Malaysian police on Tuesday arrested 82 activists, mostly from Myanmar but including one Australian, who demonstrated against South Korea’s Daewoo International which is exploring gasfields off Myanmar’s coast.

Some 100 activists had protested peacefully outside the South Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur but as they moved to disperse, police detained dozens of them.

“We have 82 arrested altogether. (They) have been arrested for an illegal gathering,” local police chief Hasnan Hassan told AFP.

Hasnan said police were still trying to confirm all the nationalities but said one Australian was among the detainees. They would appear before a megistrate’s court Wednesday.

Malaysian rights group Suaram, which has been supporting the activists, criticised the arrests.

“It is totally uncalled for because the people had already dispersed and were waiting for a bus to go home,” said Suaram coordinator Chang Lih Kang.

Chanting “Daewoo, Daewoo, go away, go away,” the protesters said the company’s gas exploration would boost revenue for Myanmar’s military junta and lead to rights abuses.

“If they invest in my country, there will be human rights abuses and many, many problems,” Aung Lwin told AFP.

He alleged the military junta had already forcibly cleared nine villages in the area around a planned gas pipeline.

“Nine villages were moved by the government already and there is forced labour and many problems now,” said Aung Lwin, adding the Daewoo protests were carried out worldwide.

Investment company Daewoo International announced in January it had discovered a gas reserve off Myanmar, its second after obtaining exploration rights in 2004.

Daewoo International has a 60 percent stake in the new gasfield, with the remaining shares held by a consortium of Korean and Indian companies.

The activists estimated one of the reserves could generate up to one billion US dollars for Myanmar’s government in years to come.

Activists have long campaigned against international companies investing in Myanmar, arguing it will prop up the junta and lead to environmental and rights abuses.