Resource information
...This briefer focuses on the impacts of two of Burma’s largest energy projects, led
by Chinese, South Korean, and Indian multinational corporations in partnership with the
state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), Burmese companies, and Burmese
state security forces. The projects are the Shwe Natural Gas Project and the Burma-China
oil transport project, collectively referred to here as the “Burma-China pipelines.” The
pipelines will transport gas from Burma and oil from the Middle East and Africa across
Burma to China. The massive pipelines will pass through two states, Arakan (Rakhine) and
Shan, and two divisions in Burma, Magway and Mandalay, over dense mountain ranges
and arid plains, rivers, jungle, and villages and towns populated by ethnic Burmans and
several ethnic nationalities. The pipelines are currently under construction and will feed
industry and consumers primarily in Yunnan and other western provinces in China, while
producing multi-billion dollar revenues for
the Burmese regime.
This briefer provides original research
documenting adverse human rights impacts
of the pipelines, drawing on investigations
inside Burma and leaked documents
obtained by EarthRights and its partners.
EarthRights has found extensive land
confiscation related to the projects, and a
pervasive lack of meaningful consultation
and consent among affected communities,
along with cases of forced labor and other
serious human rights abuses in violation of
international and national law. EarthRights
has uncovered evidence to support claims
of corporate complicity in those abuses.
In addition, companies involved have
breached key international standards and
research shows they have failed to gain a
social license to operate in the country.
New evidence suggests communities
in the project area are overwhelmingly
opposed to the pipeline projects. While
EarthRights has not found evidence directly
linking the projects to armed conflict,
the pipelines may increase tensions as
construction reaches Shan State, where
there is a possibility of renewed armed
conflict between the Burmese Army and
specific ethnic armed groups. The Army is
currently forcibly recruiting and training
villagers in project areas to fight.
EarthRights has obtained confidential
Production Sharing Contracts detailing
the structure of multi-million dollar
signing and production bonuses that China
National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)
is required to pay to MOGE officials
regarding its involvement in two offshore
oil and gas development projects that,
at present, are unrelated to the Burma-
China pipelines. EarthRights believes the
amount and structure of these payments are
in-line with previously disclosed resource
development contracts in Burma, and are
likely representative of contracts signed
for the Burma-China pipelines; contracts
that remain guarded from public scrutiny.
Accordingly, the operators of the Burma-
China pipeline projects would have already
made several tranche cash payments to
MOGE, totaling in the tens of millions of
dollars...
