About 500 villagers on Madae Island in Kyauk Pru Township staged on Thursday a demonstration against Chinese company CNPC by marching on the streets of Island, said activists.
The demonstration on the island was not permitted by authorities but the villagers did it because they had no alternative way to show their frustration with the treatment of them by the Shwe gas project to high government authorities, said an activist Ko Tun Kyi.
About 500 villagers from four villages located on the Island firstly gathered in front of the Monastery at 1:30 PM on Thursday and then they marched to CNPC’s office where demonstrators called for 9 pointed demands.
“We are all wearing T Shirts together marched to CNPC office from our village on the island by shouting slogans and holding many posters and signboards against the Shwe Gas projects. We demanded 9 points to be fulfilled by authorities,” said U Tun Kyi.
Protest-Against-the-Shwe-Gas-Project-&-CNPC-in-Maday---The 9 point demands asked by villagers are below:
(1) To compensate for the confiscated lands with international standards.
(2) To construct all connecting roads among the villages
(3) To employ all villagers living in Island at work-sites of the Shwe gas project if they have workers registration.
(4) To supply electricity to all villages located on the island
(5) To scrutinize all workers from outside in order to avoid crimes on the island
(6) To allow villagers to fish in the surrounding offshore area of the island
(7) Not to confiscate lands on the island without the people knowing
(8) To build a broken embankment on the Island immediately and
(9) To compensate those who have been suffering from the project
Protest-Against-the-Shwe-Gas-Project-&-CNPC-Maday
According to sources, the villagers called for the above 9 points demands to the district authority to fulfill but they have not been implemented yet despite the authority promising and agreeing to implement the peoples demands. Because of this, villagers staged the demonstration against the project on the Island.
During the demonstration of the day, many additional police were deployed by authorities across the Island but did not take any action against demonstrators.
A female activist from the island said that there were no disturbing and problems for the demonstration. Moreover Chinese officials from CNPC office agreed to fulfill the villagers’ demands.
