NO GAS PIPELINE OVER PEOPLES LIVES

All civilised people, the Arakanese people, request to condemn the gas pipeline project, in the western state of Burma, Arakan. It is an evil project meant to destroy the lives and wellbeing of people in the Arakan state, Burma.

The Burmese military government is planning to build a gas pipeline in the western state of Arakan. It will carry natural gas from the largest gas reserve in Burma to India. It seems that the sale of the gas would bring much-needed money for the poverty-ridden Burmese, that the resulting infrastructure would bring employment; the sale would bring funds for social structures such as hospitals and schools. However, the truth is that these benefits are simply illusions or wishful thinking, because the current military government is an evil one.

Rather than providing employment for the local people in the pipeline project, the Burmese government will simply use forced labour from the local population. There are many examples of similar major projects, including the gas pipeline in the Burmese eastern border, which used forced labour on the local people. Even before the gas discoveries, the people of Arakan, as their fellows in other regions, have been subjected to the forced labour. There is a lot of internationally recognised documentation regarding this matter. Thus, the only result of this pipeline project will be more forced labour for the local population.

For those people whose homes fall within the locality of the pipeline has only one future, a forceful relocation. No compensation, no help, but simply the demolition of their homes, ending their way of life. Since there have been many examples of such incidents, there is no doubt that the Burmese military junta will do the same thing in this case. Even in the preliminary stages of the gas exploration, there have been incidents of human rights abuses in these areas.

Being the largest gas reserve to ever be discovered in Burma, the sale of the gas through the pipeline would produce a substantial amount of income for the government. The only result of this money would be the purchase of more arms to suppress the people of Burma. The only way that the current junta maintains its hold on power is through the terror of the gun. The only way they will use the money received from the Gas pipeline project would be by buying more arms to use against the democratically elected parties or against the demands of the legitimate nationalities within Burma. This illegitimate governments use of precious natural resources that is rightfully owned by the people would be nothing but wasted resources.

The current military government rules not for life, liberty and the wellbeing of the people of Burma. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government has no concern for the people; do not rule for the people, and worse, they have denied the people the right to rule by themselves. They have not transferred the control of the state to the duly elected parliamentarians, and they do not show any sign or willingness to do so. The main aim of the junta is to perpetuate their rule over the lives of the Burmese people. Their only concern is their wellbeing. The junta considers the gas pipeline over the lives of the Burmese people, especially those of the Arakan State.

To all the civilised people, we, the AGM, like to request everyone to condemn the gas pipeline project in the Arakan state. By stopping the pipeline, we would stop more bad news from the western corner of Burma. Moreover, it would show that the world is not going to tolerate the tyranny that humiliates the dignity of humanity. Stop the gas pipeline, which will carry a flood of blood of Burmese people. We request every people with love and kind hearts to show solidarity with us, by signing this petition and partaking in this campaign with us, in this fight to stop the injustice.

Regards,

Arakan Gas Movement

Arakan, Burma

Website: http://www.geocities.com/arakangasmovement/arakangasmovement.htm