Four Killed, 12 Injured in Bomb Blasts in Irrawaddy-Myitsone Dam Site

Four people died and over 12 people were injured when exploding bombs for the first time rocked the Myitsone dam project in Irrawaddy River in Kachin State, northern Burma, said local residents. Most of the dead and injured were Chinese workers.

At least three bombs exploded in quick succession in front of Asia World Company’s office, one of the implementing agencies of the dam project in Lungga Zup, 18 miles north of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, at about 4:45 a.m. Burma Standard Time, residents said […]

The UN Singles Out Big Oil in Burma, With Good Reason

By Matthew Smith, Coordinator of the Burma Project, EarthRights International

In a surprising report last month to the UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on human rights Tomás Quintana recommended an official “commission of inquiry” into possible crimes against humanity and war crimes in military-ruled Burma (Myanmar).

Although the call for such a commission was widely covered in media and policy circles, a critical section of the report went completely overlooked and unreported: Quintana actually became the first UNSR to take specific aim at the ruling State Peace and Development Council’s corporate partners, singling out problematic foreign oil companies operating in the country […]

Dam Debate Looms Large over Mekong Summit

By Rachel O’Brien

Leaders of Southeast Asian nations straddling the shrinking lower Mekong River are set to lean on China at landmark talks as controversy builds over the cause of the waterway’s lowest levels in decades.

Beijing’s Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao will join the premiers of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin to discuss management of the vast river, on which more than 60 million people depend […]

Salween Rally Calls on Burma’s Neighbors to Halt Dam Plans

Hundreds of villagers from both Burma and Thailand joined affected peoples from around the world in marking International Day of Action for Rivers yesterday as plans by China, Thailand and India steam ahead to dam all of Burma’s major rivers.

Five hundred farmers and fisher-folk gathered on the Salween River and shared their concerns about the impending construction of five massive dams planned on the river with performances and prayers to protect the Salween. […]

The Shwe Natural Gas Pipeline in Burma: Human Rights Violations Increase as Project Moves Forward

EarthRights International (ERI) has confirmed that serious human rights abuses have increased in connection to the multi-billion dollar Shwe natural gas pipeline project in military-ruled Burma, including recent reports of land confiscation on Maday Island. Compensation for local villagers on the island was reportedly promised by the Burmese authorities and the Asia World Company (whose […]

Letters of Concern to Seadrill Ltd and the Norwegian Embassy

It has recently come to the attention of Free Burma Campaign Singapore (FBCSG) that the Burmese junta is engaging an Australian company, Twinza Oil, to develop an oil and gas project. A Norwegian company, Seadrill Ltd, is being sought to provide drilling equipments for this purpose.

In view of this disturbing development, FBCSG has recently addressed a letter to Seadrill Ltd’s office in Singapore and to the Norwegian Embassy. […]

Junta Forcibly Acquires Relocation Consent for Myitsone Dam

Villagers in Tan Hte village near the hydropower project site at the confluence (Myitsone) of May Kha and May Likha, tributaries of Irrawaddy River, the main waterway and lifeline of Burma, have been forced to give their consent to relocate by signing on a consent paper by Myitkyina township officials, a Kachin social group said. […]

Burma, China to Develop Hydropower Projects in Wa and Mongla Areas

Shan Herald Agency for News A report on 8 February in http://news.sohu.com says Burma in collaboration with two Chinese firms is planning to develop seven dams in the Wa and Mongla areas, both of which have been up in arms against Naypyitaw’s plan to transform all the armed groups that have ceasefire agreements into Burmese […]

Kachin Catholics Gather and Pray for a Halt to the Irrawaddy Dam Project

Hundreds of ethnic Kachin Roman Catholic Church followers gathered today at the construction site of the hydropower project on the Irrawaddy River, in Burma’s northern Kachin State, on the annual Feast of the historic Virgin Mary Grotto and prayed that the project would be stopped, local devotees said […]

Relocation, land confiscation on Madae Island for gas pipeline

Households in two villages on Madae Island in Kyaukpru Township were forcibly relocated and land was confiscated for construction of a gas pipeline and jetty on the island, said a villager.

“Fifteen households each from Prin Village and Wrama Village on the island were forced to relocate and 15 acres of farmlands were confiscated from villagers for the gas pipeline and jetty. The abuse was perpetrated by Asia World Company […]