Escalation of Civil War in Burma Necessitates Immediate Halt to Salween Dam Plans

Following recent heavy fighting in northern Shan State, all the planned Salween dam sites in Burma now lie directly in active conflict zones. The Salween Watch Coalition is therefore demanding an immediate halt to all plans […]

Chinese and Korean Gas and Oil Projects Linked to Land Confiscations, Violations of Indigenous Rights, Torture, and Corruption in Burma (Myanmar)

Leading multinational companies from China, South Korea, and India have begun construction of massive oil and gas pipelines across Burma that are connected to widespread land confiscation, violations of indigenous rights, cases of arbitrary arrest, detention and torture, and forced labor, according to a new publication released today by EarthRights International (ERI). ERI is calling on the oil companies involved in the pipelines to immediately postpone their operations, and for the Burmese authorities to enact a moratorium on development in the oil, gas, mining, and hydropower sectors until preconditions for responsible investment are in place and the people of Burma can meaningfully participate in development decisions […]

The Burma-China Pipelines: Human Rights Violations, Applicable Law, and Revenue Secrecy

EarthRights International (ERI) today issued a damning report linking major Chinese and Korean companies to widespread land confiscation, and cases of forced labor, arbitrary arrest, detention and torture, and violations of indigenous rights connected to the Shwe natural gas project and oil transport projects in Burma (Myanmar). The publication, The Burma-China Pipelines: Human Rights Violations, Applicable Law, and Revenue Secrecy, draws primarily on two years of clandestine interviews with affected populations from Arakan State, Magway Division, and Mandalay Division, as well as leaked documents that provide new insight into secretive payments between the oil companies and the military regime, controversial security arrangements, and inadequate corporate due diligence […]

Asian Countries Place Business Interests Before ‘Grave’ Human Rights Situation in Burma

This week, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana, provided a succinct description of human rights in Burma’s post-election environment: “Despite the promise of a transition [in Burma], the human rights situation remains grave.” Meanwhile, the investment situation remains lucrative, with countries and companies pumping billions of dollars into ongoing and new projects. By placing business interests over human interests, the military regime and countries in the region continue to fail to advance and protect human rights in Burma […]

World Report 2011: Burma

Burma’s human rights situation remained dire in 2010, even after the country’s first multiparty elections in 20 years. The ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) continued to systematically deny all basic freedoms to citizens and sharply constrained political participation. The rights of freedom of expression, association, assembly, and media remained severely curtailed. The government took no significant steps during the year to release more than 2,100 political prisoners being held, except for the November 13 release of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi […]

Burma Rivers Network Welcomes NLD’s Concerns About Nationwide Impacts of Myitsone Dam

The Burma Rivers Network (BRN) welcomes the NLD’s recent statements that dams are being constructed in Burma without any consideration for the environment or for local residents, and that the Myitsone dam, the first on the Irrawaddy, will have negative impacts on the entire country […]

China to Operate Oil Wharf in Burma

China’s Qingdao Port has signed an agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to build and operate a wharf on Burma’s western coastline from which China will send its crude oil brought from Africa and the Middle East via an inland pipeline to Yunnan Province […]

New Dam in China Disrupts River Trade at Major Burma Border Crossing

A recently built hydropower dam on the Longjiang River in China’s Yunnan Province is causing severe disruption to thousands of villagers relying on cross-border trade in Burma’s northern Shan State, according to a new report by local Shan researchers[…]

Week 35: 2010 Election Watch (2-8 November)

Developments

Widespread evidence of electoral fraud, irregularities, threats, harassment, and lack of independent monitoring characterized Election Day and the days leading up to it:

• In the days before the election, local SPDC officials, polling station officials, and Union Solidarity and Development (USDP) members throughout the country solicited advance and proxy votes, in the overwhelming majority of cases specifically for the USDP […]

Regional efforts needed to push for democracy

[…] Experts and Myanmarese activists agreed during a discussion here on Wednesday that Indonesia, which would chair ASEAN next year, should use its chairmanship to form an agenda on Myanmar, which was scheduled to conduct widely anticipated elections in November.

They also said that through ASEAN, Indonesia should ask for assistance from China and India to put more pressure on the military rulers in Myanmar.

Burma Partnership coordinator Khin Ohmar said there were some problems in expecting China and India to join pro-democracy efforts […]