Burmese civil society groups call on ASEAN leaders

by Usa Pichai
Monday, 19 October 2009 22:18

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Burmese civil society groups have urged Thailand to put a stop to dam projects in neighbouring Burma, while other groups at the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum called on the regional bloc to address the Burmese regime’s breaching the newly drafted Charter, amidst confusion in finding a delegation to meet ASEAN leaders.

Fifty one civil society organizations from Burma today called on the Thai government at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) People’s Forum, demanding an immediate halt to dam projects on the Salween River to avoid being sucked into Burma’s escalating civil war.

The groups, in their statement released on Monday, said military operations and human rights abuses by the Burmese regime have recently increased around the sites of the planned Hat Gyi dam in Karen State and Ta Sang dam in Shan State. It warned that the projects would never provide guaranteed energy security for Thailand.

“The Salween dams will only mean more fighting and more refugees fleeing to Thailand,” said Sai Sai, Coordinator of the Salween Watch Coalition.

“Building dams in Burma’s war zones makes no sense if Thailand wants stable power supply,” said Montree Chantawong of the Thai-based environmental group TERRA.

Renewed fighting has also erupted in Shan State, as the regime attempts to bring the ceasefire armies under its control as “Border Guard Forces.” Imminent attacks on the United Wa State Army, which controls the access routes between the planned 7,110 megawatt Ta Sang dam and the Thai border, would lead to a massive fresh refugee influx into northern Thailand.

Pianporn Deetes, an environmentalist from Living River Siam Project, who participated in the forum, told Mizzima that there is no representative from the Thai government at the forum; even though organizers have invited officials from the Ministry of Energy.

However, the group will make a submission to ASEAN leaders through their representatives, who are scheduled to meet the leaders on October 23.

Five large dams are being planned on the Salween River in Burma, four to export power to Thailand, and one to China. The regime’s military offensive on the Kokang in northern Shan State, which drove over 37,000 refugees into China in August, secured control of areas around the Upper Salween Dam, being planned by Chinese companies in Kunlong.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Burmese civil society groups organized by the Task Force on ASEAN and Burma (TFAB) are calling on ASEAN to address the SPDC’s violations of the regional body’s Charter, according to their statement released on Monday.

“The regime’s volatile approach to consolidating power in the run up to the 2010 elections, including attacks on ethnic groups and the democratic opposition, is a clear threat to regional peace and security. At the ensuing summit, ASEAN must address the junta’s serious breaches of the Charter. It can start by engaging in critical political dialogue with the regime and supporting the Burmese people’s efforts towards national reconciliation,” said Khin Ohmar, Coordinator of Burma Partnership and a member of TFAB.

The Task Force on ASEAN and Burma is a network of Burma's civil society actors working to promote a people-centered ASEAN that is supportive of the cause of democracy, human rights, and peace in Burma.

A participant in the forum, which started on Sunday, said that there is confusion in selecting a delegation to meet the ASEAN leaders because the Burmese and Cambodian governments want to send their representatives to join.

“The civil society representatives should come from among people and civil groups, not from the government. In that case, how can we call them people’s representatives,” the participant added.

The participant also added that there are about 10 officials from Burma in the forum. This is worrying some participants, who feel that they would spy on who is joining the meeting and may create problems for other participants in the future.

However, the selection of the delegation will be revealed in a press conference on Tuesday, according to a coordinator of the forum.