Burma

Protesters Demand End of Shwe Gas Pipeline

By CHARLIE CAMPBELL / THE IRRAWADDY Thursday, March 1, 2012

Protesters outside the Chinese consulate in Chiang Mai demand an end to the Shwe Gas pipeline project. (Photo: Irrawaddy)

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CHIANG MAI, THAILAND — Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Chinese consulate on Thursday morning to demand an end to the controversial Shwe Gas pipeline though central Burma.

Activists chanted “no way no Shwe” and “CNPC out of Burma” while campaign leaders delivered an open letter to Burmese President Thein Sein that called for an end to the Beijing-backed project.

In a scene mirrored at the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, representatives from a wide variety of community organizations joined together to highlight human rights abuses associated with the pipeline's construction from Burma’s western coast to China’s Yunnan Province.

“Resentment of these pipelines is growing day by day. Thein Sein should listen to the will of the people,” said Shwe Gas Movement's Wong Aung. “Under the current unaccountable structure, gas monies from the project will only feed corruption and not benefit the people.”

“China has been under increased pressure recently and has seen a lot of new challenges, especially with problems with its interests in Africa,” he told The Irrawaddy. “In Burma we need transparency as thousands have been displaced by these projects. The government has discretionary funds to back them so it's a big problem for the country.”

The open letter expresses serious concerns over human rights abuses as well as the social, economic and environmental impact attributed to the Burmese, Chinese, South Korean and Indian companies involved. Set to come online in 2013, the pipeline will become the country’s largest source of foreign revenue, generating an estimated US $29 billion over 30 years.

However, nearly all Shwe Gas will be exported to generate power in China at the same time as roughly 75 percent of the Burmese population does not receive electricity from the national grid.

Activists from 130 groups put their names to the open letter, which strongly condemned the confiscation of thousands of acres of farmland for the project, and the military offensives against ethnic armies in the pipeline corridor in northern Shan State.

“We are calling for the government to postpone this project until rights are protected and negative impacts are prevented within a sustainable framework for national development,” the letter states.

“Thousands of acres of farm lands have been confiscated in Arakan and Shan states and Magwe and Mandalay divisions to clear the way for the pipeline corridor and related infrastructure. The livelihoods of local fishing families in Arakan State have been destroyed due to development of offshore infrastructure for the project.”

And activists believe the recent suspension of the Chinese-backed Myitsone hydropower dam and Dawei (Tavoy) coal-fired plant projects demonstrates that Naypyidaw is starting to value public opinion.

Garrett Kostin, of The Best Friend charity, joined in the Chiang Mai protest and said that now is the time to put more pressure on the new nominally civilian government.

“There is still a huge impact for the future of Burma as, despite a lot of good changes that have been happening recently, there are still a lot of human rights abuses associated with the taking of natural resources and we see this as the time to push on and see more positive change,” he told The Irrawaddy.

Protesters for the Shwe Gas Movement also handed Chinese consular officials a copy of their report “Sold Out,” which claims the ongoing projects have directly affected 80,000 people displaced along the 800 km (500 mile) pipeline route.

The report says the natural gas, if used domestically, would transform Burma’s failing economy, addressing chronic energy shortages and unaffordable petrol prices that led to uprisings in 2007. The gas will instead be exported and billions of dollars will be swallowed up by a fiscal black hole that omits gas revenues from the national budget.

The construction project incorporating the deep-sea port, gas terminal and oil transfers involves the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) as well as companies from across Asia. Observers believe that the ongoing armed conflict in Kachin State is Naypyidaw's way of safeguarding the pipeline route.

COMMENTS (12)

U Than Htut Wrote:

06/03/2012

This project is on going project,since last 3 to 4 years ago. But it is properly covered by all concerns including regional, divisional and higher organization?. This GAS LINE is combined with OIL pipe line which will transported from Kyaukphyu to China. That seem to me, the line divided between upper Myanmar & lower Myanmar. The width may be 40'-50'+. Who owned that pipe line by CHINESE or MYANMAR. If owned by CHINESE Co; who will take care of the security, if CHINESE their Army will take care of the whole length of the GAS/OIL pipe line area.
Please!! If we should continue to do this work or stop for the Country's FUTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL problems.

Sidney Wrote:

03/03/2012

Pillaged and plundered like the spoils of war.
....by our own.

