development project

Villagers living in the area of the Dawei deep-sea port, part of a mega development project worth USD$60 billion that is planned for southern Burma, claim it is making it hard for them to now make a living. Villagers in the Nabule area of Yebyu Township claim that they have lost farming lands and are now unable to grow seasonal…

The local people in Ka Moe Thway area, Tavoy (Dawei) town, in southern Burma have called for the Thai government to not to build dirty industry near their homes. On September 20, around 200 villagers, who live along the Dawei-Kanchanaburi road, constructed by the Thai Italian-Thai Development Company, gathered in Kaw Htee Lor village to pray for a stop to…

Villagers from Yay Phyu Township in Tanintharyi Region claim that heavy trucks used by the Italian-Thai Development Company for the Dawei Project are damaging village roads. Villagers claim the constant flow of heavy trucks from the Italian-Thai Development Company using local roads in the Na Bu Leh, Mu Du and Nyaung Pin Seik villages are destroying the roads, but company…

The regions biggest development investment will threaten local livelihoods, cause environmental risks, and could displace thousands of locals, according to a Thai non-government organisation. A Thai based environmental advocacy organisation, The Foundation for Ecological Recovery (FER), has raised concerns regarding the Italian-Thai Development Public Company’s construction of a large deep seaport and industrial complex at Dawei, in southern Burma and…

The Italian-Thai Development Company has made a second compensation payment to Karen villagers affected by the Dawei-Kanchanaburi road construction in eastern Tavoy Town. On June 8, the Italian-Thai Development Company and its partner, Max Myanmar, paid 15,582,240 Thai baht (4,93,750.47 US$)compensation to 20 villagers affected by the road between Myitta and Kaw Htee Lor (Thebyu Chaung). The villagers’ plantations were…

The Karen People’s Forum has demanded the Burma government and the Karen National Union suspend all mega development projects in Karen State during the current peace negotiation process. The Karen People’s Forum and villagers representating 23 villages based on the Salween River met in Papun Township on June 5 for two days to discuss how they could be involved in…

Naw Zipporah Sein, the Karen National Union’s general secretary welcomed a statement from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi calling for more development in ethnic areas. Noble peace prize Laurent, Aung San Suu Kyi, asked for foreign investors and international development aid providers to consider working not only in central Burma, but also in ethnic rural areas. Aung San Suu Kyi…

The Italian-Thai Development Company told Karen National Union leaders in a meeting on Saturday that, despite rumors to the contrary, ITD are not withdrawing from its plans to construct the Dawei deep-sea port and Dawei (Tavoy) Special Economic Zone. Padoh Saw Thu Yeh, an executive member of the KNU’s Mergui-Tavoy District, explained to Karen News that he had met ITD…

Naw Zipporah Sein, general secretary of the Karen National Union told Karen News that it is too early for the international community to lift sanctions imposed on Burma. Ms. Sein said there is a need for the government to implement more political reforms and a countrywide ceasefire. “It is not the time to remove the sanctions – the international community…

ASEAN leaders and members disagree on the question of easing economic and politics restrictions in strife riven country. Easing economic restrictions in Burma could see a business bonanza for foreign corporations at the cost of local communities. The ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) welcomed signs of political reform in Burma but warned that lifting international sanctions could pose a…