Although a complaint by local workers has been sent to the prime minister of Arakan State regarding the disposal of waste from Kyaukpyu deep seaport project and related work sites, no action has yet been taken, according to local residents.
More than 100 workers from South Korea, China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as domestic company employees, are reportedly living and working in a natural gas refinery project near Gangawdaw pagoda in the town of Kyaukpyu where construction is currently underway.
“Every day, their leftover food, toilet waste and everything else is transported to a creek near Ohndaw and Gonchain villages, which are located not far away from the Gangawdaw pagoda,” a villager from Ohndaw told The Irrawaddy.
He said that the local villagers could no longer stand the smell from the waste, which became worse on rainy days. About 100 villagers from Ohndaw and some local monks signed a petition and sent it to township and district administrators and asked them to take the necessary measures.
The local authorities, however, responded that they were not in a position to do anything or stop the companies, he said.
“The local authorities wouldn't take any responsibility, so we sent our complaint on to Hla Maung, the prime minister of Arakan State, on June 18. He didn't respond nor did he take any action,” he said.
The local residents, however, still have not given up. They said they will send their petition to the union government in Naypyidaw.
“We have received the villagers' letter of complaint and are preparing to discuss the matter with the state government,” said Ba Shin, a Kyaukpyu resident and a member of the Pyithu Hluttaw [Lower House] representing the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP). “But I don't think it can take any action against those who throw their waste out without consideration for others. Nevertheless, we have submitted this case to the related parliamentary sessions in Naypyidaw.”
He said companies, their domestic and foreign employees, and the local authorities involved in the Kyaukpyu deep seaport project and its related projects should pay serious attention to avoid any waste which has an impact on the environment and local residents.
He also said that rocks and reefs near Maday island were dynamited to lay gas pipelines to transport gas to China, a move that affected the environment and killed a lot of aquatic animals.
U Ohn, one of Burma's most prominent environmentalists and the vice-chairman of the Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association, told The Irrawaddy that the environment on Maday Island and in the surrounding Kyaukpyu area will be severely affected by construction of the deep-sea port and related projects.
“What has been written in the book with regard to environmental conservation is really great. But there has been no implementation. We still haven't been consulted on anything about the environmental impact of projects in Kyaukpyu,” said U Ohn.
State-run newspapers in Burma reported that the construction of the deep seaport on Maday Island was led by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), one of the biggest companies in China. The CNPC began construction on the seaport in October 2010 and is due to finish by 2013, they said.
It is expected to transport 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas and about 400,000 barrels of crude oil to China every year.
Wong Aung, the coordinator of the Shwe Gas Movement, which is made up of individuals and groups who are concerned about the overall impact of the extraction of natural gas in Burma, told The Irrawaddy that in addition to CNPC, other domestic and foreign companies such as Asia World and Daewoo are involved in the project.
He said human rights violations and work exploitation exist in the project's work sites. About 100 workers, who were dissatisfied with their working conditions sent complaints to local authorities, and were subsequently dismissed from their jobs.
According to some local employees, they have to work from 6 am to 6 pm but are only paid 1,500—2,500 kyat [US $1.90—3.00] a day. Daily wages are officially fixed at 5,000 kyat [$6.00], but local authorities and Burmese supervisors exploit their workers, they said.
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