The Secret Business of Lynas Corporation

PRESS STATEMENT

Friday 23 November 2012

The Secret Business of Lynas Corporation

Why ship its ore concentrate in such secrecy and at night using police escort??

Kuantan| Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) is appalled by the secrecy surrounding the Lynas ore concentrate shipment into the Kuantan port last night.  This is despite Lynas and the Malaysian Government making public announcements that it will adhere to the recommendations of the IAEA to be transparent and open with information to the public.  Lynas has just done the complete opposite.

Mr Tan Bun Teet, SMSL spokesperson who has just returned from a 4-day Australian campaign trip said,”Lynas must be desperately worried to be doing this secretly. At its AGM on Tuesday in Sydney I was there just to hear its Executive Chairman Nick Curtis told its shareholders that the Stop  Lynas campaign in Malaysia consist of just 10 people!  If we are so weak and ineffective, why try to gag us through a defamation action, why ship its ore concentrate in such secrecy and at night using police escort??”

The normal time taken for Lynas ore to reach Kuantan from the Western Australian port of Fremantle is a month.  The Kuantan high court only just lifted the suspension of the temporary operating licence (ToL) on 8^th November – about two weeks ago.

Haji Ismail Abu Baker is one of the applicants who seeks a suspension injunction of the Lynas ToL.  He asked “Has Lynas and the WA government acted in contempt of the Malaysian court to allow the shipment to commence when a suspension order was still in place until 8^th November or has the Malaysian government granted the import licence in contempt of the court order?”

To date, Lynas still has no safe solution to its massive amount of radioactive waste and its plant’s safety concerns remain outstanding. SMSL has confirmation from Australia that Lynas will NOT be able to return its radioactive waste to Australia – see media release at bottom part of this posting and the statements from the Fremantle Senator Scott Ludlam, and also the ABC report http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-19/an-protesters-to-demonstrate-outside-lynas-agm-in-sydneyprotest/4380590

“We have had enough of this government here in Malaysia. Deploying public funded police force to escort Lynas a foreign company that pays no tax is an insult to injuries. When a government has reduced to doing this, we the rakyat have no choice but to vote it OUT!  Remarked Ram Ponusamy a Kuantan resident who was with SMSL for the Australian campaign visit.

SMSL is pursuing two judicial review cases at the Kuantan High Court and is awaiting a court date for its appeal against the 8^thNovember lifting of the ToL suspension through the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

A responsible corporation will wait for the final court decision before sending its raw materials over which risks being carted back to Australia or lay abandoned should SMSL succeed in its appeal and its judicial review to revoke the ToL. 

“Amidst falling stock value and credit squeeze, It is obvious that Lynas is so desperate it has to ship the ore in as fast as possible and in total secrecy – which reputable and respectable corporation will go so low to do that??” asked Mr Tan.

“The latest Lynas dirty tactic has only made us stronger and more determined to Stop Lynas.  SMSL together with other Stop Lynas groups and our supporters in Malaysia and overseas will fight hard.  We will campaign for the rakyat to vote this Government out in Malaysia and we will work with our international NGO network to target Lynas’ funders and customers.” Concluded Mr Tan.

Australian Greens Senators Joint Media Release 

Delegation from Malaysia speak out on Australian company’s controversial Malaysia project

19 November 2012

A Save Malaysia - Stop Lynas delegation from Malaysia will speak out today at the Senate Courtyard on the controversial rare earth processing plant of Australian company Lynas at 1.30pm.

The proposed plant has been the subject of mass protests and legal action in Malaysia.  The Australian Greens support Save Malaysia - Stop Lynas in their efforts.

Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said “Thousands of Malaysians have taken a loud stance against the Lynas rare earth refinery and the radioactive legacy the plant would dump on local communities”.

“The refinery would create 320,000 tonnes of dry soil waste every year but Lynas has skimped on a full environmental impact assessment and local consultation has been sketchy at the best.  There is no social licence for the controversial processing plant to go ahead.”

“The Australian Greens are adding our voice to Stop Lynas campaign.  When Australian mining companies abuse local communities and the environment in other countries we have a responsibility to speak out.”

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said "In September Lynas submitted an application to ARPANSA to import radioactive waste from Malaysia.  The company intends to ship radioactive ores through Fremantle Port to export them to their plant in Malaysia, and are now pushing for the right to import the wastes of those ores back onto Australian soil.  I know the people of Fremantle won't stand for it”.

"Malaysia’s nuclear regulator Atomic Energy Licensing Board said Lynas was legally obliged to remove radioactive waste from its advanced materials plant and return the residue to Australia - under the conditions of the temporary operating licence.  This defies Australian Government policy, and indeed Western Australian law, which asserts that Australia does not accept or import radioactive waste from other countries.  The company knows it will not get permission to dump the waste in Australia and should come clean about its real intentions.  The people of Malaysia have a right to know."

Senator Ludlam will also comment on the Federal Government’s ongoing Muckaty nuclear waste dump debacle.