Arakanese Communities & People(Malaysia) Statement of Arakan Communities in Malaysia Over The Offshore Shwe Gas Project in Arakan

Date:13th October 2011 The Beijings China National Petroleum Corporation and Burmese regime owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise have jointly implemented the Shwe Gas Project in the area of 25 miles due north of Kyaukphru,Arakan,Burma since 2009. We Arakanese communities and other Burmese Affairs Activist Communities have strongly demanded to stop the project for years.But the military regime has neglected our demand up to now. The pipeline project is estimated to be completed by 2013. The project is going to be designed to pump crude oil and natural gas from the Arakanese coast of Burma (Myanmar) to Chinas Yunnan Province. The dual oil and gas pipelines, nearly 2,000 km in length (800 km inside Burma) will cross the entire country, passing through more than 20 Burmese townships and many villages in Arakan, Bago Division,Magwe Division,Mandalay Division and Shan State.The natural gas is to be pumped from the offshore Shwe gas fields of Arakan ,whereas the oil will be offloaded from tankers from Middle East and Africa to the port in Arakan and then pumped to a Chinese refinery at Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan. Due to the Project, the local Arakanese including the residents of the area where the pipeline is being designed face serious issues such as environment issues, land confiscation, forced labour, and other human rights violations and climate change.The people has been getting into serious poverty from bad to worse. The benefit of that project that has been designed according to the agreement between the then Military Council and the Beijing is not for people and national interest but for the Beijing Government and the pillar for notorious military strength of Burma.According to Burmese Minister for Energy U Than Htay, 90% of its benefit will be enjoyed by the Beijing while the rest by Burmese military for 50 years. We Arakanese communities and people in Malaysia strongly demand to stop the Shwe Gas Project unconditionally and urge the Chinese Companies to go back home. We also urge the new Burmese Government to stop this project designed by the then Military Council so as to a democratic government through which it can enjoy trust and belief of all national races including Burman national.

Arakanese Communities and People Malaysia