EcoLur
On 25 August, at 10:00 a.m., the public hearings of Amulsar gold mining project and EIA accountability held in Gndevaz Community, Vayots Dzor Region started with scandal. The project authors just started presenting the project, when a Gndevaz villager asked, “Why did you organize the hearings in Gndevaz, when only 5% of Gndevaz villagers is present here, the rest of the participants is from Gorayk and Saravan?” Gndevaz villagers having attended the public hearings stated they didn’t need the project, they said they were aware that cyanide is a poison and the company wants to make money. In case this project is implemented, they won’t be able to deal with agriculture, they will lose their health, while after mine development the company will leave them without anything. Then they left the hall.
Gndevaz Village Head Hayrapet Mkrtchyan came out to calm down his villagers, but the situation escalated, so clashes began together with mutual insulting. The supporters of the village head didn’t allow EcoLur correspondent to perform his professional duties, hit the camera and didn’t allow to shoot. The policemen were also outside the building. While Gndevaz villagers were arguing outside, the public hearings were continuing inside.
Reminder: 210 Gndevaz villagers addressed complaints to CAO and EBRD demanding to stop the funding of the project.
August 25, 2014 at 11:26