Narinjara News

Rambree, March 8

Authority occupies local oil fields for Chinese company

In Arakan State's Rambree Island, a number of families who traditionally make a living by drilling oil by hand, find there livelihood threatened as the authorities have occupied their oil fields for use by a Chinese company, said a businessman from Akyab.

 They face big trouble because the Burmese authorities have prohibited the local oil drillers from drilling oil from their own fields since the Chinese oil company has been allowed to explore oil in the area, said one local oil driller.

Now the Chinese company is preparing to drill oil in the fields but they are not offering any compensation for the landowners, said several people from Rambree Town, situated in middle of the island.

"Some Chinese people with modern machine manufactures are now in our village and they are preparing to drill oil from our land but they are not offering any compensation to the oil field owners", he said, adding that one Burmese business company, Asia world Co Ltd, is also involved in the business.

According to village sources, Asia world Co Ltd, which belongs to Drug Load Lo Hshing Han's son, Tun Myint Naing, alias Steven Law, is a business partner of Chinese Oil Company, and is presently managing the project in the island.

Lay Daung, and Sane tracts, all in the Rambree Township, are the most affected areas of Rambree Island, where oil fields are occupied by the Burmese authority for use by the Chinese oil company.

In Kyauk Pru Township of Rambree Island, Nyien Chan Mung, a personal assistant of the former Rangoon mayor, U Ko lay, has gotten permission from the authority to drill oil since he has offered to give electricity to the town of Kyuak Pru from his own generator. Since then all local oil fields have been forcibly occupied by Nyein Chan Maung, and therefore many families have been left jobless in the township.

The drilling of oil by local hand-machines has been a traditional business for the island's people since the British occupied Arakan State in 1825.

In the Rambree Island, many families have been involved the oil drilling business because it is an easy way for them to earn money to support themselves. #

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