

Kuala Lumpur: 10,000 protest rare earth plant over health concerns Environmental activist group Himpunan Hijau organized the rally against the opening of rare earth company Lynas’ new plant. Global Post,Talia Ralph November 25, 2012 early 10,000 people took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur Sunday to protest the opening of Australia-based mining company Lynas’ new rare earth plant.

The plant, which is the largest outside China, has already received
its first shipment of rare earth concentrates and is scheduled to
begin operations within the coming weeks, Channel News Asia reported.

The rally is a culmination of a 13-day march against the plant’s opening, and was organized by environmental activist group Himpunan
Hijau, who have been demonstrating against the plant’s opening for two
years.

The activists and demonstrators are concerned with the implications
the plant will have on residents’ health, saying that the plant could
produce dangerous radiation, the New York Times reported. Lynas has
denied such radiation concerns.

The protesters were in a standoff with police at Kuala Lumpur’s
landmark Independent Square, or Dataran Merdeka, vowing to camp there
until Monday morning, Xinhua reported.

“We hope the government can hear his people’s voices. I believe they
can’t handle any untoward consequences. Advanced countries like Japan
couldn’t handle (radiation-related disasters), let alone Malaysia,”
demonstrator Andrew Lim told Xinhua….
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/121125/kuala-lumpur-protest-lynas-rare-earth-plant

November 26, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Malaysia, opposition to nuclear