Statement by Local Residents at Ramree Island Regarding Shwe Gas Project, Deep Sea Port, and Oil and Gas Pipeline

By Kyauk Phyu Community Based Organizations and Villages • May 2, 2013

Construction of Daewoo’s Shwe gas project, as well as CNPC’s Maday deep sea port and oil and gas pipeline have damaged our (local people’s) livelihoods and environment in Kyauk Phu Township since 2009. Additionally, there has been ongoing forcible land confiscation, providing no compensation or a limited amount of compensation for the confiscated rice farms and lands.

We, the local affected people, were not informed or consulted by the companies regarding the positive or negative impacts of the projects before the implementation of these projects until today. Furthermore, we were not informed of whether an EIA or SIA had been conducted before the implementation of the projects. Therefore, we have been deeply concerned about the possibility of the total destruction of our major livelihoods such as farming and fishing, as the projects have already negatively impacted our livelihoods.

Beginning from this year, Maday Sea Port will be filled with massive Chinese oil tankers transporting crude oil from the Middle East and Africa. If any oil spill occurs from these tankers in the Maday and Kyauk Phyu coastal area, the major sources of our livelihoods including our sea, agricultural lands, rice farms and mangrove forests, will be destroyed. It is important to note that the mangrove forest in the Kyauk Phyu coastal area is the second largest in Burma.

Therefore, we, the local communities in project affected areas of Kyauk Phyu Township, list the 12 following demands to be implemented immediately by the projects’ operators in Kyauk Phyu, including Daewoo International of South Korea, China’s CNPC, and Myanmar state-owned company MOGE. We also demand that all projects’ activities in Kyauk Phyu be postponed until our demands are met.

Our demands:

1. If an EIA and SIA were already conducted, to disclose and present the results of those assessments to local people immediately. If an EIA and SIA were not conducted, postpone all the projects’ activities and conduct an EIA and SIA immediately, then present the results and hold a consultation with local people.

2. To investigate the oil and gas pipeline’s quality and condition immediately in line with international standards, and immediately present the results of the investigation to the people.

3. To present information to local people regarding the government’s and companies’ roles and responsibilities. This must include required actions in case of accidents or emergencies resulting from the projects, such as the clean up processes for any environmental damages, protection of biodiversity, and compensation for affected people in the event of explosions or oil spills in Arakan sea and land.

4. To establish and enforce laws to protect local people’s environment, livelihoods, culture and customs in line with international standards

5. To immediately clean up the rocks in the local people’s fishing areas where companies dumped rocks mined during the construction of the sea port project.

6. To present prior information about how the local fisherfolk communities’ livelihoods will be restored when their main fishing grounds are damaged due to oil tanker movement in the areas.

7. To provide full compensation to land owners whose lands were forcibly confiscated without compensation or with limited compensation for the Shwe gas project, deep sea port, and oil and gas pipeline projects until the land owners are satisfied that the compensation is in line with international standards.

8. To provide jobs and livelihood necessities to affected local communities facing challenges to their survival due to the Shwe gas, deep sea port, and oil and gas pipeline projects

9. To respect local culture and to prevent oppression of the local people by foreign and non-local company workers.

10. To give local communities prior information regarding the danger of toxic waste from the Shwe gas terminal, and regarding the plans to protect local people’s sea, land and air in line with international standards.

11. To implement company’s CSR activities according to local people’s desires.

12. To prioritize the utilization of Shwe gas for Arakan State development before any other use within the country or for export.

These demands are made by three Kyauk Phyu CBOs and 17 villages which cover an estimated population of 20,000 people.

Contact:

Tun Lwin: +95 942 172 9277 (English speaking) / Kyaukphyu Social Network Group
Tun Kyi: +95 949 650 353 (Burmese speaking) / Maday Island Development Organization
Soe Shwe: +95 942 1739 616 (Burmese speaking) / Sky Youth Organization
Mg Aye: +95 942 175 0633 (Burmese speaking) / Lightkamor Village / Kyaukphyu Township

Download the statement in Burmese here.