Negative wave sweeps against 3 nation gas pipeline

Aizawl, Aug 08: The North East Students Organisation (NESO) apprehends that the proposed tri-nation pipeline, scheduled to run from Sittwe in Myanmar's Akaran state to Kolkata through Bangladesh, Mizoram and Tripura, can rewrite the boudaries of the NE.

South Korea's Daewoo International Corporation signed an exploration contract with Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise for rights to carry out oil and gas exploration in the A-1 offshore block off the Myanmar's Arakan cost.

Daewoo holds 60 per cent share, ONGC 20 per cent, GAIL ten per cent and KOGAS, another South Korean company, ten per cent in the Shwe Gas project.

The 897-km long pipeline will enter India from Parva in South Mizoram dissecting the state and curve away to Tripura from Kanhmun before bisecting it.

''The proposed pipeline would swallow more than 400 sq km of Mizoram, cause massive deforestation in the Dampa Tiger Reserve and logistically cut off 150 Chakma and Bru villages in remote hill ranges alsong the West Mizo frontier,'' Northeastern Student's Organisation Vice-Chairman Lalmuanpuia Punte told UNI.

He feared that differnces between the ethnic communties might grow thereby posing threats to the state's integrity.

''Apart from making governance extremely difficult, the pipeline may be regarded as a virtual natural boundary and give a chance to Chakmas and Brus to curve out their home states,'' he said adding in Tripura, the pipeline will separate the tribal belts from the non-tribals.

Apart from the NESO and other NGO protest, the Shwe Gas pipeline project campaign committee (India) also provided that the proposed pipeline would provide the Myanmarese Junta with millions of dollars that may be used to stifle the voice of democaracy.

Not only in the region, but the Shwe Gas pipeline campaign committee has been organising active campaign against the proposed project across the country.

The committee also alleges that largescale forced labour has been carried out for the coming up of the pipeline, and the people of the affected areas have never been informed of the project, not alone failing to seek their no objection.

Energy Searcher, an offshore drilling machine, during routine drilling operations in the Block No A-1 in the Arakan Sea, had struck a large gas deposit on December 26, 2003. Results of further geological experiments show the whole A-1 block can hold more than 20 Trillion Cubic, equivalent to 3,500 million barrels of oil.

The area of exploration spans 3,885 square km, 100 km south of Arkanese capital Akyab (Sittwe).

UNI