KUALA LUMPUR: A group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is planning to stage a protest to urge the Malaysian government to ensure that the operations of Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (Lynas) do not violate international law.
This follows claims regarding the company’s agreement to supply rare earth oxides to the United States Department of Defense.
According to Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) chairman, Tan Bun Teet, the issue warrants serious public attention, noting that for the past 15 years, the Malaysian government has allowed Lynas to operate in the country while leaving behind hundreds of millions of tonnes of radioactive and scheduled waste.
“Now, Lynas has been granted a further 10-year licence to continue operations, and is even allowed to increase its import quota of raw materials or feedstock (Lanthanide Concentrate).
“What is particularly concerning is that these new feedstock materials contain rare earth elements that the United States has been unable to obtain from China,” he said today.
Recently, a coalition of 57 organisations called on the Malaysian government to ensure that Lynas Rare Earths Ltd’s operations do not breach international law, following the company’s agreement to supply rare earth oxides to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Tan added that Malaysia is now playing a role in fulfilling U.S. demands.
“This means that weapons using heavy rare earth elements are being widely and potentially uncontrollably used in ongoing conflicts in West Asia, indirectly implicating Malaysia.
“In other words, Malaysia may be indirectly involved in the killing of people in West Asia, including those who share the same religion as the majority population here.
“The Malaysian government must remain vigilant against the possibility of unforeseen consequences,” he said.
He further stressed that the group remains committed to protecting environmental well-being to ensure that the public can live in a safe and comfortable environment.
“The government is now indirectly involved with Lynas in supporting U.S. efforts to produce weapons that rely on rare earth elements.
“We will not rule out taking action together with other NGOs to voice public concerns on this issue in the near future,” he said.
Source: — Utusan Malaysia
