The Shwe Gas project and
pipeline construction in western Myanmar will continue, the government
said, although many people are demanding its temporary suspension for
not having properly assessed the environmental and social impacts of the
project.
Project manager Cheng Huan Lai said that
it may be able to start the export of natural gas from the project in
Rakhine state to China latest by May 30, 2013, and oil by September 30,
through two Myanmar-China pipelines of about 800km length. Pipeline
constructions will be complete before the May 2013 deadline.
The joint venture project between China
National Petroleum Corporation and the Myanmar Ministry of Oil and Gas
Enterprise has allegedly damaged the environmental and social lives of
indigenous people, as well as the ecology of the area.
Win Aung of Shwe Gas Movement, which is
demanding suspension of the project, said that it had caused mass
forcible relocation of the locals, and some of those whose farms and
lands had been confiscated had not received compensations. He also
pointed out that not implementing the environmental and social impact
assessments (EIA/SIA) have caused losses to the country.
Earlier, locals and activist civil
organisations called on the Ministry of Energy to ensure transparency
over the project’s financial figures, and urged reconsideration of the
compensation amount for land confiscated (0.0128 per cent of total cost
has been reportedly budgeted for it), according to activist Tun Tun
Naing of Kyaunkpyu Network, Myanmar-China Pipelines Watch Committee.
He said that they had also demanded
disclosure of the name of the Thailand company which is reportedly
undertaking EIA/SIA of the project, to publicise the reports, and inform
the people of possible hazards they may experience.
The authorities, on the other side, highlighted the positives of the project.
Than Htay, Minister for Energy, said the
project would daily yield 100 million cubic feet of natural gas and 2
million tonnes of crude oil for local consumption.
He added that the country will also gain
the pipeline transit fee US$13.81 million per year for 30 years and oil
transit fee of US$1 per tonne of export crude oil for 22 million tonnes
a year.
Shwe Gas Project was started in August
2007, and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding for sale of gas
to China in June 2008.
source: Eleven Myanmar
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