“The people defending Amulsar have expressed worries when I met with them recently. It’s important that discussions be held with nearby communities in order to be informed about the possible impact of using the mines. The government needs to initiate that so that the use of natural resources will correspond with human rights,” UN Special Rapporteur on Rights to Freedom of Personal Assembly and of Association Clement Nyaletsossi Voule told reporters regarding the use of Amulsar’s gold mines. He also said that environmentalists have warned him about threats made towards them.
“I was unable to evaluate the entire situation, but it’s important that people complain about environmental impact and the lack of transparency in the use of the mine, but I think the government has taken on the responsibility of informing citizens about that. The government is ready to work together better with nearby communities since those people can raise issues about their health and use of the land.”
The UN special rapporteur emphasized that every mining organization that works legally needs to make sure that residents of nearby communities completely understand what activities will be carried out. “The Amulsar issue needs to be studied more carefully. I have heard about limits made in the past that did not allow communities to completely understand information. The use of natural resources needs to be justified and sufficient for everyone.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
