Shwe Gas Movement
Activists: Sales of Arms Technology to Burma by Daewoo is Threat to Regional
Security
Narinjara News
Shwe Gas Movement activists stated in their press release
on 7 December that the selling of arms and technology to
Ko Wong Aung, and activists
with the Shwe Gas Movement said in the press release
that "the sales of arms technology to Burma was organized and soon after
the initial investment by Daewoo International in the Shwe
project in late 2000, and once again highlights how Burma's regime uses foreign
investment to buy arms. This also threatens regional peace and stability."
The Shwe Gas
Movement issued a press release welcoming the South Korean government's
decision to indict fourteen South Korean executives, including Daewoo
International president, Lee Tae-Yong, and the vice-president of Doosan Infracore, formerly Daewoo
Heavy Industries.
The Shwe Gas
movement said that in May 2002, Daewoo International signed a USD 133.8 million
contract with the Burmese military regime. Since 2002, Daewoo International and
six other corporations exported 480 pieces of equipment and parts to build a
new arms factory in
Furthermore, the press release reported that
Daewoo International is the main operator of the Shwe
Natural Gas project in
"We are grateful that the South Korean
legal system is now holding Daewoo International and other corporations
accountable for their actions in
"However, we also urge the South Korean
people and government to recognize our fears that the Daewoo investment in the Shwe gas project will directly lead to deaths and
displacement of our people during the construction of the Shwe
pipelines," he continued.
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
claims that the Burmese army routinely uses forced labour
in infrastructure projects, and the ILO is currently in the process of bringing
the military regime before the International Criminal Court and the
International Court of Justice, the press release said.
Wong Aung concludes
by saying, "The Shwe gas project must be
stopped, until there is democracy in
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