"On a little-known island in Myanmar?s Rakhine State, construction is soon set to begin on a deep-sea port, dozens of factories, roads, reservoirs and a power plant to support large-scale industrial activity. Alongside similar projects in Dawei and Thilawa, the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone is one of Myanmar?s most ambitious and expensive development strategies. Despite repeated assurances from policy-makers in Naypyidaw and Beijing, the economic justification of the Kyuakphyu SEZ is coming under increased scrutiny. Located in Rakhine State, one of the poorest and least developed regions in Myanmar, Kyaukphyu Township is a sleepy provincial centre. Home to only 60,000 people, many of which rely on fishing and agriculture for their livelihoods, there is, as of yet, no industrial infrastructure of note. Yet a tract of land several miles from the town centre is set to receive unique legal status, billions in infrastructure spending and, if all goes according to plan, large flows of job-creating investment. While the area has some notable natural assets such as large gas deposits and a well-protected harbour, the zone?s prospects of success are poor..."