Press Release:

Statement on Arakan Natural Gas

REF: ST/06/2004.

The Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF) strongly protests the SPDC’s exporting of Arakan natural gas to India and the forthcoming energy ministerial meeting of three nations of Burma, Bangladesh and India to be held in Rangoon (Yangon) on 12-13 January 2005.

Bangladesh is enthusiastic to discuss about the much-talked trans-Burma-Bangladesh-India gas pipeline project with India during the early January 9-11 Summit of  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Dhaka. Bangladesh will earn around US$ 125 million annually as transmission fees for the pipeline that will run from Arakan State in Burma to the Indian States of Mizoram and Tripura and then cross over Bangladesh to the west of India

But the Burmese military SPDC has totally undermined the will of the Burmese people and have been deprived of their right to country’s natural gas or resources. Instead, the military regime is accelerating the militarization of the pipeline areas. As suffered by the people of Mon State, during and after the construction of Yadana/Yetagun pipeline project managed by Unocal, France’s Total and the Burmese State Oil Company, now the people of Arakan are in impending danger of grave human rights violations, such as forced labour, forced relocation, rape, torture and murder.

The international oil companies will soon begin producing natural gas from Block (A-1) of the Arakan Coast of the Bay of Bengal. In expectation of next profit the International Consortium has named this project “SHWE (Gold)”.The South Korean Corporations -- Korean Gas (KOGAS) and Daewoo International own 10 to 60 percent site of the “Shwe” while the Indian corporations – Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and ONGC Videsh own 10 to 20 percent site of the project. Despite this, the public have no idea as to what to expect from this major oil exploration. On the other hand, there is no opportunity to launch effective awareness campaign on natural resources in Arakan as most of its people are uneducated and seriously discriminated against.

We at RYDF urge up the Government of Bangladesh not to allow the transition of gas pipeline over the country lest it will augment the sufferings of the people of Burma, particularly that of Arakan.

We also call upon the international community to put effective pressure on SPDC  to preserve the natural gas of Arakan for the people of the country and to get informed consent from its stakeholders for exploration.

Meanwhile, we strongly protest and raise our alarm that the international oil and gas companies, including Indian and Korean companies, may be prudent enough to stop/withdraw their activities or buying or contracting Arakan Gas, one of the largest natural gas reserves in South East Asia, without the informed consent of the people of Arakan.

Central Executive Committee
Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF)
Arakan-Burma.

Date: December 30, 2004

For further information, please contact at:

                         Mohammad Sadek
                        
Mobile: +88(0)189 616343
               `        E-mail: rydf2003@yahoo.com

Source: Information desk, RYDF, December 30,2004.