development project

Local people from Kaw Htee Lor (Thebyu Chaung) village along with five other villages are angry that the Italian-Thai Development Company (ITD) is refusing to pay compensation to people whose plantations have been destroyed by the ITD road construction. Karen News reporters attended the meeting between ITD officials and local villagers in Kaw Htee Lor village on March 30. The…

Villagers in southern Burma claim a local influential Karen and representatives of the Italian-Thai Development Company (ITD) want money of villagers in return for building a road. A villager, *Naw Thu (not her real name), spoke to Karen News. “At the end of last November, local villagers in the Kamoethway area, east of Tavoy, near where the Dawei-Kanchanaburi road passes…

A Burma based environmental group has released a report outlining the major principles potential business investors should adopt in the country. The Burma Environmental Working Group – an alliance of grassroots-based organizations – issued the statement entitled ‘Benchmarks for Investment in Burma’s Energy, Extractive and Land Sectors’ to serve, it says, as “a framework for responsible investment in critical sectors…

The Karen National Union (KNU) are frustrated with the lack of transparency and cooperation showed by the Italian-Thai Development Company’s environmental surveyors. The KNU accuse the ITD’s surveyors of refusing their officials the opportunity to accompany them or observe them on their trip to meet with local villagers affected by the construction of the Tavoy/Dawei-Kanchanaburi Highway, in southern Burma. A…

An alliance of Karen community base organizations claim Chinese and Thai investment in the Hatgyi dam could undermine the ongoing peace negotiations between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burma government, destroying the Karen peoples’ fragile hope for peace. Saw Paul, director of the coalition for sustainable rivers development, the Karen Rivers Watch (KRW) said. “At this fragile stage…

The renowned international environmental group, EarthRights International welcomed reports that the Burma government has canceled the planned 4,000-megawatt coal-fire power plant that was to be part of the US$60 billion Dawei development project in southern Burma. EarthRights International’s Burma Project Director, Naing Htoo, told Karen News. “We welcome the [Burma] government’s decision to cancel the power plant and to listen…

Today, five of Thailand’s senior ministers will meet in Dawei with their Burmese counterparts to support the Burma government’s push to attract foreign investment for mega development projects to the country. The Thai ministers of foreign affairs, energy, transport, industry and finance will attend the Dawei meeting, organized by Burma’s President, Thein Sein, to highlight Thai investment in Burma. Burmese…

The Karen National Union is considering allowing the Italian-Thai Development Company to build a road linking Burma’s Tavoy Special Economic Zone to Thailand after a meeting between the KNU and company representatives on December 28. Saw Kwe Htoo Win, KNU chairman of the Mergui-Tavoy District and the KNU’s representative in meetings with the Italian-Thai explained to Karen News. “The company…

The Karenni National Progressive Party has urged Japan’s government to reconsider its involvement in the No.2 Lawpita Hydro-power plant in Karenni State under the Oversea Development Assistance program. Ku Oo Rei, secretary for the Karenni National Progressive Party, blamed Burma’s government for force relocation, human and animal landmine causalities and a lack of compensation for villagers who lose their land…

Three Burma Army soldiers were killed and six soldiers wounded by Karen soldiers last week during an ambush on the Tavoy-Kanchanaburi road in southern Burma. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a KNU military Brigade 4 source said the Karen soldiers ambushed a Burma Army column from Light Infantry Battalion 407 on November 26 near the Law Aw deserted village. Two…