Farmers in Myanmar protest against China

NEW DELHI: China is facing serious roadblock in Myanmar’s Rakhine state — heart of Rohingya crisis that brought Beijing politically close to Yangon than ever before — following protests by locals against a crossborder project to supply oil and gas to southern China.

Myanmarese farmers are protesting against the under-construction Chinese oil pipeline project passing through the Rakhine state from where there was an exodus of Rohingyas, ET has learnt. Farmers from the Ann Township in Rakhine state have been protesting for the past few months against China National Petroleum Corporation (commonly known as Petro-China) for causing widespread damage to irrigation land and plantations due to their under-construction pipeline.

The farmers have blamed the Chinese company for violating human rights and failing to compensate them. The pipeline is meant to transport oil and gas from Kyaukphyu, Rakhine state, to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province in China.


On April 26, farmers from Ann Township protested against China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), also known as Petro-China, for damaging irrigation land and plantations, persons familiar with the matter said.

Earlier on March 22, about 1000 farmers protested against Petro-China for not compensating farmers who gave their land for constructing Shwe oil pipeline project. About 40 Chinese employees of CNPC, including the manager and technicians, are working on the pipeline project, where locals from the Rakhine state are engaged as labourers.

Myanmar and China had signed an MoU for the construction of Kyaukphyu Economic and Technological Development Zone in Kyaukpyu Township in Rakhine state in December 2009.

Routine Work on Indo-Myanmar Border: MEA
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said no border pillar along the India-Myanmar boundary in the Manipur sector have been shifted into the Indian territory, amid tension over border issues in some areas of the northeastern state. MEA

Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said work on construction of subsidiary pillars along certain portion of the “settled” boundary between India and Myanmar has been carried out in Manipur sector by both the countries to apprise the local residents about the exact alignment of the border. — Our Political Bureau