Ayokso Wrote:

03/03/2012

Natural gas is plentiful and is a cheap commodity when considered on a global basis. Therefore, it's not smart to export cheap natgas. It's much smarter to utilize natgas at home, build a large refinery if necessary. This will create vastly increased economic value, e.g. electric power, and refined natgas for vehicles and machinery and general consumer uses. Gas from Yakhine can be transported to the Tavoy SEC, if one must really generate 4K megawatts of power. Leasing a single tanker would probably do.

KHUN FRANK Wrote:

02/03/2012

Who is behind of this protest. It has to be the more well organized mass protest then our Burmese kick these Nasty Chinese out from Burma. Nothing else. They are so greedy. Once they can not get easily then they will force to us like they did with Philipine. Before we are totally ( the whole body )sink we have to protect their activities. We understand the Gas is very expensive and it can substitue the fuel oil. All we have to do is we must find the technology and assistance from West to use our own raw gas into consumable gas so we can use this to our vehicles and we can stop the flowing of our foreign exchange.

tocharian Wrote:

02/03/2012

This pipeline like the dams constitute a severe breach of Burma's sovereignty, that the "tatmadaw" is supposed to defend. Instead, some of the (ex-)generals (like shit lone) are selling Burmese land for their own profit. Chinese axe-handles, I call them. Just compare what's happening in Burma to the Philippines and Vietnam. They are standing up to the Chinese about who owns these islands in the South China Seas, while Burma gives away her sovereignty in its own HEARTLAND by letting a Chinese pipeline and railway cut through it like a knife. Shameful!

Naw Wrote:

02/03/2012

just want to see if they are allowed to be in front of Chinese consulate in Myanmar.

Ayokso Wrote:

02/03/2012

President Thein Sein ought to suspend the Shwe Pipeline Project, like he has done with the Myitsone Dam Project, pending further of all aspects of the deal. This is another example of China looking upon Burma as nothing more than a "Business Object".

Myo Heine Wrote:

02/03/2012

I wish I could join those protesters,that was my idea in my mind since I was in Burma
in Dec 2011. Let me know what or which part I have to do. So count me in.

Junipa Wrote:

02/03/2012

Burmese should learn from their old experience. When British first introduced themselves to Burma , it was Burma's TEAK and OIL that they wanted to invest in. After that, they sent their Military to protect their so-call " Economic Interest" ..... Today, China has billions worth of Economic Interests (and millions of Chinese citizens) in Burma .This is not entirely a PLUS SIGN for Burma .It's extremely dangerous for Burma's sovereignty.

kerry Wrote:

02/03/2012

This is a simple example of where the lives of the Burmese people just meant nothing to the greed of China.

While China says 'we just don't care' they have in fact become the massive 21st century pariah state, the torturers and executioners from another era, and even the Chinese people abroad are afraid of the massive greedy brutal monster state posing as Communism that has been created to benefit a secretive few.

China sees Burma as a vulnerable unprotected mine. It sees Tibet (all six million non-violent people) as 'the enemy', requiring massive deployment of troops, shootings, arrests and the worst kinds of tortures - of even women and old people.

Pathetic. There is no need to kill the people of Burma to rebuild a great nation. Just go with the people: they will rebuild it from love and happiness at freedom.

Why create more karma - and dispossession- and suffering- and deaths? Isn't 100 million dead from CCP rule in 60 nightmare years enough?

Ohn Wrote:

01/03/2012

Because Than Shwe, the boss of Thein Sein, Shwe Mann and Tin Aung Myint Oo, has been and is a coward, the Chinese believe they OWN Burma after paying vast sum of money.

The expected benefit of the "Blue Ocean" on China's West Coast (a place called Kyauk Phyu) fits in the interest of the Chinese, the ASEAN and the "West". All are united on this. Hence killing off the Kachin.

So there is NO chance the pipe, rails and roads to follow will stop. The elevated minds in the "Opposition" would agree with that as well.

Unless there are clear signs of the majority Burmese inside Burma are against it openly.

They are currently simply euphoric about Aung San Suu Kyi being there. Apart from blind faith in her, they do not think, they do not know and they do not care.

Oo Maung Gyi Wrote:

01/03/2012

This Shwe Gas Pipe line has created lots of problems in Arakan State now it is spreading to proper Burma and Kachin State due to mis-management from the begining and coruption.
Many fishing ground and fishing villages ahd been destroyed. Arakanese peoples do not provide even manual workers in the project. Who will have benefits, it is clear to say that only China,Daewoo International Company (Not Daewoo in Korea) an Indian Company which provided investment to Daewoo for Gas drilling time. This project require approval from present parliament as it is involved with multi-international companies.