Burma & India : Urgent call to Action!

international | environment | news report Sunday October 14, 2007 22:31 by quang duc

India so far has escaped the interest of Burmese democracy protesters in Europe & Ireland. Faced with the long list of anonymous corporations and short list of major foreign state players, it was understandable that many on the Burma Action front chose to launch all their energies & petitions & info-campaigns at China.

India has now confirmed it is close to signing a deal with the Myanmar military junta to develop the port of Sittwe. The deal will see India invest $103m in the Myanmar regime just weeks since
during the crises and collection of signatures to lobby against China, India signed a deal for Hydrocarbon exploitation with Myanmar.

News on the India / Myanmar military Sittwe deal :- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7037890.stm

Anaylsts of the Burmese / Myanmar problem have long concurred that the regime stays in power by deftly playing off its sponsors. Corporations in search of cheap labour will always find a way to sidestep sanctions unless they are applied globally. Whilst when China is criticised, the Indian government sees opportunities. Throughout it all the regime in Thailand plays its cards, & the Koreans expand their trade links which range from factory production to vehicle manufacture. Indeed recently one of the major doubts was the role played by Chinese arms supplies in the anti-democracy protests or the role played by Korean arms.

The BBC have this weekend published some questions & answers to their journalist in Burma, Kate McGeown who is of Irish extraction. amongst the questions selected for publishing is included one from an Irish Burma campaigner Conor Keogh, Dublin, on ethnic roles in the conflict.
An excellent question too. The next question from Mateo Stein, Bogota, Colombia was also a good one "how do BBC reporters get their data". Colombians thoughts & analysis on Burma is getting good responses on the indymedia network, the drug cartel trade connections & the protection & stability issues they spawn by now being well taken up across the spectrum.
(c/f http://www.unodc.org/unodc/press_release_2007_10_10_7.html http://indymedia.ie/article/84350#comment209318 )

Kate Mc Geown's other reports since she returned from Rangoon last week make very interesting reading.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7033911.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7032759.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/mobile/bbc_news/features/703/7033...shtml

Walking around the city, watching the Japanese and Chinese cars go by, and looking at the plethora of Chinese and Indian goods on sale, it is easy to see how he has drawn this conclusion.

As Irish and global activists reflect on possible success in the recent UN security council declaration on Burma / Myanmar which saw both Russia (potential supplier of atomic reactor technology to the junta) & China relax their usual veto [ c/f http://indymedia.ie/article/84350?&condense_comments=fa...09368 ] It is now vital that they carry on & turn attention to India's interests in the past in the Myanmar regime. and how India through both its government & emergent billionaires have played on western focus on China to their advantage for the future.

This is the website of the SHWE gas movement
http://www.shwe.org/

This is the list of Indian companies who have dealings with Myanmar

India: Aditya Birla Group
India: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
India: Essar Oil Ltd.
India: Exim Bank of India
India: Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL)
India: Indian Airlines
India: Indian Oil Corporation Limited
India: Midas Communication Technologies
India: National Hydroelectric Power Corporation
India: Numaligarh Refinery Ltd.
India: Oil India Ltd.
India: ONGC Videsh Ltd
India: PEC Limited
India: R.Piyarelall Group
India: Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd
India: Samra International
India: Shakti Pumps
India: State Bank of India
India: SUN Group
India: Telecommunication Consultants India Limited (TCIL)
India: Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd
India: The Printers House
http://www.global-unions.org/burma/default3.asp?Order=C...untry

It is also vital for campaigners to realise the role played by Western Tourism in supporting the Myanmar military regime.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5093832.stm

China possibly responded to activists pressure, well done! now turn the attention to India!!