Land confiscation begins with pipeline project

by Mizzima News
Monday, 09 November 2009 21:06

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Local residents in Kyuakphyu Township of Arakan State in Western Burma have alleged that authorities have not paid compensation, despite assurances, for the 150 acres of farmland that have been seized in May.

A local resident of Malakyun village in Kyuakphyu Township told Mizzima that their farm lands were seized by authorities on the pretext of setting up Gas Turbines. They were promised handsome compensation for their land.

“They [authorities] made us sign an agreement paper. The paper mentioned details of the compensation that we would receive but so far there is no sign of any compensation,” a local villager of Malakyun told Mizzima.

According to the resident of Kyaukphyu town, authorities have begun laying the foundation for a gas turbine in the farmlands, where local villagers have been using them for coconut plantation.

“For some villagers, the land means everything, as they have no other land to cultivate,” said the local, adding that so far there are no signs of any compensation.

While the villagers and local townsfolk might see the confiscation of the land as another normal practice of Burma’s ruling military junta, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on November 3 announced that it has begun work on constructing dual gas and petroleum pipelines in the area.

According to the Thailand-based Arakan Oil Watch, an activists group monitoring the junta’s gas exploration and oil drilling in Arakan state, the CNPC is to construct a gas terminal and an oil terminal in Kyuakphyu Township.

The proposed dual pipeline will be connected to the terminals. While the gas pipeline will transport gas from the Shwe Gas field, located in offshore gas fields in Arakan state, the oil pipeline will transport oil brought from Middle East and African countries to China’s Southwestern Yunnan province.

“Many people are desperate about their land being confiscated but some are hoping that the gas turbines could provide us some electricity once completed,” a government employee told Mizzima.

However, the Shwe Gas Campaign group, another activists group monitoring the gas exploration and sales, said CNPC has obtained the sole right to purchase the gas produced from the Shwe Gas Fields, belying the hopes of villagers.

Stakes in the Shwe Gas fields is held by Korea’s Daewoo, Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and India’s Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

Currently, Kyaukphyu Township receives electricity only from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m. for six consecutive days. On the seventh day there is no supply.

Campaigners said the gas terminals and pipeline constructions are not going to help the villagers, as the Burmese government had agreed to sell the gas to China for 30 years that will provide up to US $ 30 billion to the ruling junta.

Wong Aung, a member of the Shew Gas movement, said, “This project is not going to benefit the locals as it will not even create proper employment. Despite various abuses, other companies such as garment factories can provide employment but this gas pipeline project will not provide any such opportunity.”

He added that the proposed pipeline, which is estimated to be about 900 kilometers within Burma, will further create severe human rights violations along its route.

“There will be more land confiscations, forced labour, and many other severe human rights violations as the junta clears the path for the pipeline,” Won Aung said.

Envisaging such terrible rights violations, Wong Aung’s group along with several other environmental organizations including the Shwe Gas Movement last month submitted an appeal to Chinese President Hu Jintao to halt the project.


Reporting Khaing Suu, Writing and editing Mungpi