KALADAN NEWS

Dated 5th Feb 03

AIA HAS RELEASED A JOINT PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE RECENT AGREEMENT OF BURMA AND INDIA TO DEVELOP ECONOMIC PROJECTS

CHITTAGONG, 5th  Feb 2003: The Arakan Independence

Alliance (AIA), an umbrella organization of the

National United Party of Arakan (NUPA) and Arakan

Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) has released a

joint press release today about recent agreement of

Burma and India to develop economic projects, said the

statement.

The press release said that recently Burmese military

junta and Government of India had agreed to implement

various economic development projects, including

multi-model transport project over the Kaladan river

and to build a pipeline along the Kaladan river to

India. Officials of both countries were reported to

have done the necessary surveys. Daewoo International,

ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), Gail and Korean Gas Company

(Kogas) are among the foreign corporate to jointly

fund the natural gas development projects.

 AIA further states that they are not against any

sustainable development in the region. But it must be

done with wishes and welfare of the people with their

full informed consent, as they are the owners of all

resources. It must be sustainable, appropriate, clean

and beneficial to the people.

People of Arakan, especially those inhabiting along

the Kaladan river sides, are now worried by the

frequent visits of the survey teams to the area,

together with Burmese armed forces, as the people are

uninformed about the nature and purpose of such

surveys. It is feared that, when these projects are

materialized, it will cause a lot of trouble for the

local people, both in Arakan and Chin State,

particularly with the increase in deployment of

Burmese armed forces under the pretext of guarding the

pipeline, increased forced relocation, forced labor,

summery execution, torture and other human rights

violations, destruction of forests and natural

environment will occur, the press release further

added.

As it has been clear from the past experiences, these

projects will not develop the situation in the region,

but it will increase the oppression of the State Peace

and Development Council (SPDC) against the peoples of

Arakan in particular and Burma in general, it further

said.

They, therefore, appeal to all companies and

international communities to protect the rights of the

people, the press release further stated.

Editor

Kaladan Press Network