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Malaysia: 3,000 protest against rare earth plant
Protesters, including opposition lawmakers, vowed to pressure the Malaysian government to scrap the project.
Kuala Lumpur: Some 3,000 Malaysians have staged a protest against a rare earth refinery being built by Australian miner Lynas amid fears of radioactive pollution.
Sunday`s protest marks the largest rally against the plant in eastern Malaysia, and could pose a headache to the government ahead of national elections widely expected this year. Authorities recently approved an operating license for the Lynas plant, which could curtail China`s monopoly on the global supply of rare earths for making high-tech goods.
Protesters, including opposition lawmakers, vowed to pressure the government to scrap the project. Some shouted "Destroy Lynas" during the two-hour rally in eastern Malaysia. Lynas says its plant is equipped with high-tech pollution controls.
Bureau Report
Sunday`s protest marks the largest rally against the plant in eastern Malaysia, and could pose a headache to the government ahead of national elections widely expected this year. Authorities recently approved an operating license for the Lynas plant, which could curtail China`s monopoly on the global supply of rare earths for making high-tech goods.
Protesters, including opposition lawmakers, vowed to pressure the government to scrap the project. Some shouted "Destroy Lynas" during the two-hour rally in eastern Malaysia. Lynas says its plant is equipped with high-tech pollution controls.
Bureau Report