THAILAND PIPELINE CONTROVERSY

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Dear Netters,
                         The following is the latest information on the
pipeline.Please redistribute it via the Net and emails.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Julien Moe.
----------------
DATE=2/12/98

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-38952 

TITLE=THAILAND PIPELINE CONTROVERSY

BYLINE=AUNG HLA

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

NOT VOICED: 


                /// ACTS AVAILABLE IN BUBBLE ///


INTRO:  IN THAILAND, ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE 

BEEN LOCKED IN A STANDOFF WITH THE THAI GOVERNMENT OVER THE FINAL

STAGE OF A 700-KILOMETER-LONG NATURAL GAS PIPELINE -- A JOINT 

PROJECT WITH NEIGHBORING BURMA AND FOREIGN OIL COMPANIES.  AUNG 

HLA (PRON: AWNG HLAH) OF V-O-A'S BURMESE SERVICE REPORTS, 

LAST-MINUTE EFFORTS BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS TO STOP THE PIPELINE 

FROM BEING COMPLETED APPEAR TO BE MEETING WITH FAILURE.


TEXT:  THE PIPELINE HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF A FIERCE DEBATE 

EVER SINCE THAILAND, BURMA AND TWO FOREIGN OIL COMPANIES -- 

UNOCAL OF THE UNITED STATES, AND FRANCE'S TOTAL -- SIGNED AN 

AGREEMENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO EXPLOIT THE YADANA (PRON: 

YAH-DAHNAH) GAS FIELDS OFF BURMA'S COAST.


BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT MOVED QUICKLY TO COMPLETE VIRTUALLY 

ALL OF THE PIPELINE ON THE BURMESE SIDE OF THE BORDER.  HOWEVER, 

IN THAILAND A GROUP OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS 

BEGAN A PROTEST TO STOP COMPLETION ON THE THAI SIDE OF THE 

FRONTIER.


THIS WEEK, THAILAND'S STATE PETROLEUM AUTHORITY (P-T-T) AGREED TO

STOP CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIPELINE IN AN AREA NEAR THE BORDER 

PENDING THE RESULT OF A REVIEW BY A SPECIAL COMMITTEE.


// OPT // ACCORDING TO THAI PRESS REPORTS, THE WIDELY RESPECTED 

FORMER THAI PRIME MINISTER, ANAND PANYARACHUN, AGREED TO SERVE AS

CHAIRMAN OF THAT COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS EXPECTED TO CONCLUDE ITS 

ASSESSMENT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. // END OPT //


HOWEVER, EVEN AS THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE WAS BEING FORMED,  

THAILAND'S PRIME MINISTER -- CHUAN LEEKPAI -- WAS QUOTED AS 

SAYING PROTESTS TO STOP THE PIPELINE WERE TOO LATE.  THAI PRESS 

REPORTS QUOTED HIM AS SAYING THAILAND HAS  NO  CHOICE BUT TO 

COMPLY WITH CONTRACTS WITH BURMA'S STATE-RUN OIL COMPANY -- WHICH

IS CONTROLLED BY BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT.


THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST QUOTED THAI DIPLOMATS AS SAYING 

BURMA HAS PUT CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE ON THE THAI GOVERNMENT TO 

COMPLETE THE PIPELINE.  THE DIPLOMATS WERE QUOTED AS SAYING 

RANGOON MADE CLEAR TO BANGKOK THAT ANY DELAY WOULD PUT FUTURE 

RELATIONS AT RISK.


IN REPORTS ABOUT NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT, BURMA'S 

MILITARY-CONTROLLED PRESS CONSISTENTLY AVOIDS ANY MENTION OF 

NEGATIVE REACTION BY HUMAN RIGHTS OR ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.  THESE

GROUPS ACCUSE THE BURMESE MILITARY OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS -- 

SUCH AS FORCED LABOR -- AND ENVIRONMENTAL IGNORANCE IN BUILDING 

THE PIPELINE ON THE BURMESE SIDE.


ABOUT 30 TO 40 THAI CONSERVATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HAVE 

BEEN CAMPING OUT IN THE FOREST IN WESTERN THAILAND TO STOP 

COMPLETION OF THE GAS PIPELINE.  THE ACTIVISTS ARE EXPECTED TO 

REMAIN AT THEIR PROTEST SITE WHILE THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE HOLDS 

ITS MEETINGS.


