Kingsgate ordered to close down Thai gold mine by government
The Chatree mine, the only working gold mine in Thailand, has been ordered by the Thai government to close down all operations.
Owned by Kingsgate Consolidated, the Chatree mine, has been at the centre of protests from the local community who have claimed the local crops and livestock and even residents have been continuously poisoned by arsenic and manganese from the mine.
Thailand’s government announced the closure of the mine this week, but Greg Foulis, Chief Executive of Kingsgate Consolidated, believes such a quick decision will harm foreign investment, despite no conclusive evidence of poisoning directly linked to the mine.
“The government, ourselves and independent auditor, nobody has found any contamination that is attributable to our operation,” Foulis said, speaking to Reuters in the Thai capital.
"We do not use arsenic or manganese in our operation. A cigarette or a cup of coffee may contain similar levels of cyanide to what's in our tailing facility."
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