Around 1,000 people living near a copper mine in Monywa, Sagaing Division, protested on Thursday after they were prevented from plowing their fields, a local resident of the area told The Irrawaddy. Around 8,000 acres of farmland were confiscated for the Letpadaung copper mine in 2010, and tensions over the project have been high since last month. Protests by locals concerned about the mine’s environmental impact have attracted nationwide attention. The mine is operated by the Chinese-owned Wan Bao mining company and the military-owned Union of Myanmar Economics Holding Ltd.