PIPOB UDOMITTIPONG (PRON:  PEE-BOP UDOMITTIPONG ) IS HEAD OF A 

GROUP CALLED "THE CAMPAIGN FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY" -- A COALITION 

OF ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSING THE PIPELINE.  HE ACCUSES THE PRIME 

MINISTER OF TRYING TO UNDERMINE ATTEMPTS TO FIND A WORKABLE 

SOLUTION TO THE DISPUTE:


                        /// PIPOB ACT ///




         WE ARE DEMANDING NOW THE PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE WE WANT 

         THE PUBLIC TO LEARN THAT THERE ARE MANY TRICKS IN THIS 

         PROJECT. THERE ARE MANY LIES THAT THE P-T-T HAS TOLD THE

         PUBLIC. AND WE WANT TO EXPOSE THAT, EVEN [THOUGH] THE 

         P-T-T HAS A VERY GOOD IMAGE OF THE REFORESTATION 

         PROGRAM, OF THE OTHER GOOD CAMPAIGNS. BUT UNDERNEATH 

         THAT THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING VERY DESTRUCTIVE TO THE 

         ELEPHANTS, TO THE ANIMAL SPECIES.




                         /// END ACT ///




CONSERVATIONISTS SAY A PUBLIC HEARING WOULD PERSUADE THE PANEL 

AND THE THAI PEOPLE TO FORCE THAILAND'S OIL COMPANY TO AT LEAST 

CHANGE THE ROUTE OF THE PIPELINE SO IT WILL NOT CUT THROUGH SOME 

OF THAILAND'S LAST REMAINING VIRGIN FORESTS.




PIPOB UDOMITTIPONG SAYS THE PROJECT THREATENS ELEPHANTS AND RARE 

ANIMAL SPECIES -- AND ENCOURAGES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY THE 

BURMESE MILITARY GOVERNMENT:




                    /// SECOND PIPOB ACT ///




         FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE CONCERN ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL 

         DESTRUCTION THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON UNTIL NOW.  BECAUSE 

         THE PROJECT OBVIOUSLY INVOLVES WIDESPREAD DEFORESTATION 

         OF THE WESTERN FOREST, WHICH IS UNIQUELY ABUNDANT.  IT 

         IS HOME FOR RARE ANIMAL SPECIES.  FOR EXAMPLE, RAJANI 

         CRABS -- AND THE KITTI BAT, WHICH IS THE SMALLEST MAMMAL

         IN THE WORLD. SECONDLY, THE PROJECT [HAS BEEN INVOLVED] 

         TOTALLY WITH GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BURMA. AND OUR

         INVESTING IN BURMA WOULD ONLY PERPETUATE THE HUMAN 

         RIGHTS ABUSES IN THAT COUNTRY. THOSE ARE TWO MAIN 

         REASONS WHY WE OPPOSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIPELINE.



                         /// END ACT ///




THAILAND'S PRIME MINISTER HAS BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING HE WOULD MAKE

SURE THAT AREAS AFFECTED BY THE PIPELINE ARE RE-FORESTED.




ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES JOINED THAI 

CONSERVATIONISTS IN OPPOSING THE PIPELINE PROJECT.  THAILAND'S 

PETROLEUM AUTHORITY OPPOSES ANY DELAY.  IF THE PIPELINE IS NOT 

COMPLETED BY JULY, THE COMPANY MAY HAVE TO PAY A FINE OF 

125-THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY TO BURMA, AND A FINE TO ITS PRIMARY 

CONTRACTOR.




ACCORDING TO "THE NATION" NEWSPAPER IN BANGKOK, A MAJORITY OF 

PEOPLE QUESTIONED IN A RECENT OPINION POLL SUPPORT THE GAS 

PIPELINE PROJECT.  BUT THEY SAY IT SHOULD HAVE MINIMAL IMPACT ON 

THE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDE ADEQUATE SAFETY CONTROLS, AND BE BUILT 

USING THE HIGHEST CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.  (SIGNED)




AH/DR/KMW/RRM


12-Feb-98 5:40 PM EST (2240 UTC)