The Chinese government has overlooked the grave risks of building a new energy corridor through Burma, a new report published by Shwe Gas Movement, states.
The report title, “Corridor of Power”, documents the Chinese governments decision to ignore conditions in Burma – financial and political risks from social unrest, re-ignition of fighting along the route and potential public relations disasters – to begin construction on a nearly 4,000 kilometer dual oil and gas pipeline across the heartland of Burma.
“These Chinese international investments are fueling human rights abuses and makes the country unstable. Recently, conflict with a Burmese ethnic armed group has already explode in the area and the situation inside the Burmese country is unstable as [groups] try to change political policy in the country,” said Shwe Gas Movement spokesperson, Wong Aung, during a phone interview with IMNA. ”So in looking at this situation, the Chinese government starting construction on the pipeline is like they are ignoring the Burmese country.”
The fuel power transportation along this pipeline is important for the development of both China and Burma, so that as a “Power Corridor”, this pipeline will be strategically crucial to both governments, added Wong Aung.
China’s largest oil and gas producer, the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation, will begin construction on the pipeline this month. The project will provide the military junta with $29 billion over a 30 year period.
Citing the recent attack on insurgents by the Burmese army near the pipeline area in the Northern Shan State, and thousands of people that subsequently fled into China as refugees, the report shows how easily destabilized the area is. Therefore, this is just one example of how the regime is destabilizing the region says the press release.
Due to this pipeline development project, Wong Aung estimates the toll on human rights will be twice that documented during the construction of the government owned Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay pipeline, which branches off the Yadana gas project in Tenasserim Division. There, the Burmese regime militarized the area during the pipeline construction project, setting up numerous battalions within range of the pipeline, said Wong Aung, and detailed in a report by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM).
The HURFOM report released in May, titled “Laid Waste”, documents the militarization and subsequent human rights abuses that occurred during the construction of the Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay pipeline. There, villager’s land was confiscated by the Burmese army and residents were forced to flee after facing a broad range of human rights abuses including, forced portering, human mine sweepers, rape, torture, and summery execution.
