Introduction
An outcome on the dispute over maritime border between Burma and Bangladesh will come out in a couple of months. The dispute originated from the locations of natural gas reserves offshore at kyaukphu, Arakan State, acclaimed by Burma, actually by Burmese military regime. Arakanese and elsewhere inside Burma were unpleasant about Burmese government’s deal of piping away the natural gas and oil from Arakan offshore to China. So-called the Shwe Gas Project benefits China and Sr. Gen Than Shwe; not for Burma and starving people of Burma. Chinese have already moved into Kyaukpyu. Military has built up its forces at Ann. For paving gas pipeline corridor at the Chinese border, military has, now, been waging war against Kachins who were living there for their whole lives.
An Incarnated Chinese Warrior: Sr Gen Than Shwe
Seriously, Chinese government has gotten a rare economic and military opportunities at the most critical juncture of time in Burmese history. As if acting as a Chinese warrior, dam construction contracts; copper mines for weaponry; and gemstone mines of jade, rubies and gold mines were granted by to China by general Than Shwe. He offered naval ports at Coco island and Heingyikyun. Then. he’s created special Chinese fortunes such as oil and gas from offshore (Shwe Gas) and inland (Yenangyaung) reserves with an additional approval to create a deep sea harbor at Kyaukphu (Arakan) together with a new airport, and to build a dual oil and gas pipelines with a parallel rail road. (See Video on China’s Kyaukpyu Economic and Technology Development Plan at
http://www.ramree.com/2011/05/22/video-ramree-economic-technological-zone/). Than Shwe has cunningly setup against the United State’s concerns over China’s military access to Indian Ocean by-passing traditional shipping route through South China Sea-the Strait of Malacca. (See illustrated map below)
(all pictures can be enlarged to view by clicking on it)
A Chinese Military Strategy to Severing Burmese Territory
Just looking at the planned route (corridor) of gas and oil pipelines (See below) of Shwe Gas Project, and its associated plan for a rail road, Burma will be divided diagonally into two states with a corridor from Ruili (Chinese border) to Kyaukpyu (Arakan coast). For a national security reason alone, no other government would usher a neighboring country who would grab every resource to feed its exploding population, into its own land.
But brilliantly, Than Shwe’s offered a flow of gas and oil to China as well as bringing back into Burma with a flow of population, machines, materials, money and military forces along this corridor. Officially, the whole deal with China was Than Shwe’s personal interest; not merely any benefits for the nation. Thus, it’s been named as “(Than) Shwe Gas Project”.
(all pictures can be enlarged to view by clicking on it)
Warrior Than Shwe and his army sacrificing Kachins and Arakanese for his Chinese God
Now, Than Shwe’s streamlined with current Burmese government who he has selected/elected, to wipe out Kachins who’ve lived there forever at the Chinese border region where the pipelines will be laid. What a shame! At Than Shwe’s command, current Burmese government and military is waging a war against Kachins, its own national ethnic minority for the Chinese favor. It is also evident in Kyauklpyu, the Burmese government and military is assisting in land confiscations for Chinese who came to work for (Than) Shwe Gas Project. One of the main reasons for military built up at Ann is for (Than) Shwe Gas Project too. The military will use force as necessary to put the pipeline corridor in place through the Ann Pass, and making sure of what Chinese needed in Kyaukphyu.
Before it is too late
As for all nationalities of Burma, present killings in Kachin hills, and land confiscations in Kyaukpyu (Arkan) cannot be considered as isolated local issues. It is a national issue, no less serious than Myitson Dam issue. It’s time to rise up to scrap the (Than) Shwe Gas Project.
Stop (Than) Shwe Gas Project immediately!
If the people of Burma would let go of this (Than) Shwe Gas Project by the government now, the next generations of Burma will become Chinese, and Burma will most likely become a province of the Republic of China. The Theravada Buddhism will be faded as the beloved Sayadaws (Abbotts) of Burma will become exiles like Dalai Lama of Tibet has to. Most chillingly, Chinese-Burma children in the next generations will be paying homage to Than Shwe’s statue as one of the loyal warriors of China in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
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posted on November 21, 2011 by winners' circle
See the English-Burmese (bi-lingual) presentation on "Stop (Than) Shwe Gas Project" at:
http://ann-arakan-military-builtup.blogspot.com/
