BANGKOK -- When Myanmar government troops clashed with armed, pro-democracy resistance forces in the country's northwestern Sagaing region in early June, concern grew over the dangers lurking beneath the ground -- particularly around a Chinese-run copper mine in the area.
After multiple failed attempts, the military regime that seized power in February 2021 was attempting to root out rebels so that resource extraction could proceed unhindered. But expert observers noted that the government's tactics for protecting the Letpadaung copper mine and other Chinese interests include ringing them with antipersonnel land mines.
