Arakan Watch: March 14, 2023:
An estimated cost of USD 8.9 billion of Chinese projects in Arakan State of Burma/Myanmar are expected to be handled by Burmese military, said an a citizen of Arakan in condition of anonymity.
810-kilometer Muse-Kyaukphyu railway, a major part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, to connect with China’s landlocked Yunnan province is currently in discussion and the first part will be 431 km railway track from Muse- a border town with China to Mandalay, while the other part of Mandalay- Kyaukphyu railway line is about 380 km in length, but nothing is explained about its usability.
With a view to restart the railway, the Chinese government officials and junta personnel have been holding a series of discussions and the Burmese regime is underway to plan in building a number of wind power projects in the townships of Gwa, Thandwe and Ann, located at the southern part of Arakan State.
On 1 March, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the military regime and Chinese companies on wind power projects, supposed to be launched by December this year and to be completed by 2025.
Primus Advanced Technologies Limited, Asia Ecoenergy Development Limited and Yunnan Machinery, Equipment Import and Export have received the agreement.
The wind power projects in Gwa Township will generate 100 megawatts. Similarly, 150 megawatts will be produced from Ann township project and 110 megawatts to be generated from Thandwe power project, said a military government source.
Human Rights defenders from Rohingya Human Concil (RHRC) confirm that these projects will not benefits the people of Arakan as entire people of Arakan facing economic hardship throughout environmental issues from the establishment of Chinese projects which included Arakan (Shwe) Natural Gas.
Throughout the development of such projects, conflicts, human security and humanitarian disasters are believed to be infiltrated in Arakan, especially genocide against indigenous Rohingysa, he added.##
