Wind power plant: More security for Chinese

Local people intimidating foreigners to leave the project site.

KARACHI:

The Sindh government on Sunday decided to enhance deployment of police and Rangers to allay security threats to Chinese engineers at a wind power plant site in Jhampir, a remote area of Thatta district.

The local people were intimidating foreigners to leave the project site, the chief executive of the Chinese firm had told the provincial authorities.

The Three Gorges First Wind Farm Pakistan (pvt) Limited had written a letter to Sindh Chief Secretary and top officials of the government, informing them about the trauma the Chinese engineers and other staff were facing for the last few months.

In this regard Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry chaired a meeting of top officials of police, district administration and Hyderabad division with the representatives of the Chinese company.

The CEO of the company, Wang Shenliang, in his letter to the government officials on June 7 complained that the engineers were being threatened by locals almost on a daily basis. Men brandishing iron bars and knives were forcing foreigners to leave the project site and stop the operations. Shenliang said that his staff was confined within the boundary wall, adding that his staff was under tremendous pressure.

“We have assured Chinese staff of complete security,” Chaudhry told The Express Tribune.

Chinese officials were suggested to hire local people, especially for security staff, adding that it would be better for Chinese people to tackle the problems through locals.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2013.