INDONESIA

Investment Fever in Burma

"Over 200 billion US dollars will flow into Burma over the next few years."

Bo Bo Aung came to Sweden for one reason... to explain how huge investments may soon change the landscape, the environment and the economy of Burma.

”The main problem is that the companies and the businessmen register a large piece of land and it can lead the local farmers to lose their land forever.”

He was a teacher, but after he saw the way things were heading, he became a land rights activist. 

”In 2010 a special economic project came to Dawei and I thought I need to do something because it’s very huge. The biggest in Southeast Asia, an 86 billion dollar project, So we need to do something, so I started to find a way to protect the local people.”

The Dawei project, with money from Japan, will be the biggest industrial commercial zone in Southeast Asia.

When built, villagers will lose their homes and farms.

The proposed 4000 megawatt coal-fired plant will also be a big polluter.

The farmers, in spite of their deeds, will be resettled... and will likely receive little compensation.

Asked about compensation for those moved off their land, the Deputy Minister for Resettlement Phone Swe said “We still have no idea.”

And, no clue about the compensation as well.

But not all see investments as a bad thing, says tour operator Pju Wee Ta.

”The government has opened everything so you should come and invest in Myanmar. Also the investment law is certified in Myanmar also. Everything is very fine, everything is open and ready for all.”

But it’s not the investments themselves that are under fire...

It’s the conditions attached, especially for the workers that are important.

Frida Perjus  is a trade union specialist at the Olof Palme Centre in Stockholm.

“In 2012 it was made legal to form a trade union. There are around 700 labour unions formed since 2012 only, but many of these are so called ”yellow unions” , they are initiated and owned by the employers.”

The transition, from military to civil law in Burma is slow.

The rampant exploitation of labour, minerals and forests has also worsened the long standing ethnic conflicts, says Bo Bo Aung.

“In Shan state there is still fighting. Sometimes fighting with the government and the military, sometimes between armed groups”

At a forum were a number of Burmese NGOs, some critical of the footprint of the new large development aid projects.

Sai Khoong Pong works as a human rights adviser with the local burmese NGO Kawdai.

”One thing is it’s not transparent, second is the government doesn’t have a clear policy to help the ethnic minority of Burma. So it will still ignore the minority of Burma and create the conflict, more than help.”
 
Some argue Burma is being divided up – and the spoils going to the highest bidder.

And where is Aung San Suu Kyi in all of this? It appears she’s being cautious.

But one shouldn’t put all of Burma’s hopes in her alone, says Bo Bo Aung.

“Her first priority, she wants to first become president and after that she can do. But for me, it’s very difficult. Just one person cannot change everything”

• Burma
• Investment
• economic
• Dawei project
• Ric Wasserman